Ezekiel 36

1 "You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, 'You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

2 Thus says the LORD: "Because the enemy has said against you, 'Aha.' and, 'The ancient high places are ours in possession'"';

3 therefore prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the LORD: "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, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD: "Thus says the LORD 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 are become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around;

5 therefore thus says the LORD: 'Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I 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 to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, 'Thus says the LORD: "Look, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations:

7 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'I have sworn, saying, "Surely the nations that are around you, they shall bear their shame."

8 "'"'But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come.

9 For, look, I am for you, and I will turn into you, and you shall be tilled and sown;

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

11 and I will multiply on you man and animal; and they shall increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited after your former estate, and will do better to you than at your beginnings: and you shall know that I am the LORD.

12 Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no more henceforth bereave them of children.'"

13 "'Thus says the LORD: "Because they say to you, 'You are a devourer of men, and have been a bereaver of your nation';

14 therefore you shall devour men no more, neither bereave your nation any more," says the LORD;

15 "neither will I let you hear any more the shame of the nations, neither shall you bear the reproach of the peoples any more, neither shall you cause your nation to stumble any more," says the LORD.'"

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

17 "Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.

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

20 When they came to the nations, where they went, they profaned my holy name; in that men said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.'

21 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, 'Thus says the LORD: "I do not 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 sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD when I magnify myself among you before their eyes.

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

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

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

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

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

30 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 shall remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

32 Nor for your sake do I this," says the LORD, "be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel."'

33 "Thus says the LORD: 'In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built.

34 The land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all who passed by.

35 They shall say, "This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited."

36 Then the nations that are left around you shall know that I, the LORD, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate: I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.'"

37 "Thus says the LORD: 'For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock.

38 As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the LORD.'"