The Prophet Ezekiel

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 36 -

“Now you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ’Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of Yahweh.

Lord Yahweh says this: The enemy has said about you, “Aha!” and “The ancient high places have become our possession.”’

Therefore, prophesy and say, ’Lord Yahweh says this: Because of your desolation and because of the attacks that came on you from all sides, you have become a possession of the other nations; you have been the subject of slanderous lips and tongues, and of people’s stories.

Therefore, mountains of Israel, listen to the word of Lord Yahweh: Lord Yahweh says this to the mountains and the high hills, to the streambeds and valleys, to the uninhabited desolations and the forsaken cities that have become plunder and a subject of mocking for the other nations that surround them-

Therefore, Lord Yahweh says this: I have certainly spoken in the fire of my fury against the other nations, against Edom and all who took my land for themselves as a possession, against all those who had both joy in their heart and disdain in their spirit, as they seized my land that they might claim its pasturelands for themselves.’

Therefore, prophesy to the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the high hills, to the streambeds and to the valleys, ’Lord Yahweh says this: Behold! In my fury and in my anger I am declaring this because you have borne the insults of nations.

Therefore, Lord Yahweh says this: I myself will lift up my hand to swear that the nations that surround you will certainly carry their own shame.

But you, mountains of Israel, you will grow branches and bear fruit for my people Israel, since they will soon come back to you.

For behold, I am for you, and I treat you with favor; you will be plowed and sown with seed.

So I will multiply on you mountains men in all the house of Israel, all of it. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.

I will multiply man and beast on you mountains so that they will multiply and be fruitful. Then I will cause you to be inhabited as you previously were, and I will make you prosper more than you did in the past, for you will know that I am Yahweh.

I will bring men, my people Israel, to walk on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will no longer cause their children to die.

Lord Yahweh says this: Because they are saying to you, “You devour people, and your nation’s children have died,”

therefore you will not consume people any longer, and you will no longer make your nation mourn their deaths. This is Lord Yahweh’s declaration.

Nor will I allow you to hear the insults of the nations any longer; you will no longer have to bear the shame of the peoples or cause your nation to fall-this is Lord Yahweh’s declaration.’”

A New Heart and a New Spirit

(Romans 8:9–11; Galatians 5:16–26)

Then the word of Yahweh came to me and said,

“Son of man, when the house of Israel inhabited their land, they defiled it with their ways and their deeds. Their ways were like the unclean menstruation of a woman before me.

So I poured out my fury against them for the blood that they poured out on the land and for their pollution of it by their idols.

I scattered them among the nations; they were dispersed through the lands. I judged them according to their ways and their deeds.

Then they went to the nations, and wherever they went, they profaned my holy name when people said of them, ‘Are these really the people of Yahweh? For they have been thrown out of his land.’

But I had compassion for my holy name that the house of Israel had defiled among the nations, when they went there.

Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ’Lord Yahweh says this: I am not doing this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations everywhere you have gone.

For I will make my great name holy, which you have profaned among the nations-in the midst of the nations, you profaned it. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh-this is Lord Yahweh’s declaration-when you see that I am holy.

I will take you from the nations and gather you from every land, and I will bring you to your land.

Then I will sprinkle pure water on you so you will be purified from all of your impurities, and I will purify you from all of your idols.

I will give you a new heart and a new spirit in your innermost parts, and I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh. For I will give you a heart of flesh.

I will set my Spirit in you and enable you to walk in my statutes and keep my decrees, so you will do them.

Then you will inhabit the land that I gave to your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

For I will save you from all of your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and multiply it. I will no longer put famine upon you.

I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field so that you will no longer bear the shame of famine among the nations.

Then you will think of your wicked ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will show loathing on your faces because of your own sins and your disgusting deeds.

I am not doing this for your sake-this is Lord Yahweh’s declaration-let this be known to you. So be ashamed and disgraced because of your ways, house of Israel.

Lord Yahweh says this: On the day that I purify you from all your iniquity, I will cause you to inhabit the cities and to rebuild the ruined places.

For you will plow the ruined land until it is no longer a ruin before the eyes of all who pass by.

Then they will say, “This land was desolate, but it has become like the garden of Eden; the desolate cities and the uninhabited ruins that were torn down are now fortified and inhabited.”

Then the other nations around you will know that I am Yahweh, that I built up the ruins and replanted the abandoned places. I am Yahweh. I have declared it and I will do it.

Lord Yahweh says this: Again I will be asked by the house of Israel to do this for them, to increase them like a flock of people.

Like the flock is set apart for sacrifices, like the flock in Jerusalem at her appointed feasts, so will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people and they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “You mountains of Israel, hear the LORD’s word.

The Lord GOD says: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!”’

therefore prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of the nations, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and the evil report of the people;”

therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: The Lord GOD 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;

therefore the Lord GOD says: “Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue 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.”’

Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell the mountains, the hills, the watercourses and the valleys, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations.”

Therefore the Lord GOD says: “I have sworn, ‘Surely the nations that are around you will bear their shame.’

“‘“But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot out your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come.

For, behold, I am for you, and I will come to you, and you will be tilled and sown.

I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it. The cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be built.

I will multiply man and animal on you. They will increase and be fruitful. I will cause you to be inhabited as you were before, and you will do better than at your beginnings. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will never again bereave them of their children.”

“‘The Lord GOD says: “Because they say to you, ‘You are a devourer of men, and have been a bereaver of your nation;’

therefore you shall devour men no more, and not bereave your nation any more,” says the Lord GOD.

“I won’t let you hear the shame 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 the Lord GOD.’”

A New Heart and a New Spirit

(Romans 8:9–11; Galatians 5:16–26)

Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, 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.

Therefore 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.

I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. I judged them according to their way and according to their deeds.

When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, ‘These are the LORD’s people, and have left his land.’

But I had respect for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

“Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

I 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,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am proven holy in you before their eyes.

“‘“For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

I will also 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.

I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them.

You will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you.

I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations.

“‘“Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

I don’t do this for your sake,” says the Lord GOD. “Let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.”

“‘The Lord GOD says: “In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited and the waste places will be built.

The land that was desolate will be tilled instead of being a desolation in the sight of all who passed by.

They will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’

Then the nations that are left around you will know that I, the LORD, have built the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.”

“‘The Lord GOD 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.

As 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 the LORD.’”