Ezekiel 18:1-25:16

English Standard Version

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“What do you^[a] mean ^(A)by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ^(B)‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? ³^(C)As I live, declares the Lord God, ^(D)this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. ⁴Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: ^(E)the soul who sins shall die.

⁵“If a man is righteous and does ^(F)what is just and right— ⁶if he ^(G)does not eat upon the mountains or ^(H)lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, ^(I)does not defile his neighbor's wife ^(J)or approach ^(K)a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, ⁷^(L)does not oppress anyone, but ^(M)restores to the debtor his pledge, ^(N)commits no robbery, ^(O)gives his bread to the hungry ^(P)and covers the naked with a garment, ⁸^(Q)does not lend at interest ^(R)or take any profit,^[b] withholds his hand from injustice, ^(S)executes true justice between man and man, ⁹^(T)walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; ^(U)he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.

¹⁰“If he fathers a son who is violent, ^(V)a shedder of blood, who does any of these things ¹¹(though he himself did none of these things), ^(W)who even eats upon the mountains, ^(X)defiles his neighbor's wife, ¹²oppresses the poor and needy, ^(Y)commits robbery, ^(Z)does not restore the pledge, ^(AA)lifts up his eyes to the idols, ^(AB)commits abomination, ¹³^(AC)lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; ^(AD)his blood shall be upon himself.

¹⁴“Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: ¹⁵he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, ¹⁶does not oppress anyone, ^(AE)exacts no pledge, ^(AF)commits no robbery, ^(AG)but gives his bread to the hungry ^(AH)and covers the naked with a garment, ¹⁷withholds his hand from iniquity,^[c] takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, ^(AI)and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; ^(AJ)he shall surely live. ¹⁸As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, ^(AK)behold, he shall die for his iniquity.

¹⁹“Yet you say, ^(AL)‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done ^(AM)what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, ^(AN)he shall surely live. ²⁰^(AO)The soul who sins shall die. ^(AP)The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. ^(AQ)The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, ^(AR)and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

²¹^(AS)“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does ^(AT)what is just and right, ^(AU)he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²²^(AV)None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. ²³^(AW)Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? ²⁴^(AX)But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? ^(AY)None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for ^(AZ)the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

²⁵^(BA)“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? ²⁶^(BB)When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. ²⁷Again, ^(BC)when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. ²⁸Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ²⁹Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

³⁰“Therefore ^(BD)I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. ^(BE)Repent and turn from all your transgressions, ^(BF)lest iniquity be your ruin.^[d] ³¹^(BG)Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and ^(BH)make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! ^(BI)Why will you die, O house of Israel? ³²^(BJ)For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; ^(BK)so turn, and live.”

A Lament for the Princes of Israel

19 And you, ^(BL)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, ²and say:

What was your mother? ^(BM)A lioness!
    Among lions she crouched;
in the midst of young lions
    she reared her cubs.
³And she brought up one of her cubs;
    ^(BN)he became a young lion,
^(BO)and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men.
⁴The nations heard about him;
    ^(BP)he was caught in their pit,
^(BQ)and they brought him with hooks
    to the land of Egypt.
⁵When she saw that she waited in vain,
    that her hope was lost,
^(BR)she took another of her cubs
    and made him a young lion.
⁶He prowled among the lions;
    he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men,
⁷and seized^[e] their widows.
    He laid waste their cities,
and the land was appalled and all who were in it
    at the sound of his roaring.
⁸^(BS)Then the nations set against him
    from provinces on every side;
^(BT)they spread their net over him;
    ^(BU)he was taken in their pit.
⁹With hooks ^(BV)they put him in a cage^[f]
    and ^(BW)brought him to the king of Babylon;
    they brought him into custody,
that his voice should no more be heard
    on ^(BX)the mountains of Israel.

¹⁰Your mother was ^(BY)like a vine in a vineyard^[g]
    planted by the water,
^(BZ)fruitful and full of branches
    ^(CA)by reason of abundant water.
¹¹Its strong stems became
    rulers' scepters;
it towered aloft
    among the thick boughs;^[h]
it was seen in its height
    with the mass of its branches.
¹²But the vine was plucked up in fury,
    cast down to the ground;
^(CB)the east wind dried up its fruit;
    they were stripped off and withered.
As for its strong stem,
    fire consumed it.
¹³^(CC)Now it is planted in the wilderness,
    in a dry and thirsty land.
¹⁴^(CD)And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots,
    has consumed its fruit,
^(CE)so that there remains in it no strong stem,
    no scepter for ruling.

