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Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
New International Version

Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable

12 The word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, if a country sins(A) against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply(B) and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,(C) 14 even if these three men—Noah,(D) Daniel[a](E) and Job(F)—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,(G) declares the Sovereign Lord.

15 “Or if I send wild beasts(H) through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,(I) 16 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.(J)

17 “Or if I bring a sword(K) against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals,(L) 18 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

19 “Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath(M) on it through bloodshed,(N) killing its people and their animals,(O) 20 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.(P)

21 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments(Q)—sword(R) and famine(S) and wild beasts and plague(T)—to kill its men and their animals!(U) 22 Yet there will be some survivors(V)—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it.(W) They will come to you, and when you see their conduct(X) and their actions, you will be consoled(Y) regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. 23 You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.(Z)”

Jerusalem as a Useless Vine

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine(AA) different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful?(AB) Do they make pegs(AC) from it to hang things on? 4 And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything?(AD) 5 If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

6 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. 7 I will set my face against(AE) them. Although they have come out of the fire(AF), the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.(AG) 8 I will make the land desolate(AH) because they have been unfaithful,(AI) declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, confront(AJ) Jerusalem with her detestable practices(AK) 3 and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry(AL) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father(AM) was an Amorite(AN) and your mother a Hittite.(AO) 4 On the day you were born(AP) your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

6 “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”[b](AQ) 7 I made you grow(AR) like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.(AS)

8 “‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment(AT) over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant(AU) with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.(AV)

9 “‘I bathed you with water and washed(AW) the blood from you and put ointments on you. 10 I clothed you with an embroidered(AX) dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen(AY) and covered you with costly garments.(AZ) 11 I adorned you with jewelry:(BA) I put bracelets(BB) on your arms and a necklace(BC) around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose,(BD) earrings(BE) on your ears and a beautiful crown(BF) on your head.(BG) 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes(BH) were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil(BI) and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.(BJ) 14 And your fame(BK) spread among the nations on account of your beauty,(BL) because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BM)

15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by(BN) and your beauty became his.(BO) 16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,(BP) where you carried on your prostitution.(BQ) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.[c] 17 You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.(BR) 18 And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense(BS) before them. 19 Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BT)

20 “‘And you took your sons and daughters(BU) whom you bore to me(BV) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?(BW) 21 You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.(BX) 22 In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,(BY) when you were naked and bare,(BZ) kicking about in your blood.(CA)

23 “‘Woe!(CB) Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine(CC) in every public square.(CD) 25 At every street corner(CE) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.(CF) 26 You engaged in prostitution(CG) with the Egyptians,(CH) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger(CI) with your increasing promiscuity.(CJ) 27 So I stretched out my hand(CK) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over(CL) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,(CM) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians(CN) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.(CO) 29 Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,[d](CP) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.(CQ)

30 “‘I am filled with fury against you,[e] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!(CR) 31 When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines(CS) in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

32 “‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! 33 All prostitutes receive gifts,(CT) but you give gifts(CU) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.(CV) 34 So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

35 “‘Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! 36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,(CW) 37 therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip(CX) you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.(CY) 38 I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood;(CZ) I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.(DA) 39 Then I will deliver you into the hands(DB) of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.(DC) 40 They will bring a mob against you, who will stone(DD) you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn down(DE) your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women.(DF) I will put a stop(DG) to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 14:14 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature; also in verse 20
  2. Ezekiel 16:6 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts repeat and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”
  3. Ezekiel 16:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  4. Ezekiel 16:29 Or Chaldea
  5. Ezekiel 16:30 Or How feverish is your heart,
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Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
New King James Version

Judgment on Persistent Unfaithfulness

12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its (A)supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14 (B)Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves (C)by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.

15 “If I cause (D)wild beasts to pass through the land, and they [a]empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, 16 even (E)though these three men were [b]in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be (F)desolate.

17 “Or if (G)I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I (H)cut off man and beast from it, 18 even (I)though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.

19 “Or if I send (J)a pestilence into that land and (K)pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20 even (L)though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”

21 For thus says the Lord God: “How much more it shall be when (M)I send My four [c]severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it? 22 (N)Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be (O)brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and (P)you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing (Q)without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord God.

