Ezekiel chapter 36
The people will be blessed. They will be regathered.
THE PEOPLE WILL BE BLESSED
VERSE 1. You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “You mountains of Israel, hear the LORD’s word.
hear the LORD’s word. Ezekiel will be speaking the authentic message of the Most High God.
VERSE 2. The Lord GOD says: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!” ’
VERSE 3. therefore prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of the nations, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and the evil report of the people;”
they have made you desolate. The false shepherds did great damage to the people.
VERSE 4. therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD: The Lord GOD says to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which have become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around;
the nations that are all around. Other nations did great damage to the people.
VERSE 5. therefore the Lord GOD says: “Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.” ’
VERSE 6. Therefore prophesy concerning Eretz-Israel, and tell the mountains, the hills, the watercourses and the valleys, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations.”
VERSE 7. Therefore the Lord GOD says: “I have sworn, ‘Surely the nations that are around you will bear their shame.’
nations that are around you will bear their shame. The neighboring nations seem to have triumphed.
But their victory is merely temporary. They will suffer for what they did to the people of the LORD God.
VERSE 8. “ ‘ “But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot out your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come.
Israel can look forward to restoration and blessing.
VERSE 9. For, behold, I am for you, and I will come to you, and you will be tilled and sown.
I am for you. The LORD God is for them.
The LORD God is not against them.
VERSE 10. I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it. The cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be built.
I will multiply men on you. The blessing will involve numerical growth. The number of people will be multiplied.
VERSE 11. I will multiply man and animal on you. They will increase and be fruitful. I will cause you to be inhabited as you were before, and you will do better than at your beginnings. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
NIV translation. I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Ezekiel and from the entire Bible.
I will multiply … animal on you. The blessing will involve numerical growth. The number of livestock will be multiplied.
you will do better than at your beginnings. Their latter state will be far superior to the former.
VERSE 12. Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will never again bereave them of their children.”
VERSE 13. “ ‘The Lord GOD says: “Because they say to you, ‘You are a devourer of men, and have been a bereaver of your nation;’
VERSE 14. therefore you shall devour men no more, and not bereave your nation any more,” says the Lord GOD.
VERSE 15. “I won’t let you hear the shame of the nations any more. You won’t bear the reproach of the peoples any more, and you won’t cause your nation to stumble any more,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
The nation will once again be restored to the position of prestige as the Chosen People of the Most High God.
In the fullness of time, the Supreme God of all graciousness will fully restore us. Read more »
THE PEOPLE WILL BE REGATHERED
VERSE 16. Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
VERSE 17. “Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and by their deeds. Their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.
the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. In those days, menstruation was thought of an an impurity.
VERSE 18. Therefore I poured out my wrath on them for the blood which they had poured out on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.
VERSE 19. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. I judged them according to their way and according to their deeds.
I scattered them among the nations. They were carried away as exiles to far-away Babylon.
VERSE 20. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, ‘These are the LORD’s people, and have left his land.’
VERSE 21. But I had respect for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.
VERSE 22. “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.
VERSE 23. I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am proven holy in you before their eyes.
VERSE 24. “ ‘ “For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.
NAB translation. For I will take you away from among the nations, gather you back from all the foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Ezekiel and from the entire Bible.
bring you back. The LORD God works behind the scenes to bring us back. He brings us back to himself. He brings us back to wholeness.
VERSE 25. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
NAB translation. I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Ezekiel and from the entire Bible.
sprinkle clean water on you. This might seem to allude to baptism. However, “sprinkling” is not how baptism is done.
cleanse you from all your impurities. The LORD God works behind the scenes to cleanse us. He cleanses us of our sins and impurities. He cleanses us of our many shortcomings.
VERSE 26. I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
NAB translation. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Ezekiel and from the entire Bible.
I will give you a new heart. There are many things that conspire to damage our spiritual heart: sin, willful ignorance, abusive people in our lives. The LORD God works behind the scenes to give us a new heart.
I will put a new spirit within you. In the Old Testament, the Spirit is not mentioned often. However, the Spirit was indeed present and interacted with us humans. Read more »
giving you natural hearts. Many of us have wounded hearts. The LORD God works to restore our hearts to their natural condition.
VERSE 27. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them.
NAB translation. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Ezekiel and from the entire Bible.
I will put my spirit within you. In the Old Testament, the Spirit is not mentioned often. However, the Spirit was indeed present and interacted with us humans. Read more »
make you live by my statutes. The ways of the LORD God are the best ways. His ways lead to the most fulfilling life. As we grow in our knowledge of his will for us, we willingly live as he desires.
VERSE 28. You will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God.
NAB translation. You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Ezekiel and from the entire Bible.
You shall live in the land I gave your fathers. The LORD God works behind the scenes to bring us back. Its like he has a big homecoming parade in mind for us.
you shall be my people. A big part of our restoration is coming home to God the Father.
VERSE 29. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you.
NAB translation. I will save you from all your impurities; I will order the grain to be abundant, and I will not send famine against you.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Ezekiel and from the entire Bible.
I will save you from all your impurities. The LORD God works to purify us of the things that contaminate us. The most obvious spiritual contaminant is sin. However, there are other ways we can be contaminated, such as abuse by others.
I will order the grain to be abundant. Some people experience great economic suffering. Perhaps they can’t get a job. Perhaps they are homeless. It is possible for God to cause such conditions to end.
However, other Bible passages would teach us that even if one’s economic suffering does not end, that does not mean God’s love is lacking.
I will not send famine against you. Some people feel that their poverty is a sign that the LORD God is “punishing” them.
Here God says he will not be sending famine into the lives of his people. If there is a shortcoming, it is not from God.
VERSE 30. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations.
NAB translation. I will increase the fruit on your trees and the crops in your fields; thus you shall no longer bear among the nations the reproach of famine.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Ezekiel and from the entire Bible.
I will increase the fruit on your trees. Their years of lack and barely getting by are over. There will be no more famine.
The LORD God is causing the fruit and crops to increase. Thus his people will no longer bear the shame of lack.
VERSE 31. “ ‘ “Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
you will loathe yourselves. They will come to a time of repentance.
VERSE 32. I don’t do this for your sake,” says the Lord GOD. “Let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.”
VERSE 33. “ ‘The Lord GOD says: “In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited and the waste places will be built.
VERSE 34. The land that was desolate will be tilled instead of being a desolation in the sight of all who passed by.
VERSE 35. They will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’
VERSE 36. Then the nations that are left around you will know that I, the LORD, have built the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
VERSE 37. “ ‘The Lord GOD says: “For this, moreover, I will be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock.
VERSE 38. As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so the waste cities will be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’ ”
EZEKIEL
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.