Ezekiel 22-24
New Living Translation
The Sins of Jerusalem
22 Now this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins, 3 and give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: O city of murderers, doomed and damned—city of idols,[a] filthy and foul— 4 you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world. 5 O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near.
6 “Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder. 7 Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you. 8 You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest. 9 People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things. 10 Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and force themselves on women who are menstruating. 11 Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors’ wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters. 12 There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign Lord.
13 “But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed. 14 How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness. 16 And when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you,[b] you will know that I am the Lord.”
The Lord’s Refining Furnace
17 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 18 “Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over—a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead. 19 So tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem. 20 Just as silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin are melted down in a furnace, I will melt you down in the heat of my fury. 21 I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you, 22 and you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury on you.’”
The Sins of Israel’s Leaders
23 Again a message came to me from the Lord: 24 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain. 25 Your princes[c] plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. 26 Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them. 27 Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money! 28 And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them. 29 Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.
30 “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. 31 So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
The Adultery of Two Sisters
23 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother. 3 They became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts. 4 The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
5 “Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers. 6 They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses. 7 And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols[d] and defiling herself. 8 For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute.
9 “And so I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers, whom she desired so much. 10 They stripped her, took away her children as their slaves, and then killed her. After she received her punishment, her reputation was known to every woman in the land.
11 “Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution. 12 She fawned over all the Assyrian officers—those captains and commanders in handsome uniforms, those charioteers driving their horses—all of them attractive young men. 13 I saw the way she was going, defiling herself just like her older sister.
14 “Then she carried her prostitution even further. She fell in love with pictures that were painted on a wall—pictures of Babylonian[e] military officers, outfitted in striking red uniforms. 15 Handsome belts encircled their waists, and flowing turbans crowned their heads. They were dressed like chariot officers from the land of Babylonia.[f] 16 When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her. 17 So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust.
18 “In the same way, I became disgusted with Oholibah and rejected her, just as I had rejected her sister, because she flaunted herself before them and gave herself to satisfy their lusts. 19 Yet she turned to even greater prostitution, remembering her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey’s and emissions like those of a horse. 21 And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled.
The Lord’s Judgment of Oholibah
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will send your lovers against you from every direction—those very nations from which you turned away in disgust. 23 For the Babylonians will come with all the Chaldeans from Pekod and Shoa and Koa. And all the Assyrians will come with them—handsome young captains, commanders, chariot officers, and other high-ranking officers, all riding their horses. 24 They will all come against you from the north[g] with chariots, wagons, and a great army prepared for attack. They will take up positions on every side, surrounding you with men armed with shields and helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment so they can do with you as they please. 25 I will turn my jealous anger against you, and they will deal harshly with you. They will cut off your nose and ears, and any survivors will then be slaughtered by the sword. Your children will be taken away as captives, and everything that is left will be burned. 26 They will strip you of your beautiful clothes and jewels. 27 In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt.
28 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected. 29 They will treat you with hatred and rob you of all you own, leaving you stark naked. The shame of your prostitution will be exposed to all the world. 30 You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols. 31 Because you have followed in your sister’s footsteps, I will force you to drink the same cup of terror she drank.
32 “Yes, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“You will drink from your sister’s cup of terror,
a cup that is large and deep.
It is filled to the brim
with scorn and derision.
33 Drunkenness and anguish will fill you,
for your cup is filled to the brim with distress and desolation,
the same cup your sister Samaria drank.
34 You will drain that cup of terror
to the very bottom.
Then you will smash it to pieces
and beat your breast in anguish.
I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!
35 “And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution.”
The Lord’s Judgment on Both Sisters
36 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins. 37 They have committed both adultery and murder—adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me. 38 Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day! 39 On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.
40 “You sisters sent messengers to distant lands to get men. Then when they arrived, you bathed yourselves, painted your eyelids, and put on your finest jewels for them. 41 You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you. 42 From your room came the sound of many men carousing. They were lustful men and drunkards[h] from the wilderness, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your heads. 43 Then I said, ‘If they really want to have sex with old worn-out prostitutes like these, let them!’ 44 And that is what they did. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, these shameless prostitutes. 45 But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are—adulterers and murderers.
