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36 ¶ Also, thou son of man, prophesy upon the mountains of Israel and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because the enemy hath said regarding you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession;

therefore prophesy and say, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because they have made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the Gentiles, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers and are an infamy of the people;

Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus hath the Lord GOD said to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, to the ruins and the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken which became a prey and derision to the residue of the Gentiles that are round about,

therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the other Gentiles and against all Idumea, who have disputed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful desires, to cast it out for a prey.

Prophesy therefore upon the land of Israel and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury because ye have borne the shame of the Gentiles,

therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: I have lifted up my hand, Surely the Gentiles that are about you: they shall bear their shame.

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.

For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall 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 ruins shall be built.

11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall multiply and grow; and I will cause thee to dwell as was thy desire of old and will do better unto you than at your beginnings; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

12 And I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and from now on thou shalt no longer bereave them of sons.

13 Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because they say of you, Thou land that devours up men and hast bereaved thy nations of sons,

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

15 Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the Gentiles any longer, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the peoples any more, neither shalt thou cause the sons of thy inhabitants to die any longer, saith the Lord GOD.

16 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

17 Son of man, the house of Israel which dwells in their land has defiled it with their own ways and with their works; their way was before me as the uncleanness of a menstruous woman.

18 And 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:

19 And I scattered them among the Gentiles, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their ways and according to their doings I judged them.

20 And when they entered unto the Gentiles, where 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.

21 And it has pained me to see my holy name profaned by the house of Israel among the Gentiles where they went.

22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: I do not do this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the Gentiles, where ye went.

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

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

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

26 And I will give you a new heart, 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.

27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my commandments, and ye shall keep my rights, and do them.

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.

29 I will also keep you from all your uncleanness: and I will call to the wheat and will multiply it and lay no famine upon you.

30 I will multiply likewise the fruit of the trees, and the fruit of the fields, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the Gentiles.

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

32 Not for your sakes do I do this, said the Lord GOD, be it known unto you; be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.

33 Thus said 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.

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

35 who said, This desolate land used to be like the garden of Eden; and these waste and desolate and ruined cities used to be fortified.

36 And the Gentiles that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD built the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.

37 Thus hath the Lord GOD said; I will yet be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will multiply men like flocks.

38 As the holy sheep, as the sheep 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.

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)