²³ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²⁴ “Son of man, they who ^(A)live in these ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘^(B)Abraham was only one, yet he possessed the land; so to ^(C)us who are many the land has been given as a possession.’ ²⁵ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “You eat meat with the ^(D)blood in it, raise your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. ^(E)Should you then possess the land? ²⁶ You ^[a](F)rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?”’ ²⁷ You shall say this to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: “As I live, those who are in the places of ruins certainly will ^(G)fall by the sword, and whoever is in the ^[b]open field I will give to the animals to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the ^(H)caves will die of plague. ²⁸ And I will ^(I)make the land a desolation and a waste, and the ^(J)pride of her power will be brought to an end; and the mountains of Israel will be deserted so that no one will pass through. ²⁹ Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed.”’

³⁰ “But as for you, son of man, ^[c]your fellow citizens who talk with one another about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak one with another, each with his brother, saying, ‘^(K)Come now and hear what the ^[d]message is that comes from the Lord.’ ³¹ And they come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them; for they do the lustful desires expressed by their ^(L)mouth, and their heart follows their unlawful ^(M)gain. ³² And behold, you are to them like a love song by one who has a ^(N)beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. ³³ So when it ^(O)comes—^[e]as it certainly will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”