God's Blessing on Israel
1 The Lord said, “Mortal man, speak to the mountains of Israel and tell them to listen to the message which I, 2 the Sovereign Lord, have for them: Israel's enemies gloated and said, ‘Now those ancient hills are ours!’
3 “Prophesy, then, and announce what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying. When the neighboring nations captured and plundered the mountains of Israel, everyone made fun of Israel. 4 So now listen to what I, the Sovereign Lord, say to you mountains and hills, to you brooks and valleys, to you places that were left in ruins, and to you deserted cities which were plundered and mocked by all the surrounding nations.
5 “I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken out in the heat of my anger against the surrounding nations, and especially against Edom. With glee and contempt they captured my land and took possession of its pastures.
6 “So prophesy to the land of Israel; tell the mountains, hills, brooks, and valleys what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying in jealous anger because of the way the nations have insulted and humiliated them. 7 I, the Sovereign Lord, solemnly promise that the surrounding nations will be humiliated. 8 But on the mountains of Israel the trees will again grow leaves and bear fruit for you, my people Israel. You are going to come home soon. 9 I am on your side, and I will make sure that your land is plowed again and crops are planted on it. 10 I will make your population grow. You will live in the cities and rebuild everything that was left in ruins. 11 I will make people and cattle increase in number. There will be more of you than ever before, and you will have many children. I will let you live there as you used to live, and I will make you more prosperous than ever. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will bring you, my people Israel, back to live again in the land. It will be your own land, and it will never again let your children starve.
13 “I, the Sovereign Lord, say: It is true that people say that the land eats people and that it robs the nation of its children. 14 But from now on it will no longer eat people and rob you of your children. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. 15 The land will no longer have to listen to the nations making fun of it or see the peoples sneer at it. The land will no longer rob the nation of its children. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”
Israel's New Life
16 The Lord spoke to me. 17 “Mortal man,” he said, “when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period. 18 I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it. 19 I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered them through foreign countries. 20 Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, ‘These are the people of the Lord, but they had to leave his land.’ 21 That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it everywhere they went.
22 “Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign Lord, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. 23 When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name—the name you disgraced among them—then they will know that I am the Lord. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. I will use you to show the nations that I am holy. 24 I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. 26 I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. 27 I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. 30 I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations. 31 You will remember your evil conduct and the wrongs that you committed, and you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your sins and your iniquities. 32 Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing all this for your sake. I want you to feel the shame and disgrace of what you are doing. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”
33 The Sovereign Lord says, “When I make you clean from all your sins, I will let you live in your cities again and let you rebuild the ruins. 34 Everyone who used to walk by your fields saw how overgrown and wild they were, but I will let you farm them again. 35 Everyone will talk about how this land, which was once a wilderness, has become like the Garden of Eden, and how the cities which were torn down, looted, and left in ruins, are now inhabited and fortified. 36 Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the Lord, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields. I, the Lord, have promised that I would do this—and I will.”