This is ^(CF)a lamentation and has become a lamentation.

Israel's Continuing Rebellion

20 ^(CG)In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of ^(CH)the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, ^(CI)and sat before me. ²And the word of the Lord came to me: ³^(CJ)“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? ^(CK)As I live, declares the Lord God, ^(CL)I will not be inquired of by you. ⁴^(CM)Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? ^(CN)Let them know the abominations of their fathers, ⁵and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: ^(CO)On the day when I chose Israel, ^(CP)I swore^[i] to the offspring of the house of Jacob, ^(CQ)making myself known to them in the land of Egypt; ^(CR)I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. ⁶On that day I swore to them that ^(CS)I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land ^(CT)flowing with milk and honey, ^(CU)the most glorious of all lands. ⁷And I said to them, ^(CV)‘Cast away the detestable things ^(CW)your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with ^(CX)the idols of Egypt; ^(CY)I am the Lord your God.’ ⁸^(CZ)But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. ^(DA)None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them ^(DB)and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. ⁹^(DC)But I acted ^(DD)for the sake of my name, ^(DE)that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, ^(DF)in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁰^(DG)So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. ¹¹^(DH)I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, ^(DI)by which, if a person does them, he shall live. ¹²Moreover, I gave them ^(DJ)my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, ^(DK)that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. ¹³^(DL)But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. ^(DM)They did not walk in my statutes but rejected my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; ^(DN)and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned.

^(DO)“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. ¹⁴But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, ^(DP)in whose sight I had brought them out. ¹⁵Moreover, ^(DQ)I swore to them in the wilderness ^(DR)that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land ^(DS)flowing with milk and honey, ^(DT)the most glorious of all lands, ¹⁶because they rejected my rules and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; ^(DU)for their heart went after their idols. ¹⁷Nevertheless, ^(DV)my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or ^(DW)make a full end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸“And I said to ^(DX)their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk ^(DY)in the statutes of your fathers, nor keep their rules, ^(DZ)nor defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹^(EA)I am the Lord your God; ^(EB)walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, ²⁰and ^(EC)keep my Sabbaths holy that ^(ED)they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ ²¹^(EE)But the children ^(EF)rebelled against me. ^(EG)They did not walk in my statutes and were not careful to obey my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live; they profaned my Sabbaths.

^(EH)“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. ²²^(EI)But I withheld my hand ^(EJ)and acted for the sake of my name, ^(EK)that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³^(EL)Moreover, ^(EM)I swore to them in the wilderness ^(EN)that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, ²⁴because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, ^(EO)and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols. ²⁵^(EP)Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, ²⁶and I defiled them through ^(EQ)their very gifts ^(ER)in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it ^(ES)that they might know that I am the Lord.

²⁷“Therefore, ^(ET)son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In this also your fathers blasphemed me, by ^(EU)dealing treacherously with me. ²⁸For when I had brought them into the land that ^(EV)I swore to give them, then wherever they saw ^(EW)any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and there they presented ^(EX)the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing aromas, and there they poured out their drink offerings. ²⁹(I said to them, ^(EY)‘What is the high place to which you go?’ So its name is called Bamah^[j] to this day.)

³⁰“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: ^(EZ)Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go ^(FA)whoring after their detestable things? ³¹When you present your gifts and ^(FB)offer up your children in fire,^[k] you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And ^(FC)shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? ^(FD)As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.

³²^(FE)“What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ^(FF)‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, ^(FG)and worship wood and stone.’

The Lord Will Restore Israel

³³^(FH)“As I live, declares the Lord God, ^(FI)surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and ^(FJ)with wrath poured out I will be king over you. ³⁴^(FK)I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. ³⁵^(FL)And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, ^(FM)and there I will enter into judgment with you ^(FN)face to face. ³⁶^(FO)As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord God. ³⁷I will make you ^(FP)pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. ³⁸^(FQ)I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. ^(FR)I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, ^(FS)but they shall not enter the land of Israel. ^(FT)Then you will know that I am the Lord.

