Ezekiel 36

1 Also thou son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:

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

2 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy had said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:

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

3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made [you] desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession to the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and [are] an infamy of the people:

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,

4 Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that [are] around;

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.

5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Edom, who have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all [their] heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.

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.

6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:

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.

7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up my hand, Surely the heathen that [are] about you, they shall bear their shame.

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.

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

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

9 For behold, I [am] for you, and I will turn to you, and ye shall be tilled and sown:

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

10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, [even] all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built.

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

11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old states, and will do better [to you] than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

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.

12 Yes, I will cause men to walk upon you, [even] my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them [of men].

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.

13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say to you, Thou [land] devourest men, and hast bereaved thy nations;

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

14 Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD.

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

15 Neither will I cause [men] to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD.

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.”

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

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

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

“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.

18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols [with which] they had polluted it:

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.

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

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

20 And when they entered among the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These [are] the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.

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.’

21 But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

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

22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

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.

23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

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.

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

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.

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

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.

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

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].

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

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

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

29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

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.

30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

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.

31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that [were] not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations.

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

32 Not for your sakes do I [this], saith the Lord GOD, be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.

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!

33 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause [you] to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be built.

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.

34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

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

35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities [are become] fortified, [and] are inhabited.

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.’

36 Then the heathen that are left around you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined [places], [and] plant that which was desolate: I the LORD have spoken [it], and I will do [it].

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.

37 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet [for] this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do [it] for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.

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.

38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

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.”