The Skeptics Annotated Bible (652 page)

27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

28 And
they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

(34.28)
“They shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.”
Ezekiel prophesies God will protect the Israelites from “the heathen”. “And they shall be safe in their land.” But the Israelites have never lived peacefully with their neighbors, and they’ve never been safe from attack.

29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.

31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

35
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

(35.2-15) God tells Ezekiel about his plans for the Edomites (Seir). He’s going to kill them all. That way they’ll know for sure that he is the Lord.

2
Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it
,

(35.2)
“Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it.”

3 And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and
I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.

(35.3)
“I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.”

4
I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD
.

(35.4) “I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.”

5 Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:

6 Therefore,
as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee
: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.

(35.6) “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee.”

7 Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.

8 And
I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword.

(35.8) “I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword.”

9
I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD
.

(35.9)
“I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

10 Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there:

11 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD,
I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them
; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.

(35.11) “I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them.”

12
And thou shalt know that I am the LORD
, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.

(35.12)
“And thou shalt know that I am the LORD.”

13 Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.

14
Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate
.

(35.14) “Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.”

15 As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee:
thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

(35.15)
“Thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

(36.1-14) At God’s request, Ezekiel prophesies to the mountains.

36
Also, thou
son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD:

(36.1)
“Son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.”

2 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are our’s in possession:

3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:

4 Therefore,
ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes
, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;

(36.4) “Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes.”

5 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.

(36.5) “Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen.”

6 Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and
say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen
:

(36.6) “Say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen.”

7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame.

8
But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches
, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come.

(36.8)
“But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches.”

9
For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you,
and ye shall be tilled and sown:

(36.9) “For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you.”

10 And
I will multiply men upon you
, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded:

(36.10)
“I will multiply men upon you.”

11 And
I will multiply upon you man and beast
; and they shall increase and bring fruit:
and I will
settle you after your old estates, and will
do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

(36.11) “I will multiply upon you man and beast … and I will … do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

12
Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you
, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.

(36.12) “Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you.”

13 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they say unto you, Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations;

14 Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD.

(36.14)
“Thou shalt devour men no more … saith the Lord.”

15 Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD.

16 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings:
their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman
.