The Mountains of Israel to Be Blessed

36 “Now you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord [a]God says: “Since the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting [b](A)heights have become our possession,’ therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “[c]For good reason they have made you (B)desolate and harassed you from every side, so that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations; and you have been taken up in the [d](C)talk and the rumor of the people.”’” Therefore, you (D)mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. This is what the Lord God says to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate ruins and to the abandoned cities which have become (E)plunder and an object of ridicule to the rest of the nations which are all around— therefore the Lord God says this: “Certainly in the fire of My (F)jealousy I have spoken against the (G)rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who [e]appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted (H)joy and with contempt of soul, in order to make its pastureland plunder.” Therefore prophesy in regard to the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have (I)endured the insults of the nations.’ Therefore the Lord God says this: ‘I have [f]sworn that the nations that are around you will certainly endure their insults themselves. But as for you, mountains of Israel, you will [g](J)grow your branches and bear fruit for My people Israel; for they are about to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will (K)turn to you, and you will be (L)cultivated and sown. 10 And I will multiply people on you, (M)all the house of Israel, all of it; and the (N)cities will be inhabited and the ruins will be rebuilt. 11 I will multiply on you people and animals, and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will populate you as you were (O)previously, and treat you (P)better than at the beginning. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 Yes, I will have (Q)people—My people Israel—walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their (R)inheritance and never again (S)bereave them of children.’

13 “The Lord God says this: ‘Since they say to you, “You are a (T)devourer of people and have bereaved your nation of children,” 14 for that reason you will no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children,’ declares the Lord God. 15 I will not let you hear (U)insults from the nations anymore, nor will you suffer (V)disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you make your nation (W)stumble any longer,” declares the Lord God.’”

16 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they (X)defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like (Y)the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18 Therefore I (Z)poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 I also (AA)scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. (AB)According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 When they came to the nations where they went, they (AC)profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the (AD)people of the Lord, yet they have left His land.’ 21 But I had [h]concern for My (AE)holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

Israel to Be Renewed for His Name’s Sake

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is (AF)not for your sake, house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 And I will (AG)vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the (AH)nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will (AI)take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will (AJ)sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your (AK)filthiness and from all your (AL)idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a (AM)new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the (AN)heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will (AO)put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and [i]follow My ordinances. 28 And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be (AP)My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I (AQ)will not [j]bring a famine on you. 30 Instead, I will (AR)multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will (AS)remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your wrongdoings and your abominations. 32 I am not doing this (AT)for your sake,” declares the Lord God; “let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your ways, house of Israel!”

33 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your wrongdoings, I will populate the (AU)cities, and the (AV)places of ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 And they will say, ‘This desolated land has become like the (AW)Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolated and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations around you that are left will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolated; I, the Lord, have spoken, and I (AX)will do it.”

37 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “This too I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their people like a flock. 38 Like the (AY)flock [k]for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with (AZ)flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 36:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Ezekiel 36:2 Heb bamoth
  3. Ezekiel 36:3 Lit Because; or By the cause
  4. Ezekiel 36:3 Lit lip of the tongue
  5. Ezekiel 36:5 Lit gave
  6. Ezekiel 36:7 Lit lifted up My hand
  7. Ezekiel 36:8 Lit give
  8. Ezekiel 36:21 Lit compassion
  9. Ezekiel 36:27 Lit do My
  10. Ezekiel 36:29 Lit give
  11. Ezekiel 36:38 Lit of holy things

36 And thou, son of man, prophesy unto mountains of Israel, and thou hast said, O mountains of Israel, hear a word of Jehovah.

Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because the enemy said against you, Aha, and the high places of old for a possession have been to us,

therefore, prophesy, and thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because, even because, of desolating, And of swallowing you up from round about, For your being a possession to the remnant of the nations, And ye are taken up on the tip of the tongue, And [are] an evil report of the people.

Therefore, O mountains of Israel, Hear a word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah, to mountains, and to hills, To streams, and to valleys, And to wastes that [are] desolate, And to cities that are forsaken, That have been for a prey, And for a scorn, to the remnant of the nations who [are] round about.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Have I not, in the fire of My jealousy, Spoken against the remnant of the nations, And against Edom -- all of it, Who gave My land to themselves for a possession, With the joy of the whole heart -- with despite of soul, For the sake of casting it out for a prey?

