“‘When they come there,
They will remove
From Jerusalem
All its detestable things,
All its abominations.
I will give them
One heart.
I will put
A new spirit
Within them.
I will remove
The heart of stone
From their flesh.
I will give them
A heart of flesh.
Thus they may follow
My statutes.
They will keep
My ordinances.
They will obey them.
They shall be my people.
I will be their God.
But as for those
Whose heart goes after
Their detestable things,
Their abominations,
I will bring their deeds
Upon their own heads.’
Says Yahweh God.”
The returning Israelites should remove all the detestable abominations from Jerusalem. Yahweh was going to give them one heart with a new spirit. He was going to remove their heart of stone. Instead, he was going to replace or transplant it with a heart of flesh. Thus they would follow the statutes. They would keep Yahweh’s ordinances. They would obey Yahweh. They would adhere to his commandments. They were going to be his people. He was going to be their God. However, those who still went after these detestable things and abominations would find that their very wicked deeds would fall upon their own heads. Thus ends the oracle of Yahweh, their God.