< Ezekiel 36 >

1 You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “You mountains of Israel, hear the LORD’s word.
Also, you son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:
2 The Lord GOD says: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!”’
Thus says the Lord GOD; Because the enemy has said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:
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;”
Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of the heathen, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:
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;
Therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus says 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 round about;
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.”’
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
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.”
Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because you have borne the shame of the heathen:
7 Therefore the Lord GOD says: “I have sworn, ‘Surely the nations that are around you will bear their shame.’
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; I have lifted up my hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their 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, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.
9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will come to you, and you will be tilled and sown.
For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and 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.
And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be built:
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.
And I will multiply on you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better to you than at your beginnings: and you shall 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.”
Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no more from now on bereave them of men.
13 “‘The Lord GOD says: “Because they say to you, ‘You are a devourer of men, and have been a bereaver of your nation;’
Thus says the Lord GOD; Because they say to you, You land devour up men, and have bereaved your nations:
14 therefore you shall devour men no more, and not bereave your nation any more,” says the Lord GOD.
Therefore you shall devour men no more, neither bereave your nations any more, says the Lord GOD.
15 “I will not let you hear the shame of the nations any more. You will not bear the reproach of the peoples any more, and you will not cause your nation to stumble any more,” says the Lord GOD.’”
Neither will I cause men to hear in you the shame of the heathen any more, neither shall you bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shall you cause your nations to fall any more, says the Lord GOD.
16 Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
Moreover the word of the 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 house of Israel dwelled 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.
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.
Why I poured my fury on them for the blood that they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had polluted it:
19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. I judged them according to their way and according to their deeds.
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.
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.’
And when they entered to the heathen, 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 But I had respect for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, where they went.
22 “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I do not do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.
Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the heathen, where you went.
23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among 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.
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which you have profaned in the middle of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 “‘“For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
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.
Then will I sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
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.
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 an heart of flesh.
27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28 You will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God.
And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall 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 also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine on you.
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 among the nations.
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
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 shall you 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 I do not 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.”
Not for your sakes do I this, says the Lord GOD, be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house 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.
Thus says 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 The land that was desolate will be tilled instead of being a desolation in the sight of all who passed by.
And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed 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.’
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 fenced, and are inhabited.
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 the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.
37 “‘The Lord GOD says: “For this, moreover, I will be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock.
Thus says 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.
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.’”
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.

< Ezekiel 36 >