Prophecy to the Mountains of Israel

36 “And you, (A)son of man, prophesy to (B)the mountains of Israel, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: Because (C)the enemy said of you, (D)‘Aha!’ and, ‘The ancient (E)heights have become our possession,’ therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: Precisely because (F)they made you desolate and crushed you from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and (G)you became the talk and evil gossip of the people, therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God to (H)the mountains and the hills, the ravines and the valleys, (I)the desolate wastes and the deserted cities, which have become (J)a prey and derision to the rest of the nations all around, therefore thus says the Lord God: Surely I have spoken in (K)my hot jealousy against the rest of the nations and (L)against all Edom, who (M)gave my land to themselves as a possession (N)with wholehearted joy and (O)utter contempt, that they might make its pasturelands a prey. Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to (P)the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, Thus says the Lord God: (Q)Behold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered (R)the reproach of the nations. Therefore thus says the Lord God: (S)I swear that the nations that are all around you (T)shall themselves suffer reproach.

“But you, O mountains of Israel, (U)shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for (V)they will soon come home. For (W)behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and (X)you shall be tilled and sown. 10 And (Y)I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. (Z)The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt. 11 And I will multiply on you (AA)man and beast, and (AB)they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in (AC)your former times, and (AD)will do more good to you than ever before. (AE)Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel. (AF)And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer (AG)bereave them of children. 13 Thus says the Lord God: Because they say to you, (AH)‘You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,’ 14 therefore you shall no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the Lord God. 15 And I will not let you hear anymore (AI)the reproach of the nations, and you shall no longer bear the disgrace of the peoples and no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord God.”

The Lord's Concern for His Holy Name

16 The word of the Lord came to me: 17 (AJ)“Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, (AK)they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were (AL)like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. 18 So (AM)I poured out my wrath upon them (AN)for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols (AO)with which they had defiled it. 19 (AP)I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. (AQ)In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, (AR)they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.’ 21 But I had concern (AS)for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came.

I Will Put My Spirit Within You

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: (AT)It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, (AU)which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 (AV)And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. (AW)And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24 (AX)I will take you (AY)from the nations and gather you from all the countries and (AZ)bring you into your own land. 25 (BA)I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from (BB)all your uncleannesses, and (BC)from all your idols (BD)I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you (BE)a new heart, and (BF)a new spirit I will put within you. (BG)And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 (BH)And I will put my Spirit within you, (BI)and cause you to walk in my statutes and (BJ)be careful to obey my rules.[a] 28 (BK)You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and (BL)you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And (BM)I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And (BN)I will summon the grain and make it abundant and (BO)lay no famine upon you. 30 (BP)I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, (BQ)that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then (BR)you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 (BS)It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.

33 “Thus says the Lord God: On the day that (BT)I cleanse you from all your iniquities, (BU)I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. 34 And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. 35 And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like (BV)the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then (BW)the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and (BX)replanted that which was desolate. (BY)I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.

37 “Thus says the Lord God: This also (BZ)I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: (CA)to increase their people like (CB)a flock. 38 Like the flock for sacrifices,[b] (CC)like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so (CD)shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. (CE)Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 36:27 Or my just decrees
  2. Ezekiel 36:38 Hebrew flock of holy things

Hope for the Mountains of Israel

36 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel(A) and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says:(B) The enemy said of you, “Aha!(C) The ancient heights(D) have become our possession.(E)”’ Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravaged(F) and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people’s malicious talk and slander,(G) therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys,(H) to the desolate ruins(I) and the deserted(J) towns that have been plundered and ridiculed(K) by the rest of the nations around you(L) this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burning(M) zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.’(N) Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations.(O) Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand(P) that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.(Q)

“‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit(R) for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,(S) 10 and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins(T) rebuilt.(U) 11 I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful(V) and become numerous. I will settle people(W) on you as in the past(X) and will make you prosper more than before.(Y) Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance;(Z) you will never again deprive them of their children.

13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because some say to you, “You devour people(AA) and deprive your nation of its children,” 14 therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord. 15 No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AB)’”

Israel’s Restoration Assured

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman’s monthly uncleanness(AC) in my sight.(AD) 18 So I poured out(AE) my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered(AF) through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.(AG) 20 And wherever they went among the nations they profaned(AH) my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’(AI) 21 I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.(AJ)

22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,(AK) which you have profaned(AL) among the nations where you have gone.(AM) 23 I will show the holiness of my great name,(AN) which has been profaned(AO) among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,(AP) declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy(AQ) through you before their eyes.(AR)

24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.(AS) 25 I will sprinkle(AT) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse(AU) you from all your impurities(AV) and from all your idols.(AW) 26 I will give you a new heart(AX) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone(AY) and give you a heart of flesh.(AZ) 27 And I will put my Spirit(BA) in you and move you to follow my decrees(BB) and be careful to keep my laws.(BC) 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,(BD) and I will be your God.(BE) 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine(BF) upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.(BG) 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.(BH) 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed(BI) and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!(BJ)

33 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse(BK) you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins(BL) will be rebuilt.(BM) 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden;(BN) the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.(BO) 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’(BP)

37 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea(BQ) and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,(BR) 38 as numerous as the flocks for offerings(BS) at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(BT)