The Outcast Vine

15 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? 4 Instead, (R)it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work? 5 Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?

6 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 7 and (S)I will set My face against them. (T)They will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. (U)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. 8 Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness,’ says the Lord God.”

God’s Love for Jerusalem

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (V)cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: “Your [d]birth (W)and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; (X)your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your nativity, (Y)on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were [e]loathed on the day you were born.

6 “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 (Z)I made you [f]thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.

8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; (AA)so I spread [g]My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I (AB)swore an oath to you and entered into a (AC)covenant with you, and (AD)you became Mine,” says the Lord God.

9 “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of [h]badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, (AE)put bracelets on your wrists, (AF)and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a [i]jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. (AG)You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly (AH)beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 14 (AI)Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord God.

Jerusalem’s Harlotry

15 (AJ)“But you trusted in your own beauty, (AK)played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. 16 (AL)You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored [j]high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be. 17 You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them. 18 You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them. 19 Also (AM)My food which I gave you—the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you—you set it before them as [k]sweet incense; and so it was,” says the Lord God.

20 (AN)“Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, 21 that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the (AO)fire? 22 And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your (AP)youth, (AQ)when you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood.

23 “Then it was so, after all your wickedness—‘Woe, woe to you!’ says the Lord God— 24 that (AR)you also built for yourself a shrine, and (AS)made a [l]high place for yourself in every street. 25 You built your high places (AT)at the head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered yourself to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry. 26 You also committed harlotry with (AU)the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to (AV)provoke Me to anger.

27 “Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your [m]allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, (AW)the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You also played the harlot with the (AX)Assyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 29 Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, (AY)Chaldea; and even then you were not satisfied.

30 “How degenerate is your heart!” says the Lord God, “seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot.

Jerusalem’s Adultery

31 (AZ)“You erected your shrine at the head of every road, and built your [n]high place in every street. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned (BA)payment. 32 You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband. 33 Men make payment to all harlots, but (BB)you made your payments to all your lovers, and [o]hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry. 34 You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite.”

Jerusalem’s Lovers Will Abuse Her

35 ‘Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord! 36 Thus says the Lord God: “Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of (BC)the blood of your children which you gave to them, 37 surely, therefore, (BD)I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them from all around against you and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you as (BE)women who break wedlock or (BF)shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy. 39 I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines and break down (BG)your [p]high places. (BH)They shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.

40 (BI)“They shall also bring up an assembly against you, (BJ)and they shall stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords. 41 They shall (BK)burn your houses with fire, and (BL)execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will make you (BM)cease playing the harlot, and you shall no longer hire lovers.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 14:15 Lit. bereave it of children
  2. Ezekiel 14:16 Lit. in the midst of it
  3. Ezekiel 14:21 Lit. evil
  4. Ezekiel 16:3 origin and your birth
  5. Ezekiel 16:5 abhorred
  6. Ezekiel 16:7 Lit. a myriad
  7. Ezekiel 16:8 Or the corner of My garment
  8. Ezekiel 16:10 Or dolphin or dugong
  9. Ezekiel 16:12 Lit. ring
  10. Ezekiel 16:16 Places for pagan worship
  11. Ezekiel 16:19 Or a sweet aroma
  12. Ezekiel 16:24 Place for pagan worship
  13. Ezekiel 16:27 Allowance of food
  14. Ezekiel 16:31 Place for pagan worship
  15. Ezekiel 16:33 Or bribed
  16. Ezekiel 16:39 Places for pagan worship
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Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
New American Standard Bible

The City Will Not Be Spared

12 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by (A)being unfaithful, and I stretch out My hand against it, [a]destroy its (B)supply of bread, send famine against it, and eliminate from it both human and animal life, 14 even (C)though these three men, (D)Noah, (E)Daniel, and (F)Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only save (G)themselves,” declares the Lord God. 15 “If I were to cause (H)vicious animals to pass through the land and they [b]depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the animals, 16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters. (I)They alone would be saved, but the country would be desolate. 17 Or if I were to (J)bring a sword on that country and say, ‘A sword is to pass through the country,’ and I (K)eliminated human and animal life from it, 18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved. 19 Or if I were to send a (L)plague against that country and pour out My wrath on it in blood to eliminate man and animal from it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their son or their daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.”

