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Ezekiel 17:1-20:32
New English Translation

A Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, offer a riddle,[a] and tell a parable to the house of Israel. 3 Say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:[b]

“‘A great eagle[c] with broad wings, long feathers,[d]
with full plumage that was multi-hued,[e]
came to Lebanon[f] and took the top of the cedar.
4 He plucked off its topmost shoot;
he brought it to a land of merchants
and planted it in a city of traders.
5 He took one of the seedlings[g] of the land,
placed it in a cultivated plot;[h]
a shoot by abundant water,
like a willow he planted it.
6 It sprouted and became a vine,
spreading low to the ground;[i]
its branches turning toward him,[j] its roots were under itself.[k]
So it became a vine; it produced shoots and sent out branches.
7 “‘There was another great eagle[l]

with broad wings and thick plumage.
Now this vine twisted its roots toward him
and sent its branches toward him
to be watered from the soil where it was planted.
8 In a good field, by abundant waters, it was planted
to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a beautiful vine.’

9 “Say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Will it prosper?
Will he not rip out its roots
and cause its fruit to rot[m] and wither?
All its foliage[n] will wither.
No strong arm or large army
will be needed to pull it out by its roots.[o]
10 Consider! It is planted, but will it prosper?
Will it not wither completely when the east wind blows on it?
Will it not wither in the soil where it sprouted?’”

11 Then the Lord’s message came to me: 12 “Say to the rebellious house of Israel:[p] ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’[q] Say: ‘See here, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took her king and her officials prisoner and brought them to himself in Babylon. 13 He took one from the royal family,[r] made a treaty with him, and put him under oath.[s] He then took the leaders of the land 14 so it would be a lowly kingdom that could not rise on its own but had to keep its treaty with him in order to stand. 15 But this one from Israel’s royal family[t] rebelled against the king of Babylon[u] by sending his emissaries to Egypt to obtain horses and a large army. Will he prosper? Will the one doing these things escape? Can he break the covenant and escape?

16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, surely in the city[v] of the king who crowned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—in the middle of Babylon he will die! 17 Pharaoh with his great army and mighty horde will not help[w] him in battle, when siege ramps are erected and siege walls are built to kill many people. 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Take note[x]—he gave his promise[y] and did all these things. He will not escape!

19 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will certainly repay him[z] for despising my oath and breaking my covenant! 20 I will throw my net over him and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and judge him there because of the unfaithfulness he committed against me. 21 All the choice men[aa] among his troops will die[ab] by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken!

22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘I will take a sprig[ac] from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it.[ad]
I will pluck from the top one of its tender twigs;
I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
23 I will plant it on a high mountain of Israel,
and it will raise branches and produce fruit and become a beautiful cedar.
Every bird will live under it;
Every winged creature will live in the shade of its branches.
24 All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord.
I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree.
I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout.
I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it!’”

Individual Retribution

18 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel:

“‘The fathers eat sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth become numb?’[ae]

3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord,[af] you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore! 4 Indeed! All lives are mine—the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one[ag] who sins will die.

5 “Suppose a man is righteous. He practices what is just and right, 6 does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains[ah] or pray to the idols[ai] of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, does not approach a woman for marital relations[aj] during her period, 7 does not oppress anyone, but gives the debtor back whatever was given in pledge,[ak] does not commit robbery,[al] but gives his bread to the hungry and clothes the naked, 8 does not engage in usury or charge interest,[am] but refrains[an] from wrongdoing, promotes true justice[ao] between men, 9 and follows my statutes and observes my regulations by carrying them out.[ap] That man[aq] is righteous; he will certainly live,[ar] declares the Sovereign Lord.

10 “Suppose such a man has[as] a violent son who sheds blood and does any of these things[at] mentioned previously 11 (though the father did not do any of them).[au] He eats pagan sacrifices on the mountains,[av] defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and the needy,[aw] commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to[ax] idols, performs abominable acts, 13 engages in usury, and charges interest. Will he live? He will not! Because he has done all these abominable deeds he will certainly die.[ay] He will bear the responsibility for his own death.[az]

14 “But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father’s example.[ba] 15 He does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains, does not pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, 16 does not oppress anyone or keep what has been given in pledge, does not commit robbery, gives his food to the hungry and clothes the naked, 17 refrains from wrongdoing,[bb] does not engage in usury or charge interest, carries out my regulations, and follows my statutes. He will not die for his father’s iniquity;[bc] he will surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practices extortion, robs his brother, and does what is not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not suffer[bd] for his father’s iniquity?’ When the son does what is just and right, and observes all my statutes and carries them out, he will surely live. 20 The person who sins is the one who will die. A son will not suffer[be] for his father’s iniquity, and a father will not suffer[bf] for his son’s iniquity; the righteous person will be judged according to his righteousness, and the wicked person according to his wickedness.[bg]

21 “But if the wicked person turns from all the sin he has committed and observes all my statutes and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. 22 None of the sins he has committed will be held[bh] against him; because of the righteousness he has done, he will live. 23 Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the Sovereign Lord? Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live?

