Ezekiel 36

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

“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: Mountains of Israel, listen to this message from the Lord.

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

This is what the Lord God says: The enemy said about you, ‘Aha! These old high places now belong to us,’

3 therefore prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord GOD 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;”

so you must prophesy and announce that this is what the Lord God says: They have turned you into a wasteland, attacking you from every direction, so that you became the property of other nations and people gossiped about you and slandered you.

4 therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: The Lord GOD 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;

So now, mountains of Israel, listen to the message from the Lord God. This is what the Lord God says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the deserted ruins and abandoned towns, that the other nations around you have looted and mocked.

5 therefore the Lord GOD 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.”’

Yes, this is what the Lord God says: I have spoken passionately against these other nations, and against all the Edomites, who took over my country and made it theirs, happily celebrating as they looted the land and treated me with complete contempt.

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

So prophesy concerning the country of Israel and tell the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, that this is what the Lord God says: Just watch, for I have spoken passionately about this because you have had to put up with this mockery from other nations.

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

This is what the Lord God says: I hold up my hand and swear that the other nations around you will suffer their own shame.

8 “‘“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.

But you, mountains of Israel, will grow trees that will produce fruit for my people Israel, for soon they'll be coming home.

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

Look, I am for you and I will help you. Your land will be ploughed, and crops will be sown.

10 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.

You will support the people of Israel as they return and grow in number. People will live in the towns again and rebuild the ruins.

11 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 the LORD.

The number of your people will grow— they will have many children. The animals too will have many young. I will make sure that you're inhabited just as you used to be, and I will make you more prosperous that you were before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

12 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.”

I will have my people Israel walk on you mountains. You will be theirs; you will belong to them, and you will no longer rob your nation of their children.

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

This is what the Lord God says: Because people say to you, ‘You eat people, and rob your nation of their children,’

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

from now on you won't eat people or rob your nation of their children, declares the Lord God.

15 “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 GOD.’”

I'm going to stop these nations insulting you, and you won't have to put up with their taunts any more, or make the nation fall, declares the Lord God.”

16 Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

Another message from Lord came to me, saying,

17 “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.

“Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their country, they made it unclean by the way they behaved, by what they did. The way they were behaving in my presence was like the ceremonial uncleanness of a woman's period.

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 became angry with them because of murders they committed in the country, and because they made it unclean by worshiping idols.

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

I scattered them among the different nations and countries. I judged them according to the way they had behaved and what they did.

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

But wherever they went among the nations, they ruined my reputation, because people said about them, ‘These are the Lord's people, but they had to leave his country.’

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

So I had to take care of my reputation for holiness which the people of Israel had ruined among the nations where they'd gone.

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

Tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: I'm not doing this for you, people of Israel, but for my reputation for holiness, which you ruined among the nations where you went.

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

I will reveal the holy nature and importance of my reputation, which has been ruined among the nations, the reputation you have ruined among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when I reveal my holiness through you as they watch.

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

For I will bring you back from among the nations, gathering you from all the different countries, and I will lead you back into your own country.

25 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.

I will also pour pure water over you, and you will be clean. I will wash you clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols.

26 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.

I will give you a new mind and I will put a new spirit inside you. I will take away your stubborn mind and I will give you a loving mind.

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

I will put my Spirit inside you so you will follow my laws and remember to do what I tell you.

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

Then you will live in the country I gave to your forefathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

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

I will save you from everything that makes you unclean. I will make sure you have plenty of grain. I won't send you any famines.

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 amongst the nations.

I will also make sure you have good harvests from your orchards and fields, so that you won't be mocked by other nations anymore because of famine.

31 “‘“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.

Then you will remember your evil ways and terrible things you've done, and you'll hate yourselves for your sins and disgusting actions.

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

You need to realize that I'm not doing this for your sake, declares the Lord God. You should be ashamed and embarrassed for what you've done, people of Israel!

33 “‘The Lord GOD 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.

This is what the Lord God says: On the day I make you clean from all your sins, I will have you live in your towns again and make sure the ruins are rebuilt.

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

The land that was deserted will be cultivated again instead of looking abandoned to everyone passing by.

35 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.’

Then they will say, ‘This deserted land is now like the garden of Eden. The towns that were demolished, abandoned, and destroyed have been restored and strengthened, and people are living in them.’

36 Then the nations that are left around you will 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.”

Then those nations around you that are left will acknowledge that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was demolished, and that I have replanted what was destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will carry it out.

37 “‘The Lord GOD says: “For this, moreover, I will be enquired 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: I will once again answer the prayers of the people of Israel. This is what I will do for them: I will have them increase in number like a flock.

38 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 the LORD.’”

Just like all the many flocks that are brought to Jerusalem to be sacrificed during the religious festivals, so the towns that were once demolished will be full of flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”