Ezekiel 35

1 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, let your face be turned to Mount Seir, and be a prophet against it,

“Son of man, face towards Mount Seir and prophesy against it

3 And say to it, This is what the Lord has said: See, I am against you, O Mount Seir, and my hand will be stretched out against you, and I will make you a waste and a cause for wonder.

Announce that this is what the Lord God says: Watch out, because I'm condemning you, Mount Seir. I'm going to attack you and turn you into a wasteland.

4 I will make your towns unpeopled and you will be a waste; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.

I will ruin your towns; you will be completely devastated. Then you will acknowledge that I am the Lord.

5 Because yours has been a hate without end, and you have given up the children of Israel to the power of the sword in the time of their trouble, in the time of the punishment of the end:

Because of your lasting hatred for the Israelites you let them be attacked with swords as they went through terrible disasters when the time of their punishment was coming to an end.

6 For this cause, by my life, says the Lord, because you have been sinning through blood, blood will come after you.

So as I live, declares the Lord God, I will let you be violently attacked and chased down. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will come after you.

7 And I will make Mount Seir a cause for wonder and a waste, cutting off from it all comings and goings.

I will turn Mount Seir into a ruined wasteland. I will wipe out anyone who leaves or who tries to return.

8 I will make his mountains full of those who have been put to death; in your valleys and in all your water-streams men will be falling by the sword.

I will fill its mountains with the dead. Those killed by the sword will fall in your hills, valleys, and all your ravines.

9 I will make you waste for ever, and your towns will be unpeopled: and you will be certain that I am the Lord.

I will ruin you forever. Your towns will not be inhabited again. Then you will acknowledge that I am the Lord.

10 Because you have said, The two nations and the two countries are to be mine, and we will take them for our heritage; though the Lord was there:

Because you said, ‘These two nations and their lands belong to us, and we will take them over, even though the Lord was there with them,’

11 For this cause, by my life, says the Lord, I will do to you as you have done in your wrath and in your envy, which you have made clear in your hate for them; and I will make clear to you who I am when you are judged by me.

then as I live, declares the Lord God, I will deal with you in the same way that you showed anger and jealousy to them in your hatred of them. They will realize that I'm punishing you because of the way you treated them.

12 And you will see that I the Lord have had knowledge of all the bitter things which you have said against the mountains of Israel, saying, They have been made waste, they are given to us to take for our heritage.

You will also realize that I, the Lord, heard all the nasty things you said about the mountainous land of Israel when you announced, ‘The mountains have been left empty; they're ours to take!’

13 And you have made yourselves great against me with your mouths, increasing your words against me; and it has come to my ears.

You made a lot of boasts attacking me—you had much to say against me. I heard it for myself!

14 This is what the Lord has said: Because you were glad over my land when it was a waste, so will I do to you:

This is what the Lord God says: I will destroy you as everyone else in the world celebrates.

15 You will become a waste, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it: and you will be certain that I am the Lord.

Just as you celebrated when Israel was destroyed, I will do the same to you. Mount Seir, you will become a wasteland, and so will the rest of Edom. Then they will acknowledge that I am the Lord.”