 1 Also, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, Mountains of Israel, hear the Word of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy has said against you, Aha. Even the old high places have become a possession to us. 3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord God: Because of the wasting and crushing of you from all around, that you might be a possession to the rest of the nations, and you were lifted up on the tip of the tongue, and the talking of the people; 4 so, mountains of Israel, hear the Word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the deserted wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and a mockery to the rest of the nations all around. 5 So the Lord God says this: Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Idumea, who have given my land to themselves for a possession with all joy of heart, with scorning of soul, to make it open land for a prey. 6 So prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations. 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I have lifted up my hand. Surely the nations around you shall bear their shame. 8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall put out your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel. For they have drawn near to come. 9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. 10 I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it. And the cities shall have people, and the wastes shall be built. 11 I will multiply men and beast on you, and they shall increase and be fruitful. And I will make you live as before, and I will do better to you than at your beginnings. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel. They will possess you and you will be their inheritance. From now on, you will no longer deprive+ them of children. 13 Thus says the Lord God: They say to you, You are a devourer of men and you have deprived+ your nations. 14 Therefore, you will no longer devour men. You will not deprive+ the nations any longer says the Lord God. 15 Nor will I allow you to hear the shame of the nations any more nor shall you bear the shame of the people any more nor shall you cause your nations to fall any more, says the Lord God. 16 The Word of the Lord came to me, saying. 17 Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings, even as the defilement of woman's impurity, their way was before me. 18 So I poured my fury on them, because of the blood that they had shed on the land, and for their idols by which they defiled it. 19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were scattered through the lands. I judged them according to their way and according to their doings. 20 When they entered the nations where they went, they even profaned my holy name by saying to them, These are the people of the Lord, and they are gone out of His land. 21 But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. 22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God. I will be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24 I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all lands to gather you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean waters on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your fathers and you will be my people and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your defilements and I will call for the grain and will increase it and will lay no famine on you. 30 I will multiply the fruits of the tree and the increase of the field, so that you shall never again receive the curse of famine among the nations. 31 You shall remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall despise yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32 I do not do this for your sake, says the Lord God, be it known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. 33 Thus says the Lord God: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also cause you to live in the cities, and the wastes shall be built. 34 The waste land shall be tilled, instead of being a ruin before all passing by. 35 They shall say, This land that was wasted has become like the garden of Eden. And the wasted, deserted and ruined cities now are fortified and inhabited. 36 The nations that are left all around you will know that I the Lord build the ruined places and plant what was wasted. I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it. 37 Thus says the Lord God: yet this, I will be sought by the house of Israel to act for them. I will increase them with men like a flock. 38 As a holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
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