37 The Sovereign Lord says, “I will once again let the Israelites ask me for help, and I will let them increase in numbers like a flock of sheep. 38 The cities that are now in ruins will then be as full of people as Jerusalem was once full of the sheep which were offered as sacrifices at a festival. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
1 Also thou sonne of man, prophesie vnto the mountaines of Israel, and say, Ye mountaines of Israel, heare the word of the Lord. 2 Thus saith the Lord God, because the enemie hath sayde against you, Aha, euen the hye places of the world are ours in possession, 3 Therefore prophesie, and say, Thus sayth the Lord God, Because that they haue made you desolate, and swallowed you vp on euery side, that ye might be a possession vnto the residue of the heathen, and ye are come vnto the lippes and tongues of men, and vnto the reproch of the people, 4 Therefore ye mountaines of Israel, heare the worde of the Lord God, Thus sayth the Lord God to the mountaines and to the hilles, to the riuers, and to the valleys, and to the waste, and desolate places, and to the cities that are forsaken: which are spoyled and had in derision of the residue of the heathen that are round about. 5 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Surely in the fire of mine indignation haue I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which haue taken my lande for their possession, with the ioy of all their heart, and with despitefull mindes to cast it out for a pray. 6 Prophesie therfore vpon the land of Israel, and say vnto the mountaines, and to the hilles, to the riuers, and to the valleys, Thus sayth the Lord God, Behold, I haue spoken in mine indignation, and in my wrath, because yee haue suffered the shame of the heathen, 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, I haue lifted vp mine hand, surely the heathen that are about you, shall beare their shame. 8 But you, O mountaines of Israel, yee shall shoote forth your branches, and bring foorth your fruite to my people of Israel: for they are ready to come. 9 For behold, I come vnto you, and I wil turne vnto you, and ye shalbe tilled and sowen. 10 And I wil multiply the men vpon you, euen all the house of Israel wholly, and the cities shalbe inhabited, and the desolate places shalbe builded. 11 And I wil multiply vpon you man and beast, and they shall encrease, and bring fruite, and I will cause you to dwell after your olde estate, and I will bestowe benefites vpon you more then at the first, and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 12 Yea, I wil cause men to walke vpon you, euen my people Israel, and they shall possesse you, and ye shalbe their inheritance, and ye shall no more henceforth depriue them of men. 13 Thus sayth the Lord God, because they say vnto you, Thou land deuourest vp men, and hast bene a waster of thy people, 14 Therefore thou shalt deuoure men no more, neither waste thy people henceforth, sayth the Lord God, 15 Neither will I cause men to heare in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou beare the reproche of the people any more, neither shalt cause thy folke to fal any more, saith the Lord God. 16 Moreouer the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 17 Sonne of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their owne lande, they defiled it by their owne wayes, and by their deedes: their way was before me as the filthinesse of the menstruous. 18 Wherfore I powred my wrath vpon them, for the blood that they had shed in the land, and for their idoles, wherewith they had polluted it. 19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries for according to their wayes, and according to their deedes, I iudged them. 20 And when they entred vnto the heathen, whither they went, they polluted mine holy Name, when they sayd of them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone out of his land. 21 But I fauoured mine holy Name which the house of Israel had polluted among the heathen, whither they went. 22 Therfore say vnto the house of Israel, Thus saith ye Lord God, I doe not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy Names sake, which yee polluted among the heathen whither ye went. 23 And I wil sanctifie my great Name, which was polluted among the heathen, among whome you haue polluted it, and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, sayth the Lord God, when I shalbe sanctified in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your owne land. 25 Then wil I powre cleane water vpon you, and ye shalbe cleane: yea, from all your filthines, and from all your idoles wil I clense you. 26 A newe heart also will I giue you, and a new spirit wil I put within you, and I will take away the stonie heart out of your body, and I will giue you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirite within you, and cause you to walke in my statutes, and ye shall keepe my iudgements and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land, that I gaue to your fathers, and ye shalbe my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also deliuer you from all your filthinesse, and I will call for corne, and will increase it, and lay no famine vpon you. 30 For I will multiplie the fruite of the trees, and the increase of the fielde, that ye shall beare no more the reproch of famine among the heathen. 31 Then shall ye remember your owne wicked wayes, and your deedes that were not good, and shall iudge your selues worthie to haue bene destroyed for your iniquities, and for your abominations. 32 Be it knowen vnto you that I do not this for your sakes, sayth the Lord God: therefore, O ye house of Israel, be ashamed, and confounded for your owne wayes. 33 Thus sayth the Lord God, What time as I shall haue clensed you from all your iniquities, I will cause you to dwel in the cities, and the desolate places shalbe builded. 34 And the desolate land shalbe tilled, whereas it lay waste in the sight of all that passed by. 35 For they sayd, This waste land was like the garden of Eden, and these waste and desolate and ruinous cities were strong, and were inhabited. 36 Then the residue of the heathen that are left round about you, shall know that I the Lord builde the ruinous places, and plant the desolate places: I the Lord haue spoken it, and wil do it. 37 Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be sought of ye house of Israel, to performe it vnto them: I wil encrease them with men like a flocke. 38 As the holy flocke, as the flocke of Ierusalem in their solemne feastes, so shall the desolate cities be filled with flockes of men, and they shall know, that I am the Lord.