³⁹“As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: ^(FU)Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; ^(FV)but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

⁴⁰^(FW)“For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, declares the Lord God, there ^(FX)all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. ^(FY)There I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. ⁴¹As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when ^(FZ)I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And ^(GA)I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. ⁴²^(GB)And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that ^(GC)I swore to give to your fathers. ⁴³^(GD)And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, ^(GE)and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. ⁴⁴And you shall know that I am the Lord, ^(GF)when I deal with you for my name's sake, ^(GG)not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”

⁴⁵^[l] And the word of the Lord came to me: ⁴⁶^(GH)“Son of man, ^(GI)set your face toward the southland;^[m] ^(GJ)preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb. ⁴⁷Say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, ^(GK)I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every ^(GL)green tree in you and every ^(GM)dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched, and ^(GN)all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. ⁴⁸^(GO)All flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ⁴⁹Then I said, ^(GP)“Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, ^(GQ)‘Is he not a maker of parables?’”

The Lord Has Drawn His Sword

21 ^[n] The word of the Lord came to me: ²^(GR)“Son of man, ^(GS)set your face toward Jerusalem and ^(GT)preach against the sanctuaries.^[o] Prophesy against the land of Israel ³and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: ^(GU)Behold, I am against you and will draw ^(GV)my sword from its sheath and ^(GW)will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. ⁴Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. ⁵^(GX)And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord. I have drawn ^(GY)my sword from its sheath; ^(GZ)it shall not be sheathed again.

⁶“As for you, son of man, ^(HA)groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, ^(HB)groan before their eyes. ⁷^(HC)And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news ^(HD)that it is coming. ^(HE)Every heart will melt, and ^(HF)all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and ^(HG)all knees will be weak as water. ^(HH)Behold, it is ^(HI)coming, and it will be fulfilled,’” declares the Lord God.

⁸And the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹^(HJ)“Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say:

^(HK)“A sword, a sword is sharpened
and also polished,
¹⁰^(HL)sharpened for slaughter,
^(HM)polished to flash like lightning!

(Or ^(HN)shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, ^(HO)with everything of wood.)^[p] ¹¹So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished ^(HP)to be given into the hand of the slayer. ¹²^(HQ)Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. ^(HR)Strike therefore upon your thigh. ¹³For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise ^(HS)the rod?”^[q] declares the Lord God.

¹⁴“As for you, ^(HT)son of man, prophesy. ^(HU)Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, ^(HV)yes, three times,^[r] the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, ¹⁵that their hearts may melt, and many stumble.^[s] At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; ^(HW)it is taken up^[t] for slaughter. ¹⁶Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. ¹⁷I also will ^(HX)clap my hands, ^(HY)and I will satisfy my fury; ^(HZ)I the Lord have spoken.”

¹⁸The word of the Lord came to me again: ¹⁹“As for you, son of man, mark two ways for ^(IA)the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make ^(IB)a signpost; make it ^(IC)at the head of the way to a city. ²⁰Mark a way ^(ID)for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified. ²¹For the king of Babylon stands ^(IE)at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults ^(IF)the teraphim;^[u] he looks at the liver. ²²Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, ^(IG)to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, ^(IH)to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. ²³But to them it will seem like a false divination. ^(II)They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, ^(IJ)that they may be taken.

²⁴“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have made your guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, ^(IK)you shall be taken in hand. ²⁵And you, O profane^[v] ^(IL)wicked one, prince of Israel, ^(IM)whose day has come, ^(IN)the time of your final punishment, ²⁶thus says the Lord God: Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. ^(IO)Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted. ²⁷A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. ^(IP)This also shall not be, ^(IQ)until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him.

²⁸“And you, ^(IR)son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God ^(IS)concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; say, ^(IT)A sword, a sword ^(IU)is drawn for the slaughter. ^(IV)It is polished to consume and to flash like lightning— ²⁹while ^(IW)they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the profane wicked, ^(IX)whose day has come, the time of their final punishment. ³⁰^(IY)Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, ^(IZ)I will judge you. ³¹And ^(JA)I will pour out my indignation upon you; ^(JB)I will blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and I will deliver you into the hands of ^(JC)brutish men, skillful to destroy. ³²You shall be fuel for the fire. Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. ^(JD)You shall be no more remembered, ^(JE)for I the Lord have spoken.”

