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;”
Ezekiel 36:1 You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, “You mountains of Israel, hear Yahweh’s word.
Ezekiel 36:2 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because the enemy has said against you, “Aha!” and, “The ancient high places are ours in possession!”’
Ezekiel 36:3 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;”
Ezekiel 36:4 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;
Ezekiel 36:5 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.”’
The verse centers on "therefore", "prophesy", "thus", "says", "lord", "yahweh", "even", and "desolate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "prophesy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Thus says the Lord Yahweh Because the..." into verse 4's "therefore you mountains of Israel hear the...", so "therefore" and "prophesy" belong inside that flow. In Ezekiel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "prophesy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.