Now this is what the Lord says – the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel – ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.
I will purify them from all the iniquity they have committed against me, and I will forgive all the iniquities they have committed against me, rebelling against me.
Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will freely forgive.
Leave Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with a shout of joy, proclaim this, let it go out to the end of the earth; announce, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob! ’
And the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have prostituted yourself with many partners – can you return to me? This is the Lord’s declaration.
‘Come, let’s settle this,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool.
But you, Lord, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their iniquity; do not blot out their sin before you. Let them be forced to stumble before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.
Hear the petitions of your servant and your people Israel, which they pray towards this place. May you hear in your dwelling place in heaven. May you hear and forgive.
So tell the people, “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Return to me #– #this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies #– #and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies.
Rejoice, you nations, concerning his people, , for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will take vengeance on his adversaries; , he will purify his land and his people.
In those days and at that time – this is the Lord’s declaration – one will search for Israel’s iniquity, but there will be none, and for Judah’s sins, but they will not be found, for I will forgive those I leave as a remnant.
so that when I make atonement for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth again because of your disgrace. This is the declaration of the Lord God.” ’
Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger for ever because he delights in faithful love.
So the angel of the Lord said to those standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes! ’ Then he said to him, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with festive robes.’