24 “But if a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing according to all the abominable practices the wicked carry out, will he live? All his righteous acts will not be remembered; because of the unfaithful acts he has done and the sin he has committed, he will die.[bi]

25 “Yet you say, ‘The Lord’s conduct[bj] is unjust!’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust? 26 When a righteous person turns back from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing, he will die for it;[bk] because of the wrongdoing he has done, he will die. 27 When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. 28 Because he considered[bl] and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The Lord’s conduct is unjust!’ Is my conduct unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

30 “Therefore, I will judge each person according to his conduct,[bm] O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent[bn] and turn from all your wickedness; then it will not be an obstacle leading to iniquity.[bo] 31 Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit![bp] Why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no delight in the death of anyone,[bq] declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

Lament for the Princes of Israel

19 “And you, sing[br] a lament for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:

“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!
She lay among young lions;[bs] she reared her cubs.
3 She reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.[bt]
4 The nations heard about him; he was trapped in their pit.
They brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.[bu]
5 “‘When she realized that she waited in vain, her hope was lost.

She took another of her cubs[bv] and made him a young lion.
6 He walked about among the lions; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.
7 He broke down[bw] their strongholds[bx] and devastated their cities.
The land and everything in it was frightened at the sound of his roaring.
8 The nations—the surrounding regions—attacked him.
They threw their net over him; he was caught in their pit.
9 They put him in a collar with hooks;[by]
they brought him to the king of Babylon;
they brought him to prison[bz]
so that his voice would not be heard
any longer on the mountains of Israel.
10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,[ca] planted by water.

It was fruitful and full of branches because it was well-watered.
11 Its boughs were strong, fit[cb] for rulers’ scepters; it reached up into the clouds.
It stood out because of its height and its many branches.[cc]
12 But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground.
The east wind[cd] dried up its fruit;
its strong branches broke off and withered—
a fire consumed them.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.[ce]
14 A fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoot and its fruit.[cf]
No strong branch was left in it, nor a scepter to rule.’

“This is a lament song, and has become a lament song.”

Israel’s Rebellion

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month,[cg] some of the elders[ch] of Israel came to seek[ci] the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 2 The Lord’s message came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me,[cj] declares the Sovereign Lord.’ 4 Are you willing to pronounce judgment on them?[ck] Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers, 5 and say to them:

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore[cl] to the descendants[cm] of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore[cn] to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 6 On that day I swore[co] to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land that I had picked out[cp] for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,[cq] the most beautiful of all lands. 7 I said to them, “Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you,[cr] and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” 8 But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols,[cs] nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out[ct] my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 I acted for the sake of my reputation,[cu] so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived,[cv] before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.[cw]

10 “‘So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them to the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes[cx] and revealed my regulations to them. The one[cy] who carries[cz] them out will live by them![da] 12 I also gave them my Sabbaths[db] as a reminder of our relationship,[dc] so that they would know that I, the Lord, sanctify them.[dd] 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out[de] my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them.[df] 14 I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 I also swore[dg] to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 16 I did this[dh] because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols.[di] 17 Yet I had pity on[dj] them and did not destroy them, so I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

18 “‘But I said to their children[dk] in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations,[dl] nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God; follow my statutes, observe my regulations, and carry them out. 20 Treat my Sabbaths as holy[dm] and they will be a reminder of our relationship,[dn] and then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” 21 But the children[do] rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by carrying them out (the one who obeys[dp] them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out[dq] my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I refrained from doing so[dr] and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 I also swore[ds] to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.[dt] 24 I did this[du] because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on[dv] their fathers’ idols. 25 I also gave[dw] them decrees[dx] that were not good and regulations by which they could not live. 26 I declared them to be defiled because of their sacrifices[dy]—they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire[dz]—so that I might devastate them, so that they would know that I am the Lord.’[ea]

27 “Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this way too your fathers blasphemed me when they were unfaithful to me. 28 I brought them to the land that I swore[eb] to give them, but whenever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there and presented the offerings that provoked me to anger. They offered their soothing aroma there and poured out their drink offerings. 29 So I said to them, “What is this high place you go to?”’ (So it is called “High Place”[ec] to this day.)

30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers[ed] and engage in prostitution with detestable idols? 31 When you present your sacrifices[ee]—when you make your sons pass through the fire—you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me,[ef] O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not allow you to seek me![eg]

32 “‘What you plan[eh] will never happen. You say, “We will be[ei] like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.”[ej]

