Hope for the Mountains of Israel

36 “Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel^(A) and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. ² This is what the Sovereign Lord says:^(B) The enemy said of you, “Aha!^(C) The ancient heights^(D) have become our possession.^(E)”’ ³ Therefore prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because they ravaged^(F) 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,^{(G) 4} therefore, 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,^(H) to the desolate ruins^(I) and the deserted^(J) towns that have been plundered and ridiculed^(K) by the rest of the nations around you^(L)— ⁵ this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my burning^(M) 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.’^{(N) 6} Therefore 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.^{(O) 7} Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand^(P) that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.^(Q)

⁸ “‘But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit^(R) for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. ⁹ I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown,^{(S) 10} and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins^(T) rebuilt.^{(U) 11} I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful^(V) and become numerous. I will settle people^(W) on you as in the past^(X) and will make you prosper more than before.^(Y) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹² I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance;^(Z) 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^(AA) and deprive your nation of its children,” ¹⁴ therefore you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁵ No 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.^(AB)’”

Israel’s Restoration Assured

¹⁶ Again 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^(AC) in my sight.^{(AD) 18} So I poured out^(AE) my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. ¹⁹ I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered^(AF) through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions.^{(AG) 20} And wherever they went among the nations they profaned^(AH) my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’^{(AI) 21} I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.^(AJ)

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,^(AK) which you have profaned^(AL) among the nations where you have gone.^{(AM) 23} I will show the holiness of my great name,^(AN) which has been profaned^(AO) among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,^(AP) declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy^(AQ) through you before their eyes.^(AR)

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.^{(AS) 25} I will sprinkle^(AT) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse^(AU) you from all your impurities^(AV) and from all your idols.^{(AW) 26} I will give you a new heart^(AX) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone^(AY) and give you a heart of flesh.^{(AZ) 27} And I will put my Spirit^(BA) in you and move you to follow my decrees^(BB) and be careful to keep my laws.^{(BC) 28} Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,^(BD) and I will be your God.^{(BE) 29} I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine^(BF) upon you. ³⁰ I 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.^{(BG) 31} Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.^{(BH) 32} I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed^(BI) and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!^(BJ)

³³ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse^(BK) you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins^(BL) will be rebuilt.^{(BM) 34} The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. ³⁵ They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden;^(BN) the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.^(BO)” ³⁶ Then 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.’^(BP)

³⁷ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea^(BQ) and do this for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep,^{(BR) 38} as numerous as the flocks for offerings^(BS) 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.^(BT)”

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,^(BU) and he brought me out by the Spirit^(BV) of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley;^(BW) it was full of bones.^{(BX) 2} He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. ³ He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.^(BY)”

⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!^{(BZ) 5} This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath^[a] enter you, and you will come to life.^{(CA) 6} I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(CB)’”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath;^(CC) prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds^(CD) and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded^(CE) me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.^(CF)

¹¹ Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’^{(CG) 12} Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.^{(CH) 13} Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord,^(CI) when I open your graves and bring you up from them.^{(CJ) 14} I will put my Spirit^(CK) in you and you will live, and I will settle^(CL) you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.^(CM)’”

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^{(A) 2} in which you used to live^(B) when you followed the ways of this world^(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,^(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.^{(E) 3} All of us also lived among them at one time,^(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us,^(H) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(J) 6} And God raised us up with Christ^(K) and seated us with him^(L) in the heavenly realms^(M) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(N) expressed in his kindness^(O) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace^(P) you have been saved,^(Q) through faith^(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works,^(S) so that no one can boast.^{(T) 10} For we are God’s handiwork,^(U) created^(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.