Ezekiel 36

“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.

‘Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, “Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.

Thus says the Lord ^[a]God, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting ^[b]heights have become our possession,’

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: the enemy said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.’”

therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “^[c]For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the ^[d]talk and the whispering of the people.”’”

Therefore prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: because they ravaged 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,

Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about,

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, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you –

therefore thus says the Lord God, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who ^[e]appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.”

this is what the Sovereign Lord says: in my burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pasture-land.”

Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.’

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.

Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘I have ^[f]sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults.

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.

But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come.

‘“But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.

For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown.

I am concerned for you and will look on you with favour; you will be ploughed and sown,

I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt.

and I will cause many people to live on you – yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.

I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will ^[g]treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am the Lord.

I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Yes, I will cause men—My people Israel—to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.’

I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.

“Thus says the Lord God, ‘Because they say to you, “You are a devourer of men and have bereaved your ^[h]nation of children,”

‘“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: because some say to you, ‘You devour people and deprive your nation of its children,’

therefore you will no longer devour men and no longer bereave your nation of children,’ declares the Lord God.

therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord.

“I will not let you hear insults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to stumble any longer,” declares the Lord God.’”

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.”’

Israel’s restoration assured

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,

Again the word of the Lord came to me:

“Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.

‘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 in my sight.

Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols.

So I poured out my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols.

Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them.

I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.

When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord; yet they have come out of His land.’

And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, “These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.”

But I had ^[i]concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

Israel to Be Renewed for His Name’s Sake

I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

‘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, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.

I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.

I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.

‘“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.

Then 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 sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not ^[j]bring a famine on you.

I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the corn and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you.

I will 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.

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.

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 your abominations.

Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.

I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”

I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!

‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.

‘“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: on the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by.

The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it.

They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’

They will say, ‘This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.’

Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it.”

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.”

‘Thus says the Lord God, “This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock.

‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: once again I will yield to Israel’s plea and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,

Like the flock ^[k]for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’”

as numerous as the flocks for offerings 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.’