46 “Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered. 47 For their enemies will stone them and kill them with swords. They will butcher their sons and daughters and burn their homes. 48 In this way, I will put an end to lewdness and idolatry in the land, and my judgment will be a warning to all women not to follow your wicked example. 49 You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution—your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”
The Sign of the Cooking Pot
24 On January 15,[i] during the ninth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, write down today’s date, because on this very day the king of Babylon is beginning his attack against Jerusalem. 3 Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign Lord:
“Put a pot on the fire,
and pour in some water.
4 Fill it with choice pieces of meat—
the rump and the shoulder
and all the most tender cuts.
5 Use only the best sheep from the flock,
and heap fuel on the fire beneath the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil,
and cook the bones along with the meat.
6 “Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,
the city of murderers!
She is a cooking pot
whose corruption can’t be cleaned out.
Take the meat out in random order,
for no piece is better than another.
7 For the blood of her murders
is splashed on the rocks.
It isn’t even spilled on the ground,
where the dust could cover it!
8 So I will splash her blood on a rock
for all to see,
an expression of my anger
and vengeance against her.
9 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,
the city of murderers!
I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.
10 Yes, heap on the wood!
Let the fire roar to make the pot boil.
Cook the meat with many spices,
and afterward burn the bones.
11 Now set the empty pot on the coals.
Heat it red hot!
Burn away the filth and corruption.
12 But it’s hopeless;
the corruption can’t be cleaned out.
So throw it into the fire.
13 Your impurity is your lewdness
and the corruption of your idolatry.
I tried to cleanse you,
but you refused.
So now you will remain in your filth
until my fury against you has been satisfied.
14 “I, the Lord, have spoken! The time has come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change my mind, and I will have no pity on you. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the Sovereign Lord.”
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 16 “Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. 17 Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.”
18 So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do. 19 Then the people asked, “What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?”
20 So I said to them, “A message came to me from the Lord, 21 and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will defile my Temple, the source of your security and pride, the place your heart delights in. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind in Judah will be slaughtered by the sword. 22 Then you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not mourn in public or console yourselves by eating the food brought by friends. 23 Your heads will remain covered, and your sandals will not be taken off. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins. You will groan among yourselves for all the evil you have done. 24 Ezekiel is an example for you; you will do just as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”
25 Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold—their joy and glory, their heart’s desire, their dearest treasure—I will also take away their sons and daughters. 26 And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened. 27 And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Footnotes
- 22:3 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 22:4.
- 22:16 As in one Hebrew manuscript and Greek and Syriac versions; Masoretic Text reads when you have been dishonored among the nations.
- 22:25 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads prophets.
- 23:7 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 23:30, 37, 39, 49.
- 23:14 Or Chaldean.
- 23:15 Or Chaldea; also in 23:16.
- 23:24 As in Greek version; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 23:42 Or Sabeans.
- 24:1 Hebrew On the tenth day of the tenth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event occurred on January 15, 588 B.c.; also see note on 1:1.
Ezekiel 22-24
New American Standard Bible
The Sins of Israel
22 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then inform her of all her abominations. 3 And you shall say, ‘This is what the Lord [a]God says: “A city (A)shedding blood in her midst, so that her time is coming; and a city that makes idols, contrary to her own good, for defilement! 4 You have become (B)guilty by [b]the blood which you have shed, and you have become defiled by your idols which you have made. So you have brought your days closer and have come to your years; therefore I have made you a (C)disgrace to the nations, and an object of mocking to all the lands. 5 Those who are near and those who are far from you will make fun of you, you of ill repute, full of (D)turmoil.
6 “Behold, the (E)rulers of Israel, each according to his [c]power, have been among you for the purpose of shedding blood. 7 They have (F)treated father and mother with contempt among you. They have oppressed the (G)stranger in your midst; they have oppressed the (H)orphan and the widow among you. 8 You have (I)despised My holy things and (J)profaned My Sabbaths. 9 Slanderous men have been among you for the purpose of shedding blood, and among you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have (K)committed outrageous sin. 10 Among you [d]they have (L)uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; among you they have abused her who was (M)unclean in her menstruation. 11 And one has committed abomination with his (N)neighbor’s wife, another has outrageously defiled his (O)daughter-in-law, and another among you has sexually (P)abused his sister, his father’s daughter. 12 Among you they have (Q)taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken [e](R)interest, you have injured your neighbors by (S)oppression, and you have (T)forgotten Me,” declares the Lord God.
