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Ezekiel 7-9
New International Version
Ezekiel 7-9
New International Version
The End Has Come
7 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel:
“‘The end!(A) The end has come
upon the four corners(B) of the land!
3 The end is now upon you,
and I will unleash my anger against you.
I will judge you according to your conduct(C)
and repay you for all your detestable practices.(D)
4 I will not look on you with pity;(E)
I will not spare you.
I will surely repay you for your conduct
and for the detestable practices among you.
“‘Then you will know that I am the Lord.’(F)
5 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Disaster!(G) Unheard-of[a] disaster!
See, it comes!
6 The end(H) has come!
The end has come!
It has roused itself against you.
See, it comes!
7 Doom has come upon you,
upon you who dwell in the land.
The time has come! The day(I) is near!(J)
There is panic, not joy, on the mountains.
8 I am about to pour out my wrath(K) on you
and spend my anger against you.
I will judge you according to your conduct
and repay you for all your detestable practices.(L)
9 I will not look on you with pity;
I will not spare you.(M)
I will repay you for your conduct
and for the detestable practices among you.(N)
“‘Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.(O)
10 “‘See, the day!
See, it comes!
Doom has burst forth,
the rod(P) has budded,
arrogance has blossomed!
11 Violence(Q) has arisen,[b]
a rod to punish the wicked.
None of the people will be left,
none of that crowd—
none of their wealth,
nothing of value.(R)
12 The time has come!
The day has arrived!
Let not the buyer(S) rejoice
nor the seller grieve,
for my wrath is on the whole crowd.(T)
13 The seller will not recover
the property that was sold—
as long as both buyer and seller live.
For the vision concerning the whole crowd
will not be reversed.
Because of their sins, not one of them
will preserve their life.(U)
14 “‘They have blown the trumpet,(V)
they have made all things ready,
but no one will go into battle,
for my wrath(W) is on the whole crowd.
15 Outside is the sword;
inside are plague and famine.
Those in the country
will die by the sword;
those in the city
will be devoured by famine and plague.(X)
16 The fugitives(Y) who escape
will flee to the mountains.
Like doves(Z) of the valleys,
they will all moan,
each for their own sins.(AA)
17 Every hand will go limp;(AB)
every leg will be wet with urine.(AC)
18 They will put on sackcloth(AD)
and be clothed with terror.(AE)
Every face will be covered with shame,
and every head will be shaved.(AF)
19 “‘They will throw their silver into the streets,(AG)
and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean.
Their silver and gold
will not be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s wrath.(AH)
It will not satisfy(AI) their hunger
or fill their stomachs,
for it has caused them to stumble(AJ) into sin.(AK)
20 They took pride in their beautiful jewelry
and used it to make(AL) their detestable idols.
They made it into vile images;(AM)
therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.(AN)
21 I will give their wealth as plunder(AO) to foreigners
and as loot to the wicked of the earth,
who will defile it.(AP)
22 I will turn my face(AQ) away from the people,
and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure.
They will enter it
and will defile it.(AR)
23 “‘Prepare chains!
For the land is full of bloodshed,(AS)
and the city is full of violence.(AT)
24 I will bring the most wicked of nations
to take possession of their houses.
I will put an end to the pride of the mighty,
and their sanctuaries(AU) will be desecrated.(AV)
25 When terror comes,
they will seek peace in vain.(AW)
26 Calamity upon calamity(AX) will come,
and rumor upon rumor.
They will go searching for a vision from the prophet,(AY)
priestly instruction in the law will cease,
the counsel of the elders will come to an end.(AZ)
27 The king will mourn,
the prince will be clothed with despair,(BA)
and the hands of the people of the land will tremble.
I will deal with them according to their conduct,(BB)
and by their own standards I will judge them.
“‘Then they will know that I am the Lord.(BC)’”
Idolatry in the Temple
8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders(BD) of Judah were sitting before(BE) me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there.(BF) 2 I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man.[c] From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal.(BG) 3 He stretched out what looked like a hand(BH) and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up(BI) between earth and heaven and in visions(BJ) of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court,(BK) where the idol that provokes to jealousy(BL) stood. 4 And there before me was the glory(BM) of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.(BN)
5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol(BO) of jealousy.
