God's Blessing on Israel
Ezekiel 36, verse 1. “As for you, son of man, prophesy over the mountains of Israel, and say to the mountains of Israel, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. Ezekiel 36, verse 2. Thus says the Lord and Master: “Because the enemy said against you, ‘Good, well done! The ancient deserts have become ours as a possession;’”’ Ezekiel 36, verse 3. therefore, prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord and Master: “Because you were dishonored and hated by those all around you, so as to be a possession for the rest of the nations, and because you became a byword and were disgraced by the nations”— Ezekiel 36, verse 4. therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord to the mountains, the hills, the valleys, the brooks, the desert places, the desolated regions, and the abandoned cities, plundered and trampled underfoot by the nations that were left all around them— Ezekiel 36, verse 5. therefore, thus says the Lord and Master: “Certainly in the fire of My anger, I have spoken against the rest of the nations and against all of Edom, because they gave My land to themselves as a possession with gladness, when they treated souls shamefully, so as to destroy them by plunder.’” Ezekiel 36, verse 6. Therefore prophesy over the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the valleys, and the wooded vales, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My anger, because you have borne the insults of the nations. Ezekiel 36, verse 7. Therefore I shall raise My hand against the nations around you, and they will bear their disgrace. Ezekiel 36, verse 8. “But My people will eat your grapes and fruit, O mountains of Israel, for they are drawing near to this time to come. Ezekiel 36, verse 9. For behold, I am for you, and I will have regard for you, and you shall be tilled and sown. Ezekiel 36, verse 10. I shall multiply people upon you, upon all the house of Israel to the end. The cities shall be inhabited, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. Ezekiel 36, verse 11. I shall multiply people and cattle upon you, and they will increase and bear young. I shall make you inhabited as in your beginning, and treat you well as in your former times. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 36, verse 12. Thus I will beget people upon you, My people Israel, and they shall inherit you. You shall be as a possession for them, and you will not be deprived of children anymore.” Ezekiel 36, verse 13. Thus says the Lord and Master: “Because they say to you, ‘You devour people, O land, and thus you are bereaved of your nation’; Ezekiel 36, verse 14. therefore, you shall no longer devour people, nor be bereaved of your nation anymore,” says the Lord and Master. Ezekiel 36, verse 15. “No longer will the disgrace of the nations be heard among you, nor shall you bear the insults of the peoples anymore,” says the Lord and Master.’”
The Cleansing of Israel
Ezekiel 36, verse 16. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Ezekiel 36, verse 17. “Son of man, the house of Israel dwelt upon their land, but they defiled it by their conduct and by their idols and uncleanness. Their conduct before me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. Ezekiel 36, verse 18. Therefore I poured out My anger on them. Ezekiel 36, verse 19. I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them as chaff into the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and their sins. Ezekiel 36, verse 20. So when they came to the nations, wherever they went, they desecrated My holy name when they said, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and they have come out of His land.’ Ezekiel 36, verse 21. But I spared them for the sake of My holy name, which the house of Israel desecrated among the nations wherever they went. Ezekiel 36, verse 22. “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I will not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for the sake of My holy name, which you desecrated among the nations wherever you went. Ezekiel 36, verse 23. Thus I will sanctify My great name, desecrated among the nations, which you desecrated in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, when I am sanctified among you before their eyes. Ezekiel 36, verse 24. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your land. Ezekiel 36, verse 25. I shall sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed from all your uncleanness, and I will also cleanse you from all your idols. Ezekiel 36, verse 26. I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I shall take the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36, verse 27. I shall put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My requirements, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Ezekiel 36, verse 28. You will dwell in the land I gave to your fathers. You will be My people, and I shall be your God. Ezekiel 36, verse 29. I shall save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. Ezekiel 36, verse 30. I shall multiply the fruit of your trees and the produce of your fields, that you need never again bear the disgrace of famine among the nations. Ezekiel 36, verse 31. Then you will remember your evil ways and your practices which were not good, and you shall be angry in your own sight for your lawlessness and your abominations. Ezekiel 36, verse 32. Not for your sake will I do this,” says the Lord and Master. “As it shall become known to you, be ashamed and embarrassed of your ways, O house of Israel.” Ezekiel 36, verse 33. ‘Thus says the Lord: “On the day in which I shall cleanse you from all your lawlessness, I shall also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the uninhabited regions will be rebuilt. Ezekiel 36, verse 34. The land which was destroyed will be cultivated, because it will no longer be desolate in the sight of all who pass by. Ezekiel 36, verse 35. Thus they will say, ‘That desolate land has become like a garden of luxury; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Ezekiel 36, verse 36. Then the nations yet remaining around you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined cities and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it and shall do it.” Ezekiel 36, verse 37. ‘Thus says the Lord: “For this I shall be sought by the house of Israel, that I might establish and multiply their people like sheep. Ezekiel 36, verse 38. As holy sheep, as the sheep of Jerusalem in her feasts, thus shall the desert cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’”