The Mountains of Israel to Be Blessed

1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.

2 ‘Thus says the Lord 1God, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting 2aheights have become our possession,’

3 therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “1For good reason they have made you adesolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the 2btalk and the whispering of the people.” ’ ”

4 ‘Therefore, O amountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a bprey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about,

5 therefore thus says the Lord God, “Surely in the fire of My ajealousy I have spoken against the brest of the nations, and against all Edom, who 1appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted cjoy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.”

6 ‘Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have aendured the insults of the nations.’

7 “Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘I have 1sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults.

8 ‘But you, O mountains of Israel, you will aput forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come.

9 ‘For, behold, I am for you, and I will aturn to you, and you will be bcultivated and sown.

10 ‘I will multiply men on you, aall the house of Israel, all of it; and the bcities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt.

11 ‘I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were aformerly and will 1treat you bbetter than at the first. Thus you will know that I am the Lord.

12 ‘Yes, I will cause amen—My people Israel—to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their binheritance and never again cbereave them of children.’

13 “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Because they say to you, “You are a adevourer of men and have bereaved your 1nation of children,”

14 therefore you will no longer devour men and no longer bereave your nation of children,’ declares the Lord God.

15 “I will not let you hear ainsults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear bdisgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to cstumble any longer,” declares the Lord God.’ ”