6 And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable(BP) things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary?(BQ) But you will see things that are even more detestable.”
7 Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.
9 And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” 10 So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls(BR) all kinds of crawling things and unclean(BS) animals and all the idols of Israel.(BT) 11 In front of them stood seventy elders(BU) of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer(BV) in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense(BW) was rising.(BX)
12 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness,(BY) each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see(BZ) us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” 13 Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”
14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz.(CA) 15 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”
16 He then brought me into the inner court(CB) of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar,(CC) were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun(CD) in the east.(CE)
17 He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things(CF) they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence(CG) and continually arouse my anger?(CH) Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger;(CI) I will not look on them with pity(CJ) or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen(CK) to them.”
Judgment on the Idolaters
9 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” 2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen(CL) who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory(CM) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim,(CN) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem(CO) and put a mark(CP) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament(CQ) over all the detestable things that are done in it.(CR)”
5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity(CS) or compassion.(CT) 6 Slaughter(CU) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,(CV) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.(CW) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men(CX) who were in front of the temple.(CY)
7 Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.(CZ) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 8 While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown,(DA) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord!(DB) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath(DC) on Jerusalem?(DD)”
9 He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.(DE) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’(DF) 10 So I will not look on them with pity(DG) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.(DH)”
11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 7:5 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Disaster after
- Ezekiel 7:11 Or The violent one has become
- Ezekiel 8:2 Or saw a fiery figure
Ezekiel 7-9
New King James Version
Ezekiel 7-9
New King James Version
Judgment on Israel Is Near
7 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel:
(A)‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
3 Now the end has come upon you,
And I will send My anger against you;
I will judge you (B)according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.
4 (C)My eye will not spare you,
Nor will I have pity;
But I will repay your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst;
(D)Then you shall know that I am the Lord!’
5 “Thus says the Lord God:
‘A disaster, a singular (E)disaster;
Behold, it has come!
6 An end has come,
The end has come;
It has dawned for you;
Behold, it has come!
7 (F)Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land;
(G)The time has come,
A day of trouble is near,
And not of rejoicing in the mountains.
8 Now upon you I will soon (H)pour out My fury,
And spend My anger upon you;
I will judge you according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.
9 ‘My eye will not spare,
Nor will I have pity;
I will [a]repay you according to your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord who strikes.
10 ‘Behold, the day!
Behold, it has come!
(I)Doom has gone out;
The rod has blossomed,
Pride has budded.
11 (J)Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness;
None of them shall remain,
None of their multitude,
None of [b]them;
(K)Nor shall there be wailing for them.
12 The time has come,
The day draws near.
‘Let not the buyer (L)rejoice,
Nor the seller (M)mourn,
For wrath is on their whole multitude.
13 For the seller shall not return to what has been sold,
Though he may still be alive;
For the vision concerns the whole multitude,
And it shall not turn back;
No one will strengthen himself
Who lives in iniquity.
14 ‘They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready,
But no one goes to battle;
For My wrath is on all their multitude.
15 (N)The sword is outside,
And the pestilence and famine within.
Whoever is in the field
Will die by the sword;
And whoever is in the city,
Famine and pestilence will devour him.
16 ‘Those who (O)survive will escape and be on the mountains
Like doves of the valleys,
All of them mourning,
Each for his iniquity.
17 Every (P)hand will be feeble,
And every knee will be as weak as water.
18 They will also (Q)be girded with sackcloth;
Horror will cover them;
Shame will be on every face,
Baldness on all their heads.
19 ‘They will throw their silver into the streets,
And their gold will be like refuse;
Their (R)silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them
In the day of the wrath of the Lord;
They will not satisfy their souls,
Nor fill their stomachs,
Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.
20 ‘As for the beauty of his ornaments,
He set it in majesty;
(S)But they made from it
The images of their abominations—
Their detestable things;
Therefore I have made it
Like refuse to them.