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 17:2 sn The verb occurs elsewhere in the OT only in Judg 14:12-19, where Samson supplies a riddle.
  2. Ezekiel 17:3 tn The parable assumes the defection of Zedekiah to Egypt and his rejection of Babylonian lordship.
  3. Ezekiel 17:3 sn The great eagle symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar (17:12).
  4. Ezekiel 17:3 tn Hebrew has two words for wings; it is unknown whether they are fully synonymous or whether one term distinguishes a particular part of the wing such as the wing coverts (nearest the shoulder), secondaries (mid-feathers of the wing), or primaries (last and longest section of the wing).
  5. Ezekiel 17:3 tn This term was used in 16:10, 13, and 18 of embroidered cloth.
  6. Ezekiel 17:3 sn In the parable Lebanon apparently refers to Jerusalem (17:12).
  7. Ezekiel 17:5 tn Heb “took of the seed of the land.” For the vine imagery, “seedling” is a better translation, though in its subsequent interpretation the “seed” refers to Zedekiah through its common application to offspring.
  8. Ezekiel 17:5 tn Heb “a field for seed.”
  9. Ezekiel 17:6 tn Heb “short of stature.”
  10. Ezekiel 17:6 tn That is, the eagle.
  11. Ezekiel 17:6 tn Or “him,” i.e., the eagle.
  12. Ezekiel 17:7 sn The phrase another great eagle refers to Pharaoh Hophra.
  13. Ezekiel 17:9 tn The Hebrew root occurs only here in the OT and appears to have the meaning of “strip off.” In application to fruit the meaning may be “cause to rot.”
  14. Ezekiel 17:9 tn Heb “all the טַרְפֵּי (tarpe) of branches.” The word טַרְפֵּי occurs only here in the Bible; its precise meaning is uncertain.
  15. Ezekiel 17:9 tn Or “there will be no strong arm or large army when it is pulled up by the roots.”
  16. Ezekiel 17:12 tn The words “of Israel” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation as a clarification of the referent.sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).
  17. Ezekiel 17:12 sn The narrative description of this interpretation of the riddle is given in 2 Kgs 24:11-15.
  18. Ezekiel 17:13 tn Or “descendants”; Heb “seed” (cf. v. 5).
  19. Ezekiel 17:13 tn Heb “caused him to enter into an oath.”
  20. Ezekiel 17:15 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the member of the royal family, v. 13) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  21. Ezekiel 17:15 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Ezekiel 17:16 tn Heb “place.”
  23. Ezekiel 17:17 tn Heb “deal with” or “work with.”
  24. Ezekiel 17:18 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates being aware of or taking notice of something.
  25. Ezekiel 17:18 sn Heb “hand.” “Giving one’s hand” is a gesture of promise (2 Kgs 10:15).
  26. Ezekiel 17:19 tn Heb “place it on his head.”
  27. Ezekiel 17:21 tc Some manuscripts and versions read “choice men,” while most manuscripts read “fugitives”; the difference arises from the reversal, or metathesis, of two letters, מִבְרָחָיו (mivrakhayv) for מִבְחָריו (mivkharayv).
  28. Ezekiel 17:21 tn Heb “fall.”
  29. Ezekiel 17:22 sn The language is analogous to messianic imagery in Isa 11:1; Zech 3:8; 6:4, although the technical terminology is not the same.
  30. Ezekiel 17:22 tc The LXX lacks “and plant it.”
  31. Ezekiel 18:2 tn This word occurs three times, in the Qal stem here and the parallel passage in Jer 31:29-30, and in the Piel stem at Eccl 10:10. In the latter passage it refers to the bluntness of an ax that has not been sharpened. Here the “bluntness” of the teeth is not due to grinding them down because of the bitter taste of sour grapes but to the fact that they have lost their “edge,” “bite,” or “sharpness” because they are numb from the sour taste. For this meaning for the word, see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:197.
  32. Ezekiel 18:3 tn This expression occurs often in Ezekiel (5:11; 14:16, 18, 20; 16:48; 17:16, 19; 20:3, 31, 33; 33:11, 27; 34:8; 35:6, 11).
  33. Ezekiel 18:4 tn Heb “life.”
  34. Ezekiel 18:6 tn Heb “on the mountains he does not eat.” The mountains are often mentioned as the place where idolatrous sacrifices were eaten (Ezek 20:28; 22:9; 34:6).
  35. Ezekiel 18:6 tn Heb “does not lift up his eyes.” This refers to looking to idols for help.
  36. Ezekiel 18:6 tn The expression קָרַב אֶל (qarav ʾel) means “draw near to” or “approach,” but is also used as a euphemism for the intended purpose of sexual relations (Lev 18:14; Deut 22:14; Isa 8:3).
  37. Ezekiel 18:7 tn Heb “restores to the debtor his pledge.” The root occurs in Exod 22:25 in reference to restoring a man’s garment as a pledge before nightfall.
  38. Ezekiel 18:7 tn The Hebrew term refers to seizure of property, usually by the rich (Isa 3:14; 10:2; Mic 2:2; see Lev 5:21, 22 HT [6:2, 3 ET]).
  39. Ezekiel 18:8 sn This law was given in Lev 25:36.
  40. Ezekiel 18:8 tn Heb, “turns back his hand.”
  41. Ezekiel 18:8 tn Heb “justice of truth.”
  42. Ezekiel 18:9 tc The MT reads לַעֲשׂוֹת אֱמֶת (laʿasot ʾemet, “to do with integrity”), while the LXX reads “to do them,” presupposing לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתָם (laʿasot ʾotam). The ם (mem) and ת (tav) have been reversed in the MT. The LXX reflects the original, supported by similar phrasing in Ezekiel 11:20; 20:19.
  43. Ezekiel 18:9 tn Heb “he.”
  44. Ezekiel 18:9 tn Heb “living, he will live.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
  45. Ezekiel 18:10 tn Heb “begets.”
  46. Ezekiel 18:10 tn Heb “and he does, a brother, from one of these.” If “brother” is retained, it may be an adverbial accusative: “against a brother” (i.e., fellow Israelite). But the form is likely dittographic, as the consonants that spell “brother” אח (alef-het) occur in the following word).
  47. Ezekiel 18:11 tn Heb “and he all of these did not do.” The parenthetical note refers back to the father described in the preceding verses.
