36 The Lord said, ‘Son of man, speak my message to the mountains of Israel. Say to them: “Listen to the Lord 's message, you mountains of Israel. 2 This is what the Almighty Lord says: Your enemies have laughed at you. They have said, ‘The old mountains now belong to us!’ ”
3 So now prophesy to those mountains. Tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Your enemies attacked you from every side. They won against you, so that you belonged to other nations. People talked about you and they insulted you.
4 Because of this, mountains of Israel, listen to this message from me, the Almighty Lord . I say this to the hills, the mountains and the valleys. I say this to the empty places and the towns that have become heaps of stones where nobody lives. This has caused the nations around you to laugh at you and insult you.
5 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: I am very angry with those nations and I will punish them. I am even more angry with the people of Edom because they insulted my people. They were happy to take my land for themselves so that their animals could eat the grass.”
6 So prophesy to the hills and mountains of Israel, and to its valleys. Tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I am very angry because the nations around you have caused you to be ashamed. 7 So this is what I, the Almighty Lord , say: I make a strong promise that those nations will soon be ashamed themselves.
8 But I say this to you mountains of Israel. Trees will grow on you again and crops will provide much food for my people. My people will soon come home. 9 I am your friend and I will take care of you. Men will plough your ground and they will plant seeds in it. 10 I will cause more and more Israelite people to live on you, and in all the land. They will live in the towns and they will repair the broken buildings. 11 I will make more and more people and animals live on you. They will give birth to many young ones, so that they grow in number. I will cause many people to live on you, as they did a long time ago. I will help you with more good things than you had when you first became a land for my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord . 12 I will cause my people, the Israelites, to walk on you. You will belong to them as the place where they and their descendants live. You will never again cause their children to die.
13 This is what the Almighty Lord says: People are saying to you, Israel's land, ‘You destroy people. You take away the nation's children.’ 14 So now I, the Almighty Lord , tell you this: You will no longer destroy people or take away the nation's children. 15 People from other nations will no longer insult you or laugh at you. You will no longer cause your nation to suffer. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’
16 The Lord gave this message to me: 17 ‘Son of man, Israel's people made their own land unclean when they lived there. They lived in a bad way and they did bad things. It made them unclean, like a woman when she bleeds each month. 18 So I punished them with my great anger. I punished them because they murdered people on their land. And they made the land unclean with idols that they worshipped. 19 I sent them to live among people of other nations in foreign countries. I punished them as they deserved for the bad things that they did.
20 But among the nations where they went, they continued to bring shame to my holy name. People said, “These are the Lord 's people, but they had to leave the land that he gave to them.” 21 I wanted them to give honour to my holy name. Instead, Israel's people brought me shame among the nations where they went.
22 So you must say to Israel's people, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will help you, Israel's people. But it is not because you deserve it. I will do it so that people give honour to my holy name. You brought me shame among the nations where you went. 23 Now I will show them that my name is great and holy. You brought shame to my name. But I will help you so that the nations can see that I am great. When I do that, they will know that I am the Lord . That is what I, the Almighty Lord , say.
24 I will take you out from the nations and all the foreign countries where you have been living. I will bring you back to your own land. 25 You will become pure, as if I splash you with clean water. I will remove all the things that make you unclean. I will take away the idols that you worship. 26 I will give you new thoughts. I will put a new spirit in you. You will no longer refuse to obey me. Instead, you will want to please me. 27 I will put my Spirit in you, so that you obey my commands. You will be careful to obey my laws.
28 At that time, you will live in the land that I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all the things that made you unclean. I will cause the land to give you plenty of grain to eat. You will no longer have any famines. 30 The trees will provide plenty of fruit. And crops will grow well in the fields. Other nations will no longer make you feel ashamed because you have no food to eat. 31 Then you will remember the evil way that you lived. You will remember the bad things that you did. You will be ashamed of yourselves because of the sins and the disgusting things that you did. 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this because you deserve it. You should be ashamed, Israel's people. You should feel sorry for the things that you have done. That is what the Almighty Lord says.
33 This is what the Almighty Lord says: At that time, I will make you clean from all your sins. When I do that, I will send you back to live in your towns. You will build your houses again that had become heaps of stones. 34 You will plough the empty land again to provide food. People who travel there will no longer think that the land is useless. 35 They will say, ‘This land was like a desert, but now it is like the Garden of Eden. [ a ] People now live in the cities that had become heaps of stones. The cities now have strong walls.’ 36 Then the nations that still live around you will see what has happened. They will know that I, the Lord , have mended the broken cities. They will know that I have planted crops again in the fields that were empty. I, the Lord , have said this, and I will do it!”