21 I will give it as (T)plunder
Into the hands of strangers,
And to the wicked of the earth as spoil;
And they shall defile it.
22 I will turn My face from them,
And they will defile My secret place;
For robbers shall enter it and defile it.
23 ‘Make a chain,
For (U)the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the (V)worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be (W)defiled.
25 [c]Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none.
26 (X)Disaster will come upon disaster,
And rumor will be upon rumor.
(Y)Then they will seek a vision from a prophet;
But the law will perish from the priest,
And counsel from the elders.
27 ‘The king will mourn,
The prince will be clothed with desolation,
And the hands of the common people will tremble.
I will do to them according to their way,
And according to what they deserve I will judge them;
Then they shall know that I am the Lord!’ ”
Abominations in the Temple
8 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with (Z)the elders of Judah sitting before me, that (AA)the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. 2 (AB)Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, (AC)like the color of amber. 3 He (AD)stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and (AE)the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and (AF)brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, (AG)where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which (AH)provokes[d] to jealousy. 4 And behold, the (AI)glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I (AJ)saw in the plain.
5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.
6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great (AK)abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” 7 So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.
9 And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” 10 So I went in and saw, and there—every (AL)sort of (AM)creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, [e]portrayed all around on the walls. 11 And there stood before them (AN)seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, (AO)‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ”
13 And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for [f]Tammuz.
15 Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” 16 So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, (AP)between the porch and the altar, (AQ)were about twenty-five men (AR)with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping (AS)the sun toward the east.
17 And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have (AT)filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. 18 (AU)Therefore I also will act in fury. My (AV)eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they (AW)cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”
The Wicked Are Slain
9 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a [g]deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his [h]battle-ax in his hand. (AX)One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn [i]at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now (AY)the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the [j]temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put (AZ)a mark on the foreheads of the men (BA)who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 To the others He said in my [k]hearing, “Go after him through the city and (BB)kill;[l] (BC)do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 (BD)Utterly[m] slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but (BE)do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and (BF)begin at My sanctuary.” (BG)So they began with the elders who were before the [n]temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the [o]temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.
8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I (BH)fell on my face and cried out, and said, (BI)“Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”
9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and (BJ)the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, (BK)‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and (BL)the Lord does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My (BM)eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but (BN)I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”
11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 7:9 Lit. give
- Ezekiel 7:11 Or their wealth
- Ezekiel 7:25 Lit. Shuddering
- Ezekiel 8:3 Arouses the Lord’s jealousy
- Ezekiel 8:10 Or carved
- Ezekiel 8:14 A Sumerian fertility god similar to the Gr. god Adonis
- Ezekiel 9:1 Or destroying
- Ezekiel 9:2 Lit. shattering weapon
- Ezekiel 9:2 Lit. upon his loins
- Ezekiel 9:3 Lit. house
- Ezekiel 9:5 Lit. ears
- Ezekiel 9:5 Lit. strike
- Ezekiel 9:6 Lit. Slay to destruction
- Ezekiel 9:6 Lit. house
- Ezekiel 9:7 Lit. house
Ezekiel 7-9
New American Standard Bible
Ezekiel 7-9
New American Standard Bible
Punishment for Wickedness Foretold
7 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “And you, son of man, this is what the Lord [a]God says to the land of Israel: ‘An (A)end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. 3 Now the end is upon you, for I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and [b]bring all your abominations upon you. 4 And My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will [c](B)bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will (C)know that I am the Lord!’
5 “This is what the Lord [d]God says: ‘A (D)disaster, a unique disaster, behold, it is coming! 6 An end [e]is coming; the end has come! It has (E)awakened against you; behold, it has come! 7 Your [f]doom has come to you, you inhabitant of the land. The (F)time has come, the (G)day is near—panic rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. 8 Now I will shortly (H)pour out My wrath on you and expend My anger against you; I will (I)judge you according to your ways and [g]bring on you all your abominations. 9 My eye will have no pity nor will I spare you. I will [h]repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the Lord, am striking.
