Ezekiel 36

1You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh.

2Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha! The ancient high places have become a possession for us.”

3Therefore prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Because, even because they have devastated you and devoured you on every side to make you a possession for the remnant of the nations, and you have come up on the lip of the tongue and the defamation of the people.

4Therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and forsaken cities, which became plunder and scorn to the remnant of the nations all around.

5Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the remnant of the nations and against all Edom, who gave my land to themselves as a possession with the joy of every heart, with despite of soul, to drive it out for prey.

6Therefore prophesy over Israel's land, and say to the mountains and hills, to the watercourses and valleys: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, in my jealousy and my wrath I have spoken because you have borne the reproach of the nations.

7Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: I have raised my hand; indeed, the nations around you—they shall bear their reproach.

8But you, mountains of Israel, will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for my people Israel, for they draw near to come.

9For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be cultivated and sown.

10I will multiply people upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited, and the ruins rebuilt.

11I will multiply people and beasts upon you, and they will increase and be fruitful; I will resettle you as in your former estate, and I will do better for you than at your beginnings, and you will know that I am Yahweh.

12I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you, and they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will no longer bereave them.

13This is what the Lord Yahweh says: Because they say to you, "You devour men and bereave your nations; that is what you have been."

14Therefore you shall consume people no longer, nor bereave your nation or make your nations childless any longer, says the Lord Yahweh.

15I will no longer make you hear the disgrace of the nations, nor will you bear the scorn of the peoples anymore, nor will you make your nation and your nations stumble anymore, says Lord Yahweh.

16Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

17Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt on their land, they defiled it by their conduct and deeds; their conduct before me was like the uncleanness of menstruation.

18I poured out my wrath on them for the blood they poured on the land and because they defiled it with their idols.

19I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them through the lands; according to their way and their doings I judged them.

20When they came to the nations where they arrived, they defiled my holy name, because people said to them, "These are the people of Yahweh, who came out from his land."

21I had compassion for my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they came.

22Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, I am not acting for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went.

23I will hallow my great name, defiled among the nations—which you defiled in their midst—and the nations will know that I am Yahweh, declares Lord Yahweh, when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.

24I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your land.

25I will sprinkle pure water on you, and you will be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols; I will cleanse you.

26I will give you a new heart and a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

27I will place my Spirit inside you and make you walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them.

28You will live in the land I gave your fathers, and you will be my people, and I myself will be your God.

29I will deliver you from all your defilements, call to the grain, multiply it, and bring no famine upon you.

30I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the yield of the field, so that you no longer bear the reproach of famine among the nations.

31You will remember your evil ways and your doings that were not good, and loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations.

32Not for your sake am I doing this, declares the Lord Yahweh—know this: be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, house of Israel.

33Thus says the Lord Yahweh: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will repopulate the cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

34And the desolate land will be cultivated, whereas it was a desolation before the eyes of every passerby.

35They will say, "This land that was desolated has become like the garden of Eden, and the cities laid waste, made desolate, and demolished are fortified and inhabited."

36The nations remaining around you will know that I, Yahweh, have built the destroyed places and planted the desolate; I, Yahweh, have spoken, and I will do it.

37Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will yet be sought by the house of Israel for this, to do it for them; I will multiply them like a flock of people.

38Like a consecrated flock, like Jerusalem's flock at her appointed feasts, so the desolate cities will be filled with flocks of men; and they will know that I am Yahweh.