21 For this is what the Lord God says: “How much more when (M)I send My four [c]severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, vicious animals, and plague to eliminate human and animal life from it! 22 Yet, behold, [d]survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come out to you, and you will (N)see their conduct and actions; then you will be (O)comforted for the disaster which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. 23 Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done (P)without reason whatever I did [e]to it,” declares the Lord God.

Jerusalem like a Useless Vine

15 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, [f]how is the wood of the (Q)vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Can wood be taken from it to make [g]anything, or can even a peg be taken from it on which to hang any utensil? 4 If it has been put into the (R)fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its ends and its middle part has been charred, is it then good for [h]anything? 5 Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into [i]anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into [j]anything! 6 Therefore, this is what the Lord [k]God says: ‘As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 7 and I (S)set My face against them. Though they have (T)come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. 8 So I will make the land desolate, because they have (U)acted unfaithfully,’” declares the Lord God.

God’s Grace to Unfaithful Jerusalem

16 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (V)make known to Jerusalem her abominations, 3 and say, ‘This is what the Lord [l]God says to Jerusalem: “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your birth, (W)on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. 5 No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the [m](X)open field, [n]for you were abhorred on the day you were born.

6 “When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 I (Y)made you [o]very numerous, like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine jewelry; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare.

8 “Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, [p]you were at the time for love; so I (Z)spread My [q]garment over you and covered your nakedness. I also (AA)swore an oath to you and (AB)entered into a covenant with you so that you (AC)became Mine,” declares the Lord God. 9 “Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you, and (AD)anointed you with oil. 10 I also clothed you with (AE)colorfully woven cloth and put sandals of [r]fine leather on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with jewelry, put (AF)bracelets on your wrists, and a (AG)necklace around your neck. 12 I also put a (AH)ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a (AI)beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with (AJ)gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk, and colorfully woven cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to (AK)royalty. 14 Then your (AL)fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was (AM)perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you,” declares the Lord God.

15 “But you (AN)trusted in your beauty and (AO)became unfaithful because of your fame, and you poured out your [s]obscene practices on every passer-by to whom it might be tempting. 16 You took some of your clothes, made for yourself [t]high places of various colors, and committed prostitution on them, which should not come about nor happen. 17 You also took your beautiful [u](AP)jewels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images so that you might commit prostitution with them. 18 Then you took your colorfully woven cloth and covered them, and offered My oil and My incense before them. 19 Also (AQ)My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey with which I fed you, [v]you would offer before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened,” declares the Lord God. 20 “Furthermore, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to (AR)Me and (AS)sacrificed them to [w]idols to be devoured. Were your obscene practices a trivial matter? 21 You slaughtered (AT)My children and offered them to [x]idols by (AU)making them pass through the fire. 22 And besides all your abominations and obscene practices, you did not remember the days of (AV)your youth, when you were naked and bare and squirming in your blood.

23 “Then it came about after all your wickedness (‘Woe, woe to you!’ declares the Lord God), 24 that you built yourself a (AW)shrine and made yourself a (AX)high place in every public square. 25 You built yourself a high place at the beginning of (AY)every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by and multiplied your obscene practice. 26 You also committed prostitution with the Egyptians, your [y]lustful neighbors, and multiplied your obscene practice to (AZ)provoke Me to anger. 27 So behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and cut back your rations. And I turned you over to the desire of those who hate you, the (BA)daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your outrageous conduct. 28 Moreover, you committed prostitution with the (BB)Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you committed prostitution with them and still were not satisfied. 29 You also multiplied your obscene practice with the land of merchants, Chaldea; yet even with this you were not satisfied.”’”

30 “How (BC)feverish is your heart,” declares the Lord God, “while you do all these things, the action of a [z](BD)bold prostitute! 31 When you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every public square, in (BE)spurning a prostitute’s fee, you were not like a prostitute. 32 You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you (BF)give your gifts to all your lovers and lavish favors on them so that they will come to you from every direction for your obscene practices. 34 So it is the opposite for you from those women in your obscene practices, in that you are not approached for prostitution, and in the fact that you pay a prostitute’s fee, and no fee is paid to you; so you are the opposite.”

