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.”
Det gamle er forbi
1Du menneske, giv Israels bjergland følgende budskab fra mig:
2Jeres fjender siger: ‚De ældgamle helligsteder tilhører nu os.’ 3Fra alle sider har jeres fjender angrebet jer og raseret jeres land. De har hånet jer og ført jer bort som slaver. 4Men hør, hvad Herren siger til jer, Israels bjergland, til højene og bakkerne, til floderne og dalene, til de øde ruiner og forladte byer, der blev plyndret og forhånet af alle folkeslagene rundt omkring jer: 5Min vrede er blusset op imod de andre folkeslag, især imod Edom, fordi de med skadefryd og foragt besatte mit land og plyndrede det.
6Profetér derfor til Israels høje og bakker, dets floder og dale: Jeg er vred, fordi Israel har lidt under andre folkeslags hån og spot. 7Derfor lover jeg højtideligt, at de skal få igen med samme mønt. 8Men træerne i Israels bjergland skal skyde nye grene og bugne af frugt, for mit folk skal snart vende hjem. 9Jeg er med jer og velsigner jer. Jorden skal igen opdyrkes og tilsås. 10Israels befolkning skal vokse, og de ødelagte byer skal genopbygges og bebos. 11Både mennesker og husdyr skal vokse i antal. Israels land skal igen befolkes og blive frodigere end nogen sinde før. Da skal I indse, at jeg er Herren. 12Mit folk skal igen tage landet i besiddelse, og der skal være mad nok til, at ingen dør af sult. 13Gud Herren siger: Nabolandene hånede jer ved at sige, at jeres land var så goldt, at det førte til død. 14Men nu skal det være slut med sult og død, siger Herren. 15De skal ikke længere få grund til at håne jer, for Israels land skal brødføde mit folk.”
En ny ånd kommer til
16Herren sagde til mig: 17„Du menneske, dengang Israels folk endnu boede i deres eget land, gjorde de det urent ved deres onde handlinger. Rituelt set var deres opførsel lige så uren som menstruationsblod. 18De forurenede landet med mord og modbydeligt afguderi i en sådan grad, at jeg måtte straffe dem hårdt. 19Jeg sendte dem i eksil i fjerne lande som straf for deres ondskab og afgudsdyrkelse. 20Efter at jeg havde sendt dem i landflygtighed, vanærede andre folkeslag mit hellige navn ved at sige: ‚Israel kalder sig Guds folk, men deres Gud kunne ikke redde dem fra at blive sendt i eksil.’ 21Men jeg vil ikke have mit gode navn og rygte spoleret rundt omkring i verden.
22Sig derfor til Israels folk: Hør, hvad Herren siger: Jeg vil føre jer hjem igen, ikke fordi I fortjener det, men for mit eget hellige navns skyld, som har fået et dårligt ry over hele verden på grund af jer. 23Jeg vil genoprette mit gode navn og rygte, og når folkeslagene ser min magt udfolde sig, vil de erkende, at jeg er Herren. 24Jeg vil samle jer sammen fra alle de forskellige lande og føre jer tilbage til Israels land, 25og jeg vil rense jer for jeres afgudsdyrkelse og rituelle urenhed ved at stænke vand på jer. 26Jeg vil forandre jer indefra ved at give jer et helt nyt hjerte, der længes efter at gøre det rigtige, og en ny ånd i jeres indre, så I lærer at tænke på en helt ny måde. Jeg vil tage jeres gamle og stædige stenhjerte ud og give jer et nyt og lydigt hjerte. 27Jeg vil give jer min Ånd, så I adlyder mine love og gør, hvad jeg befaler jer.
28Da skal I bo i det land, jeg gav jeres forfædre. I skal være mit folk, og jeg vil være jeres Gud. 29Jeg vil rense jer for jeres synd og sørge for, at høsten ikke slår fejl, og at der ikke mere kommer hungersnød i landet. 30Jeres frugtplantager og kornmarker skal give en rigelig høst, og aldrig mere skal nabofolkene se ned på jer på grund af hungersnød. 31Da vil I skamme jer, når I tænker tilbage på jeres dårlige opførsel og onde handlinger. 32Husk, at det ikke er for jeres skyld, at jeg griber ind, det er for mit eget omdømmes skyld. Åh Israel, mit folk, hvor burde I dog skamme jer over al den ondskab, I har begået, siger Herren.
33Når jeg har renset jer for jeres synd, vil jeg føre jer hjem til Israel og genopbygge landets ruinbyer. 34Jorden skal igen opdyrkes, efter at den i mange år har ligget brak. 35Når jeg fører jer hjem, vil folkeslagene udbryde: ‚Se! Dette gudsforladte land er blevet frugtbart som Edens have. De ødelagte byer, der længe lå som forladte ruiner, er nu genopbygget, befæstet og beboet.’ 36Så vil de nationer, som endnu er tilbage, erkende, at det er mig, Herren, som står bag genopbygningen af ruinerne og tilplantningen af det hærgede land. Det er et løfte fra mig, Herren, og det vil ske, som jeg har sagt.
37-38Herren siger: Jeg vil høre Israels folks bønner og gøre dem så talrige som fåreflokkene, der strømmer gennem Jerusalems gader ved højtiderne. Så talrige vil jeg lade dem blive i byerne, som før lå i ruiner. Når det sker, skal alle indse, at jeg er Herren.”
