Ezekiel 36

1 “And you [a human prophet], son of man, prophesy [to speak or sing under the divine spirit] to the mountains [hill] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] and say: O mountains [hills] of Israel, hear [to listen and obey] the word [a thing or matter, a message from God] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 2 This is what the Lord [Adonay, a title of reverence] GOD [Yehovah] says: Because the enemy [hater, adversary] has said of you, ‘Aha [an expression of surprise or excitement]! The ancient [everlasting, forever] heights [high places, cultic platforms] have become our [a possession, an inheritance] possession [something passed down or owned],’ word study 3 therefore prophesy [speak under divine inspiration] and declare that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign God] GOD [Yehovah] says: Because they have made you desolate [left you empty and devastated] and have trampled [crushed and oppressed] you on every side, so that you became a possession [inheritance, owned by others] of the rest of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] and were taken up in slander [evil reports, malicious talk] by the lips [language, speech] of their talkers [those who speak against you], word study 4 therefore, O mountains [hills] of Israel, hear [listen and obey] the word [message, declaration] of the Lord [Adonay, God of reverence] GOD [Yehovah]. This is what the Lord [Adonay, God of reverence] GOD [Yehovah] says to the mountains [hills] and hills, to the ravines [channels, streams] and valleys [lowlands, deepest places], to the desolate [laid waste, destroyed] ruins and abandoned [forsaken, loosened] cities, which have become [existed as] a spoil [plunder, booty] and a mockery [derision, scoffing] to the rest [remnant, remaining ones] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrews] around [surrounding, encompassing] you. word study 5 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: Surely [truly, indeed] in My burning [fiery, passionate] zeal [jealousy, intense love] I have spoken [declared, uttered] against the rest [remnant, remaining ones] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples], and against all [the entire, whole] Edom [the region of Esau’s descendants], who took [appointed, given] My land [territory, inheritance] as their own [personal, private] possession [inheritance, property] with wholehearted [complete, utter] joy [gladness, delight] and utter [complete, absolute] contempt [scorn, disdain], so that its pastureland [open land, common ground] became [was turned into] plunder [spoils, booty]. word study 6 Therefore, prophesy [speak under divine inspiration] concerning the land [territory, soil] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] and tell the mountains [hills, elevated areas] and hills, the ravines [channels, streams] and valleys [deep, narrow valleys], that this is what the Lord [Adonay, a title of reverence] GOD [Yehovah] says: Behold [look, take notice], I have spoken [declared, communicated] in My burning [intense, passionate] zeal [jealousy, strong feelings of protection] because you have endured [borne, suffered] the reproach [shame, disgrace] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew people]. word study 7 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: I [emphatically, as a personal affirmation] have sworn [taken an oath, made a solemn vow] with an uplifted hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] that surely [certainly, without a doubt] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] around you [surrounding, encompassing] will endure [suffer, bear] reproach [shame, disgrace] of their own [as a consequence of their own actions]. word study 8 But you, O mountains [hills] of Israel, will produce [shoot forth, yield] branches [boughs, limbs] and bear [bring forth, yield] fruit [the fruit that comes from the ground or from our actions] for My people [nation, Amaw] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants], for they will soon [are at hand, are ready] come [approach, draw near] home [to their own land]. word study 9 For behold [look, see], I am on your side [for you, concerned about you]; I will turn [face, come] toward you, and you will be tilled [ploughed, cultivated] and sown [planted, scattered with seed]. word study 10 I will multiply [greatly increase, cause to grow] the people upon you—the house [family, descendants] of Israel [Jacob’s descendants, God’s chosen people] in its entirety [completely, as a whole]. The cities [towns, populated areas] will be inhabited [dwelled in, lived in] and the ruins [desolate places, waste areas] rebuilt [restored, established]. word study 11 I will fill you with people [and increase your population] and animals [beasts, livestock], and they will multiply [grow, increase] and be fruitful [produce offspring, flourish]. I will make you as inhabited [settled, dwelling] as you once were [in former times], and I will make you prosper [thrive, have success] more than before [in the beginning, at