預言賜福以色列
1「人子啊，你要向以色列的山嶺發預言說，『以色列的山嶺啊，你們要聽耶和華的話！ 2主耶和華這樣說，仇敵說，哈哈，這古老的山峰歸我們了！』 3所以你要發預言，宣告主耶和華這樣說，『你們被蹂躪、掠奪，歸了列國所有，成了外族人的話柄和笑談。 4因此，以色列的山嶺、溪流、幽谷、荒地、廢墟以及那些被外族人擄掠和譏諷的城邑啊，你們要聽主耶和華的話。』 5主耶和華說，『我要在怒火中斥責列國和以東，他們幸災樂禍，滿腹憤恨，把我的土地據為己有，侵佔其中的草場。』 6所以你要對以色列說預言，告訴以色列的山岡溪谷，耶和華這樣說，『因為你們曾遭受外族人的羞辱，我為你們滿懷義憤。 7所以我誓言要讓你們四圍的外族人也受羞辱。這是主耶和華說的。
8「『以色列的山嶺啊，你們要為我的以色列子民長出枝葉，結出果子，因為他們快要回來了。 9看啊，我要幫助你們，垂顧你們，使你們被耕種。 10我要增加居住在你們那裡的以色列人，使城邑有人居住，廢墟得以重建。 11我要使你們那裡的人畜興旺，多多繁衍，我要使人們居住在你們那裡，好像以前一樣，讓你們比以前更興盛。這樣，你們就知道我是耶和華。 12我要引領我的以色列子民在你們那裡出入，使你們成為他們的產業，不再奪走他們的兒女。』 13主耶和華說，『雖然人們說你們吞吃以色列人、奪走他們的兒女。 14但你們今後必不再吞吃以色列人，不再奪走他們的兒女。這是主耶和華說的。 15我必不再使你們聽見外族人的辱罵和嘲笑，也不再使你們的國民喪失子女。這是主耶和華說的。』」
16耶和華對我說： 17「人子啊，當以色列人住在本土時，他們的惡行玷污了那裡，他們的行為在我眼中就像經期的婦女一樣污穢。 18他們殺人流血，祭拜偶像，玷污了那地方，所以我要把我的烈怒傾倒在他們身上， 19把他們驅散到列國，分散到列邦，照他們的行為報應他們。 20他們無論分散到何處，都使我的聖名受到褻瀆，因為外族人都談論他們說，『這些人是耶和華的子民，卻不得不離開耶和華的土地。』 21我顧惜我的聖名，就是以色列人在所去的列國褻瀆的聖名。
22「因此，你要告訴以色列人，主耶和華這樣說，『以色列人啊，我要行這事並非因為你們的緣故，而是因為我聖名的緣故，就是你們在所去列國褻瀆的聖名。 23我要使我偉大的名，就是你們在列國中所褻瀆的名，彰顯它的聖潔。我要當著列國的面在你們身上彰顯我的聖潔，那時他們就知道我是耶和華。這是主耶和華說的。 24我要從列邦列國招聚你們，領你們返回故土。 25我要在你們身上灑清水潔淨你們，洗淨你們所有的污穢，除掉你們心中一切的偶像。 26我要賜你們一顆新心，把新的靈放在你們裡面。我要除去你們的石心，賜給你們一顆肉心。 27我要把我的靈放在你們裡面，使你們恪守我的律例，謹遵我的典章。 28你們必安居在我賜給你們祖先的土地上。你們要做我的子民，我要做你們的上帝。 29我要拯救你們脫離各樣的污穢之事。我要使你們五穀豐登，不讓饑荒侵害你們。 30我要使樹木碩果纍纍，田間出產豐盛，免得你們因饑荒再被外族人譏笑。 31那時，你們便會想起自己邪惡的行徑，並因自己的罪惡和可憎行為而厭惡自己。 32主耶和華說，你們應當知道，我這樣做並不是為了你們。以色列人啊，你們應當為自己的行為抱愧蒙羞。』
33「主耶和華說，『在我洗淨你們一切罪惡的日子，我要使你們的城邑有人居住，廢墟得以重建。 34荒涼之地必有人耕種，路人再也看不見荒地。 35他們會說，以前的荒涼之地如今竟變得像伊甸園，被毀壞廢棄的荒涼城邑已經設防，有人居住。 36這樣，你們四周其餘的民族便知道我耶和華已重建毀壞之處，重新耕種荒廢之地。我耶和華言出必行。』
37「主耶和華說，『我要再次答應以色列人的懇求，使他們的人口增加，多如羊群。 38我要使毀壞的城邑住滿人，多如耶路撒冷在節期所獻上的羊群。這樣，他們就知道我是耶和華。』」
A Prophecy of Hope for the Mountains of Israel
1“Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel. Tell them, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the Lord’s message. 2The Lord and King says, “Your enemies made fun of you. They bragged, ‘The hills you lived in for a long time belong to us now.’ ” ’ 3Ezekiel, prophesy. Say, ‘The Lord and King says, “Your enemies destroyed you. They crushed you from every side. So the rest of the nations took over your land. People talked about you. They told lies about you.” ’ ” 4Mountains of Israel, listen to the message of the Lord and King. He speaks to you mountains, hills, canyons and valleys. He speaks to you destroyed cities and deserted towns. The rest of the nations around you took away from you everything of value. They made fun of you. 5So the Lord and King says, “I am very angry with those nations. I have spoken against them and the whole land of Edom. They were very happy when they took over my land. Deep down inside them, they hated Israel. They wanted to take its grasslands. 6Ezekiel, prophesy about the land of Israel. Speak to the mountains, hills, canyons and valleys. Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I have a jealous anger against the nations. They have laughed at you.” 7So the Lord and King says, “I raise my hand and make a promise. I promise that the nations around you will also be laughed at.
