Hope for the Mountains of Israel

1You, son of humanity, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “Mountains of Israel, y’all must listen to the word of YHWH. 2Lord YHWH says: ‘Because the enemy has said against y’all, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places have become our possession!”’ 3therefore prophesy, and say, ‘Lord YHWH says: “Because they have made y’all desolate and crushed y’all on every side, so that y’all would become a possession of the rest of the nations, and y’all have been taken up in the talk and whispers of the people,” 4therefore, mountains of Israel, y’all must listen to the word of Lord YHWH: Lord YHWH says to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which have become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around; 5therefore Lord YHWH says: “Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.”’ 6Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell the mountains, the hills, the watercourses and the valleys, ‘Lord YHWH says: “Look, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because y’all have borne the shame of the nations.” 7Therefore Lord YHWH says: “I swear that the nations around y’all will bear their shame.

8“‘“But y’all, mountains of Israel, y’all will grow branches and yield your* fruit to my people Israel for they will arrive soon. 9Look! I am for y’all, and I will come to y’all, and y’all will be cultivated and planted. 10I will fill y’all with people, with all the house of Israel. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins will be rebuilt. 11I will fill y’all with people. They will increase and be fruitful. I will cause y’all to be inhabited as y’all were before, and y’all will do more good for you then before. Then y’all will know that I am YHWH. 12Yes, I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk on y’all. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will never again cause them barrenness.”

13“‘Lord YHWH says: “Because they say to y’all, ‘You are a devourer of men, and have been a bereaver of y’all’s nation;’ 14therefore you will no longer devour men and bereave your nation of children,” says Lord YHWH. 15“I won’t allow you hear the mocking of the nations any more. You won’t bear the reproach of the peoples any more, and you won’t cause your nation to stumble any more,” says Lord YHWH.’”

Israel Will Be Cleaned and Restored

16Moreover the word of YHWH came to me, saying, 17“Son of humanity, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and by their deeds. Their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18Therefore I poured out my wrath on them for the blood which they had poured out on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. I judged them according to their way and according to their deeds. 20When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, ‘These are YHWH’s people, and have left his land.’ 21But I had respect for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

22“Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘Lord YHWH says: “I am not doing this for y’all’s sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which y’all have profaned among the nations where y’all have gone. 23I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which y’all have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am YHWH,” says Lord YHWH, “when I am proven holy through y’all before their eyes.

24“‘“For I will take y’all from among the nations and gather y’all from all the countries, and will bring y’all into your* own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water on y’all, and y’all will be clean. I will cleanse y’all from all your* filthiness and from all your* idols. 26I will give y’all a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within y’all. I will remove the heart of stone from y’all’s flesh, and I will give y’all a heart of flesh. 27I will put my Spirit within y’all, and cause y’all to walk in my statutes. Y’all will keep my ordinances and do them. 28Y’all will dwell in the land that I gave to your* ancestors. Y’all will be my people, and I will be y’all’s God. 29I will save y’all from all your* uncleanness. I will call for the grain and will multiply it, and lay no famine on y’all. 30I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, that y’all will no longer receive the reproach of famine among the nations.

31“‘“Then y’all will remember your* evil ways and your* deeds that were not good; and y’all will loathe yourselves* for y’all’s iniquities and abominations. 32I am not doing this for y’all’s sake,” says Lord YHWH. “Let this be known to y’all. Be ashamed and embarrassed for your* ways, house of Israel.”

33“‘Lord YHWH says: “In the day that I cleanse y’all from all y’all’s iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34The land that was desolate will be tilled instead of being a desolation in the sight of all who passed by. 35They will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36Then the nations that remain around y’all will know that I, YHWH, have rebuilt the ruins and planted what was desolate. I, YHWH, have spoken it, and I will do it.”

37“‘Lord YHWH says: “For this, moreover, I will be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock. 38As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so the waste cities will be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am YHWH.’”