A reading from the book of Ezekiel.

And you, son of man, prophesied to the mountains of Israel and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the

word of the Lord, thus says the Lord God, because the enemy said of you, aha, and the ancient

heights have become our possession, therefore prophesied, and say, thus says the Lord God,

precisely because they made you desolate and crushed you from all sides, so that you became the

possession of the rest of the nations, and you became the talk and evil gossip of the people.

Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the

hills, the ravines and the desolate wastes, and the deserted cities, which have become a prey and

derision to the rest of the nations all around. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, surely I have spoken

in my hot jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave my land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joy and utter contempt,

that they might make its pasture lands a prey, therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel

and say, to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys,

Thus says the Lord God,

Behold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have

suffered the reproach of the nations. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, I swear that the nations

that are all around you shall themselves suffer reproach. But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot

forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home,

for behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown, and I will

multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it, the city shall be inhabited, and the

waste place is rebuilt, and I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply 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 will know that I am the Lord. I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel, and they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer bereave them of children.

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