Restoration, Renewal, and the Messianic Promise

1. You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “You mountains of Israel, hear Yahweh’s word. 2. Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!”’ 3. therefore prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because, even because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of the nations, and you are taken up in the lips of talkers, and the evil report of the people;” 4. therefore, you mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh: Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which have become a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are all around; 5. therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, that have appointed my land to themselves for a possession with the joy of all their heart, with despite of soul, to cast it out for a prey.”’ 6. Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and tell the mountains, the hills, the watercourses and the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations.” 7. Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I have sworn, ‘Surely the nations that are around you will bear their shame.’ 8. “‘“But you, mountains of Israel, you shall shoot out your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they are at hand to come. 9. For, behold, I am for you, and I will come to you, and you will be tilled and sown. 10. I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, even all of it. The cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be built. 11. I will multiply man and animal on you. They will increase and be fruitful. I will cause you to be inhabited as you were before, and you will do better than at your beginnings. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. 12. Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, even my people Israel. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance, and you will never again bereave them of their children.” 13. “‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because they say to you, ‘You are a devourer of men, and have been a bereaver of your nation;’ 14. therefore you shall devour men no more, and not bereave your nation any more,” says the Lord Yahweh. 15. “I won’t let you hear the shame of the nations any more. You won’t bear the reproach of the peoples any more, and you won’t cause your nation to stumble any more,” says the Lord Yahweh.’” 16. Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 17. “Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and by their deeds. Their way before me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. 18. Therefore I poured out my wrath on them for the blood which they had poured out on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. 19. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. I judged them according to their way and according to their deeds. 20. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name; in that men said of them, ‘These are Yahweh’s people, and have left his land.’ 21. But I had respect for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. 22. “Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23. I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh,” says the Lord Yahweh, “when I am proven holy in you before their eyes. 24. “‘“For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, and from all your idols. 26. I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them. 28. You will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain, and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you. 30. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations. 31. “‘“Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32. I don’t do this for your sake,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Let it be known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.” 33. “‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited and the waste places will be built. 34. The land that was desolate will be tilled instead of being a desolation in the sight of all who passed by. 35. They will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ 36. Then the nations that are left around you will know that I, Yahweh, have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate. I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and I will do it.” 37. “‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock. 38. As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so the waste cities will be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’” 1. Yahweh’s hand was on me, and he brought me out in Yahweh’s Spirit, and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2. He caused me to pass by them all around: and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and behold, they were very dry. 3. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord Yahweh, you know.” 4. Again he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them, ‘You dry bones, hear Yahweh’s word. 5. Thus says the Lord Yahweh to these bones: “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you will live. 6. I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”’” 7. So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, there was an earthquake. Then the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8. I saw, and, behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them. 9. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the wind, prophesy, son of man, and tell the wind, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” 10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’ 12. Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13. You will know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people. 14. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it and performed it,” says Yahweh.’” 15. Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, 16. “You, son of man, take one stick, and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.’ Then take another stick, and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions.’ 17. Then join them for yourself to one another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18. “When the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’ 19. tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in my hand. 20. The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.”’ 21. Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where they have gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land. 22. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. One king will be king to them all. They will no longer be two nations. They won’t be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. 23. They won’t defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. So they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24. “‘“My servant David will be king over them. They all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in my ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25. They will dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived. They will dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, forever. David my servant will be their prince for ever. 26. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will place them, multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forever more. 27. My tent also will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28. The nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forever more.”’”

1. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2. Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers. 3. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram. 4. Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon. 5. Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse. 6. Jesse became the father of King David. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife. 7. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa. 8. Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah. 9. Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah. 10. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah. 11. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12. After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel. 13. Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor. 14. Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud. 15. Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob. 16. Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations. 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19. Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly. 20. But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21. She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.” 22. Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 23. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel”; which is, being interpreted, “God with us.” 24. Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself; 25. and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus. 1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2. “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.” 3. When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born. 5. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet, 6. ‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’” 7. Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared. 8. He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.” 9. They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was. 10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11. They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12. Being warned in a dream that they shouldn’t return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way. 13. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” 14. He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, 15. and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men. 17. Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, 18. “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.” 19. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20. “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.” 21. He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee, 23. and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.” 1. In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” 3. For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.” 4. Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5. Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. 6. They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8. Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9. Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10. “Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. 11. I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. 12. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.” 13. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14. But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?” 15. But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. 16. Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. 17. Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

1. May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high, 2. send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion, 3. remember all your offerings, and accept your burned sacrifice. Selah. 4. May He grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your counsel. 5. We will triumph in your salvation. In the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May Yahweh grant all your requests. 6. Now I know that Yahweh saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand. 7. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust the name of Yahweh our God. 8. They are bowed down and fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright. 9. Save, Yahweh! Let the King answer us when we call!