13 “Behold, then, I strike with My hand your (U)profit which you have made and [f]the bloodshed which is among you. 14 Can (V)your heart endure, or can your hands be strong for the days that I will deal with you? (W)I, the Lord, have spoken and will act. 15 And I will (X)scatter you among the nations and disperse you among the lands, and I will (Y)eliminate your uncleanness from you. 16 Then you will defile yourself in the sight of the nations, and you will (Z)know that I am the Lord.”’”
17 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become [g](AA)waste metal to Me; all of them are (AB)bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the (AC)smelting furnace; they are the [h]waste metal of silver. 19 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because all of you have become [i]waste metal, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As they gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the (AD)smelting furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I will place you there and melt you. 21 And I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it. 22 As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, the Lord, have (AE)poured out My wrath on you.’”
23 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is (AF)not clean or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 There is a (AG)conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have (AH)devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many (AI)widows in the midst of her. 26 Her (AJ)priests have done violence to My Law and have (AK)profaned My holy things; they have made no (AL)distinction between the holy and the [j]common, and they have not taught the difference between the (AM)unclean and the clean; and they have closed their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am defiled among them. 27 Her leaders within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and (AN)destroying lives in order to make (AO)dishonest profit. 28 And her prophets have coated with whitewash for them, seeing (AP)false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have practiced (AQ)extortion and committed robbery, and they have oppressed the poor and needy, and have (AR)oppressed the stranger without justice. 30 I (AS)searched for a man among them who would (AT)build up a wall and (AU)stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found [k]no one. 31 So I have poured out My (AV)indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; I have brought (AW)their way upon their heads,” declares the Lord God.
Oholah and Oholibah’s Sin and Its Consequences
23 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, there were (AX)two women, the daughters of one mother; 3 and they prostituted themselves in Egypt. They (AY)prostituted themselves in their youth; there their breasts were squeezed and there their virgin breasts were handled. 4 Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
5 “Oholah prostituted herself [l]while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the (AZ)Assyrians, her neighbors, 6 who were clothed in purple, (BA)governors and officials, all of them handsome young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 She bestowed her [m]obscene practices on them, all of whom were the choicest [n]men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she (BB)defiled herself. 8 She did not abandon her obscene practices (BC)from the time in Egypt; for in her youth [o]men had slept with her, and they handled her virgin breasts and poured out their obscene practice on her. 9 Therefore, I handed her over to her (BD)lovers, to the [p]Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10 They (BE)uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, but they killed her with the sword. So she became a [q]subject of gossip among women, and they executed judgments on her.
11 “Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was (BF)more corrupt in her lust than she, and her obscene practices were [r]more than the prostitution of her sister. 12 She lusted after the [s](BG)Assyrians, governors and officials, the ones near, opulently dressed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them handsome young men. 13 And I saw that she had defiled herself; they both took [t]the same way. 14 So she increased her obscene practices. And she saw men (BH)carved on the wall, images of the (BI)Chaldeans drawn in bright red, 15 wearing belts around their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, [u]like the [v]Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth. 16 And [w]when she saw them she (BJ)lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 And the [x](BK)Babylonians came to her to the bed of love and defiled her with their obscene practice. And when she had been defiled by them, [y]she turned away from them in disgust. 18 She (BL)exposed her obscene practices and exposed her nakedness; then [z]I turned away from her in (BM)disgust, just as [aa]I had turned away from her (BN)sister in disgust. 19 Yet she multiplied her obscene practices, remembering the days of her youth, when she prostituted herself in the land of Egypt. 20 She (BO)lusted after their lovers, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose discharge is like the discharge of horses. 21 So you longed for the (BP)outrageous sin of your youth, when [ab]the Egyptians handled your breasts because of the breasts of your youth.