35 Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord. 36 This is what the Lord God says: “Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your obscene practices with your lovers and with all your detestable (BG)idols, and because of the blood of your sons that you gave to [aa]idols, 37 therefore, behold, I am going to (BH)gather all your lovers whom you pleased, all those whom you loved as well as all those whom you (BI)hated. So I will gather them against you from every direction and (BJ)expose your nakedness to them so that they may see all your nakedness. 38 So I will (BK)judge you as women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of (BL)wrath and jealousy. 39 I will also hand you over to [ab]your lovers, and they will tear down your shrines, demolish your high places, (BM)strip you of your clothing, take away your [ac]jewels, and will leave you naked and bare. 40 They will [ad]incite a (BN)crowd against you, and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 And they will (BO)burn your houses with fire and execute judgments against you in the sight of many women. Then I will (BP)put an end to your prostitution, and you will also no longer pay [ae]your lovers.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 14:13 Lit break its staff
  2. Ezekiel 14:15 Lit bereaved it of children
  3. Ezekiel 14:21 Lit evil
  4. Ezekiel 14:22 Lit a survivor
  5. Ezekiel 14:23 Lit in
  6. Ezekiel 15:2 Or of all the wood of the branches...what becomes of the wood of the vine
  7. Ezekiel 15:3 Lit a work
  8. Ezekiel 15:4 Lit a work
  9. Ezekiel 15:5 Lit a work
  10. Ezekiel 15:5 Lit a work
  11. Ezekiel 15:6 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  12. Ezekiel 16:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  13. Ezekiel 16:5 Lit face of the field
  14. Ezekiel 16:5 Lit in the loathing of your soul
  15. Ezekiel 16:7 Lit a myriad
  16. Ezekiel 16:8 Lit your time was
  17. Ezekiel 16:8 Lit hem (of a garment)
  18. Ezekiel 16:10 Meaning of the Heb uncertain
  19. Ezekiel 16:15 I.e., idolatrous practices with nations
  20. Ezekiel 16:16 I.e., pagan altars
  21. Ezekiel 16:17 Lit articles of beauty
  22. Ezekiel 16:19 Lit and you...offer it
  23. Ezekiel 16:20 Lit them
  24. Ezekiel 16:21 Lit them
  25. Ezekiel 16:26 Lit great of flesh
  26. Ezekiel 16:30 Lit mighty
  27. Ezekiel 16:36 Lit them
  28. Ezekiel 16:39 Lit their hands, and they
  29. Ezekiel 16:39 Lit articles of beauty
  30. Ezekiel 16:40 Lit bring up an assembly
  31. Ezekiel 16:41 Lit a prostitute’s fee
Close NLT

Ezekiel 14:12-16:41
New Living Translation

The Certainty of the Lord’s Judgment

12 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 13 “Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals. 14 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign Lord.

15 “Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through. 16 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate.

17 “Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals. 18 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.

19 “Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land, and the disease killed people and animals alike. 20 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved by their righteousness.

21 “Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—destroying all her people and animals. 22 Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem. 23 When you meet them and see their behavior, you will understand that these things are not being done to Israel without cause. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Jerusalem—a Useless Vine

15 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree? 3 Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? 4 No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. 5 Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!

6 “And this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned. 7 And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord. 8 And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Jerusalem—an Unfaithful Wife

16 Then another message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable sins. 3 Give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 On the day you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth. 5 No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were unwanted, dumped in a field and left to die.

6 “But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, ‘Live!’ 7 And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked. 8 And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

9 “Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. 10 I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine goatskin leather. 11 I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, 12 a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. 13 And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and costly fabric and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods—choice flour, honey, and olive oil—and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! 14 Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign Lord.

15 “But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking. 16 You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen? 17 You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me! 18 You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. 19 Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord.

20 “Then you took your sons and daughters—the children you had borne to me—and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough? 21 Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols? 22 In all your years of adultery and detestable sin, you have not once remembered the days long ago when you lay naked in a field, kicking about in your own blood.

