1 T he Word of the Lord came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me saying,

2 “ Son of man, turn your face toward the mountains of Israel, and tell what is going to happen against them.

“Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them

3 S ay, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the Word of the Lord God! This is what the Lord God says to the mountains, the hills, the deep and wide valleys: “I Myself am going to bring a sword against you. And I will destroy your high places.

and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.

4 S o your altars will be laid waste. Your altars for special perfume will be broken. And I will kill your people in front of your false gods.

So your altars will become desolate and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols.

5 I will lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their false gods, and spread your bones around your altars.

I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars.

6 I n every place you live, cities will be laid waste and the high places will be destroyed. Your altars will be laid waste and destroyed. Your false gods will be broken and destroyed. Your altars for special perfume will come to an end.

In all your dwellings, cities will become waste and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and desolate, your idols may be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out.

7 Y our people will fall dead among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

8 “ But I will leave some of you alive. For some of you will get away from the sword when you are spread among the lands and nations.

“However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries.

9 T hen those who get away will remember Me in the nations where they have been taken. They will remember how I have been hurt by their sinful hearts which turned away from Me, and by their sinful eyes which followed after their false gods. And they will hate themselves in their own eyes for the sins they have done, for all their sinful ways.

Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations.

10 T hen they will know that I am the Lord. I have not spoken with empty words that I would bring this trouble upon them.”’

Then they will know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would inflict this disaster on them.”’

11 “ The Lord God says, ‘Clap your hands, and step hard with your feet, and say, “It is bad because of all the hated sins of the people of Israel! They will fall by the sword, hunger, and disease.

“Thus says the Lord God, ‘Clap your hand, stamp your foot and say, “ Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by sword, famine and plague!

12 H e who is far away will die by disease. And he who is near will be killed by the sword. He who stays and is shut in by armies will die by hunger. This is how I will send My anger upon them.

He who is far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I spend My wrath on them.

13 T hen you will know that I am the Lord, when their dead lie among their false gods around their altars. They will lie on every high hill, on all the mountain tops, under every green tree, and under every oak tree with many leaves. Their dead will be in all the places where they burned special perfume to all their false gods.

Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree and under every leafy oak—the places where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols.

14 I will put out My hand against them in every place they live. I will make the land more of a waste than the desert toward Diblah. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”’”

So throughout all their habitations I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; thus they will know that I am the Lord.”’”