10 ‘Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your [i]doom has gone forth; the (J)rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. 11 Violence [j]has grown into a rod of (K)wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their [k]people, none of their (L)wealth, nor anything eminent among them. 12 The (M)time has come, the day has arrived. Let neither the (N)buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn; for (O)wrath is against all their multitude. 13 Indeed, the seller will not [l](P)regain [m]what he sold as long as [n]they both live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not [o]be averted, nor will any of them maintain his life by his wrongdoing.
14 ‘They have (Q)blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all [p]their multitude. 15 The (R)sword is outside the city and the plague and the famine are within. Anyone who is in the field will die by the sword, while famine and the plague will consume those in the city. 16 Even when their survivors (S)escape, they will be on the mountains like (T)doves of the valleys, all of them (U)moaning, each over his own wrongdoing. 17 All (V)hands will hang limp, and all [q]knees will drip with water. 18 They will (W)put on sackcloth and (X)shuddering will overwhelm them; and shame will be on all faces, and a [r](Y)bald patch on all their heads. 19 They will (Z)fling their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their (AA)silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their [s]appetite, nor can they fill their stomachs, because their wrongdoing has become a cause of stumbling.
The Temple Profaned
20 Moreover, they transformed the splendor of His jewels into pride, and (AB)they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an abhorrent thing to them. 21 And I will hand it over to the (AC)foreigners as plunder, and to the wicked of the earth as spoils; and they will profane it. 22 I will also turn My (AD)face away from them, and they will profane My treasure; then robbers will enter and profane it.
23 ‘(AE)Make the [t]chain, for the land is full of [u](AF)bloody crimes, and the city is (AG)full of violence. 24 Therefore, I will bring the worst of the (AH)nations, and they will take possession of their houses. I will also put an end to the (AI)pride of the strong ones, and their (AJ)holy places will be profaned. 25 When anguish comes, they will seek (AK)peace, but there will be none. 26 (AL)Disaster will come upon disaster and (AM)rumor will be added to rumor; then they will seek a (AN)vision from a prophet, but the (AO)Law will be lost from the priest, and (AP)counsel from the elders. 27 The king will mourn, the prince will be (AQ)clothed in horror, and the hands of the people of the land will [v]tremble. I will deal with them because of their conduct, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Vision of Abominations in Jerusalem
8 Now it came about in the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord [w]God fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and behold, something like the appearance of [x]a man; from His waist and downward there was the (AR)appearance of fire, and from His waist and upward like the appearance of a glow, like (AS)gleaming [y]metal. 3 And He extended the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; and the (AT)Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the [z]north gate of the inner courtyard, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which (AU)provokes to jealousy, was located. 4 And behold, the (AV)glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain.
5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, (AW)raise your eyes now toward the north.” So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this (AX)idol of jealousy at the entrance. 6 And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great (AY)abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations!”
7 Then He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. 8 And He said to me, “Son of man, now (AZ)dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. 9 Then He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of crawling things and animals and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. 11 And standing in front of them were (BA)seventy (BB)elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his (BC)censer in his hand; and the fragrance of the cloud of incense was rising. 12 Then He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each man in the rooms of his carved images? For they say, ‘(BD)The Lord does not see us; the Lord has (BE)abandoned the land.’” 13 And He said to me, “Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing!”
14 Then He brought me to the entrance of the (BF)gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for [aa]Tammuz. 15 And He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these!”
16 Then He brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord’s house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their (BG)backs to the temple of the Lord while their faces were toward the east; and (BH)they were [ab]prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun. 17 And He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it a trivial thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have (BI)filled the land with violence and (BJ)provoked Me to anger repeatedly? Yet behold, they are [ac]putting the twig to their nose! 18 Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and (BK)though they cry out in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.”
