Blessing on Israel
1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to themountains of Israel, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of theLord!
2 Thus says the LordGod: “Becausethe enemy has said of you, ‘Aha!The ancient heightshave become our possession,’ ” ’
3 therefore prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the LordGod: “Because they madeyoudesolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations,and you are taken up by the lips oftalkers and slandered by the people”—
4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LordGod! Thus says the LordGodto the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, whichbecame plunder andmockery to the rest of the nations all around—
5 therefore thus says the LordGod:“Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom,who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joyandspiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country.” ’
6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, ‘Thus says the LordGod: “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you haveborne the shame of the nations.”
7 Therefore thus says the LordGod: “I haveraised My hand in an oath that surely the nations thatarearound you shallbear their own shame.
8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come.
9 For indeed Iamfor you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown.
10 I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited andthe ruins rebuilt.
11 I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and dobetterforyouthan at your beginnings.Then you shall know that IamtheLord.
12 Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel;they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall youbereave themofchildren.”
13 ‘Thus says the LordGod: “Because they say to you,‘You devour men and bereave your nationofchildren,’
14 therefore you shall devour men no more, nor bereave your nation anymore,” says the LordGod.
15 “Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore,” says the LordGod.’ ”
The Renewal of Israel
16 Moreover the word of theLordcame to me, saying:
17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land,they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was likethe uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity.
18 Therefore I poured out My fury on themfor the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idolswithwhichthey had defiled it.
19 So Iscattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged themaccording to their ways and their deeds.
20 When they came to the nations, wherever they went, theyprofaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘Thesearethe people of theLord,andyet they have gone out of His land.’
21 But I had concernfor My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the LordGod: “I do not dothisfor your sake, O house of Israel,but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.
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 shall know that IamtheLord,” says the LordGod, “when I amhallowed in you before their eyes.
24 ForI will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse youfrom all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 I will give you anew heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put MySpirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and dothem.
28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;you shall be My people, and I will be your God.
29 I willdeliver you from all your uncleannesses.I will call for the grain and multiply it, andbring no famine upon you.
30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations.
31 Thenyou will remember your evil ways and your deeds thatwerenot good; and youwill loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
32 Not for your sake do I dothis,” says the LordGod, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”
33 ‘Thus says the LordGod: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enableyouto dwell in the cities,and the ruins shall be rebuilt.
34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by.
35 So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden ofEden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined citiesarenowfortifiedandinhabited.’
36 Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, theLord, have rebuilt the ruined placesandplanted what was desolate.I, theLord, have spokenit,and I will doit.”
37 ‘Thus says the LordGod:“I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I willincrease their men like a flock.
38 Like a flockofferedasholysacrifices,like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that IamtheLord.” ’ ”