A Prophecy to the Mountains of Israel 1 DBY And thou, son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah. BSB BSB: “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.
2 DBY Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha! and, The ancient high places are become ours in possession; BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’
3 DBY therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because, yea, because they have made you desolate, and have swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the remnant of the nations, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and in the defaming of the people: BSB BSB: therefore prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Because they have made you desolate and have trampled you on every side, so that you became a possession of the rest of the nations and were taken up in slander by the lips of their talkers,
4 DBY therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the water-courses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which are become a prey and a derision to the remnant of the nations that are round about, BSB BSB: therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. This is what the Lord GOD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have become a spoil and a mockery to the rest of the nations around you.
5 DBY — therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the remnant of the nations, and against the whole of Edom, which have appointed my land unto themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to plunder it by pillage. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, so that its pastureland became plunder.
6 DBY Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the water-courses and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the ignominy of the nations; BSB BSB: Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and tell the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys, that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I have spoken in My burning zeal because you have endured the reproach of the nations.
7 DBY therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I have lifted up my hand, saying, Verily the nations that are about you, they shall bear their shame. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I have sworn with an uplifted hand that surely the nations around you will endure reproach of their own.
8 DBY And ye mountains of Israel shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel: for they are at hand to come. BSB BSB: But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and bear fruit for My people Israel, for they will soon come home.
9 DBY For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown. BSB BSB: For behold, I am on your side; I will turn toward you, and you will be tilled and sown.
10 DBY And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, the whole of it; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the waste places shall be builded. BSB BSB: I will multiply the people upon you—the house of Israel in its entirety. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
11 DBY And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and bring forth fruit; and I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, yea, I will make it better than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. BSB BSB: I will fill you with people and animals, and they will multiply and be fruitful. I will make you as inhabited as you once were, and I will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
12 DBY And I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of children. BSB BSB: Yes, I will cause My people Israel to walk upon you; they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will no longer deprive them of their children.
13 DBY Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because they say unto you, Thou devourest men, and hast bereaved thy nation, BSB BSB: For this is what the Lord GOD says: Because people say to you, ‘You devour men and deprive your nation of its children,’
14 DBY therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nation any more, saith the Lord Jehovah; BSB BSB: therefore you will no longer devour men or deprive your nation of its children, declares the Lord GOD.
15 DBY neither will I cause thee to hear the ignominy of the nations any more, and thou shalt not bear the reproach of the peoples any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nation to fall any more, saith the Lord Jehovah. BSB BSB: I will no longer allow the taunts of the nations to be heard against you, and you will no longer endure the reproach of the peoples or cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord GOD.”
A New Heart and a New Spirit (Romans 8:9–11; Galatians 5:16–26)
16 DBY And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, BSB BSB: Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
17 DBY Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a woman in her separation. BSB BSB: “Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds. Their behavior before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman’s impurity.
18 DBY And I poured out my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. BSB BSB: So I poured out My wrath upon them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.
19 DBY And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. BSB BSB: I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the lands. I judged them according to their ways and deeds.
20 DBY And when they came to the nations whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when it was said of them, These are the people of Jehovah, and they are gone forth out of his land. BSB BSB: And wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.’
21 DBY But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations whither they went. BSB BSB: But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had gone.
22 DBY Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations whither ye went. BSB BSB: Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went.
23 DBY And I will hallow my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am Jehovah, saith the Lord Jehovah, when I shall be hallowed in you before their eyes. BSB BSB: I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.
24 DBY And I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. BSB BSB: For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
25 DBY And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols will I cleanse you. BSB BSB: I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.
26 DBY And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. BSB BSB: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
27 DBY And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and keep mine ordinances, and ye shall do them. BSB BSB: And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
28 DBY And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. BSB BSB: Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.
29 DBY And I will save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will call for the corn and will multiply it, and lay no famine upon you. BSB BSB: I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine upon you.
30 DBY And I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the increase of the field, so that ye may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations. BSB BSB: I will also make the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer bear reproach among the nations on account of famine.
31 DBY And ye shall remember your evil ways, and your doings which were not good, and shall loathe yourselves for your iniquities and for your abominations. BSB BSB: Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and abominations.
32 DBY Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord Jehovah, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. BSB BSB: It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD—let it be known to you. Be ashamed and disgraced for your ways, O house of Israel!
33 DBY Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day that I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities I will also cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be builded. BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be resettled and the ruins to be rebuilt.
34 DBY And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all that passed by. BSB BSB: The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through.
35 DBY And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited. BSB BSB: Then they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and destroyed are now fortified and inhabited.’
36 DBY And the nations that shall be left round about you shall know that I Jehovah build the ruined places and plant that which was desolate: I Jehovah have spoken, and I will do it . BSB BSB: Then the nations around you that remain will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed, and I have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.
37 DBY Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it unto them; I will increase them with men like a flock. BSB BSB: This is what the Lord GOD says: Once again I will hear the plea of the house of Israel and do for them this: I will multiply their people like a flock.
38 DBY As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her set feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am Jehovah. BSB BSB: Like the numerous flocks for sacrifices at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so the ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”