Ezekiel:36

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* "And you , son of man , prophesy to the mountains of Israel , and say , "O mountains of Israel , hear the word of the LORD ! * Thus says the Lord GOD : "Because the enemy has said of you , "Aha ! The ancient heights have become our possession ,"" * therefore prophesy , and say , "Thus says the Lord GOD : "Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side , so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations , and you are taken up by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people "-- * therefore , O mountains of Israel , hear the word of the Lord GOD ! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains , the hills , the rivers , the valleys , the desolate wastes , and the cities that have been forsaken , which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around -- * therefore thus says the Lord GOD : "Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom , who gave My land to themselves as a possession , with wholehearted joy and spiteful minds , in order to plunder its open country ."' * "Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel , and say to the mountains , the hills , the rivers , and the valleys , "Thus says the Lord GOD : "Behold , I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury , because you have borne the shame of the nations ." * Therefore thus says the Lord GOD : "I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame . * But you , O mountains of Israel , you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel , for they are about to come . * For indeed I am for you , and I will turn to you , and you shall be tilled and sown . * I will multiply men upon you , all the house of Israel , all of it ; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt . * I will multiply upon you man and beast ; and they shall increase and bear young ; I will make you inhabited as in former times , and do better for you than at your beginnings . Then you shall know that I am the LORD . * Yes , I will cause men to walk on you , My people Israel ; they shall take possession of you , and you shall be their inheritance ; no more shall you bereave them of children ." * "Thus says the Lord GOD : "Because they say to you , "You devour men and bereave your nation of children ,' * therefore you shall devour men no more , nor bereave your nation anymore ," says the Lord GOD . * Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore , nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore , nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore ," says the Lord GOD ."' * Moreover the word of the LORD came to me , saying : * "Son of man , when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land , they defiled it by their own ways and deeds ; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity . * Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land , and for their idols with which they had defiled it . * So I scattered them among the nations , and they were dispersed throughout the countries ; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds . * When they came to the nations , wherever they went , they profaned My holy name--when they said of them , "These are the people of the LORD , and yet they have gone out of His land .' * But I had concern for My holy name , which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went . * "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 wherever you went . * And I will sanctify My great name , which has been profaned among the nations , which you have profaned in their midst ; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD ," says the Lord GOD , "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes . * For I will take you from among the nations , gather you out of all countries , and bring you into your own land . * Then I will sprinkle clean water on you , and you shall be clean ; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols . * I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you ; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh . * I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes , and you will keep My judgments and do them . * Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers ; you shall be My people , and I will be your God . * I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses . I will call for the grain and multiply it , and bring no famine upon you . * And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields , so that you need never again bear 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 your abominations . * Not for your sake do I do this ," says the Lord GOD , "let it be known to you . Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways , O house of Israel !" * "Thus says the Lord GOD : "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities , I will also enable you to dwell in the cities , and the ruins shall be rebuilt . * The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by . * So they will say , "This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden ; and the wasted , desolate , and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited .' * Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I , the LORD , have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate . I , the LORD , have spoken it , and I will do it ." * "Thus says the Lord GOD : "I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them : I will increase their men like a flock . * Like a flock offered as holy sacrifices , like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days , so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men . Then they shall know that I am the LORD .""'

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