The Vision of Slaughter
9 Then He cried out in my [ad]presence with a loud (BL)voice, saying, “Come forward, you [ae]executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.” 2 And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his smashing weapon in his hand; and among them was (BM)one man clothed in linen with a scribe’s kit at his waist. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Then the (BN)glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the [af]temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose waist was the scribe’s kit. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a (BO)mark on the foreheads of the people who (BP)groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” 5 But to the others He said in my [ag]presence, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. 6 [ah]Utterly (BQ)kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not (BR)touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall (BS)start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the [ai]elders who were before the [aj]temple. 7 He also said to them, “(BT)Defile the [ak]temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!” So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city. 8 And as they were striking the people and I alone was left, I (BU)fell on my face and cried out, [al]saying, “(BV)Oh, Lord [am]God! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel [an]by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”
9 Then He said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is (BW)filled with blood, and the city is (BX)full of perversion; for (BY)they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land, and the Lord does not see!’ 10 But as for Me, (BZ)My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but (CA)I will bring their conduct upon their heads.”
11 Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe’s kit, [ao]reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 7:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Ezekiel 7:3 Lit give
- Ezekiel 7:4 Lit give
- Ezekiel 7:5 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Ezekiel 7:6 Or has come
- Ezekiel 7:7 Meaning uncertain
- Ezekiel 7:8 Lit give
- Ezekiel 7:9 Lit give
- Ezekiel 7:10 Meaning uncertain
- Ezekiel 7:11 Lit has risen
- Ezekiel 7:11 Or procession
- Ezekiel 7:13 Lit return to
- Ezekiel 7:13 Lit the thing sold; i.e., his inherited land
- Ezekiel 7:13 Lit their life among the living ones
- Ezekiel 7:13 Lit return
- Ezekiel 7:14 Lit her
- Ezekiel 7:17 Heb idiom meaning to wet oneself
- Ezekiel 7:18 I.e., shaved as a sign of mourning
- Ezekiel 7:19 Lit soul
- Ezekiel 7:23 I.e., used for imprisonment
- Ezekiel 7:23 Lit judgment of blood
- Ezekiel 7:27 Lit be horrified
- Ezekiel 8:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Ezekiel 8:2 As in LXX; MT fire
- Ezekiel 8:2 Heb uncertain; Gr indicates a gold and silver alloy
- Ezekiel 8:3 Lit facing north
- Ezekiel 8:14 I.e., a Babylonian god
- Ezekiel 8:16 I.e., worshiping
- Ezekiel 8:17 Possibly an obscene gesture toward God
- Ezekiel 9:1 Lit ears
- Ezekiel 9:1 Lit punishers
- Ezekiel 9:3 Lit house
- Ezekiel 9:5 Lit ears
- Ezekiel 9:6 Lit To destruction
- Ezekiel 9:6 Or old men
- Ezekiel 9:6 Lit house
- Ezekiel 9:7 Lit house
- Ezekiel 9:8 Lit and said
- Ezekiel 9:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Ezekiel 9:8 Lit by Your pouring
- Ezekiel 9:11 Lit brought back word
Ezekiel 7-9
New Living Translation
Ezekiel 7-9
New Living Translation
The Coming of the End
7 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:
“The end is here!
Wherever you look—
east, west, north, or south—
your land is finished.
3 No hope remains,
for I will unleash my anger against you.
I will call you to account
for all your detestable sins.
4 I will turn my eyes away and show no pity.
I will repay you for all your detestable sins.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Disaster after disaster
is coming your way!
6 The end has come.
It has finally arrived.
Your final doom is waiting!
7 O people of Israel, the day of your destruction is dawning.
The time has come; the day of trouble is near.
Shouts of anguish will be heard on the mountains,
not shouts of joy.
8 Soon I will pour out my fury on you
and unleash my anger against you.
I will call you to account
for all your detestable sins.
9 I will turn my eyes away and show no pity.
I will repay you for all your detestable sins.
Then you will know that it is I, the Lord,
who is striking the blow.
10 “The day of judgment is here;
your destruction awaits!
The people’s wickedness and pride
have blossomed to full flower.
11 Their violence has grown into a rod
that will beat them for their wickedness.
None of these proud and wicked people will survive.
All their wealth and prestige will be swept away.
12 Yes, the time has come;
the day is here!
Buyers should not rejoice over bargains,
nor sellers grieve over losses,
for all of them will fall
under my terrible anger.
13 Even if the merchants survive,
they will never return to their business.
For what God has said applies to everyone—
it will not be changed!
