Hope for the Mountains of Israel
1“Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. 2This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The enemy said of you, “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.” ’ 3Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravaged 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, 4therefore, 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, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you— 5this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burning 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.’ 6Therefore 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. 7Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.
8“ ‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. 9I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, 10and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 12I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; 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 and deprive your nation of its children,” 14therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord. 15No 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.’ ”
Israel’s Restoration Assured
16Again 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 in my sight. 18So I poured out my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions. 20And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’ 21I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.
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, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23I 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 Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.
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. 25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. 30I 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. 31Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. 32I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!
33“ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.” 36Then 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.’
37“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep, 38as numerous as the flocks for offerings 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.”
Israel Mmepɔw Ho Nkɔmhyɛ
1“Onipa ba, hyɛ nkɔm kyerɛ Israel mmepɔw na ka se: ‘Israel mmepɔw, muntie Awurade asɛm. 2Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Sɛɛ na ɔtamfo no ka faa wo ho, “Aaa! Tete sorɔnsorɔmmea no abɛyɛ yɛn dea.” ’ 3Ɛno nti, hyɛ nkɔm na ka se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Esiane sɛ wɔasɛe mo na wɔataataa mo wɔ afa nyinaa, na ɛno nti mobɛyɛɛ aman a aka no agyapade ne nnipa no ahohora nsɛnka ne atwetwesi, 4ɛno nti, Israel mmepɔw, muntie Otumfo Awurade asɛm: Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade ka kyerɛ mmepɔw ne nkoko, nsubon ne abon, nnwiriwii a ada mpan ne nea ayɛ amamfo, nkurow amamfo a wɔadwiriw agu na aman no nkae a atwa wɔn ho ahyia no di wɔn ho fɛw. 5Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Mifi anem a emu yɛ den mu akasa atia amanaman a aka no ne Edom nyinaa, efisɛ wɔde fɛwdi ne adwemmɔne ayɛ me man wɔn agyapade, sɛnea wobetumi afom ne didibea.’ 6Ɛno nti, hyɛ nkɔm a ɛfa Israel asase ho, na ka kyerɛ mmepɔw ne nkoko, subon ne abon se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Mede ninkutwe mu anibere kasa, efisɛ amanaman no abu wo animtiaa. 7Enti sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Mema me nsa so ka ntam sɛ amanaman a atwa wo ho ahyia no nso, wobebu wɔn animtiaa.
8“ ‘Nanso mo, Israel mmepɔw, mubenya mman, asow aba ama me nkurɔfo Israelfo, efisɛ ɛrenkyɛ wɔbɛba fie. 9Mo ho hia me na mehu mo mmɔbɔ; wobefuntum mo na wɔadua mo so aba, 10na mɛma wo so nnipa adɔɔso, Israelfi nyinaa mpo, nnipa bɛtena wo nkurow no so bio, na wobesisi nnwiriwii no nso. 11Mɛma mmarima ne mmoa adɔɔso wɔ mo so na wɔbɛwowo na wɔadodɔ, mɛma nnipa atena wo mu te sɛ kan no na wɔbɛma woadi yiye asen kan no. Na afei mubehu sɛ mene Awurade no. 12Mɛma nkurɔfo, me nkurɔfo Israelfo, anantew wo so. Wɔbɛfa wo na wobɛyɛ wɔn agyapade na woremma wonni mmakɔm bio.
13“ ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Esiane sɛ nkurɔfo ka kyerɛ wo se, “Wukum nnipa we na woma wo man no hwere nʼadehye,” 14ɛno nti worenkum nnipa nwe bio na woremma wo man nhwere nʼadehye bio, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni. 15Meremma wonte amanaman no fɛwdi bio, na worenhu nkurɔfo no animtiaabu bio, na wo man nso renhwe ase bio, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.’ ”
16Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se, 17“Onipa ba, bere a Israelfo te wɔn ankasa asase so no, wɔde wɔn abrabɔ ne wɔn nneyɛe guu asase no ho fi. Na wɔn abrabɔ te sɛ ɔbea ɔsram-sram afide wɔ mʼani so. 18Enti mihwiee mʼabufuwhyew guu wɔn so, efisɛ wɔahwie mogya agu asase no so na wɔde wɔn abosom agu hɔ fi. 19Mebɔɔ wɔn ahwete wɔ amanaman mu, na wɔhwete faa amanaman mu; migyinaa wɔn abrabɔ ne wɔn nneyɛe so buu wɔn atɛn. 20Na baabiara a wɔkɔɔ wɔ amanaman mu no, woguu me din kronkron ho fi, efisɛ wɔka faa wɔn ho se, ‘Eyinom yɛ Awurade nkurɔfo, nanso na ɛsɛ sɛ wofi nʼasase so.’ 21Me din kronkron ho hia me, nea Israelfi guu ho fi wɔ amanaman a wɔkɔɔ so mu no.
