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 Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pasture-land.” 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 favour; you will be ploughed 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 corn 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.’
预言赐福以色列
1“人子啊，你要向以色列的山岭发预言说，‘以色列的山岭啊，你们要听耶和华的话！ 2主耶和华这样说，仇敌说，哈哈，这古老的山峰归我们了！’ 3所以你要发预言，宣告主耶和华这样说，‘你们被蹂躏、掠夺，归了列国所有，成了外族人的话柄和笑谈。 4因此，以色列的山岭、溪流、幽谷、荒地、废墟以及那些被外族人掳掠和讥讽的城邑啊，你们要听主耶和华的话。’ 5主耶和华说，‘我要在怒火中斥责列国和以东，他们幸灾乐祸，满腹愤恨，把我的土地据为己有，侵占其中的草场。’ 6所以你要对以色列说预言，告诉以色列的山冈溪谷，耶和华这样说，‘因为你们曾遭受外族人的羞辱，我为你们满怀义愤。 7所以我誓言要让你们四围的外族人也受羞辱。这是主耶和华说的。
8“‘以色列的山岭啊，你们要为我的以色列子民长出枝叶，结出果子，因为他们快要回来了。 9看啊，我要帮助你们，垂顾你们，使你们被耕种。 10我要增加居住在你们那里的以色列人，使城邑有人居住，废墟得以重建。 11我要使你们那里的人畜兴旺，多多繁衍，我要使人们居住在你们那里，好像以前一样，让你们比以前更兴盛。这样，你们就知道我是耶和华。 12我要引领我的以色列子民在你们那里出入，使你们成为他们的产业，不再夺走他们的儿女。’ 13主耶和华说，‘虽然人们说你们吞吃以色列人、夺走他们的儿女。 14但你们今后必不再吞吃以色列人，不再夺走他们的儿女。这是主耶和华说的。 15我必不再使你们听见外族人的辱骂和嘲笑，也不再使你们的国民丧失子女。这是主耶和华说的。’”
16耶和华对我说： 17“人子啊，当以色列人住在本土时，他们的恶行玷污了那里，他们的行为在我眼中就像经期的妇女一样污秽。 18他们杀人流血，祭拜偶像，玷污了那地方，所以我要把我的烈怒倾倒在他们身上， 19把他们驱散到列国，分散到列邦，照他们的行为报应他们。 20他们无论分散到何处，都使我的圣名受到亵渎，因为外族人都谈论他们说，‘这些人是耶和华的子民，却不得不离开耶和华的土地。’ 21我顾惜我的圣名，就是以色列人在所去的列国亵渎的圣名。
22“因此，你要告诉以色列人，主耶和华这样说，‘以色列人啊，我要行这事并非因为你们的缘故，而是因为我圣名的缘故，就是你们在所去列国亵渎的圣名。 23我要使我伟大的名，就是你们在列国中所亵渎的名，彰显它的圣洁。我要当着列国的面在你们身上彰显我的圣洁，那时他们就知道我是耶和华。这是主耶和华说的。 24我要从列邦列国招聚你们，领你们返回故土。 25我要在你们身上洒清水洁净你们，洗净你们所有的污秽，除掉你们心中一切的偶像。 26我要赐你们一颗新心，把新的灵放在你们里面。我要除去你们的石心，赐给你们一颗肉心。 27我要把我的灵放在你们里面，使你们恪守我的律例，谨遵我的典章。 28你们必安居在我赐给你们祖先的土地上。你们要做我的子民，我要做你们的上帝。 29我要拯救你们脱离各样的污秽之事。我要使你们五谷丰登，不让饥荒侵害你们。 30我要使树木硕果累累，田间出产丰盛，免得你们因饥荒再被外族人讥笑。 31那时，你们便会想起自己邪恶的行径，并因自己的罪恶和可憎行为而厌恶自己。 32主耶和华说，你们应当知道，我这样做并不是为了你们。以色列人啊，你们应当为自己的行为抱愧蒙羞。’
33“主耶和华说，‘在我洗净你们一切罪恶的日子，我要使你们的城邑有人居住，废墟得以重建。 34荒凉之地必有人耕种，路人再也看不见荒地。 35他们会说，以前的荒凉之地如今竟变得像伊甸园，被毁坏废弃的荒凉城邑已经设防，有人居住。 36这样，你们四周其余的民族便知道我耶和华已重建毁坏之处，重新耕种荒废之地。我耶和华言出必行。’
37“主耶和华说，‘我要再次答应以色列人的恳求，使他们的人口增加，多如羊群。 38我要使毁坏的城邑住满人，多如耶路撒冷在节期所献上的羊群。这样，他们就知道我是耶和华。’”