Not one person whose life is twisted by sin
will ever recover.
The Desolation of Israel
14 “The trumpet calls Israel’s army to mobilize,
but no one listens,
for my fury is against them all.
15 There is war outside the city
and disease and famine within.
Those outside the city walls
will be killed by enemy swords.
Those inside the city
will die of famine and disease.
16 The survivors who escape to the mountains
will moan like doves, weeping for their sins.
17 Their hands will hang limp,
their knees will be weak as water.
18 They will dress themselves in burlap;
horror and shame will cover them.
They will shave their heads
in sorrow and remorse.
19 “They will throw their money in the streets,
tossing it out like worthless trash.
Their silver and gold won’t save them
on that day of the Lord’s anger.
It will neither satisfy nor feed them,
for their greed can only trip them up.
20 They were proud of their beautiful jewelry
and used it to make detestable idols and vile images.
Therefore, I will make all their wealth
disgusting to them.
21 I will give it as plunder to foreigners,
to the most wicked of nations,
and they will defile it.
22 I will turn my eyes from them
as these robbers invade and defile my treasured land.
23 “Prepare chains for my people,
for the land is bloodied by terrible crimes.
Jerusalem is filled with violence.
24 I will bring the most ruthless of nations
to occupy their homes.
I will break down their proud fortresses
and defile their sanctuaries.
25 Terror and trembling will overcome my people.
They will look for peace but not find it.
26 Calamity will follow calamity;
rumor will follow rumor.
They will look in vain
for a vision from the prophets.
They will receive no teaching from the priests
and no counsel from the leaders.
27 The king and the prince will stand helpless,
weeping in despair,
and the people’s hands
will tremble with fear.
I will bring on them
the evil they have done to others,
and they will receive the punishment
they so richly deserve.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Idolatry in the Temple
8 Then on September 17,[a] during the sixth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, while the leaders of Judah were in my home, the Sovereign Lord took hold of me. 2 I saw a figure that appeared to be a man.[b] From what appeared to be his waist down, he looked like a burning flame. From the waist up he looked like gleaming amber.[c] 3 He reached out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hair. Then the Spirit lifted me up into the sky and transported me to Jerusalem in a vision from God. I was taken to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple, where there is a large idol that has made the Lord very jealous. 4 Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel was there, just as I had seen it before in the valley.
5 Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate near the altar, stood the idol that had made the Lord so jealous.
6 “Son of man,” he said, “do you see what they are doing? Do you see the detestable sins the people of Israel are committing to drive me from my Temple? But come, and you will see even more detestable sins than these!” 7 Then he brought me to the door of the Temple courtyard, where I could see a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Now, son of man, dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and found a hidden doorway.
9 “Go in,” he said, “and see the wicked and detestable sins they are committing in there!” 10 So I went in and saw the walls covered with engravings of all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. I also saw the various idols[d] worshiped by the people of Israel. 11 Seventy leaders of Israel were standing there with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan in the center. Each of them held an incense burner, from which a cloud of incense rose above their heads.
12 Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us; he has deserted our land!’” 13 Then the Lord added, “Come, and I will show you even more detestable sins than these!”
14 He brought me to the north gate of the Lord’s Temple, and some women were sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz. 15 “Have you seen this?” he asked. “But I will show you even more detestable sins than these!”
16 Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. At the entrance to the sanctuary, between the entry room and the bronze altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the sanctuary of the Lord. They were facing east, bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun!
17 “Have you seen this, son of man?” he asked. “Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these detestable sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at me, and provoking my anger? 18 Therefore, I will respond in fury. I will neither pity nor spare them. And though they cry for mercy, I will not listen.”
The Slaughter of Idolaters
9 Then the Lord thundered, “Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!” 2 Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer’s case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case. 4 He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”
5 Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! 6 Kill them all—old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin right here at the Temple.” So they began by killing the seventy leaders.
7 “Defile the Temple!” the Lord commanded. “Fill its courtyards with corpses. Go!” So they went and began killing throughout the city.
8 While they were out killing, I was all alone. I fell face down on the ground and cried out, “O Sovereign Lord! Will your fury against Jerusalem wipe out everyone left in Israel?”
