36 “Now, humanity’s child, prophesy to Yisrael’s mountains and say, ‘Mountains of Yisrael, listen to Yahweh’s message. 2 The master Yahweh says this: The enemy has said, “Aha,” when talking about you, and “The ancient hilltop shrines have become ours.” ’

3 Therefore prophesy and tell them that the master Yahweh says this: Because of your desolation and because of the attacks that came on you from all sides, you’ve ended up belonging to other nations—you’ve been the subject of slanderous lips and tongues, and of people’s stories. 4 Therefore, mountains of Yisrael, listen to the message from the master Yahweh: The master Yahweh says this to the mountains and the high hills, to the streambeds and valleys, to the places that have been destroyed and are now uninhabited, and to the forsaken cities that have become plunder and a subject of mocking for the other nations that surround them—5 the master Yahweh says this: I’ve certainly spoken in the heat of my anger against the other nations, against Edom and everyone who took my land for themselves as a possession—against all those who had both celebration in their heart and disdain in their spirit as they seized my land so they could claim its pasturelands for themselves.’

6 Therefore, prophesy to Yisrael and tell the mountains and the high hills, the streambeds and the valleys, that the master Yahweh says this: Listen, in my fury and in my anger I’m declaring this because you’ve endured insults from other nations. 7 Therefore, the master Yahweh says this: I myself will take action and promise that the nations that surround you will certainly be made to carry their own shame. 8 But you Israeli mountains, you’ll grow branches and bear fruit for my Israeli people, since they’ll soon come back to you, 9 because, listen, I’m for you, and I’ll treat you favourably—you’ll be ploughed and sown with seed. 10 I’ll multiply your population—all the Israeli people. The cities will be inhabited again and the ruins rebuilt. 11 I’ll increase both people and animals on you mountains so that they’ll multiply and be fruitful. Then I’ll cause you to be inhabited like you were previously, and I’ll make you prosper more than you did in the past so that you’ll know that I am Yahweh. 12 I’ll bring my Israeli people to walk on you. They’ll possess you, and you’ll be their inheritance, and you’ll no longer cause their children to die.

13 The master Yahweh says this: They’re telling you, “You mountains devour people, bereaving your nation of children,” 14 therefore you won’t consume people any longer, and you’ll no longer make your nation mourn their deaths. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration. 15 I won’t allow you to hear the insults from the other nations any longer—you’ll no longer have to bear the people groups shaming you, and you won’t cause your nation to stumble. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.”

16 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 17 “Humanity’s child, when the Israeli people inhabited their land, they defiled it with their customs and their activities. In my eyes, their customs were like the uncleanness of a woman’s menstruation, 18 so I poured out my fury against them for the blood that they’d poured out on the land, and for how they’d polluted it with their idols. 19 I scattered them among the nations—they were dispersed through the lands. I judged them according to their customs and their actions. 20 Then they went to those other nations, and wherever they went, they profaned my holy name when people asked about them, ‘Are these really Yahweh’s people? After all, they’ve been thrown out of his land.’ 21 But I had compassion for my holy name that the Israeli people had defiled among the other nations, when they went there.

22 Therefore tell the Israeli people that the master Yahweh says this: I’m not doing this for the sake of you Israeli people, but for my sacred name, which you’ve profaned among the nations everywhere you’ve gone. 23 My great name, which you people have profaned among the nations, I’ll make holy even among the nations where you profaned it. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh, when they see you recognise my holiness. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration. 24 I’ll take you back out of those nations and gather you from every land, and I’ll bring you into your land. 25 Then I’ll sprinkle pure water on you so you’ll be cleaned from all of your impurities, and I’ll purify you from all your idols. 26 I’ll give you people a new heart and a new spirit in your innermost parts, and I’ll take the stony heart away from your bodies and replace it with a heart of flesh.[ref] 27 I’ll put my spirit in you and enable you Israelis to follow my instructions and keep my regulations. 28 Then you’ll inhabit the land that I gave to your ancestors—you’ll be my people and I’ll be your god. 29 I’ll save you from all of your uncleanness, and then I’ll summon the grain and multiply it—I’ll no longer assign famine to you. 30 I’ll multiply the fruit on the trees and the produce from the soil so that you’ll no longer be shamed by other nations seeing you suffering famine. 31 Then you’ll think about your wicked customs and your activities that weren’t good, and your faces will display your loathing of your own sins and your disgusting habits. 32 But make sure you know this: I’m not doing all that for your sake, so you Israeli people should be ashamed and disgraced because of your behaviour. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

33 The master Yahweh says this: When I purify you from all your disobedience, I’ll enable you to inhabit the cities again and to rebuild the ruined places, 34 and the idle land will be tilled until it’s no longer a wasteland for everyone to see as they go past. 35 Then instead they’ll say, “This land was desolate, but it’s become like the garden of Eden—the abandoned cities and the uninhabited ruins that were torn down are now fortified and inhabited.” 36 Then the other nations around you will know that I am Yahweh, because I built up the ruins and replanted the abandoned places. I, Yahweh, have declared it and I will do it.

37 The master Yahweh also says this: The Israeli people will again ask me to do this for them: to increase their population like sheep. 38 Just like the flock that’s kept separate to be used for sacrifices (like the flock in Yerushalem at its scheduled feasts), so too the ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people and they will know that I am Yahweh.”