23 “What sorrow awaits you, says the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square. 25 On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution. 26 Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, provoking my anger with your increasing promiscuity. 27 That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied. 29 You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia,[a] the land of merchants, but you still weren’t satisfied.

30 “What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign Lord, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute. 31 You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment. 32 Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband. 33 Prostitutes charge for their services—but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you. 34 So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you!

Judgment on Jerusalem’s Prostitution

35 “Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the Lord! 36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols,[b] and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods, 37 this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies—the lovers with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated—and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you. 38 I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury. 39 Then I will give you to these many nations who are your lovers, and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you stark naked. 40 They will band together in a mob to stone you and cut you up with swords. 41 They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers.

Footnotes

  1. 16:29 Or Chaldea.
  2. 16:36 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung.
Listen to Ezekiel 14:12-16:42
Close MSG

Ezekiel 14:12-16:42
The Message

12-14 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, when a country sins against me by living faithlessly and I reach out and destroy its food supply by bringing on a famine, wiping out humans and animals alike, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job—the Big Three—were alive at the time, it wouldn’t do the population any good. Their righteousness would only save their own lives.” Decree of God, the Master.

15-16 “Or, if I make wild animals go through the country so that everyone has to leave and the country becomes wilderness and no one dares enter it anymore because of the wild animals, even if these three men were living there, as sure as I am the living God, neither their sons nor daughters would be rescued, but only those three, and the country would revert to wilderness.

17-18 “Or, if I bring war on that country and give the order, ‘Let the killing begin!’ leaving both people and animals dead, even if those three men were alive at the time, as sure as I am the living God, neither sons nor daughters would be rescued, but only these three.

19-20 “Or, if I visit a deadly disease on that country, pouring out my lethal anger, killing both people and animals, and Noah, Daniel, and Job happened to be alive at the time, as sure as I am the living God, not a son, not a daughter, would be rescued. Only these three would be delivered because of their righteousness.

21-23 “Now then, that’s the picture,” says God, the Master, “once I’ve sent my four catastrophic judgments on Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, disease—to kill off people and animals alike. But look! Believe it or not, there’ll be survivors. Some of their sons and daughters will be brought out. When they come out to you and their salvation is right in your face, you’ll see for yourself the life they’ve been saved from. You’ll know that this severe judgment I brought on Jerusalem was worth it, that it had to be. Yes, when you see in detail the kind of lives they’ve been living, you’ll feel much better. You’ll see the reason behind all that I’ve done in Jerusalem.” Decree of God, the Master.

Used as Fuel for the Fire

15 1-3 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, how would you compare the wood of a vine with the branches of any tree you’d find in the forest? Is vine wood ever used to make anything? Is it used to make pegs to hang things from?

4 “I don’t think so. At best it’s good for fuel. Look at it: A flimsy piece of vine, thrown in the fire and then rescued—the ends burned off and the middle charred. Now is it good for anything?

5 “Hardly. When it was whole it wasn’t good for anything. Half-burned is no improvement. What’s it good for?

6-8 “So here’s the Message of God, the Master: Like the wood of the vine I selected from among the trees of the forest and used as fuel for the fire, just so I’ll treat those who live in Jerusalem. I am dead set against them. Even though at one time they got out of the fire charred, the fire’s going to burn them up. When I take my stand against them, you’ll realize that I am God. I’ll turn this country into a wilderness because they’ve been faithless.” Decree of God, the Master.

Your Beauty Went to Your Head

16 1-3 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her outrageous violations. Say this: ‘The Message of God, the Master, to Jerusalem: You were born and bred among Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

4-5 “‘On the day you were born your umbilical cord was not cut, you weren’t bathed and cleaned up, you weren’t rubbed with salt, you weren’t wrapped in a baby blanket. No one cared a fig for you. No one did one thing to care for you tenderly in these ways. You were thrown out into a vacant lot and left there, dirty and unwashed—a newborn nobody wanted.

6-7 “‘And then I came by. I saw you all miserable and bloody. Yes, I said to you, lying there helpless and filthy, “Live! Grow up like a plant in the field!” And you did. You grew up. You grew tall and matured as a woman, full-breasted, with flowing hair. But you were naked and vulnerable, fragile and exposed.