  48. Ezekiel 18:11 sn See note on “mountains” in v. 6.
  49. Ezekiel 18:12 sn The poor and needy are often mentioned together in the OT (Deut 24:14; Jer 22:16; Ezek 16:49; Pss 12:6; 35:10; 37:14).
  50. Ezekiel 18:12 tn Heb “lifts up his eyes.”
  51. Ezekiel 18:13 tn Heb “be put to death.” The translation follows an alternative reading that appears in several ancient textual witnesses.
  52. Ezekiel 18:13 tn Heb “his blood will be upon him.”
  53. Ezekiel 18:14 tn Heb “and he sees and does not do likewise.”
  54. Ezekiel 18:17 tc This translation follows the LXX. The MT reads: “restrains his hand from the poor,” which makes no sense here.
  55. Ezekiel 18:17 tn Or “in his father’s punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and in vv. 18, 19, 20; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 24:23; 33:6, 8, 9; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment for iniquity.”
  56. Ezekiel 18:19 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  57. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  58. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  59. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “the righteousness of the righteous one will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked one will be upon him.”
  60. Ezekiel 18:22 tn Heb “remembered.”
  61. Ezekiel 18:24 tn Heb “because of them he will die.”
  62. Ezekiel 18:25 tn Heb “way.”
  63. Ezekiel 18:26 tn Heb “for them” or “because of them.”
  64. Ezekiel 18:28 tn Heb “he saw.”
  65. Ezekiel 18:30 tn Heb “ways.”
  66. Ezekiel 18:30 tn The verbs and persons in this verse are plural whereas the individual has been the subject of the chapter.
  67. Ezekiel 18:30 tn Or “leading to punishment.”
  68. Ezekiel 18:31 sn In Ezek 11:19 and 36:26 the new heart and new spirit are promised as future blessings.
  69. Ezekiel 18:32 tn Heb “the death of the one dying.”
  70. Ezekiel 19:1 tn Heb “lift up.”
  71. Ezekiel 19:2 sn Lions probably refer to Judahite royalty and/or nobility. The lioness appears to symbolize the Davidic dynasty, though some see the referent as Hamutal, the wife of Josiah and mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. The background for Judah being compared to lions seems to be Gen 49:9.
  72. Ezekiel 19:3 tn Heb “a man.”
  73. Ezekiel 19:4 sn The description applies to King Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 23:31-34; Jer 22:10-12).
  74. Ezekiel 19:5 sn The identity of this second lion is unclear; the referent is probably Jehoiakim or Zedekiah. If the lioness is Hamutal, then Zedekiah is the lion described here.
  75. Ezekiel 19:7 tc The Hebrew text reads “knew” but is apparently the result of a ד/ר (dalet/resh) confusion. For a defense of the emendation, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 1:284. However, Allen retains the reading “widows” as the object of the verb, which he understands in the sense of “do harm to,” and translates the line: “He did harm to women by making them widows” (p. 282). The line also appears to be lacking a beat for the meter of the poem.
  76. Ezekiel 19:7 tc The Hebrew text reads “widows” instead of “strongholds,” apparently due to a confusion of ר (resh) and ל (lamed). L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:284) favors the traditional text, understanding “widows” in the sense of “women made widows.” D. I. Block, (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:602) also defends the Hebrew text, arguing that the image is that of a dominant male lion who takes over the pride and by copulating with the females lays claim to his predecessor’s “widows.”
  77. Ezekiel 19:9 tn Or “They put him in a neck stock with hooks.” The noun סּוּגַר (sugar), translated “collar,” occurs only here in the Bible. L. C. Allen and D. I. Block point out a Babylonian cognate that refers to a device for transporting prisoners of war that held them by their necks (D. I. Block, Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:597, n. 35; L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:284). Based on the Hebrew root, the traditional rendering had been “cage” (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  78. Ezekiel 19:9 tc The term in the MT occurs only here and in Eccl 9:12, where it refers to a net for catching fish. The LXX translates this as “prison,” which assumes a confusion of dalet and resh took place in the MT.
  79. Ezekiel 19:10 tc The Hebrew text reads “in your blood,” but most emend to “in your vineyard,” assuming a ב/כ (beth/kaph) confusion. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 1:284. Another attractive emendation assumes a faulty word division and yields the reading “like a vine full of tendrils, which/because…”; see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:607, n. 68.
  80. Ezekiel 19:11 tn The word “fit” does not occur in the Hebrew text.
  81. Ezekiel 19:11 tn Heb “and it was seen by its height and by the abundance of its branches.”
  82. Ezekiel 19:12 sn The east wind symbolizes the Babylonians.
  83. Ezekiel 19:13 sn This metaphor depicts the Babylonian exile of the Davidic dynasty.
  84. Ezekiel 19:14 tn The verse uses language similar to that in Judg 9:20.
  85. Ezekiel 20:1 sn The date would be August 14th, 591 b.c. The seventh year is the seventh year of Jehoiachin’s exile.
  86. Ezekiel 20:1 tn Heb “men from the elders.”
  87. Ezekiel 20:1 tn See the note at 14:3.
  88. Ezekiel 20:3 tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”
  89. Ezekiel 20:4 tn Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment.
  90. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  91. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “seed.”
  92. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  93. Ezekiel 20:6 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand to them.”