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord [ac]God says: ‘Behold I am going to incite your lovers against you, from whom [ad]you turned away in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the [ae](BQ)Babylonians and all the (BR)Chaldeans, (BS)Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the [af](BT)Assyrians with them; handsome young men, governors and officials all of them, officers and [ag]men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 And they will come against you with weapons, (BU)chariots, and [ah]wagons, and with a contingent of peoples. They will attack you on every side with shield, [ai]buckler, and helmet; and I will commit the (BV)judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs. 25 I will set My (BW)jealousy against you, so that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your [aj]survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your (BX)sons and your daughters; and your [ak]survivors will be consumed by the fire. 26 They will also (BY)strip you of your clothes and take away your (BZ)beautiful jewelry. 27 So (CA)I will remove from you your outrageous sin and your prostitution that you brought from the land of Egypt, so that you will not raise your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’ 28 For this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am going to hand you over to those whom you (CB)hate, to those from whom [al]you turned away in disgust. 29 They will (CC)deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your prostitution will be exposed, both your outrageous sin and your obscene practices. 30 These things will be done to you because you have (CD)adulterously pursued the nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put (CE)her cup in your hand.’ 32 This is what the Lord God says:
‘You will (CF)drink your sister’s cup,
Which is deep and wide.
[am]You will be (CG)laughed at and held in derision;
Because it contains much.
33 You will be filled with (CH)drunkenness and grief,
A cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.
34 And you will (CI)drink it and drain it.
Then you will gnaw on its fragments
And tear your breasts;
for I have spoken,’ declares the Lord God. 35 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because you have (CJ)forgotten Me and (CK)discarded Me behind your back, suffer on your own part the punishment for your outrageous sin and your obscene practices.’”
36 Moreover, the Lord said to me, “Son of man, will you (CL)judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then (CM)declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. So they have committed adultery with their idols, and even made their sons, (CN)whom they bore to Me, pass through the fire to [an]them as food. 38 Again, they have done this to Me: they have (CO)defiled My sanctuary on the same day, and have (CP)profaned My Sabbaths. 39 For when they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My (CQ)sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and behold, this is what they did within My house.
40 “Furthermore, [ao]they have even sent for men who come from a great distance, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came—for whom you bathed, (CR)put makeup on your eyes, and (CS)adorned yourselves with jewelry; 41 and you sat on a splendid (CT)couch with a (CU)table arranged in front of it on which you had set My (CV)incense and My (CW)oil. 42 And the sound of a [ap](CX)carefree multitude was with her; and (CY)heavy drinkers were brought from the wilderness with people from the multitude of humanity. And they put (CZ)bracelets on [aq]the wrists of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 “Then I said concerning her who was (DA)worn out by adulteries, ‘[ar]Will they now commit adultery with her when she is like this?’ 44 [as]But they went in to her as they would go in to a prostitute. This is how they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women. 45 But they, righteous people, will (DB)judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.
46 “For this is what the Lord God says: ‘Bring up a contingent against them and turn them over to (DC)terror and plunder. 47 The contingent will (DD)stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and their daughters and (DE)burn their houses with fire. 48 So I will eliminate outrageous conduct from the land, so that all women will take warning and not commit [at]outrageous sin as you have done. 49 Your outrageous conduct [au]will be (DF)repaid to you, and you will bear the guilt for your idols; so you will know that I am the Lord God.’”
Parable of the Boiling Pot
24 Now the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, 2 “Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon [av]has (DG)laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 Present a (DH)parable to the (DI)rebellious house and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord [aw]God says:
“Put on the (DJ)pot, put it on and also pour water into it;
4 [ax](DK)Put in it the pieces of meat,
Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder;
Fill it with choice bones.
5 Take the (DL)choicest of the flock,
And also stack [ay]wood under [az]the pot.
Make it boil vigorously.
Also boil its bones in it.”
6 ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
“Woe to the (DM)bloody city,
To the pot in which there is rust
And whose rust has not gone out of it!
Take out of it piece after piece,
[ba]Without making a choice.
