Ezekiel 36

1And you, mortal, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. 2Thus says the LORD GOD: Because the enemy has said of you, “Aha! The ancient high places have become our possession,” 3therefore prophesy and say: Thus says the LORD GOD: Because they have made you desolate and snapped at you from every side, so that you became a possession for the remnant of the nations, and you have become the talk on people’s lips and their slander, 4therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD GOD. Thus says the LORD GOD to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys, to the desolate ruins and the abandoned cities that have become plunder and mockery to the remnant of the nations all around.

5Therefore thus says the LORD GOD: 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 wholehearted joy and contempt of soul, in order to make its pastureland plunder. 6Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: Thus says the LORD GOD: Look, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the disgrace of the nations. 7Therefore thus says the LORD GOD: I have raised my hand in oath: Surely the nations around you will bear their own disgrace.

8But you, mountains of Israel, will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for my people Israel, for they are near to come. 9For look, I am for you, and I will turn toward you; you will be cultivated and sown. 10I will multiply people upon you—all the house of Israel, all of it. The cities will be inhabited, and the ruins rebuilt. 11I will multiply upon you people and animals; they will multiply and be fruitful. I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and I will do you more good than in your beginnings. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 12I will cause people to walk upon you—my people Israel—and they will possess you. You will be their inheritance, and you will no longer make them childless.

13Thus says the LORD GOD: Because they say to you, “You devour people, and you have made your nation childless,” 14therefore you will no longer devour people, and you will no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the LORD GOD. 15I will no longer let you hear the disgrace of the nations, nor will you bear the reproach of peoples anymore; and you will no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the LORD GOD.

16The word of the LORD came to me: 17Mortal, when the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it by their way and their deeds. Their way before me was like the uncleanness of a menstruating woman. 18So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the lands. I judged them according to their way and their deeds. 20When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, when people said of them, “These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave his land.” 21But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

22Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the LORD GOD: It is not for your sake that I am acting, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23I 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, declares the LORD GOD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

24For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. From all your uncleannesses and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27I will put my Spirit within you, and I will make it happen that you walk in my statutes, keep my judgments, and do them. 28You will live in the land that I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will save you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine upon you. 30I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will no longer bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves because of your iniquities and your abominations. 32It is not for your sake that I am acting, declares the LORD GOD; let this be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, house of Israel.

33Thus 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 ruins will be rebuilt. 34The desolate land will be cultivated, instead of lying desolate before the eyes of everyone who passes by. 35They will say, “This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the ruined, desolate, and demolished cities are fortified and inhabited.” 36Then the nations that remain around you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was demolished and planted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.

37Thus says the LORD GOD: I will also allow the house of Israel to seek me for this: to do it for them. I will multiply them like a flock of people. 38Like a holy flock, like the flock of Jerusalem at its appointed festivals, so the ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.