Ezekiel 36

To the mountains of Israel

1“Son of man, prophesy to Israel’s mountains. Say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD! 2This is what the Lord GOD says: The enemy said about you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become ours to possess.’ 3Therefore prophesy and say: This is what the Lord GOD says: Because they ravaged and crushed you from every side, making you a possession for the remaining nations, and because people made you a subject of gossip and slander, 4therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, ravines and valleys, desolate ruins and abandoned cities that became plunder and a mockery to the remaining nations all around: 5This is what the Lord GOD says: In the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the remaining nations and all Edom, who took my land as their own possession with wholehearted joy and contempt, making its pastureland plunder. 6Therefore prophesy over Israel’s soil. Tell the mountains and hills, ravines and valleys: This is what the Lord GOD says: I have spoken in my jealousy and fury because you have borne the nations’ disgrace. 7Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I have raised my hand in an oath: the nations around you will bear their own disgrace. 8“But you, mountains of Israel, will put out branches and bear fruit for my people Israel, for they are coming soon. 9I am for you. I will turn toward you, and you will be tilled and sown. 10I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11I will multiply humans and animals on you; they will increase and be fruitful. I will make you inhabited as before and treat you better than at the beginning. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 12I will bring people to walk on you, my people Israel. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance. You will never again bereave them of children. 13“This is what the Lord GOD says: People say to you, ‘You devour human beings and bereave your nations.’ 14Therefore you will no longer devour human beings or bereave your nations, declares the Lord GOD. 15I will no longer let you hear the nations’ insults. You will no longer bear the peoples’ taunts or cause your nations to stumble, declares the Lord GOD.”

The profaned name

16The word of the LORD came to me: 17“Son of man, when the house of Israel lived on their own soil, they defiled it by their ways and deeds. Their conduct before me was like menstrual uncleanness. 18So I poured out my fury on them for the blood they shed on the land and for defiling it with their idols. 19I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the lands. I judged them according to their ways and deeds. 20Wherever they went among the nations, they profaned my holy name. People said of them, ‘These are the LORD’s people, yet they had to leave his land.’ 21But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.

A new heart and spirit

22“Therefore tell the house of Israel: This is what the Lord GOD says: I am acting for the sake of my holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went—not for your sake, house of Israel. 23I will show the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations, which you profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. 24I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you to your own soil. 25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and all your idols. 26I will give you a new heart and 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 cause you to follow my statutes, keeping my judgments and carrying them out. 28You will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it abundant, and I will bring no famine upon you. 30I will increase the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field, so you will no longer bear the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good. You will loathe yourselves for your guilt and your abominations. 32I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Lord GOD. Know that! Be ashamed and disgraced for your ways, house of Israel.

The land restored

33“This is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your guilt, I will make the cities inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 34The desolate land will be tilled instead of lying waste before everyone who passes by. 35They will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden. The ruined, desolate, demolished cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36Then the nations left around you will know that I, the LORD, rebuilt the demolished places and planted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it. 37“This is what the Lord GOD says: I will also let the house of Israel ask me to do this for them: I will multiply their people like a flock. 38Like flocks for holy offerings, like Jerusalem’s flocks at her festivals, the ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”