The Babylonian Exile

"'I will raise up one shepherd to be in charge of them, and he will let them feed - my servant David. He will pasture them and be their shepherd.

I, ADONAI, will be their God; and my servant David will be prince among them. I, ADONAI, have spoken.

I will make a covenant of peace with them; I will rid the land of wild animals; and they will live securely in the desert and sleep in the forests.

I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing, and I will cause the rain to fall when it should - there will be showers of blessing.

The trees in the field will bear their fruit and the soil its produce, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am ADONAI, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the power of those who turned them into slaves.

No longer will they be prey for the Goyim, nor will the wild animals devour them; but they will live securely, with no one to make them afraid.

I will make the productivity of their crops famous, and they will no longer be consumed by hunger in the land or bear the shame of the Goyim any more.

They will know that I, ADONAI their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Isra'el, are my people,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

'You, my sheep, the sheep in my pasture, are human beings; and I am your God,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

The word of ADONAI came to me:

"Human being, turn your face against Mount Se'ir; prophesy against it,

and say that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I am against you, Mount Se'ir. I will stretch out my hand against you and make you utterly desolate.

I will make your cities ruins and make you an utter waste, and you will know that I am ADONAI.

Because of your long-standing hatred, you put the people of Isra'el to the sword at their time of calamity, at the time of final iniquity.

Therefore, as I live,' Adonai ELOHIM swears, 'I will prepare you for blood. Blood will pursue you. You intensely hate your own blood [relatives]; therefore blood will pursue you.

Yes, I will make Mount Se'ir utterly desolate, cutting off from it anyone passing through or returning.

I will fill his mountains with his slain; in your hills and valleys and in all your ravines will fall those slain by the sword.

I will turn you into perpetual ruins; your cities will not return; and you will know that I am ADONAI.

"'Because you say, "These two nations, these two countries, will be mine; we will take possession of them," even though ADONAI is there;

therefore, as I live,' swears Adonai ELOHIM, 'I will deal with you as your anger and envy arising from your hatred deserve; and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.

You will know that I, ADONAI, have heard all your blasphemous talk against the mountains of Isra'el, such as, "They are desolated, they are given to us to devour."

Moreover, you have boasted against me with your mouths, speaking more and more against me - I have heard it.'

Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'To the joy of all the land, I will desolate you.

Since you rejoiced over possessing the house of Isra'el, because it was desolate, that is what I will do to you - you will be desolate, Mount Se'ir and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am ADONAI.'

"Now you, human being, prophesy to the mountains of Isra'el. Say: 'Mountains of Isra'el, hear the message from ADONAI.