36:1 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.
36:2 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.” ‘
36:3 Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because they ravaged and hounded 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,
36:4 therefore, O 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–
36:5 this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my burning 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.’
36:6 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.
36:7 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.
36:8 “‘But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.
36:9 I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,
36:10 and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
36:11 I will increase the number of men and animals upon 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.
36:12 I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.
36:13 “‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because people say to you, “You devour men and deprive your nation of its children,”
36:14 therefore you will no longer devour men or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign LORD.
36:15 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.’”
36:16 Again the word of the LORD came to me:
36:17 “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 in my sight.
36:18 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.
36:19 I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.
36:20 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.’
36:21 I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.
36:22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house 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.
36:23 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 show myself holy through you before their eyes.
36:24 “‘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.
36:25 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.
36:26 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.
36:27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
36:28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.
36:29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you.
36:30 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.
36:31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.
36:32 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, O house of Israel!
36:33 “‘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.
36:34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it.
36:35 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.”
36:36 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.’
36:37 “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Once again I will yield to the plea of the house of Israel and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,
36:38 as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
36:1 And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah.
36:2 Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Because the enemy has said against you, Aha! Even the ancient high places have become our possession!
36:3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Because, even because, they have desolated and crushed you from every side so that you might become the possession of the remnant of the nations, and you have been taken up in the talk of different tongues and in the whispering of people;
36:4 Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah. Thus says the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys, to the desolate ruins and to the forsaken cities, which have become plunder and a mocking to the remnant of the nations which are all around;
36:5 Therefore thus says the Lord Jehovah, Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the remnant of the nations and against Edom, all of whom have appointed My land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despising in their soul, for their pasture and plunder.
36:6 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 Jehovah, Indeed I am speaking in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have borne the disgrace of the nations.
36:7 Therefore thus says the Lord Jehovah, I swear, saying, Surely the nations that surround you will bear their own disgrace.
36:8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you will shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit for My people Israel, for their coming is near.
36:9 For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be tilled and sown;
36:10 And I will multiply people upon you, the entire house of Israel, all of it! The cities will also be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt.
36:11 I will also multiply upon you man and beast, and they will increase and be fruitful, and I will make you inhabited as you were formerly, and I will make it better for you than when you began. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.
36:12 Yes, I will cause men to walk upon you, My people Israel; and they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will no longer bereave them of children again.
36:13 Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Because they are saying of you, You are a land that devours men and bereaves your nation of children;
36:14 Therefore you will no longer devour men or any longer bereave your nation of children, declares the Lord Jehovah.
36:15 And I will no longer let you hear the disgrace of the nations nor any longer bear the reproach of the peoples, and you will no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord Jehovah.
36:16 Moreover the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
36:17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.
36:18 Therefore I poured out My wrath upon them because of the blood which they had poured out upon the land and because they had defiled it with their idols.
36:19 And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. According to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
36:20 And when they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, inasmuch as it was said of them, These are the people of Jehovah, and they have gone forth out of His land.
36:21 But I had regard for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
36:22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Jehovah, I am not doing this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.
36:23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations will know that I am Jehovah, declares the Lord Jehovah, when I am sanctified in you in their sight.
36:24 And I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.
36:25 And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
36:26 I will also give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
36:27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and My ordinances you shall keep and do.
36:28 And you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you will be My people, and I will be your God.
36:29 And I will save you from all your uncleanness, and I will summon the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you.
36:30 And I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field, that you may no longer receive the reproach of famine among the nations.
36:31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your doings that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
36:32 It is not for your sake that I am doing this, declares the Lord Jehovah; let it be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated on account of your ways, O house of Israel.
36:33 Thus says the Lord Jehovah, 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.
36:34 And the land that was desolate will be tilled instead of being desolate in the sight of all who passed by.
36:35 And they will say, This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.
36:36 Then the nations that are left all around you will know that I, Jehovah, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I, Jehovah, have spoken, and I will do it.
36:37 Thus says the Lord Jehovah, Moreover for this I will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
36:38 Like the holy flock for sacrifices, like the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they will know that I am Jehovah.