7 For her blood is in her midst;
She placed it on the bare rock;
She did not (DN)pour it on the ground
To cover it with dust.
8 So that it may (DO)cause wrath to come up to take vengeance,
I have put her blood on the bare rock,
So that it will not be covered.”
9 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:
“(DP)Woe to the bloody city!
I also will make the wood pile great.
10 Heap on the wood, kindle the fire,
[bb]Cook the meat thoroughly
And mix in the spices,
And let the bones be burned up.
11 Then (DQ)set it empty on its burning coals
So that it may be hot
And its bronze may [bc]glow,
And its (DR)filthiness may be melted in it,
Its rust eliminated.
12 She has (DS)wearied Me with work,
Yet her great rust has not gone from her;
Let her rust be in the fire!
13 In your filthiness is outrageous sin.
Because I would have cleansed you,
Yet you are (DT)not clean,
You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again
Until I have [bd](DU)expended My wrath on you.
14 I, the Lord, have spoken; it is (DV)coming and I will act. I will not overlook, I will not (DW)pity, and I will not be sorry; (DX)according to your ways and according to your deeds [be]I will judge you,” declares the Lord God.’”
Death of Ezekiel’s Wife Is a Sign
15 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you (DY)what is precious to your eyes with a (DZ)fatal blow; but you shall not (EA)mourn and you shall not weep, and your (EB)tears shall not come. 17 Groan silently; do (EC)no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on your feet, and do not [bf]cover your mustache, and (ED)do not eat the [bg]bread of other people.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. 19 And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, (EE)that which is precious in your eyes and the longing of your soul; and your (EF)sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. 22 And you will do just as I have done; you will not [bh]cover your mustache, and you will not eat the [bi]bread of other people. 23 Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You (EG)will not mourn and you will not weep; but (EH)you will rot away in your guilty deeds, and you will groan [bj]to one another. 24 So Ezekiel will be a (EI)sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”
25 ‘As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their (EJ)stronghold, the joy of their splendor, that which is precious in their eyes and their [bk]heart’s longing, their sons and their daughters, 26 that on that day the one who (EK)escapes will come to you with information for your ears? 27 On that day your (EL)mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and no longer be silenced. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 22:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
- Ezekiel 22:4 Lit your
- Ezekiel 22:6 Lit arm
- Ezekiel 22:10 Lit he has
- Ezekiel 22:12 Possibly interest on money and food loans
- Ezekiel 22:13 Lit your
- Ezekiel 22:18 Lit dross
- Ezekiel 22:18 Lit dross
- Ezekiel 22:19 Lit dross
- Ezekiel 22:26 Lit profane
- Ezekiel 22:30 Lit not
- Ezekiel 23:5 Lit under Me
- Ezekiel 23:7 Lit fornications
- Ezekiel 23:7 Lit sons of Asshur
- Ezekiel 23:8 Lit they
- Ezekiel 23:9 Lit sons of Asshur
- Ezekiel 23:10 Lit name
- Ezekiel 23:11 I.e., more numerous, or worse
- Ezekiel 23:12 Lit sons of Asshur
- Ezekiel 23:13 Lit one
- Ezekiel 23:15 Lit the likeness of
- Ezekiel 23:15 Lit sons of Babel
- Ezekiel 23:16 Lit at the sight of her eyes
- Ezekiel 23:17 Lit sons of Babel
- Ezekiel 23:17 Lit her soul
- Ezekiel 23:18 Lit My soul
- Ezekiel 23:18 Lit My soul
- Ezekiel 23:21 As in two mss; MT from Egypt
- Ezekiel 23:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
- Ezekiel 23:22 Lit your soul
- Ezekiel 23:23 Lit sons of Babylon
- Ezekiel 23:23 Lit sons of Assyria
- Ezekiel 23:23 Lit called ones
- Ezekiel 23:24 Lit wheel
- Ezekiel 23:24 I.e., small shield
- Ezekiel 23:25 Lit remainder
- Ezekiel 23:25 Lit remainder
- Ezekiel 23:28 Lit your soul
- Ezekiel 23:32 Or It will be for laughter and derision because of its great size
- Ezekiel 23:37 I.e., the idols
- Ezekiel 23:40 Or you (women)
- Ezekiel 23:42 Lit at ease
- Ezekiel 23:42 Lit their hands
- Ezekiel 23:43 Or Now they will commit adultery with her, and she with them
- Ezekiel 23:44 Or And
- Ezekiel 23:48 Lit according to your lewdness
- Ezekiel 23:49 Lit they will give
- Ezekiel 24:2 Lit leaned on
- Ezekiel 24:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
- Ezekiel 24:4 Lit Gather her pieces
- Ezekiel 24:5 Cf. v 10; MT bones
- Ezekiel 24:5 Lit it
- Ezekiel 24:6 Lit No lot has fallen on it
- Ezekiel 24:10 Lit Finish
- Ezekiel 24:11 Lit burn
- Ezekiel 24:13 Lit caused to rest
- Ezekiel 24:14 As in several mss and ancient versions; MT they
- Ezekiel 24:17 Covering the beard and mustache was a mourning custom
