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Ezekiel 36
Good News Translation
Ezekiel 36
Good News Translation
God's Blessing on Israel
36 The Lord said, “Mortal man, speak to the mountains of Israel and tell them to listen to the message which I, 2 the Sovereign Lord, have for them: Israel's enemies gloated and said, ‘Now those ancient hills are ours!’
3 “Prophesy, then, and announce what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying. When the neighboring nations captured and plundered the mountains of Israel, everyone made fun of Israel. 4 So now listen to what I, the Sovereign Lord, say to you mountains and hills, to you brooks and valleys, to you places that were left in ruins, and to you deserted cities which were plundered and mocked by all the surrounding nations.
5 “I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken out in the heat of my anger against the surrounding nations, and especially against Edom. With glee and contempt they captured my land and took possession of its pastures.
6 “So prophesy to the land of Israel; tell the mountains, hills, brooks, and valleys what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying in jealous anger because of the way the nations have insulted and humiliated them. 7 I, the Sovereign Lord, solemnly promise that the surrounding nations will be humiliated. 8 But on the mountains of Israel the trees will again grow leaves and bear fruit for you, my people Israel. You are going to come home soon. 9 I am on your side, and I will make sure that your land is plowed again and crops are planted on it. 10 I will make your population grow. You will live in the cities and rebuild everything that was left in ruins. 11 I will make people and cattle increase in number. There will be more of you than ever before, and you will have many children. I will let you live there as you used to live, and I will make you more prosperous than ever. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will bring you, my people Israel, back to live again in the land. It will be your own land, and it will never again let your children starve.
13 “I, the Sovereign Lord, say: It is true that people say that the land eats people and that it robs the nation of its children. 14 But from now on it will no longer eat people and rob you of your children. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. 15 The land will no longer have to listen to the nations making fun of it or see the peoples sneer at it. The land will no longer rob the nation of its children. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”
Israel's New Life
16 The Lord spoke to me. 17 “Mortal man,” he said, “when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period.[a] 18 I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it. 19 I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered them through foreign countries. 20 Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, ‘These are the people of the Lord, but they had to leave his land.’ 21 That made me concerned for my holy name, since the Israelites brought disgrace on it everywhere they went.
22 “Now then, give the Israelites the message that I, the Sovereign Lord, have for them: What I am going to do is not for the sake of you Israelites, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have disgraced in every country where you have gone. 23 When I demonstrate to the nations the holiness of my great name—the name you disgraced among them—then they will know that I am the Lord. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken. I will use you to show the nations that I am holy. 24 I will take you from every nation and country and bring you back to your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. 26 (A)I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. 27 I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be plentiful, so that you will not have any more famines. 30 I will increase the yield of your fruit trees and your fields, so that there will be no more famines to disgrace you among the nations. 31 You will remember your evil conduct and the wrongs that you committed, and you will be disgusted with yourselves because of your sins and your iniquities. 32 Israel, I want you to know that I am not doing all this for your sake. I want you to feel the shame and disgrace of what you are doing. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”
33 The Sovereign Lord says, “When I make you clean from all your sins, I will let you live in your cities again and let you rebuild the ruins. 34 Everyone who used to walk by your fields saw how overgrown and wild they were, but I will let you farm them again. 35 Everyone will talk about how this land, which was once a wilderness, has become like the Garden of Eden, and how the cities which were torn down, looted, and left in ruins, are now inhabited and fortified. 36 Then the neighboring nations that have survived will know that I, the Lord, rebuild ruined cities and replant waste fields. I, the Lord, have promised that I would do this—and I will.”
37 The Sovereign Lord says, “I will once again let the Israelites ask me for help, and I will let them increase in numbers like a flock of sheep. 38 The cities that are now in ruins will then be as full of people as Jerusalem was once full of the sheep which were offered as sacrifices at a festival. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 36:17 This is based on the view of ritual uncleanness described in the Law of Moses (see Lv 15.19).
Ezekiel 36
New International Version
Ezekiel 36
New International Version
Hope for the Mountains of Israel
36 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel(A) and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. 2 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:(B) The enemy said of you, “Aha!(C) The ancient heights(D) have become our possession.(E)”’ 3 Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravaged(F) and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people’s malicious talk and slander,(G) 4 therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys,(H) to the desolate ruins(I) and the deserted(J) towns that have been plundered and ridiculed(K) by the rest of the nations around you(L)— 5 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burning(M) zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland.’(N) 6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations.(O) 7 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand(P) that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.(Q)
8 “‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit(R) for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. 9 I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,(S) 10 and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins(T) rebuilt.(U) 11 I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful(V) and become numerous. I will settle people(W) on you as in the past(X) and will make you prosper more than before.(Y) Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance;(Z) you will never again deprive them of their children.
13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because some say to you, “You devour people(AA) and deprive your nation of its children,” 14 therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord. 15 No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AB)’”
Israel’s Restoration Assured
16 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman’s monthly uncleanness(AC) in my sight.(AD) 18 So I poured out(AE) my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered(AF) through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.(AG) 20 And wherever they went among the nations they profaned(AH) my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’(AI) 21 I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.(AJ)
22 “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,(AK) which you have profaned(AL) among the nations where you have gone.(AM) 23 I will show the holiness of my great name,(AN) which has been profaned(AO) among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,(AP) declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy(AQ) through you before their eyes.(AR)
24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.(AS) 25 I will sprinkle(AT) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse(AU) you from all your impurities(AV) and from all your idols.(AW) 26 I will give you a new heart(AX) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone(AY) and give you a heart of flesh.(AZ) 27 And I will put my Spirit(BA) in you and move you to follow my decrees(BB) and be careful to keep my laws.(BC) 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,(BD) and I will be your God.(BE) 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine(BF) upon you. 30 I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.(BG) 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.(BH) 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed(BI) and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!(BJ)
33 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse(BK) you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins(BL) will be rebuilt.(BM) 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden;(BN) the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.(BO)” 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’(BP)
37 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea(BQ) and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,(BR) 38 as numerous as the flocks for offerings(BS) at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(BT)”
Good News Translation (GNT) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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