“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD. 2 Thus says the Lord GOD, “Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The ancient ^aheights have become our property,’ 3 therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “For good reason they have made you a ^adesolation, and they crushed you from every side so that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have become the ^btalk and the whispering of the people.”’” 4 Therefore, O ^amountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate ruins and to the deserted cities which have become ^bprey and a mockery to the rest of the nations which surround you, 5 therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Most certainly in the fire of My ^ajealousy (love for that which is Mine) I have spoken against the ^brest of the nations and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted ^cjoy and with uttermost contempt, so that they might empty it out and possess it as prey.” 6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy (love for that which is Mine) and in My wrath because you have ^aendured the shameful insults of the nations.’ 7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘I have lifted up My hand and sworn an oath that the nations that are around you will themselves endure their shameful insults. 8 But you, O mountains of Israel, will ^aput out your branches and bear your fruit to My people Israel; for they will soon come home. 9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will ^aturn to you in favor, and you shall be ^bcultivated and sown. 10 I will multiply people on you, ^aall the house of Israel, indeed all of it; the ^bcities shall be inhabited and the ruins will be rebuilt. 11 I will multiply on you man and animal; and they will increase and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as you were ^aformerly, and I will do ^bbetter things for you than at your beginning. Then you will know with great confidence that I am the LORD. 12 Yes, O mountains of Israel I will cause ^amen—My people Israel—to walk on you and take possession of you, so that you will become their ^binheritance and never again ^cbereave them of children.’

13 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Because they say to you, “You O land are a ^adevourer of people and have bereaved your nation of children,” 14 therefore you will no longer devour people, and no longer bereave your nation of children,’ says the Lord GOD. 15 I will not let you hear ^ainsults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear ^bdisgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to ^cstumble through idolatry any longer,” says the Lord GOD.’”

16 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they ^adefiled it by their own behavior and by their idolatrous actions. Their conduct before Me was like ^bthe uncleanness of a woman during her physical impurity. 18 So I ^apoured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 Also I ^ascattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the countries. I judged and punished them ^bin accordance with their conduct and their idolatrous behavior. 20 When they came to the nations wherever they went, they ^aprofaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the ^bpeople of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.’ 21 But I had concern for My ^aholy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It is ^anot for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will ^avindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the ^bnations will know without any doubt that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will ^1atake you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will ^asprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your ^buncleanness and from all your ^cidols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a ^anew heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the ^bheart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will ^aput my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My ordinances and do them. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you will be ^aMy people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you from all your uncleanness, and I will call for the grain and make it abundant, and I ^awill not bring famine on you. 30 I will ^amultiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not suffer again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will ^aremember clearly your own evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your sins and for your outrageous atrocities. 32 I am not doing this ^afor your sake,” says the Lord GOD. “Let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your wicked ways, O house of Israel!”

33 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your sins I will also cause the ^acities of Israel to be inhabited, and the ^bruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 Then they will say, ‘This land that was deserted and desolate has become like the ^agarden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations that are left around you will know that I the LORD have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and ^awill do it.”

37 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “This too I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their people like a flock. 38 Like the ^aflock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the desolate cities be filled with ^bflocks of people. Then they will know with confident assurance that I am the LORD.”’”