22“Ɛno nti, ka kyerɛ Israelfi se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Israelfi, ɛnyɛ mo nti na merebɛyɛ saa nneɛma yi, na mmom me din kronkron no nti, nea muguu ho fi wɔ amanaman a mokɔɔ so mu no. 23Mɛda me din kɛseyɛ no kronkronyɛ a moagu ho fi wɔ amanaman mu no adi, din a moagu ho fi wɔ wɔn mu no. Sɛ mefa wo so da me ho adi sɛ ɔkronkronni ma wohu a, afei amanaman no behu sɛ mene Awurade no, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.
24“ ‘Na meyi mo afi amanaman no mu, mɛboaboa mo ano afi nsase no nyinaa so de mo asan aba mo ankasa asase so. 25Mede nsu kurunnyenn bɛpete mo so na mo ho atew: Mɛtew mo ho afi nkekae ne mo ahoni nyinaa ho. 26Mɛma mo koma foforo na mede honhom foforo ahyɛ mo mu. Meyi koma a ɛte sɛ ɔbo no afi mo mu na mama mo koma foforo a ɛyɛ ɔhonam. 27Na mede me Honhom bɛhyɛ mo mu na mama moadi mʼahyɛde so na moahwɛ adi me mmara so. 28Mobɛtena asase a mede maa mo agyanom no so. Mobɛyɛ me nkurɔfo na mayɛ mo Nyankopɔn. 29Mɛprapra mo ho fi nyinaa. Mɛma aduan aba ama abu so na meremma ɔkɔm mma mo so. 30Mɛma nnua so aba ayɛ bebree na mfuw nso abɔ nnɔbae sɛnea ɔkɔm nti mo anim rengu ase bio wɔ amanaman no mu. 31Afei mobɛkae mo akwammɔne ne mo amumɔyɛ, na mo bɔne ne akyiwade nti, mo ho bɛyɛ mo nwini. 32Mepɛ sɛ muhu sɛ ɛnyɛ mo nti na mereyɛ eyi, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni. Momfɛre na momma mo ani nwu wɔ mo abrabɔ ho Israelfi!
33“ ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Da a mɛtew mo ho afi mo bɔne ho no, mɛma nnipa atena mo nkurow so bio na wobesisi nnwiriwii no bio. 34Asase a ada mpan no, wobedua so nneɛma na ɛrenna hɔ kwa sɛnea na ɛte wɔ wɔn a na wotwa mu fa hɔ no ani so no. 35Wɔbɛka se, “Saa asase a ada mpan yi ayɛ sɛ Eden turo, nkuropɔn a na adan nnwiriwii, ayɛ amamfo na asɛe yi, wɔabɔ ho ban na nnipa abɛtenatena mu.” 36Afei aman a aka a atwa mo ho ahyia no behu sɛ me Awurade makyekyere nea na asɛe na madua wɔ nea na ada mpan so, me Awurade na maka na mɛyɛ.’
37“Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Metie Israelfi abisade na mayɛ eyi ama wɔn; Mɛma wɔn nkurɔfo adɔɔso sɛ nguan, 38wɔbɛdɔɔso sɛ nguankuw a wɔde wɔn kɔ Yerusalem sɛ afɔrebɔde wɔ nʼafahyɛnna. Saa ara na nnipa dodow bɛhyɛ nkuropɔn a adwiriw no so ma. Afei wobehu sɛ mene Awurade no.”
