the Fourth Week of Advent
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George Lamsa Translation
Ezekiel 36
1 ALSO, you Son of man, prophesy concerning the mountains of Israel, and say to the mountains of Israel, Hear the word of the LORD;2 Thus says the LORD God: Because the enemy has said against you. Aha, the ancient high places are ours for a possession;3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the LORD God: Because you have been reproached and made desolate and blasphemed from all those who are round about you; and you have become an inheritance to the rest of the nations, and you became the subject of gossip and of mocking among the nations;4 Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD God: Thus says the LORD God to the mountains and to the hills and to the streams and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are deserted, which became a prey and a mockery among the rest of the people round about;5 Therefore, thus says the LORD God: Surely in the fire of my indignation have I spoken against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, because they partitioned my land to themselves for an inheritance; and with the joy of their heart they have reproached the people that they might carry them captive and plunder them.6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the streams and to the valleys, Thus says the LORD God: Behold, I have spoken in my indignation and in my fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations;7 Therefore thus says the LORD God: I have lifted up my hand against the nations that are round about you, so that they may bear their shame.8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your grass and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are ready to come.9 For, behold, I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown;10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the ruined places shall be rebuilt.11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall be great and multiply; and I will settle you as in former days, and will do good to you as I did from the beginning; and you shall know that I am the LORD.12 Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer bereave them of men.13 Thus says the LORD God: Because they say to you, You are a land which devours her people and is bereaved of her inhabitants;14 Therefore, from henceforth you shall devour men no more, neither shall you be bereaved of your people any more, says the LORD God.15 Neither will I cause you to bear the shame of the nations any more, nor shall you bear the reproach of the people any more, nor shall you be bereaved of your people any more, says the LORD God.
16 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying.17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their evil ways and by their doings; their way was before me like the uncleanness of a menstruous woman.18 Wherefore I poured out my fury upon them for the blood which they had shed in the land and for the idols with which they had polluted it,19 And I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them through the countries; according to their ways and according to their evil doings I judged them.20 And when they went to live among the Gentiles, wherever they went, they profaned my holy name; and the Gentiles said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and now they are gone out of his land.21 But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the Gentiles, whither they went.22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the LORD God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am doing this; but for my holy names sake, which you have profaned among the Gentiles, whither you went.23 So that I may sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the Gentiles, which you have caused to be profaned among them; and the Gentiles shall know that I am the LORD, says the LORD God, when my name shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.24 For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and I shall purify you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.26 A new heart will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you; and I will remove the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.27 And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my commandments, and you shall keep my judgments and do them.28 And you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will call for the grain, and will increase it, and will not bring famine upon you.30 And I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field, that you may no more bear the reproach famine among the nations.31 Then you shall remember your own evil ways and your contemptible doings, and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and abominations.32 But you must know, it is not for your sake that I am doing these things, says the LORD God; now be ashamed and refrain from your evil ways, that you may not die, O house of Israel.33 Thus says the LORD God: On the day that I shall cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also cause the cities to be inhabited and the ruined places rebuilt.34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, that was a desolation in the sight of all that passed by.35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the ruined and demolished cities are now become fenced, and are inhabited.36 Then the Gentiles that are left around about you shall know that I the LORD am rebuilding the mined cities and planting that which was desolate; I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.37 Thus says the LORD God: Moreover in this shall I avenge the house of Israel, to do these things for them; and I will increase them with men like a flock.38 As the holy flock, as the flock comes into Jerusalem at the time of her solemn feasts, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the LORD.