  94. Ezekiel 20:6 tn Or “searched out.” The Hebrew word is used to describe the activity of the spies in “spying out” the land of Canaan (Num 13-14); cf. KJV “I had espied for them.”
  95. Ezekiel 20:6 sn The phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey,” a figure of speech describing the land’s abundant fertility, occurs in v. 15 as well as Exod 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Lev 20:24; Num 13:27; Deut 6:3; 11:9; 26:9; 27:3; Josh 5:6; Jer 11:5; 32:23 (see also Deut 1:25; 8:7-9).
  96. Ezekiel 20:7 tn Heb “each one, the detestable things of his eyes, throw away.” The Pentateuch does not refer to the Israelites worshiping idols in Egypt, but Josh 24:14 appears to suggest that they did so.
  97. Ezekiel 20:8 tn Heb “each one, the detestable things of their eyes did not throw away.”
  98. Ezekiel 20:8 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  99. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “for the sake of my name.”
  100. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were.”
  101. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “to whom I made myself known before their eyes to bring them out from the land of Egypt.” The translation understands the infinitive construct (“to bring them out”) as indicating manner. God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt was an act of self-revelation in that it displayed his power and his commitment to his promises.
  102. Ezekiel 20:11 sn The laws were given at Mount Sinai.
  103. Ezekiel 20:11 tn Heb “the man.”
  104. Ezekiel 20:11 tn Heb “does.”
  105. Ezekiel 20:11 tn The wording and the concept are contained in Lev 18:5 and Deut 30:15-19.
  106. Ezekiel 20:12 sn Ezekiel’s contemporary, Jeremiah, also stressed the importance of obedience to the Sabbath law (Jer 17).
  107. Ezekiel 20:12 tn Heb “to become a sign between me and them.”
  108. Ezekiel 20:12 tn Or “set them apart.” The last phrase of verse 12 appears to be a citation of Exod 31:13.
  109. Ezekiel 20:13 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  110. Ezekiel 20:13 tn Heb “to bring them to an end.”
  111. Ezekiel 20:15 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  112. Ezekiel 20:16 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 15-16 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
  113. Ezekiel 20:16 tn Heb “for after their idols their heart was going.” The use of the active participle (“was going”) in the Hebrew text draws attention to the ongoing nature of their idolatrous behavior.
  114. Ezekiel 20:17 tn Heb “my eye pitied.”
  115. Ezekiel 20:18 tn Heb “sons,” reflecting the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
  116. Ezekiel 20:18 tn Or “standard of justice.” See Ezek 7:27.
  117. Ezekiel 20:20 tn Or “set apart my Sabbaths.”
  118. Ezekiel 20:20 tn Heb “and they will become a sign between me and you.”
  119. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Heb “sons.”
  120. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Or “carries them out.”
  121. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  122. Ezekiel 20:22 tn Heb “drew my hand back.” This idiom also occurs in Lam 2:8 and Ps 74:11.
  123. Ezekiel 20:23 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  124. Ezekiel 20:23 sn Though the Pentateuch does not seem to know of this episode, Ps 106:26-27 may speak of God’s oath to exile the people before they had entered Canaan.
  125. Ezekiel 20:24 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 23-24 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
  126. Ezekiel 20:24 tn Or “they worshiped” (NCV, TEV, CEV); Heb “their eyes were on” or “were after” (cf. v. 16).
  127. Ezekiel 20:25 tn Or “permitted.” sn The content of the verse is shocking: that God would “give” bad decrees. This probably does not refer to the Mosaic law but to the practices of the Canaanites who were left in the land in order to test Israel. See Judg 2:20-23, the note on “decrees” here in Ezek 20:25, and the note on “pass through the fire” in v. 26.
  128. Ezekiel 20:25 tn The Hebrew term חֻקּוֹת (khuqqot; translated “statutes” elsewhere in this chapter) is normally feminine. Here Ezekiel changes the form to masculine: חֻקִּים (khuqqim). Further, they are not called “my decrees” as vv. 11 and 13 refer to “my statutes.” The change is a signal that Ezekiel is not talking about the same statutes in vv. 11 and 13, which lead to life.
  129. Ezekiel 20:26 tn Or “gifts.”
  130. Ezekiel 20:26 sn This act is prohibited in Deut 12:29-31 and Jer 7:31; 19:5; 32:35. See also 2 Kgs 21:6; 23:10. This custom indicates that the laws the Israelites were following were the disastrous laws of pagan nations (see Ezek 16:20-21).
  131. Ezekiel 20:26 sn God sometimes punishes sin by inciting the sinner to sin even more, as the biblical examples of divine hardening and deceit make clear. See Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., “Divine Hardening in the Old Testament,” BSac 153 (1996): 410-34; idem, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28. For other instances where the Lord causes individuals to act unwisely or even sinfully as punishment for sin, see 1 Sam 2:25; 2 Sam 17:14; 1 Kgs 12:15; 2 Chr 25:20.
  132. Ezekiel 20:28 tn Heb “that I lifted up my hand.”
  133. Ezekiel 20:29 tn The Hebrew word בָּמָה (bamah) means “high place.”
  134. Ezekiel 20:30 tn Heb “in the way of your fathers.”
  135. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “gifts.”
  136. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “Will I reveal myself to you?”
  137. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”
  138. Ezekiel 20:32 tn Heb “what comes upon your mind.”
  139. Ezekiel 20:32 tn The Hebrew could also read: “Let us be.”
  140. Ezekiel 20:32 tn Heb “serving wood and stone.” sn This verse echoes the content of 1 Sam 8:20.
Listen to Ezekiel 17:1-20:32, James 2:14-3:18
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Ezekiel 17:1-20:32
New International Version

Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.(A) 3 Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle(B) with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon.(C) Taking hold of the top of a cedar, 4 he broke off(D) its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.

5 “‘He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,(E) 6 and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches(F) turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.(G)

7 “‘But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.(H) 8 It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches,(I) bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

9 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.(J) 10 It has been planted,(K) but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?(L)’”

11 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?(M)’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles,(N) bringing them back with him to Babylon.(O) 13 Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty(P) with him, putting him under oath.(Q) He also carried away the leading men(R) of the land, 14 so that the kingdom would be brought low,(S) unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. 15 But the king rebelled(T) against him by sending his envoys to Egypt(U) to get horses and a large army.(V) Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?(W)

16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die(X) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.(Y) 17 Pharaoh(Z) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps(AA) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.(AB) 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge(AC) and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

19 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.(AD) 20 I will spread my net(AE) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment(AF) on him there because he was unfaithful(AG) to me. 21 All his choice troops will fall by the sword,(AH) and the survivors(AI) will be scattered to the winds.(AJ) Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.(AK)

22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot(AL) from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.(AM) 23 On the mountain heights(AN) of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit(AO) and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.(AP) 24 All the trees of the forest(AQ) will know that I the Lord bring down(AR) the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.(AS)

“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.(AT)’”

The One Who Sins Will Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
    and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?(AU)

3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb(AV) in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins(AW) is the one who will die.(AX)

5 “Suppose there is a righteous man
    who does what is just and right.
6 He does not eat at the mountain(AY) shrines
    or look to the idols(AZ) of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
    or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.(BA)
7 He does not oppress(BB) anyone,
    but returns what he took in pledge(BC) for a loan.
He does not commit robbery(BD)
    but gives his food to the hungry(BE)
    and provides clothing for the naked.(BF)
8 He does not lend to them at interest
    or take a profit from them.(BG)
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
    and judges fairly(BH) between two parties.
9 He follows my decrees(BI)
    and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;(BJ)
    he will surely live,(BK)
declares the Sovereign Lord.

10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood(BL) or does any of these other things[a] 11 (though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines.(BM)
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor(BN) and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.(BO)
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.(BP)
13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.(BQ)

Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.(BR)

14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:(BS)

15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines(BT)
    or look to the idols(BU) of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
16 He does not oppress anyone
    or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry(BV)
    and provides clothing for the naked.(BW)
17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
    and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws(BX) and follows my decrees.

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.(BY) 20 The one who sins is the one who will die.(BZ) The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.(CA)

21 “But if(CB) a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees(CC) and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.(CD) 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.(CE) 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased(CF) when they turn from their ways and live?(CG)

24 “But if a righteous person turns(CH) from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness(CI) they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.(CJ)

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’(CK) Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust?(CL) Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life.(CM) 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.(CN) 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent!(CO) Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.(CP) 31 Rid(CQ) yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart(CR) and a new spirit. Why(CS) will you die, people of Israel?(CT) 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent(CU) and live!(CV)

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament(CW) concerning the princes(CX) of Israel 2 and say:

“‘What a lioness(CY) was your mother
    among the lions!
She lay down among them
    and reared her cubs.(CZ)
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
    and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
4 The nations heard about him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(DA)
    to the land of Egypt.(DB)

5 “‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
    her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(DC)
    and made him a strong lion.(DD)
6 He prowled among the lions,
    for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.(DE)
7 He broke down[b] their strongholds
    and devastated(DF) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
    were terrified by his roaring.
8 Then the nations(DG) came against him,
    those from regions round about.
They spread their net(DH) for him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.(DI)
9 With hooks(DJ) they pulled him into a cage
    and brought him to the king of Babylon.(DK)
They put him in prison,
    so his roar(DL) was heard no longer
    on the mountains of Israel.(DM)

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[c](DN)
    planted by the water;(DO)
it was fruitful and full of branches
    because of abundant water.(DP)
11 Its branches were strong,
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
    above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
    and for its many branches.(DQ)
12 But it was uprooted(DR) in fury
    and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(DS) made it shrivel,
    it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
    and fire consumed them.(DT)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(DU)
    in a dry and thirsty land.(DV)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[d] branches
    and consumed(DW) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(DX)

“This is a lament(DY) and is to be used as a lament.”

