« | Ezekiel 36 | » |
1 And you, mortal, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.
2 Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the enemy said of you, "Aha!" and, "The ancient heights have become our possession,"
3 therefore prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they made you desolate indeed, and crushed you from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you became an object of gossip and slander among the people;
4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and the hills, the watercourses and the valleys, the desolate wastes and the deserted towns, which have become a source of plunder and an object of derision to the rest of the nations all around;
5 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I am speaking in my hot jealousy against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who, with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, took my land as their possession, because of its pasture, to plunder it.
6 Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, to the watercourses and valleys, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am speaking in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered the insults of the nations;
7 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I swear that the nations that are all around you shall themselves suffer insults.
8 But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot out your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they shall soon come home.
9 See now, I am for you; I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown;
10 and I will multiply your population, the whole house of Israel, all of it; the towns shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt;
11 and I will multiply human beings and animals upon you. They shall increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
12 I will lead people upon you-- my people Israel-- and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance. No longer shall you bereave them of children.
13 Thus says the Lord GOD: Because they say to you, "You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,"
14 therefore you shall no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, says the Lord GOD;
15 and no longer will I let you hear the insults of the nations, no longer shall you bear the disgrace of the peoples; and no longer shall you cause your nation to stumble, says the Lord GOD.
16 The word of the LORD came to me:
17 Mortal, when the house of Israel lived on their own soil, they defiled it with their ways and their deeds; their conduct in my sight was like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual period.
18 So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for the idols with which they had defiled it.
19 I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries; in accordance with their conduct and their deeds I judged them.
20 But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that it was said of them, "These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land."
21 But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came.
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 about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.
23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes.
24 I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land.
25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.
28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 I will save you from all your uncleannesses, and I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you.
30 I will make the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field abundant, so that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.
31 Then you shall remember your evil ways, and your dealings that were not good; and you shall loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominable deeds.
32 It is not for your sake that I will act, says the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and dismayed for your ways, O house of Israel.
33 Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the towns to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt.
34 The land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by.
35 And they will say, "This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined towns are now inhabited and fortified."
36 Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places, and replanted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.
37 Thus says the Lord GOD: I will also let the house of Israel ask me to do this for them: to increase their population like a flock.
38 Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals, so shall the ruined towns be filled with flocks of people. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.
The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1989 by the National Council of Churches. It was developed as an update to the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of 1952, with the goal of incorporating the latest biblical scholarship and addressing changes in the English language. The NRSV is renowned for its accuracy, literary quality, and ecumenical approach, making it a preferred choice for both academic study and liturgical use across various Christian denominations.
One of the primary features of the NRSV is its commitment to being a literal, or word-for-word, translation while also ensuring that the text is clear and comprehensible for modern readers. The translation team, which included scholars from diverse religious backgrounds, aimed to produce a text that faithfully represents the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This dedication to precision and clarity makes the NRSV an excellent resource for in-depth study and theological reflection, as it strives to convey the exact meaning of the original texts.
The NRSV is also notable for its inclusive language, which seeks to reflect the diversity of the contemporary Christian community. The translators took great care to avoid gender-specific language when the original texts did not explicitly require it, making the text more inclusive and accessible to all readers. This approach has been particularly appreciated in academic and liturgical settings, where sensitivity to gender and inclusivity are important considerations. The NRSV’s attention to inclusive language helps ensure that all readers can see themselves reflected in the biblical narrative.
Despite its many strengths, the NRSV has faced some criticism, particularly from those who prefer more traditional translations. Critics argue that the use of inclusive language can sometimes lead to interpretations that differ from the original intent of the texts. Additionally, some conservative scholars and readers feel that the NRSV’s ecumenical approach may result in compromises on certain theological nuances. Nonetheless, the New Revised Standard Version remains a highly valued translation, widely used in churches, seminaries, and universities for its scholarly rigor, literary excellence, and commitment to inclusivity.