Ezekiel 36

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

“Now you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of Yahweh.

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

The Lord Yahweh says this: The enemy has said about you, “Aha!” and “The ancient high places have become our possession.”'

3 therefore prophesy, and say, 'Thus says YHWH: "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";

Therefore prophesy and say, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Because of your desolation and because of the attacks that came on you from all sides, you have become a possession of the other nations; you have been the subject of slanderous lips and tongues, and of people's stories.

4 therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of YHWH: "Thus says YHWH 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;

Therefore, mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord Yahweh: The Lord Yahweh says this to the mountains and the high hills, to the streambeds and valleys, to the uninhabited desolations and the forsaken cities that have become plunder and a subject of mocking for the other nations that surround them—

5 therefore thus says YHWH: '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.'"'

therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: I have certainly spoken in the fire of my fury against the other nations, against Edom and all who took my land for themselves as a possession, against all those who had both joy in their heart and disdain in their spirit, as they seized my land that they might claim its pasturelands for themselves.'

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 YHWH: "Look, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations:

Therefore, prophesy to the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the high hills, to the streambeds and to the valleys, 'the Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! In my fury and in my anger I am declaring this because you have borne the insults of nations.

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

Therefore, the Lord Yahweh says this: I myself will lift up my hand to swear that the nations that surround you will certainly carry their own 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.

But you, mountains of Israel, you will grow branches and bear fruit for my people Israel, since they will soon come back to you.

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

For behold, I am for you, and I treat you with favor; you will be plowed and sown with seed.

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;

So I will multiply upon you the number of your people, even the whole house of Israel. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.

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 YHWH.

I will multiply man and beast on you mountains so that they will multiply and be fruitful. Then I will cause you to be inhabited as you previously were, and I will make you prosper more than you did in the past, for you will know that I am Yahweh.

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.'"

I will bring men, my people Israel, to walk on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will no longer cause their children to die.

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

The Lord Yahweh says this: Because they are saying to you, “You devour men, bereaving your nation of children,”

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

therefore you will not consume people any longer, and you will no longer make your nation mourn their deaths. This is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.

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 YHWH.'"

Nor will I allow you to hear the insults of the nations any longer; you will no longer have to bear the shame of the peoples or cause your nation to fall—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.'”

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

Then the word of Yahweh 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.

“Son of man, when the house of Israel inhabited their land, they defiled it with their ways and their deeds. Their ways were like the unclean menstruation of a woman before me.

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;

So I poured out my fury against them for the blood that they poured out on the land and for their pollution of it by 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.

I scattered them among the nations; they were dispersed through the lands. I judged them according to their ways and their deeds.

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 YHWH, and are gone forth out of his land.'

Then they went to the nations, and wherever they went, they profaned my holy name when people said of them, 'Are these really the people of Yahweh? For they have been thrown 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.

But I had compassion for my holy name that the house of Israel had defiled among the nations, when they went there.

22 "Therefore tell the house of Israel, 'Thus says YHWH: "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.

Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: I am not doing this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations everywhere you have gone.

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 YHWH when I magnify myself among you before their eyes.

For I will make my great name holy, which you have profaned among the nations—in the midst of the nations, you profaned it. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—when you see that I am holy.

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.

I will take you from the nations and gather you from every land, and I will bring you to your 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.

Then I will sprinkle pure water on you so you will be purified from all of your impurities, and I will purify you from all of your idols.

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.

I will give you a new heart and a new spirit in your innermost parts, and I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh. For 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.

I will set my Spirit in you and enable you to walk in my statutes and keep my decrees, so you will 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.

Then you will inhabit the land that I gave to your ancestors; you will 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.

For I will save you from all of your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and multiply it. I will no longer put famine upon 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.

I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field so that you will no longer bear the shame 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.

Then you will think of your wicked ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will show loathing on your faces because of your own sins and your disgusting deeds.

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

I am not doing this for your sake—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration—let this be known to you. So be ashamed and disgraced because of your ways, house of Israel.

33 "Thus says YHWH: '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.

The Lord Yahweh says this: On the day that I purify you from all your iniquity, I will cause you to inhabit the cities and to rebuild the ruined places.

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

For you will plow the ruined land until it is no longer a ruin before the eyes of all who pass 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."

Then they will say, “This land was desolate, but it has become like the garden of Eden; the desolate cities and the uninhabited ruins that were torn down are now fortified and inhabited.”

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

Then the other nations around you will know that I am Yahweh, that I built up the ruins and replanted the abandoned places. I am Yahweh. I have declared it and I will do it.

37 "Thus says YHWH: '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.

The Lord Yahweh says this: Again I will be asked by the house of Israel to do this for them, to increase them like a flock of people.

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 YHWH.'"

Like the flock is set apart for sacrifices, like the flock in Jerusalem at her appointed feasts, so will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people and they will know that I am Yahweh.'”