1Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

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

3and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord Heb YHWH, usually rendered LordGod! This is what the Lord Heb YHWH, usually rendered LordGod says to the mountains, the hills, the ravines, and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.

4So your altars will become deserted and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols.

5I 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.

6Lit In all your dwellingsEverywhere you live, cities will be in ruins and the high places will be deserted, so that your altars will be in ruins and As in some ancient versions; MT suffer for their guiltdeserted, your idols will be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars will be cut down, and your works wiped out.

7The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

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

9Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be taken captive, how I have Lit been broken; another reading is broken their (but unlikely)been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which committed infidelity with their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations.

10Then they will know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would inflict this disaster on them.” ’

11“This is what the Lord Heb YHWH, usually rendered LordGod says: ‘Clap your hands, stamp your foot and say, “Woe, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by the sword, famine, and plague!

12Anyone who is far away will die by the plague, anyone who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who remains and is spared from these will die by the famine. So I will expend My wrath on them.

13Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their dead are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every leafy tree and under every massive oak with thick branches—the places where they offered a soothing aroma to all their idols.

14So through all their dwelling places I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; so they will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”