37-38 This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will listen to what Israel's people are asking me to do for them. I will allow them to grow in number, like a big crowd of sheep. They will be as many as the sheep that people brought to Jerusalem as offerings at a festival. I will fill the broken cities with crowds of people, as many as those sheep. Then they will know that I am the Lord .’
36 “Son of man, [ a ] speak to the mountains of Israel for me. Tell them to listen to the word of the Lord ! 2 Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: ‘The enemy said bad things against you. They said, Hurray! Now the ancient mountains [ b ] will be ours!’
3 “So speak to the mountains of Israel for me. Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: ‘The enemy destroyed your cities and attacked you from every direction. They did this so that you would belong to the other nations. Then people talked and whispered about you.’”
4 So, mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord God ! This is what the Lord God says to the mountains, hills, streams, valleys, empty ruins, and abandoned cities that have been looted and laughed at by the other nations around them. 5 The Lord God says, “I swear, I will let my strong feelings speak for me! I will let Edom and the other nations feel my anger. They took my land for themselves. They really had a good time when they showed how much they hated this land. They took the land for themselves, just so they could destroy it.”
6 “So say these things about the land of Israel. Speak to the mountains and to the hills, to the streams, and to the valleys. Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: ‘I will let my strong feelings and anger speak for me, because you had to suffer the insults from those nations.’”
7 So this is what the Lord God says: “I am the one making this promise! I swear that the nations around you will have to suffer for those insults.
8 “But mountains of Israel, you will grow new trees and produce fruit for my people Israel. My people will soon come back. 9 I am with you, and I will help you. People will till your soil and plant seeds in you. 10 There will be many people living on you. The whole family of Israel—all of them—will live there. The cities will have people living in them. The destroyed places will be rebuilt. 11 I will give you many people and animals, and they will grow and have many children. I will bring people to live on you as in the past. I will make it better for you than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord . 12 Yes, I will lead many people—my people, Israel—to your land. You will be their property, and you will not take away their children again.”
13 This is what the Lord God says: “Land of Israel, people say bad things to you. They say you destroyed your people. They say you took the children away from your people. 14 But you will not destroy people anymore or take away their children again.” This is what the Lord God said. 15 “I will not let those other nations insult you anymore. You will not be hurt by them anymore. You will not take the children away from your people again.” This is what the Lord God said.
16 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 17 “Son of man, the family of Israel lived in their own country, but they made that land filthy by the bad things they did. To me, they were like a woman who becomes unclean because of her monthly time of bleeding. 18 They spilled blood on the ground when they murdered people in the land. They made the land filthy with their idols, so I showed them how angry I was. 19 I scattered them among the nations and spread them through all the lands. I gave them the punishment they deserved for the bad things they did. 20 But even in those other nations, they ruined my good name. How? Those nations said, ‘These are the Lord ’s people, but they left his land.’
21 “The people of Israel ruined my holy name wherever they went, and I felt sorry for my name. 22 So tell the family of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: ‘Family of Israel, you ruined my holy name in the places where you went. I am going to do something to stop this. I will not do it for your sake, Israel. I will do it for my holy name. 23 I will show the nations how holy my great name really is. You ruined my good name in those nations! But I will show you that I am holy. I will make you respect my name, and then those nations will know that I am the Lord .’” This is what the Lord God said.
24 “I will take you out of those nations, gather you together, and bring you back to your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle pure water on you and make you pure. I will wash away all your filth, the filth from those nasty idols, and I will make you pure. 26 I will also put a new spirit in you to change your way of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart. 27 I will put my Spirit inside you [ c ] and change you so that you will obey my laws. You will carefully obey my commands. 28 Then you will live in the land that I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 Also, I will save you and keep you from becoming unclean. I will command the grain to grow. I will not bring a famine against you. 30 I will give you large crops of fruit from your trees and the harvest from your fields so that you will never again feel the shame of being hungry in a foreign country. 31 You will remember the bad things you did. You will remember that those things were not good. Then you will hate yourselves because of your sins and the terrible things you did.”
32 The Lord God says, “I want you to remember this: I am not doing these things for your good! I am doing them for my good name. Family of Israel, you should be ashamed and embarrassed about the way you lived!”
33 This is what the Lord God says: “On the day that I wash away your sins, I will bring people back to your cities. The ruined cities will be rebuilt. 34 People will begin again to work the land so when other people pass by they will not see ruins anymore. 35 They will say, ‘In the past, this land was ruined, but now it is like the Garden of Eden. The cities were destroyed. They were ruined and empty, but now they are protected, and there are people living in them.’