Rebellious Israel Purged

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire(DZ) of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.(EA)

2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders(EB) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire(EC) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(ED)’

4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors(EE) 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose(EF) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand(EG) to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.(EH)” 6 On that day I swore(EI) to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,(EJ) the most beautiful of all lands.(EK) 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images(EL) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols(EM) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.(EN)”

8 “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;(EO) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.(EP) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.(EQ) 9 But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.(ER) I did it to keep my name from being profaned(ES) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. 10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.(ET) 11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.(EU) 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths(EV) as a sign(EW) between us,(EX) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.(EY)

13 “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled(EZ) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws(FA)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.(FB) So I said I would pour out my wrath(FC) on them and destroy(FD) them in the wilderness.(FE) 14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned(FF) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.(FG) 15 Also with uplifted hand I swore(FH) to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands(FI)— 16 because they rejected my laws(FJ) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts(FK) were devoted to their idols.(FL) 17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy(FM) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. 18 I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents(FN) or keep their laws or defile yourselves(FO) with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God;(FP) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(FQ) 20 Keep my Sabbaths(FR) holy, that they may be a sign(FS) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.(FT)”

21 “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,(FU) of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger(FV) against them in the wilderness.(FW) 22 But I withheld(FX) my hand, and for the sake of my name(FY) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter(FZ) them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees(GA) and desecrated my Sabbaths,(GB) and their eyes lusted after(GC) their parents’ idols.(GD) 25 So I gave(GE) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;(GF) 26 I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice(GG) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.(GH)’

27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors(GI) blasphemed(GJ) me by being unfaithful to me:(GK) 28 When I brought them into the land(GL) I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.(GM) 29 Then I said to them: What is this high place(GN) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah[e] to this day.)

Rebellious Israel Renewed

30 “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves(GO) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?(GP) 31 When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children(GQ) in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.(GR)

32 “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 18:10 Or things to a brother
  2. Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
  3. Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
  4. Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its
  5. Ezekiel 20:29 Bamah means high place.
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James 2:14-3:18
New English Translation

Faith and Works Together

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,[a] if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith[b] save him?[c] 15 If a brother or sister[d] is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs,[e] what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.”[f] Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by[g] my works. 19 You believe that God is one; well and good.[h] Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.[i]

20 But would you like evidence,[j] you empty fellow,[k] that faith without works is useless?[l] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,”[m] and he was called God’s friend.[n] 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

The Power of the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,[o] because you know that we will be judged more strictly.[p] 2 For we all stumble[q] in many ways. If someone does not stumble[r] in what he says,[s] he is a perfect individual,[t] able to control the entire body as well. 3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies.[u] 4 Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. 5 So too the tongue is a small part of the body,[v] yet it has great pretensions.[w] Think[x] how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. 6 And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents[y] the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It[z] pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell.[aa]

7 For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature[ab] is subdued and has been subdued by humankind.[ac] 8 But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless[ad] evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord[ae] and Father, and with it we curse people[af] made in God’s image. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters.[ag] 11 A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters,[ah] or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

True Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings.[ai] 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 15 Such[aj] wisdom does not come[ak] from above but is earthly, natural,[al] demonic. 16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating,[am] full of mercy and good fruit,[an] impartial, and not hypocritical.[ao] 18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness[ap] is planted[aq] in peace among[ar] those who make peace.

