16. The Lord spoke his word to me again. He said:
17. “Human being, the nation of Israel was living in their own land. But they made it unclean by their ways and the things they did. Their ways were like a woman’s uncleanness in her time of monthly bleeding.
18. So I poured out my anger against them. I did it because of the murders they did in the land. And I did it because they made the land unclean with their idols.
19. I scattered them among the nations. And they were spread through all the countries. I punished them for how they lived and the things they did.
20. They dishonored my holy name in the nations where they went. The nations said about them: ‘These are the people of the Lord. But they had to leave the land which he gave them.’
21. But I felt bad about my holy name. The nation of Israel had dishonored it among the nations where they went.
22. “So say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Israel, I am going to act, but not for your sake. Israel, I will do something to help my holy name. You have dishonored it among the nations where you went.