Israel's Shedding of Blood

22 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²“And you, ^(JF)son of man, ^(JG)will you judge, will you judge ^(JH)the bloody city? ^(JI)Then declare to her all her abominations. ³You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that ^(JJ)her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! ⁴You have become guilty ^(JK)by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought ^(JL)your days near, the appointed time of^[w] your years has come. ^(JM)Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. ⁵Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; ^(JN)your name is defiled; ^(JO)you are full of tumult.

⁶“Behold, ^(JP)the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. ⁷Father and mother ^(JQ)are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner ^(JR)suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow ^(JS)are wronged in you. ⁸^(JT)You have despised my holy things and ^(JU)profaned my Sabbaths. ⁹^(JV)There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you ^(JW)who eat on the mountains; ^(JX)they commit lewdness in your midst. ¹⁰In you ^(JY)men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. ¹¹^(JZ)One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; ^(KA)another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; ^(KB)another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. ¹²In you ^(KC)they take bribes to shed blood; ^(KD)you take interest and profit^[x] and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but ^(KE)me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

¹³“Behold, ^(KF)I strike my hand at ^(KG)the dishonest gain that you have made, and at ^(KH)the blood that has been in your midst. ¹⁴^(KI)Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? ^(KJ)I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. ¹⁵^(KK)I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and ^(KL)I will consume your uncleanness out of you. ¹⁶And ^(KM)you shall be profaned by your own doing ^(KN)in the sight of the nations, ^(KO)and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁷And the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸^(KP)“Son of man, the house of Israel has become ^(KQ)dross to me; all of them are ^(KR)bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are ^(KS)dross of silver. ¹⁹Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. ²⁰As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, ^(KT)to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you ^(KU)in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. ²¹I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. ²²As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord; ^(KV)I have poured out my wrath upon you.”

²³And the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴“Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is ^(KW)not cleansed ^(KX)or rained upon in the day of indignation. ²⁵^(KY)The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is ^(KZ)like a roaring lion ^(LA)tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. ²⁶^(LB)Her priests ^(LC)have done violence to my law and ^(LD)have profaned my holy things. ^(LE)They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and ^(LF)they have disregarded my Sabbaths, ^(LG)so that I am profaned among them. ²⁷^(LH)Her princes in her midst are like wolves ^(LI)tearing the prey, ^(LJ)shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. ²⁸And ^(LK)her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, ^(LL)seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹The people of the land ^(LM)have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and ^(LN)have extorted from the sojourner without justice. ³⁰^(LO)And I sought for a man among them ^(LP)who should build up the wall ^(LQ)and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. ³¹Therefore ^(LR)I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned ^(LS)their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.”

Oholah and Oholibah

23 The word of the Lord came to me: ²^(LT)“Son of man, there were ^(LU)two women, the daughters of one mother. ³^(LV)They played the whore in Egypt; ^(LW)they played the whore ^(LX)in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms^[y] handled. ⁴Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. ^(LY)They became mine, and they ^(LZ)bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is ^(MA)Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

⁵“Oholah played the whore ^(MB)while she was mine, and ^(MC)she lusted after her lovers ^(MD)the Assyrians, warriors ⁶clothed in purple, ^(ME)governors and commanders, ^(MF)all of them desirable young men, ^(MG)horsemen riding on horses. ⁷She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted. ⁸She did not give up her whoring ^(MH)that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her. ⁹Therefore ^(MI)I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. ¹⁰^(MJ)These uncovered her nakedness; ^(MK)they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became ^(ML)a byword among women, ^(MM)when judgment had been executed on her.

¹¹^(MN)“Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became ^(MO)more corrupt than her sister^[z] in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister. ¹²She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, ^(MP)all of them desirable young men. ¹³And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way. ¹⁴But she carried her whoring further. She saw men ^(MQ)portrayed on the wall, the ^(MR)images of ^(MS)the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, ¹⁵wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea. ¹⁶When she saw them, she lusted after them and ^(MT)sent messengers to them ^(MU)in Chaldea. ¹⁷And the Babylonians came to her ^(MV)into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, ^(MW)she turned from them in disgust. ¹⁸When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. ¹⁹Yet she increased her whoring, ^(MX)remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt ²⁰and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. ²¹Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed^[aa] your young breasts.”