8-14 “‘I came by again and saw you, saw that you were ready for love and a lover. I took care of you, dressed you and protected you. I promised you my love and entered the covenant of marriage with you. I, God, the Master, gave my word. You became mine. I gave you a good bath, washing off all that old blood, and anointed you with aromatic oils. I dressed you in a colorful gown and put leather sandals on your feet. I gave you linen blouses and a fashionable wardrobe of expensive clothing. I adorned you with jewelry: I placed bracelets on your wrists, fitted you out with a necklace, emerald rings, sapphire earrings, and a diamond tiara. You were provided with everything precious and beautiful: with exquisite clothes and elegant food, garnished with honey and oil. You were absolutely stunning. You were a queen! You became world-famous, a legendary beauty brought to perfection by my adornments. Decree of God, the Master.

15-16 “‘But your beauty went to your head and you became a common whore, grabbing anyone coming down the street and taking him into your bed. You took your fine dresses and made “tents” of them, using them as brothels in which you practiced your trade. This kind of thing should never happen, never.

What a Sick Soul!

17-19 “‘And then you took all that fine jewelry I gave you, my gold and my silver, and made pornographic images of them for your brothels. You decorated your beds with fashionable silks and cottons, and perfumed them with my aromatic oils and incense. And then you set out the wonderful foods I provided—the fresh breads and fruits, with fine herbs and spices, which were my gifts to you—and you served them as delicacies in your whorehouses. That’s what happened, says God, the Master.

20-21 “‘And then you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had given birth to as my children, and you killed them, sacrificing them to idols. Wasn’t it bad enough that you had become a whore? And now you’re a murderer, killing my children and sacrificing them to idols.

22 “‘Not once during these years of outrageous obscenities and whorings did you remember your infancy, when you were naked and exposed, a blood-smeared newborn.

23-24 “‘And then to top off all your evil acts, you built your bold brothels in every town square. Doom! Doom to you, says God, the Master! At every major intersection you built your bold brothels and exposed your sluttish sex, spreading your legs for everyone who passed by.

25-27 “‘And then you went international with your whoring. You fornicated with the Egyptians, seeking them out in their sex orgies. The more promiscuous you became, the angrier I got. Finally, I intervened, reduced your borders and turned you over to the rapacity of your enemies. Even the Philistine women—can you believe it?—were shocked at your sluttish life.

28-29 “‘You went on to fornicate with the Assyrians. Your appetite was insatiable. But still you weren’t satisfied. You took on the Babylonians, a country of businessmen, and still you weren’t satisfied.

30-31 “‘What a sick soul! Doing all this stuff—the champion whore! You built your bold brothels at every major intersection, opened up your whorehouses in every neighborhood, but you were different from regular whores in that you wouldn’t accept a fee.

32-34 “‘Wives who are unfaithful to their husbands accept gifts from their lovers. And men commonly pay their whores. But you pay your lovers! You bribe men from all over to come to bed with you! You’re just the opposite of the regular whores who get paid for sex. Instead, you pay men for their favors! You even pervert whoredom!

35-38 “‘Therefore, whore, listen to God’s Message: I, God, the Master, say, Because you’ve been unrestrained in your promiscuity, stripped down for every lover, flaunting your sex, and because of your pornographic idols and all the slaughtered children you offered to them, therefore, because of all this, I’m going to get all your lovers together, all those you’ve used for your own pleasure, the ones you loved and the ones you loathed. I’ll assemble them as a courtroom of spectators around you. In broad daylight I’ll strip you naked before them—they’ll see what you really look like. Then I’ll sentence you to the punishment for an adulterous woman and a murderous woman. I’ll give you a taste of my wrath!

39-41 “‘I’ll gather all your lovers around you and turn you over to them. They’ll tear down your bold brothels and sex shrines. They’ll rip off your clothes, take your jewels, and leave you naked and exposed. Then they’ll call for a mass meeting. The mob will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. They’ll burn down your houses. A massive judgment—with all the women watching!

41-42 “‘I’ll have put a full stop to your whoring life—no more paying lovers to come to your bed! By then my anger will be played out. My jealousy will subside.

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Ezekiel 13
Ezekiel 17
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