- Ezekiel 24:17 I.e., food from others for mourners
- Ezekiel 24:22 See note 1 v 17
- Ezekiel 24:22 See note 2 v 17
- Ezekiel 24:23 Lit each to his brother
- Ezekiel 24:25 Lit soul’s burden
Revelation 9
New Living Translation
The Fifth Trumpet Brings the First Terror
9 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.[a] 2 When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.
3 Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. 4 They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting. 6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!
7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces. 8 They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like the teeth of a lion. 9 They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people. 11 Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.
12 The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming!
The Sixth Trumpet Brings the Second Terror
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. 14 And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.” 15 Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. 16 I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops.
17 And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and dark blue and yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths. 18 One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. 19 Their power was in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people.
20 But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Revelation 9
New American Standard Bible
The Fifth Trumpet: Shaft of the Abyss
9 Then the (A)fifth angel sounded, and I saw a (B)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the (C)key to the (D)shaft of the abyss was given to him. 2 He opened the shaft of the abyss, and (E)smoke ascended out of the shaft like the smoke of a great furnace; and (F)the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the shaft. 3 Then out of the smoke came (G)locusts [a]upon the earth, and power was given them, as the (H)scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were told not to (I)hurt the (J)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the people who do not have the (K)seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And [b]they were not permitted to kill [c]anyone, but to torment for (L)five months; and their torment was like the torment of a (M)scorpion when it [d]stings a person. 6 And in those days (N)people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death [e]will flee from them!
7 The [f](O)appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like human faces. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their (P)teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the (Q)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like (R)scorpions, and stings; and in their (S)tails is their power to hurt people for (T)five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the (U)abyss; his name in (V)Hebrew is [g](W)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name [h]Apollyon.
12 (X)The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
The Sixth Trumpet: Army from the East
13 Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard [i]a voice from the [j]four (Y)horns of the (Z)golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the (AA)four angels who are bound at the (AB)great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were (AC)released, so that they would kill a (AD)third of mankind. 16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was (AE)two hundred million; (AF)I heard the number of them. 17 And this is how I saw (AG)in my vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire, of hyacinth, and of [k](AH)brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and (AI)out of their mouths *came fire and smoke and [l](AJ)brimstone. 18 A (AK)third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the (AL)fire, the smoke, and the [m]brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, (AM)did not repent of (AN)the works of their hands so as not to (AO)worship demons and (AP)the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they (AQ)did not repent of their murders, nor of their (AR)witchcraft, nor of their (AS)sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.
Footnotes
- Revelation 9:3 Lit into
- Revelation 9:5 Lit it was given to them
- Revelation 9:5 Lit them
- Revelation 9:5 Lit strikes
- Revelation 9:6 Lit flees (intensive expression)
- Revelation 9:7 Lit likenesses
- Revelation 9:11 I.e., destruction
- Revelation 9:11 I.e., destroyer
- Revelation 9:13 Lit one voice
- Revelation 9:13 Two early mss do not contain four
- Revelation 9:17 I.e., burning sulfur
- Revelation 9:17 I.e., burning sulfur
- Revelation 9:18 I.e., burning sulfur
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