9 Then he said to me, “The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see it! The Lord has abandoned the land!’ 10 So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done.”
11 Then the man in linen clothing, who carried the writer’s case, reported back and said, “I have done as you commanded.”
Footnotes
- 8:1 Hebrew on the fifth [day] of the sixth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event occurred on September 17, 592 B.c.; also see note on 1:1.
- 8:2a As in Greek version; Hebrew reads appeared to be fire.
- 8:2b Or like burnished metal.
- 8:10 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung.
Ezekiel 7-9
The Message
Ezekiel 7-9
The Message
Fate Has Caught Up with You
7 1-4 God’s Word came to me, saying, “You, son of man—God, the Master, has this Message for the land of Israel:
“‘Endtime.
The end of business as usual for everyone.
It’s all over. The end is upon you.
I’ve launched my anger against you.
I’ve issued my verdict on the way you live.
I’ll make you pay for your disgusting obscenities.
I won’t look the other way,
I won’t feel sorry for you.
I’ll make you pay for the way you’ve lived:
Your disgusting obscenities will boomerang on you,
and you’ll realize that I am God.’
5-9 “I, God, the Master, say:
‘Disaster after disaster! Look, it comes!
Endtime—
the end comes.
The end is ripe. Watch out, it’s coming!
This is your fate, you who live in this land.
Time’s up.
It’s zero hour.
No dragging of feet now,
no bargaining for more time.
Soon now I’ll pour my wrath on you,
pay out my anger against you,
Render my verdict on the way you’ve lived,
make you pay for your disgusting obscenities.
I won’t look the other way,
I won’t feel sorry for you.
I’ll make you pay for the way you’ve lived.
Your disgusting obscenities will boomerang on you.
Then you’ll realize
that it is I, God, who have hit you.
10-13 “‘Judgment Day!
Fate has caught up with you.
The scepter outsized and pretentious,
pride bursting all bounds,
Violence strutting,
brandishing the evil scepter.
But there’s nothing to them,
and nothing will be left of them.
Time’s up.
Countdown: five, four, three, two . . .
Buyer, don’t boast; seller, don’t worry:
Judgment wrath has turned the world topsy-turvy.
The bottom has dropped out of buying and selling.
It will never be the same again.
But don’t fantasize an upturn in the market.
The country is bankrupt because of its sins,
and it’s not going to get any better.
14-16 “‘The trumpet signals the call to battle:
“Present arms!”
But no one marches into battle.
My wrath has them paralyzed!
On the open roads you’re killed,
or else you go home and die of hunger and disease.
Either get murdered out in the country
or die of sickness or hunger in town.
Survivors run for the hills.
They moan like doves in the valleys,
Each one moaning
for his own sins.
17-18 “‘Every hand hangs limp,
every knee turns to rubber.
They dress in rough burlap—
sorry scarecrows,
Shifty and shamefaced,
with their heads shaved bald.
19-27 “‘They throw their money into the gutters.
Their hard-earned cash stinks like garbage.
They find that it won’t buy a thing
they either want or need on Judgment Day.
They tripped on money
and fell into sin.
Proud and pretentious with their jewels,
they deck out their vile and vulgar no-gods in finery.
I’ll make those god-obscenities a stench in their nostrils.
I’ll give away their religious junk—
strangers will pick it up for free,
the godless spit on it and make jokes.
I’ll turn my face so I won’t have to look
as my treasured place and people are violated,
As violent strangers walk in
and desecrate place and people—
A bloody massacre,
as crime and violence fill the city.
I’ll bring in the dregs of humanity
to move into their houses.
I’ll put a stop to the boasting and strutting
of the high-and-mighty,
And see to it that there’ll be nothing holy
left in their holy places.
Catastrophe descends. They look for peace,
but there’s no peace to be found—
Disaster on the heels of disaster,
one rumor after another.
They clamor for the prophet to tell them what’s up,
but nobody knows anything.
Priests don’t have a clue;
the elders don’t know what to say.
The king holds his head in despair;
the prince is devastated.
