A Prophecy to the Mountains of Israel 1Thou sonne of man prophecie vnto the mountaines of Israel, and speake, heare the worde of the lord O ye mountaines of Israel.
2Thus saith the Lord God: Because your enemie hath saide vpon you aha, the hie places of the worlde are now become ours in possession:
3Prophecie therefore and speake, thus saith the Lorde God: For because that they haue made you desolate, and swalowed you vp on euery side, that ye might be a possession vnto the residue of the gentiles, and ye are taken vp in the lippes and tongues of men, and to the reproche of the people:
4Therefore heare the worde of the Lorde God, O ye mountaines of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God to the mountaines and hils, to the riuers and valleys, to the waste and desolate places, and to the cities that are forsaken, which are spoyled and had in derision on euery side, among the residue of the heathen:
5Therefore thus saith the Lorde God: Surely in the fire of my gelousie haue I spoken against the residue of the gentiles, and against all Edom, which haue appoynted my lande for their possession, which also reioyced from their whole heart with a dispitefull stomake, to cast it out for a pray.
6Prophecie therefore vpon the lande of Israel, and speake vnto the mountaines and hils, to the riuers and dales, thus saith the Lorde God: Behold, this haue I spoken in my gelousie and terrible wrath, because ye haue borne the shame of the heathen:
7Therefore thus saith the Lorde God, I haue lyft vp my hande, surely the heathen that are about you, shall beare their shame.
8But you, O mountaynes of Israel, ye shall shoote out your braunches, and bring foorth your fruite to my people of Israel: for they are at hande to come.
9Beholde I come vnto you, and vnto you wyll I turne my face, that ye may be tilled and sowen.
10I wyll multiplie men vpon you,
13Thus saith the lorde God, Forsomuch as they say vnto you, thou art an eater vp of men, and a waster of thy people:
14Therefore thou shalt eate no more men, neither destroy thy people any more, saith the Lorde God:
15Neither wyll I cause men to heare in thee the shame of the heathe any more: neither shalt thou beare the reproche of the people any more, nor cause thy folke to fall any more, saith the Lorde God. A New Heart and a New Spirit 16Moreouer, the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying:
17O thou sonne of man, when the house of Israel dwelt vpon their owne grounde, they defiled them selues with their owne wayes and imaginations: so that in my sight, their way was lyke the vncleannes of a remoued woman.
18Wherfore I powred my wrathful displeasure vpon them, because of the blood that they had shed in the lande, and because of their idols wherewith they had defiled it:
19I scattered them also among the heathen, so that they were strawed about in the landes: according to their wayes, & after their owne inuentions, so did I iudge them.
20And when they entred vnto the heathen whyther they went, they polluted my holy name, when they saide of them, These are the people of God, & are gone out of his lande.
21Then spared I my holy name, which the house of Israel had dishonoured among the gentiles where they came.
22Therfore tel the house of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God: I do not this for your sakes O house of Israel, but for my holy names sake which ye dishonoured among the heathen where ye came.
23Therefore I wyll halowe my great name againe, which among the gentiles is polluted, for ye your selues haue dishonoured it among them: & the gentiles shall know that I am the Lorde saith the Lorde God, when I shalbe sanctified in you before your eyes.
24As for you, I wyll take you from among the heathen, and gather you together out of all countreys, and bring you againe into your owne lande.
25Then wyll I sprinckle cleane water vpon you, and ye shalbe cleane: yea from all your vncleannes and from all your idols shall I cleanse you.
26A newe heart also wyll I geue you, and a newe spirite wyll I put into you: as for that stony heart I wyll take it out of your fleshe, and geue you a fleshy heart.
27I wyll geue my spirite among you, and cause you to walke in my comaundementes, and ye shall kepe my iudgementes and do them.
28And so ye shall dwell in the lande that I gaue to your fathers: & ye shalbe my people, and I wil be your God.
29I wyll deliuer you from all your vncleannes, I wyl call for the corne, and wyll encrease it, and lay no famine vpon you.
30I wil multiplie the fruites of the trees and the encrease of the fielde: so that ye shal receaue no more reproche of hunger among the heathen.
31Then shall ye remember your owne wicked wayes, and your imaginations which were not good: so that ye shalbe irksum in your owne eyes for your sinnes and abhominations.
32But I wyl not do this for your sakes, saith the Lorde God, be ye sure of it: therefore O ye house of Israel, be ashamed and confounded of your owne wayes.
33Moreouer, thus saith the Lorde God, what time as I shal cleanse you from al your iniquities, then wil I make the cities to be inhabited againe, and the places that be decayed shalbe repaired.
34The desolate lande shalbe tilled againe, which afore time lay waste in the sight of al them that went by.
35And they shal say, this waste lande was like the garden of Eden: and these waste and desolate and ruinous cities
37Thus saith the Lorde God: I wyll yet for this be sought of the house of Israel, to do it for them, I wyll multiplie them as a flocke of men,
38Like as the holy flocke, and the flocke of Hierusalem are in the hie solempne feastes, so shall also the wasted cities be filled with flockes of men: and they shal knowe that I am the Lorde. |