36 “Then the nations that are still around you will know I am the Lord and that I rebuilt those places. I planted things in this land that was empty. I am the Lord . I said this, and I will make them happen!”
37 This is what the Lord God says: “I will also let the family of Israel come to me and ask me to do these things for them. I will make them grow and become many people. They will be like flocks of sheep. 38 During the special festivals, Jerusalem was filled with flocks of sheep and goats that had been made holy. In the same way the cities and ruined places will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord .”
36 Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord :
2 Thus saith the Lord God ; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:
3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God ; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:
4 Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God ; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;
5 Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.
6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.
8 But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.
9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown:
10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:
11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord .
12 Yea, 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 men.
13 Thus saith the Lord God ; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations:
14 Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord God .
15 Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord God .
16 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.
18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:
19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord , and are gone forth out of his land.
21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God ; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord , saith the Lord God , when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28 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.
29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God , be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.
33 Thus saith the Lord God ; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.
34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
35 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 become fenced, and are inhabited.
36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.
37 Thus saith the Lord God ; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.
38 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord .
36 “Now you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord . 2 This is what the Lord [ a ] God says: “Since the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting [ b ] ( A ) heights have become our possession,’ 3 therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “ [ c ] For good reason they have made you ( B ) desolate and harassed you from every side, so that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations; and you have been taken up in the [ d ] ( C ) talk and the rumor of the people.”’” 4 Therefore, you ( D ) mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God . This is what the Lord God says to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate ruins and to the abandoned cities which have become ( E ) plunder and an object of ridicule to the rest of the nations which are all around— 5 therefore the Lord God says this: “Certainly in the fire of My ( F ) jealousy I have spoken against the ( G ) rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who [ e ] appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted ( H ) joy and with contempt of soul, in order to make its pastureland plunder.” 6 Therefore prophesy in regard to the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have ( I ) endured the insults of the nations.’ 7 Therefore the Lord God says this: ‘I have [ f ] sworn that the nations that are around you will certainly endure their insults themselves. 8 But as for you, mountains of Israel, you will [ g ] ( J ) grow your branches and bear fruit for My people Israel; for they are about to come. 9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will ( K ) turn to you, and you will be ( L ) cultivated and sown. 10 And I will multiply people on you, ( M ) all the house of Israel, all of it; and the ( N ) cities will be inhabited and the ruins will be rebuilt. 11 I will multiply on you people and animals, and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will populate you as you were ( O ) previously, and treat you ( P ) better than at the beginning. Then you will know that I am the Lord . 12 Yes, I will have ( Q ) people—My people Israel—walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their ( R ) inheritance and never again ( S ) bereave them of children.’
13 “The Lord God says this: ‘Since they say to you, “You are a ( T ) devourer of people and have bereaved your nation of children,” 14 for that reason you will no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children,’ declares the Lord God . 15 I will not let you hear ( U ) insults from the nations anymore, nor will you suffer ( V ) disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you make your nation ( W ) stumble any longer,” declares the Lord God .’”
16 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they ( X ) defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like ( Y ) the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18 Therefore I ( Z ) poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19 I also ( AA ) scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. ( AB ) According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20 When they came to the nations where they went, they ( AC ) profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the ( AD ) people of the Lord , yet they have left His land.’ 21 But I had [ h ] concern for My ( AE ) holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is ( AF ) not for your sake, 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 And I will ( AG ) vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the ( AH ) nations will know that I am the Lord ,” declares the Lord God , “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. 24 For I will ( AI ) take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will ( AJ ) sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your ( AK ) filthiness and from all your ( AL ) idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a ( AM ) new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the ( AN ) heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will ( AO ) put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and [ i ] follow My ordinances. 28 And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be ( AP ) My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I ( AQ ) will not [ j ] bring a famine on you. 30 Instead, I will ( AR ) multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will ( AS ) remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your wrongdoings and your abominations. 32 I am not doing this ( AT ) for your sake,” declares the Lord God ; “let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your ways, house of Israel!”
33 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your wrongdoings, I will populate the ( AU ) cities, and the ( AV ) places of ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 And they will say, ‘This desolated land has become like the ( AW ) Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolated and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations around you that are left will know that I, the Lord , have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolated; I, the Lord , have spoken, and I ( AX ) will do it.”
37 ‘This is what the Lord God says: “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 ( AY ) flock [ k ] for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with ( AZ ) flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord .”’”
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 ) ’”
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 ) ”