The common people are paralyzed.
Gripped by fear, they can’t move.
I’ll deal with them where they are,
judge them on their terms.
They’ll know that I am God.’”
The Spirit Carried Me in Visions
8 1-4 In the sixth year, in the sixth month and the fifth day, while I was sitting at home meeting with the leaders of Judah, it happened that the hand of my Master, God, gripped me. When I looked, I was astonished. What I saw looked like a man—from the waist down like fire and from the waist up like highly burnished bronze. He reached out what looked like a hand and grabbed me by the hair. The Spirit swept me high in the air and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple’s inside court where the image of the sex goddess that makes God so angry had been set up. Right before me was the Glory of the God of Israel, exactly like the vision I had seen out on the plain.
5 He said to me, “Son of man, look north.” I looked north and saw it: Just north of the entrance loomed the altar of the sex goddess, Asherah, that makes God so angry.
6 Then he said, “Son of man, do you see what they’re doing? Outrageous obscenities! And doing them right here! It’s enough to drive me right out of my own Temple. But you’re going to see worse yet.”
* * *
7 He brought me to the door of the Temple court. I looked and saw a gaping hole in the wall.
8 He said, “Son of man, dig through the wall.”
I dug through the wall and came upon a door.
9 He said, “Now walk through the door and take a look at the obscenities they’re engaging in.”
10-11 I entered and looked. I couldn’t believe my eyes: Painted all over the walls were pictures of reptiles and animals and monsters—the whole pantheon of Egyptian gods and goddesses—being worshiped by Israel. In the middle of the room were seventy of the leaders of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing in the middle. Each held his censer with the incense rising in a fragrant cloud.
12 He said, “Son of man, do you see what the elders are doing here in the dark, each one before his favorite god-picture? They tell themselves, ‘God doesn’t see us. God has forsaken the country.’”
13 Then he said, “You’re going to see worse yet.”
* * *
14-15 He took me to the entrance at the north gate of the Temple of God. I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz, the Babylonian fertility god. He said, “Have you gotten an eyeful, son of man? You’re going to see worse yet.”
* * *
16 Finally, he took me to the inside court of the Temple of God. There between the porch and the altar were about twenty-five men. Their backs were to God’s Temple. They were facing east, bowing in worship to the sun.
17-18 He said, “Have you seen enough, son of man? Isn’t it bad enough that Judah engages in these outrageous obscenities? They fill the country with violence and now provoke me even further with their obscene gestures. That’s it. They have an angry God on their hands! From now on, no mercy. They can shout all they want, but I’m not listening.”
A Mark on the Forehead
9 Then I heard him call out loudly, “Executioners, come! And bring your deadly weapons with you.”
2 Six men came down the road from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying his lethal weapon. With them was a man dressed in linen with a writing case slung from his shoulder. They entered and stood by the bronze altar.
3-4 The Glory of the God of Israel ascended from his usual place above the cherubim-angels, moved to the threshold of the Temple, and called to the man with the writing case who was dressed in linen: “Go through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is in anguish over the outrageous obscenities being done in the city.”
5-6 I listened as he went on to address the executioners: “Follow him through the city and kill. Feel sorry for no one. Show no compassion. Kill old men and women, young men and women, mothers and children. But don’t lay a hand on anyone with the mark. Start at my Temple.”
They started with the leaders in front of the Temple.
7-8 He told the executioners, “Desecrate the Temple. Fill it with corpses. Then go out and continue the killing.” So they went out and struck the city.
While the massacre went forward, I was left alone. I fell on my face in prayer: “Oh, oh, God, my Master! Are you going to kill everyone left in Israel in this pouring out of your anger on Jerusalem?”
9-10 He said, “The guilt of Israel and Judah is enormous. The land is swollen with murder. The city is bloated with injustice. They all say, ‘God has forsaken the country. He doesn’t see anything we do.’ Well, I do see, and I’m not feeling sorry for any of them. They’re going to pay for what they’ve done.”
11 Just then, the man dressed in linen and carrying the writing case came back and reported, “I’ve done what you told me.”
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The Message (MSG)
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