19. because I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land.
20. The wild animals will thank me. The large animals and birds will honor me when I put water in the desert and make rivers flow through that dry land. I will do this to give water to my chosen people.
21. I made them, and they will sing songs of praise to me.
22. “Jacob, you did not pray to me. Israel, you became tired of me.
23. You have not brought your sheep as sacrifices to me. You have not honored me with your sacrifices. I did not force you to give gifts to me like slaves. I did not force you to burn incense until you became tired.
24. So you did not use your money to buy things to honor me. But you did force me to be like your slave. You sinned until the bad things you did made me very tired.
25. “I, I am the one who wipes away all your sins. I do this to please myself. I will not remember your sins.
26. But you should remember me. Let’s meet together and decide what is right. Tell your story and prove that you are innocent.
27. Your first father sinned, and your lawyers committed crimes against me.
28. I will make your Temple leaders unfit to serve there. I will destroy Jacob. Bad things will happen to Israel.