8“ ‘ “Mountains of Israel, you will produce branches and bear fruit for my people Israel. They will come home soon. 9I am concerned about you. I will do good things for you. Farmers will plow your ground. They will plant seeds in it. 10I will cause many people to live in Israel. The towns will no longer be empty. Their broken-down houses will be rebuilt. 11I will cause many people and animals to live in you, Israel. They will have many babies. I will cause people to make their homes in your towns, just as I did in the past. I will help you succeed more than ever before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12I will let my people Israel live there again. They will possess you. They will receive you as their own. You will never take their children away from them again.” ’ ”
13The Lord and King says, “People say to you mountains, ‘You destroy people. You let your nation’s children be taken away.’ 14But I will not let you destroy people anymore. I will no longer let your nation’s children be taken away,” announces the Lord and King. 15“You will not have to listen to the nations laughing at you anymore. People will no longer make fun of you. You will not let your nation fall,” announces the Lord and King.
Israel Will Surely Be Rebuilt
16Another message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 17“Son of man, the people of Israel used to live in their own land. But they made it ‘unclean’ because of how they acted and the way they lived. To me they were ‘unclean’ like a woman having her monthly period. 18They spilled people’s blood in the land. They made the land ‘unclean’ by worshiping other gods. So I poured out my great anger on them. 19I scattered them among the nations. I sent them to other countries. I judged them based on how they acted and on how they lived. 20They treated my name as if it were not holy. They did it everywhere they went among the nations. People said about them, ‘They are the Lord’s people. But they were forced to leave his land.’ 21I was concerned about my holy name. The people of Israel treated it as if it were not holy. They did it everywhere they went among the nations.
22“So tell the Israelites, ‘The Lord and King speaks. He says, “People of Israel, I will not take action for your benefit. Instead, I will act for the honor of my holy name. You have treated it as if it were not holy. You did it everywhere you went among the nations. 23But I will show everyone how holy my great name is. You have treated it as if it were not holy. So I will use you to prove to the nations how holy I am. Then they will know that I am the Lord,” announces the Lord and King.
24“ ‘ “I will take you out of the nations. I will gather you together from all the countries. I will bring you back into your own land. 25I will sprinkle pure water on you. Then you will be ‘clean.’ I will make you completely pure and ‘clean.’ I will take all the statues of your gods away from you. 26I will give you new hearts. I will give you a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove your stubborn hearts from you. I will give you hearts that obey me. 27I will put my Spirit in you. I will make you want to obey my rules. I want you to be careful to keep my laws. 28Then you will live in the land I gave your people of long ago. You will be my people. And I will be your God. 29I will save you from all your ‘uncleanness.’ I will give you plenty of grain. You will have more than enough. So you will never be hungry again. 30I will multiply the fruit on your trees. I will increase the crops in your fields. Then the nations will no longer make fun of you because you are hungry. 31You will remember your evil ways and the sinful things you have done. You will hate yourselves because you have sinned so much. I also hate your evil practices. 32I want you to know that I am not doing those things for your benefit,” announces the Lord and King. “People of Israel, you should be ashamed of yourselves! Your conduct has brought dishonor to you.” ’ ”
33The Lord and King says, “I will make you pure from all your sins. On that day I will give you homes in your towns again. Your broken-down houses will be rebuilt. 34The dry and empty land will be farmed again. Everyone who passes through it will see that it is no longer empty. 35They will say, ‘This land was completely destroyed. But now it’s like the Garden of Eden. The cities were full of broken-down buildings. They were destroyed and empty. But now they have high walls around them. And people live in them.’ 36Then the nations that remain around you will know that I have rebuilt what was once destroyed. I have planted again the fields that were once empty. I have spoken. And I will do this. I am the Lord.”
37The Lord and King says, “Once again I will answer Israel’s prayer. Here is what I will do for them. I will multiply them as if they were sheep. 38Large flocks of animals are sacrificed at Jerusalem during the appointed feasts there. In the same way, the destroyed cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
