Ezekiel 36

1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “You mountains of Israel, hear Yahweh’s word.

2 This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’

The Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!”’

3 therefore prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Because they have made you desolate and have trampled you on every side, so that you became a possession of the rest of the nations and were taken up in slander by the lips of their talkers,

therefore prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of the nations, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and the evil report of the people;”

4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have become a spoil and a mockery to the rest of the nations around you.

therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: The Lord Yahweh says to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which have become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around;

5 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, so that its pastureland became plunder.

therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.”’

6 Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and tell the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I have spoken in My burning zeal because you have endured the reproach of the nations.

Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell the mountains, the hills, the watercourses and the valleys, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations.”

7 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I have sworn with an uplifted hand that surely the nations around you will endure reproach of their own.

Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “I have sworn, ‘Surely the nations that are around you will bear their shame.’

8 But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and bear fruit for My people Israel, for they will soon come home.

“‘“But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot out your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come.

9 For behold, I am on your side; I will turn toward you, and you will be tilled and sown.

For, behold, I am for you, and I will come to you, and you will be tilled and sown.

10 I will multiply the people upon you—the house of Israel in its entirety. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.

I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it. The cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be built.

11 I will fill you with people and animals, and they will multiply and be fruitful. I will make you as inhabited as you once were, and I will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

I will multiply man and animal on you. They will increase and be fruitful. I will cause you to be inhabited as you were before, and you will do better than at your beginnings. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

12 Yes, I will cause My people Israel to walk upon you; they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will no longer deprive them of their children.

Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will never again bereave them of their children.”

13 For this is what the Lord GOD says: Because people say to you, ‘You devour men and deprive your nation of its children,’

“‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Because they say to you, ‘You are a devourer of men, and have been a bereaver of your nation;’

14 therefore you will no longer devour men or deprive your nation of its children, declares the Lord GOD.

therefore you shall devour men no more, and not bereave your nation any more,” says the Lord Yahweh.

15 I will no longer allow the taunts of the nations to be heard against you, and you will no longer endure the reproach of the peoples or cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord GOD.”

“I won’t let you hear the shame of the nations any more. You won’t bear the reproach of the peoples any more, and you won’t cause your nation to stumble any more,” says the Lord Yahweh.’”

16 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

17 “Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds. Their behavior before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman’s impurity.

“Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and by their deeds. Their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.

18 So I poured out My wrath upon them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.

Therefore I poured out my wrath on them for the blood which they had poured out on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.

19 I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the lands. I judged them according to their ways and deeds.

I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. I judged them according to their way and according to their deeds.

20 And wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.’

When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, ‘These are Yahweh’s people, and have left his land.’

21 But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had gone.

But I had respect for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

22 Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went.

“Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

23 I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.

I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh,” says the Lord Yahweh, “when I am proven holy in you before their eyes.

24 For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.

“‘“For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.

25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.

27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them.

28 Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.

You will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine upon you.

I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you.

30 I will also make the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer bear reproach among the nations on account of famine.

I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations.

31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and abominations.

“‘“Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

32 It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD—let it be known to you. Be ashamed and disgraced for your ways, O house of Israel!

I don’t do this for your sake,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.”

33 This is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be resettled and the ruins to be rebuilt.

“‘The Lord Yahweh says: “In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited and the waste places will be built.

34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through.

The land that was desolate will be tilled instead of being a desolation in the sight of all who passed by.

35 Then they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and destroyed are now fortified and inhabited.’

They will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’

36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed, and I have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.

Then the nations that are left around you will know that I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and I will do it.”

37 This is what the Lord GOD says: Once again I will hear the plea of the house of Israel and do for them this: I will multiply their people like a flock.

“‘The Lord Yahweh says: “For this, moreover, I will be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock.

38 Like the numerous flocks for sacrifices at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so the ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so the waste cities will be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”