Therefore, prophesy concerning the ground of Israel, And thou hast said to mountains, and to hills, To streams, and to valleys, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I, in My jealousy, and in My fury, I have spoken, Because the shame of nations ye have borne.

Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: I -- I have lifted up My hand, Do not -- the nations who [are] with you from round about -- they their own shame bear?

And ye, O mountains of Israel, Your branch ye give out, and your fruits ye bear for My people Israel, For they have drawn near to come.

For, lo, I [am] for you, and have turned to you, And ye have been tilled and sown.

10 And I have multiplied on you men, All the house of Israel -- all of it, And the cities have been inhabited, And the wastes are built.

11 And I have multiplied on you man and beast, And they have multiplied and been fruitful, And I have caused you to dwell according to your former states, And I have done better than at your beginnings, And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.

12 And I have caused man to walk over you, -- My people Israel, And they possess thee, and thou hast been to them for an inheritance, And thou dost add no more to bereave them.

13 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because they are saying to you: A devourer of men [art] thou, And a bereaver of thy nations thou hast been,

14 Therefore, man thou devourest no more, And thy nations thou causest not to stumble any more, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

15 And I proclaim not unto thee any more the shame of the nations, And the reproach of peoples thou bearest no more, And thy nations stumble not any more, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

16 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

17 `Son of man, The house of Israel are dwelling on their land, And they defile it by their way and by their doings, As the uncleanness of a separated one hath their way been before Me.

18 And I do pour out My fury upon them For the blood that they shed on the land, And with their idols they have defiled it.

19 And I scatter them among nations, And they are spread through lands, According to their way, and according to their doings, I have judged them.

20 And one goeth in unto the nations whither they have gone, And they pollute My holy name by saying to them, The people of Jehovah [are] these, And from His land they have gone forth.

21 And I have pity on My holy name, That the house of Israel have polluted among nations whither they have gone in.

22 Therefore, say to the house of Israel, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Not for your sake am I working, O house of Israel, But -- for My holy name, That ye have polluted among nations whither ye have gone in.

23 And I have sanctified My great name, That is profaned among nations, That ye have polluted in your midst, And known have the nations that I [am] Jehovah, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, In My being sanctified in you before your eyes.

24 And I have taken you out of the nations, And have gathered you out of all the lands, And I have brought you in unto your land,

25 And I have sprinkled over you clean water, And ye have been clean; From all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols, I do cleanse you.

26 And I have given to you a new heart, And a new spirit I give in your midst, And I have turned aside the heart of stone out of your flesh, And I have given to you a heart of flesh.

27 And My Spirit I give in your midst, And I have done this, so that in My statutes ye walk, And My judgments ye keep, and have done them.

28 And ye have dwelt in the land that I have given to your fathers, And ye have been to Me for a people, And I -- I am to you for God.

29 And I have saved you from all your uncleannesses, And I have called unto the corn, and multiplied it, And I have put no famine upon you.

30 And I have multiplied the fruit of the tree, And the increase of the field, So that ye receive not any more a reproach of famine among nations.

31 And ye have remembered your ways that [are] evil, And your doings that [are] not good, And have been loathsome in your own faces, For your iniquities, and for your abominations.

32 Not for your sake am I working, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Be it known to you, Be ashamed and confounded, because of your ways, O house of Israel.

33 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In the day of My cleansing you from all your iniquities, I have caused the cities to be inhabited, And the wastes have been built,

34 And the desolate land is tilled, Instead of which it was a desolation before the eyes of every passer by,

35 And they have said: This land, that was desolated, Hath been as the garden of Eden, And the cities -- the wasted, And the desolated, and the broken down, Fenced places have remained.

36 And known have the nations who are left round about you, That I Jehovah have built the thrown down, I have planted the desolated: I Jehovah have spoken, and I have done [it].

37 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Yet this I am required, By the house of Israel to do to them, I multiply them as a flock of men,

38 As a flock of holy ones, as a flock of Jerusalem, In her appointed seasons, So are the waste cities full of flocks of men, And they have known that I [am] Jehovah!'