Footnotes

  1. James 2:14 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  2. James 2:14 tn Grk “the faith,” referring to the kind of faith just described: faith without works. The article here is anaphoric, referring to the previous mention of the noun πίστις (pistis) in the verse. See ExSyn 219.
  3. James 2:14 sn The form of the question in Greek expects a negative answer.
  4. James 2:15 tn It is important to note that the words ἀδελφός (adelphos) and ἀδελφή (adelphē) both occur in the Greek text at this point, confirming that the author intended to refer to both men and women. See the note on “someone” in 2:2.
  5. James 2:16 tn Grk “what is necessary for the body.”
  6. James 2:18 tn There is considerable doubt about where the words of the “someone” end and where James’ reply begins. Some see the quotation running to the end of v. 18; others to the end of v. 19. But most punctuate as shown above. The “someone” is then an objector, and the sense of his words is something like, “Some have faith; others have works; don’t expect everyone to have both.” James’ reply is that faith cannot exist or be seen without works.
  7. James 2:18 tn Or “from.”
  8. James 2:19 tn Grk “you do well.”
  9. James 2:19 tn Grk “believe and tremble.” The words “with fear” are implied.
  10. James 2:20 tn Grk “do you want to know.”
  11. James 2:20 tn Grk “O empty man.” Here the singular vocative ἄνθρωπε (anthrōpe, “man”) means “person” or even “fellow.” Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).
  12. James 2:20 tc Most witnesses, including several significant ones (א A C2 P Ψ 5 33 81 436 442 1611 1735 1852 2344 2492 M al sy bo), have νεκρά (nekra, “dead”) here, while P74 reads κενή (kenē, “empty”). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ἀργή (argē, “useless”). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while P74’s reading picks up on κενέ (kene) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1175 1243 1739 sa) for ἀργή is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if νεκρά were original, how would ἀργή have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.
  13. James 2:23 sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
  14. James 2:23 sn An allusion to 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; 51:2; Dan 3:35 (LXX), in which Abraham is called God’s “beloved.”
  15. James 3:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  16. James 3:1 tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”
  17. James 3:2 tn Or “fail.”
  18. James 3:2 tn Or “fail.”
  19. James 3:2 tn Grk “in speech.”
  20. James 3:2 tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anēr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person,” as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2).
  21. James 3:3 tn Grk “their entire body.”
  22. James 3:5 tn Grk “a small member.”
  23. James 3:5 tn Grk “boasts of great things.”
  24. James 3:5 tn Grk “Behold.”
  25. James 3:6 tn Grk “makes itself,” “is made.”
  26. James 3:6 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  27. James 3:6 sn The word translated hell is “Gehenna” (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (“Valley of Hinnom”). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2; 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36).
  28. James 3:7 tn Grk (plurals), “every kind of animals and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures.”
  29. James 3:7 tn Grk “the human species.”
  30. James 3:8 tc Most mss (C Ψ 1611 1739c 1244 M as well as a few versions and fathers) read “uncontrollable” (ἀκατασχετόν, akatascheton), while most of the more significant witnesses (א A B K P 1175 1243 1735 1739* latt co) have “restless” (ἀκατάστατον, akatastaton). Externally, the latter reading should be preferred. Internally, however, things get a bit more complex. The notion of being uncontrollable is well suited to the context, especially as a counterbalance to v. 8a, though for this very reason scribes may have been tempted to replace ἀκατάστατον with ἀκατασχετόν. In a semantically parallel early Christian text, ἀκατάστατος (akatastatos) was considered strong enough of a term to denounce slander as “a restless demon” (Herm. 27:3). On the other hand, ἀκατάστατον may have been substituted for ἀκατασχετόν by way of assimilation to 1:8 (especially since both words were relatively rare, scribes may have replaced the less familiar with one that was already used in this letter). On internal evidence, it is difficult to decide, though ἀκατασχετόν is slightly preferred. However, in light of the strong support for ἀκατάστατον, and the less-than-decisive internal evidence, ἀκατάστατον is deemed more likely to be the initial reading.
  31. James 3:9 tc Most later mss (M), along with several versional witnesses, have θεόν (theon, “God”) here instead of κύριον (kurion, “Lord”). Such is a predictable variant since nowhere else in the NT is God described as “Lord and Father,” but he is called “God and Father” on several occasions. Further, the reading κύριον is well supported by early and diversified witnesses (P20 א A B C P Ψ 33 81 945 1241 1739), rendering it as the overwhelmingly preferred reading.
  32. James 3:9 tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώπους (anthrōpous) has generic force, referring to both men and women.
  33. James 3:10 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  34. James 3:12 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  35. James 3:13 tn Grk “works in the gentleness of wisdom.”
  36. James 3:15 tn Grk “This.”
  37. James 3:15 tn Grk “come down”; “descend.”
  38. James 3:15 tn Grk “soulish,” which describes life apart from God, characteristic of earthly human life as opposed to what is spiritual. Cf. 1 Cor 2:14; 15:44-46; Jude 19.
  39. James 3:17 tn Or “willing to yield,” “open to persuasion.”
  40. James 3:17 tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit.”
  41. James 3:17 tn Or “sincere.”
  42. James 3:18 tn Grk “the fruit of righteousness,” meaning righteous living as a fruit, as the thing produced.
  43. James 3:18 tn Grk “is sown.”
  44. James 3:18 tn Or “for,” or possibly “by.”
Close NIV

James 2:14-3:18
New International Version

Faith and Deeds

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?(A) Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.(B) 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?(C) 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.(D)

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds,(E) and I will show you my faith(F) by my deeds.(G) 19 You believe that there is one God.(H) Good! Even the demons believe that(I)—and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]?(J) 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?(K) 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together,(L) and his faith was made complete by what he did.(M) 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b](N) and he was called God’s friend.(O) 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?(P) 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.(Q)

Taming the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers,(R) my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged(S) more strictly.(T) 2 We all stumble(U) in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say(V) is perfect,(W) able to keep their whole body in check.(X)

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.(Y) 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.(Z) Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire,(AA) a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body,(AB) sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.(AC)

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.(AD)

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.(AE) 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?(AF) Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it(AG) by their good life, by deeds(AH) done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition(AI) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.(AJ) 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven(AK) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.(AL) 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition,(AM) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven(AN) is first of all pure; then peace-loving,(AO) considerate, submissive, full of mercy(AP) and good fruit, impartial and sincere.(AQ) 18 Peacemakers(AR) who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead
  2. James 2:23 Gen. 15:6
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