"Thussaysthe LORDGodof Israel,'Like thesegoodfigs,soI will regardas goodthe captivesof Judah,whomI have sentout of thisplace[into] the landof the Chaldeans.
BeforeI was afflictedI wentastray,But nowI keepYour word.
It is goodfor me that I was afflicted,That I may learnYour statutes.
Then the wordof the LORDcameto me, saying,
For I knowthe plansthat I havefor you,' declaresthe LORD,'plansfor welfareand not for calamityto giveyou a futureand a hope.
"You, therefore, hearthe wordof the LORD,allyou exiles,whomI have sentawayfrom Jerusalemto Babylon.
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,to allthe exileswhomI have sentinto exilefrom Jerusalemto Babylon,
"Thereforesay,'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"I will gatheryou from the peoplesand assembleyou out of the countriesamong whichyou have been scattered,and I will giveyou the landof Israel."'
that they may walkin My statutesand keepMy ordinancesand dothem. Then they will be My people,and I shall be their God.
Yet in spiteof this,when they are in the landof their enemies,I will not rejectthem, norwill I so abhorthem as to destroythem, breakingMy covenantwith them; for I am the LORDtheir God.
The LORDis good,A strongholdin the dayof trouble,And He knowsthose who takerefugein Him.
"And I will bringthe thirdpartthrough the fire,Refinethem as silveris refined,And testthem as goldis tested.They will callon My name,And I will answerthem; I will say,They are My people,'And they will say,'The LORDis my God.'"
"But he answered,'TrulyI sayto you, I do not knowyou.'
"My sheephearMy voice,and I knowthem, and they followMe;
And we knowthat Godcausesall thingsto work togetherfor goodto thosewho loveGod,to thosewho are calledaccordingto [His] purpose.
but ifanyonelovesGod,he is knownby Him.
But nowthat you have come to knowGod,orratherto be knownby God,howis it that you turn backagainto the weakand worthlesselemental things,to whichyou desireto be enslavedall overagain?
"In the wildernessHe fedyou mannawhichyour fathersdid not know,that He might humbleyou and that He might testyou, to dogoodfor you in the end.
Nevertheless,the firmfoundationof Godstands,havingthisseal,"The Lordknowsthosewho are His," and, "Everyonewho namesthe nameof the Lordis to abstainfrom wickedness."
Those whomI love,I reproveand discipline;thereforebe zealousand repent.