your start]. Then you will know [understand, recognize] that I am the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. word study 12 Yes, I will cause My people [the nation of] Israel [the descendants of Jacob] to walk [to live, to dwell] upon you; they will possess [take control of, occupy] you, and you will be their inheritance [a permanent possession, a gift], and you will no longer [still, from this time on] deprive them of their children [cause barrenness, bereave]. word study 13 For this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: Because people [nations, Gentiles] say to you, ‘You [O land, as a devourer] devour [eat, consume] men and deprive [bereave, cause to be barren] your nation [Gentile, non-Hebrew people] of its children [offspring, descendants],’ word study 14 therefore [thus, in this manner] you will no longer [still, from this point on] devour [eat, consume] men [human beings, people] or [neither, nor] deprive [bereave, cause loss of] your nation [Gentiles, people group] of its children [offspring, descendants], declares [says, utters] the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Adonay, Yehovah]. word study 15 I will no longer [never again, not at all] allow the taunts [shame, insults] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] to be heard [proclaimed, spoken] against you, and you will no longer [not again] endure [suffer, bear] the reproach [disgrace, shame] of the peoples [nations, tribes] or cause your nation [people, community] to stumble [fall, sin], declares [says, proclaims] the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah, the Eternal One].” word study 16 Again the word [a message or declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came [to exist or be present] to me, saying [to speak or command], word study 17 “Son of man [the human, a mortal], when the people of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen nation] lived in their land [the promised territory, their earthly inheritance], they defiled [made foul, contaminated] it by their own ways [actions, behaviors, paths] and deeds [works, accomplishments, wantonness]. Their behavior [way of life, manner of action] before Me [in My presence, face to face] was like the uncleanness [impurity, ceremonial uncleanness] of a woman’s [a female, a daughter of Eve] impurity [menstrual period, a time of separation]. word study 18 So I poured out [emptied, shed forth] My wrath [intense anger, fury] upon them because of the blood [life force] they had shed [poured out, slaughtered] on the land [earth, territory], and because they had defiled [polluted, contaminated] it with their idols [false gods, images]. word study 19 I dispersed them [scattered, sent in flight] among the nations [Gentiles, heathen], and they were scattered [dispersed, spread] throughout the lands [countries, territories]. I judged them [vindicated, punished] according to their ways [path, manner of life] and deeds [actions, wantonness]. word study 20 And wherever they went among the nations [among the heathen, to the nations], they profaned [polluted, ruined] My holy [set-apart, sacred] name, because it was said of them, ‘These [these people, they] are the people [a nation, a community] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], yet they had to leave [gone forth, come out] His land [the promised land, their territory].’ word study 21 But I had concern [pity, regard] for My holy [set-apart, sacred] name [identity, reputation], which the house [family, descendants] of Israel [God’s chosen people] had profaned [desecrated, polluted] among the nations [Gentiles, heathen] to which they had gone [traveled, wandered]. word study 22 Therefore tell [declare, proclaim] the house [family, descendants] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people] that this is what the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: It is not for your sake [because of you, on your account] that I will act [work, intervene], O house of Israel, but for My holy [set-apart, sacred] name [reputation, character], which you profaned [desecrated, dishonored] among the nations [Gentiles, heathen] to which you went [were exiled, migrated]. word study 23 I will show the holiness [set apart as sacred] of My great [exalted, majestic] name, which has been profaned [desecrated, dishonored] among the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]—the name you have profaned [treated as common] among them. Then the nations will know [recognize, understand] that I am the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], declares the Lord GOD [Adonay, the sovereign Master], when I show My holiness [My sacred, divine nature] in you before their eyes [in their sight, visibly]. word study 24 For I will take [remove, gather] you from among the nations [Gentiles, heathen] and gather [collect, assemble] you out of all the countries [lands, territories], and I will bring [lead, guide] you back into your own land [territory, earthly home]. word study 25 I will also sprinkle [pour over, scatter] clean [pure, ceremonially clean] water [a spring or watercourse] on you, and you will be [become, declared] clean [ritually pure, morally blameless]. I will cleanse [purify, wash away] you from all [every, each] your impurities [uncleanness, sinful defilement] and all [every, each] your idols [false gods, objects of worship]. word study 26 I will give [bestow, impart] you a new [recently created, renewed] heart and put [place, set] a new [fresh, renewed] spirit within you; I will remove [take away, eliminate] your heart of stone [hard, unyielding] and give [grant, provide] you a heart of flesh [tender, sensitive, having God’s nature]. word study 27 And I will put My Spirit [the breath of life, divine presence] within you and cause you to walk [to live, to follow] in My statutes [divine decrees, laws] and to carefully observe [to keep, to guard] My ordinances [judgments, commandments]. word study 28 Then you will live [dwell, reside] in the land [country, territory] that I gave [bestowed, entrusted] your forefathers [ancestors, fathers]; you will be [exist as, become] My people [nation, community], and I [the Lord, the Almighty] will be your God [Elohim, the supreme God]. word study 29 I will save [deliver, rescue] you from all [every, each] your uncleanness [impurities, sinful actions]. I will summon [call out to, invite] the grain [wheat, crops] and make it plentiful [abundant, increased], and I will not [never, under no circumstances] bring famine [hunger, lack of food] upon you. word study 30 I will also make the fruit [abundant produce, crops] of the trees [strong and firm, like a tree or a wooden plank] and the crops [fruit, produce] of the field [a flat area of land used for cultivation] plentiful [to multiply, increase], so that you will no longer bear [receive, take] reproach [shame, scorn] among the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew people] on account of famine [hunger, lack of food]. word study 31 Then you will remember [recall to mind, think about] your evil [morally bad, wicked] ways [paths, manner of life] and wicked [harmful, unjust] deeds [actions, practices], and you will loathe [feel a strong dislike, be grieved] yourselves [your own hearts, minds] for your iniquities [sins, moral evils] and abominations [detestable things, disgusting actions]. word study 32 It is not [for your own benefit or sake] for your sake that I will act [do this, perform this action], declares the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign God] GOD [Yehovah]—let it be known [clearly understood, revealed] to you. Be ashamed [feel guilt and remorse] and disgraced [be humiliated, confounded] for your ways [paths, manner of life], O house [family, household] of Israel [God’s chosen people]! word study 33 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: On the day [a period of time, a season of restoration] I cleanse [purify, make ceremonially clean] you from all [every, the entirety of] your iniquities [moral evil, sin], I will cause the cities [towns, inhabited places] to be resettled [inhabited, dwelt in] and the ruins [desolate places, waste lands] to be rebuilt [restored, established]. word study 34 The desolate [waste, barren] land [territory, region] will be cultivated [tilled, farmed] instead of lying [remaining, being] desolate [devastated, uninhabited] in the sight [eye, vision] of all [everything, every person] who pass [cross over, transition] through. word study 35 Then they will say, ‘This [deserted, waste] land that was [laid waste, desolate] desolate has become like the [beautiful, lush] garden of Eden [a place of pleasure and delight]. The cities that were once [demolished, ruined] ruined, desolate, and [desolate, empty] destroyed are now [restored, fortified] fortified and inhabited [populated].’ word study 36 Then the nations [heathen, Gentile] around you that remain [are left over, spared] will know [learn, perceive, understand] that I, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], have rebuilt [built, established, restored] what was destroyed [overthrown, demolished], and I have replanted [planted, established, fixed] what was desolate [devastated, empty, laid waste]. I, the LORD, have spoken [communicated, declared], and I will do [make, accomplish, fulfill] it. word study 37 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: Once again [still, yet, one more time] I will hear [listen to, heed] the plea [cry, prayer] of the house [family, descendants] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people] and do for them this: I will multiply [increase, grow] their people like a flock [a group of sheep, a multitude]. word study 38 Like the numerous flocks [as the holy flock] for sacrifices at Jerusalem [the city of peace, Yehovah’s dwelling place] during her appointed feasts [solemn meetings, sacred seasons], so the ruined [desolate, waste] cities will be filled with flocks [multitudes] of people [men, humanity]. Then they will know [perceive, understand, be certain] that I am the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God].” word study