Ezekiel 35:1-36:15

New International Version

A Prophecy Against Edom

35 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir;^(A) prophesy against it ³and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand^(B) against you and make you a desolate waste.^(C) ⁴I will turn your towns into ruins^(D) and you will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(E)

⁵“‘Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the Israelites over to the sword^(F) at the time of their calamity,^(G) the time their punishment reached its climax,^(H) ⁶therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will give you over to bloodshed^(I) and it will pursue you.^(J) Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. ⁷I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste^(K) and cut off from it all who come and go.^(L) ⁸I will fill your mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines.^(M) ⁹I will make you desolate forever;^(N) your towns will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(O)

¹⁰“‘Because you have said, “These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession^(P) of them,” even though I the Lord was there, ¹¹therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger^(Q) and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.^(R) ¹²Then you will know that I the Lord have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.^(S)” ¹³You boasted^(T) against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it.^(U) ¹⁴This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.^(V) ¹⁵Because you rejoiced^(W) when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir,^(X) you and all of Edom.^(Y) Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Hope for the Mountains of Israel

36 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel^(Z) and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. ²This is what the Sovereign Lord says:^(AA) The enemy said of you, “Aha!^(AB) The ancient heights^(AC) have become our possession.^(AD)”’ ³Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravaged^(AE) 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,^(AF) 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,^(AG) to the desolate ruins^(AH) and the deserted^(AI) towns that have been plundered and ridiculed^(AJ) by the rest of the nations around you^(AK)— ⁵this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burning^(AL) 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.’^(AM) 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.^(AN) ⁷Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand^(AO) that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.^(AP)

⁸“‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit^(AQ) 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,^(AR) ¹⁰and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins^(AS) rebuilt.^(AT) ¹¹I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful^(AU) and become numerous. I will settle people^(AV) on you as in the past^(AW) and will make you prosper more than before.^(AX) 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;^(AY) 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^(AZ) 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.^(BA)’”

Psalm 68

New International Version

Psalm 68^[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

¹May God arise,^(A) may his enemies be scattered;^(B)
    may his foes flee^(C) before him.
²May you blow them away like smoke—^(D)
    as wax melts^(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish^(F) before God.
³But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice^(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

⁴Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,^(H)
    extol him who rides on the clouds^[b]^(I);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.^(J)
⁵A father to the fatherless,^(K) a defender of widows,^(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.^(M)
⁶God sets the lonely^(N) in families,^[c]^(O)
    he leads out the prisoners^(P) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.^(Q)

⁷When you, God, went out^(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,^[d]^(S)
⁸the earth shook,^(T) the heavens poured down rain,^(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,^(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.^(W)
⁹You gave abundant showers,^(X) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
¹⁰Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,^(Y) God, you provided^(Z) for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:^(AA)
¹²“Kings and armies flee^(AB) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.^(AC)
¹³Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,^[e]^(AD)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
¹⁴When the Almighty^[f] scattered^(AE) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.^(AF)

¹⁵Mount Bashan,^(AG) majestic mountain,^(AH)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
¹⁶why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses^(AI) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?^(AJ)
¹⁷The chariots^(AK) of God are tens of thousands
    and thousands of thousands;^(AL)
    the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.^[g]
¹⁸When you ascended^(AM) on high,^(AN)
    you took many captives;^(AO)
    you received gifts from people,^(AP)
even from^[h] the rebellious^(AQ)—
    that you,^[i] Lord God, might dwell there.

¹⁹Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,^(AR)
    who daily bears our burdens.^(AS)
²⁰Our God is a God who saves;^(AT)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.^(AU)
²¹Surely God will crush the heads^(AV) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
²²The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,^(AW)
²³that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,^(AX)
    while the tongues of your dogs^(AY) have their share.”

²⁴Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.^(AZ)
²⁵In front are the singers,^(BA) after them the musicians;^(BB)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.^(BC)
²⁶Praise God in the great congregation;^(BD)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.^(BE)
²⁷There is the little tribe^(BF) of Benjamin,^(BG) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.^(BH)

²⁸Summon your power,^(BI) God^[j];
    show us your strength,^(BJ) our God, as you have done^(BK) before.
²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.^(BL)
³⁰Rebuke the beast^(BM) among the reeds,^(BN)
    the herd of bulls^(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations^(BP) who delight in war.^(BQ)
³¹Envoys will come from Egypt;^(BR)
    Cush^[k]^(BS) will submit herself to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,^(BT)
    sing praise^(BU) to the Lord,
³³to him who rides^(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders^(BW) with mighty voice.^(BX)
³⁴Proclaim the power^(BY) of God,
    whose majesty^(BZ) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
³⁵You, God, are awesome^(CA) in your sanctuary;^(CB)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength^(CC) to his people.^(CD)

Praise be to God!^(CE)

Footnotes

Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
Psalm 68:18 Or they
Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region