²²Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers ^(MY)from whom you turned in disgust, ^(MZ)and I will bring them against you from every side: ²³the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, ^(NA)Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, ^(NB)desirable young men, ^(NC)governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. ²⁴And they shall come against you from the north^[ab] with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. ^(ND)They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and ^(NE)I will commit the judgment to them, and ^(NF)they shall judge you according to their judgments. ²⁵And I will direct my jealousy against you, ^(NG)that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. ^(NH)They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire. ²⁶^(NI)They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. ²⁷^(NJ)Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and ^(NK)your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.

²⁸“For thus says the Lord God: ^(NL)Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, ^(NM)into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, ²⁹and ^(NN)they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor ^(NO)and leave you naked and bare, and ^(NP)the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring ³⁰have brought this upon you, because ^(NQ)you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. ³¹You have gone the way of your sister; ^(NR)therefore I will give ^(NS)her cup into your hand. ³²Thus says the Lord God:

“You shall drink your sister's cup
    that is deep and large;
you shall be laughed at and held in derision,
    for it contains much;
³³you will be filled with ^(NT)drunkenness and sorrow.
^(NU)A cup of horror and desolation,
    the cup of ^(NV)your sister Samaria;
³⁴^(NW)you shall drink it and drain it out,
    and gnaw its shards,
    and tear your breasts;

for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. ³⁵Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because ^(NX)you have forgotten me and ^(NY)cast me behind your back, you yourself ^(NZ)must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring.”

³⁶The Lord said to me: ^(OA)“Son of man, ^(OB)will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. ³⁷For ^(OC)they have committed adultery, ^(OD)and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even ^(OE)offered up^[ac] to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. ³⁸Moreover, this they have done to me: ^(OF)they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and ^(OG)profaned my Sabbaths. ³⁹For when ^(OH)they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day ^(OI)they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, ^(OJ)this is what they did in my house. ⁴⁰They even sent for men to come from afar, ^(OK)to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, ^(OL)painted your eyes, ^(OM)and adorned yourself with ornaments. ⁴¹You sat on ^(ON)a stately couch, with a table spread before it ^(OO)on which you had placed my incense and ^(OP)my oil. ⁴²The ^(OQ)sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards^[ad] were brought from the wilderness; and they put ^(OR)bracelets on the hands of the women, and ^(OS)beautiful crowns on their heads.

⁴³“Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!’^[ae] ⁴⁴For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women! ⁴⁵But righteous men ^(OT)shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.”

⁴⁶For thus says the Lord God: ^(OU)“Bring up a vast host against them, and make them ^(OV)an object of terror and ^(OW)a plunder. ⁴⁷^(OX)And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. ^(OY)They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and ^(OZ)burn up their houses. ⁴⁸^(PA)Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done. ⁴⁹And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and ^(PB)you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and ^(PC)you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

The Siege of Jerusalem

24 ^(PD)In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ²^(PE)“Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. ³And ^(PF)utter a parable to ^(PG)the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:

“Set on ^(PH)the pot, set it on;
    pour in water also;
⁴put in it the pieces of meat,
    all the good pieces, ^(PI)the thigh and the shoulder;
    fill it with choice bones.
⁵Take the choicest one of the flock;
    pile the logs^[af] under it;
boil it well;
    seethe also its bones in it.

⁶“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ^(PJ)Woe to the bloody city, to ^(PK)the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.^[ag] ⁷For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on ^(PL)the bare rock; ^(PM)she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. ⁸To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. ⁹Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! ^(PN)I also will make the pile great. ¹⁰Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices,^[ah] and let the bones be burned up. ¹¹Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, ^(PO)that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. ¹²^(PP)She has wearied herself with toil;^[ai] its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! ¹³On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, ^(PQ)you shall not be cleansed anymore till ^(PR)I have satisfied my fury upon you. ¹⁴^(PS)I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; ^(PT)I will not spare; ^(PU)I will not relent; ^(PV)according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel's Wife Dies

¹⁵The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶^(PW)“Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. ¹⁷Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. ^(PX)Bind on your turban, and ^(PY)put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, ^(PZ)nor eat the bread of men.” ¹⁸So I spoke to the people in the morning, and ^(QA)at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did ^(QB)as I was commanded.

¹⁹And ^(QC)the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” ²⁰Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: ^(QD)Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and ^(QE)your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. ²²And ^(QF)you shall do as I have done; ^(QG)you shall not cover your lips, ^(QH)nor eat the bread of men. ²³^(QI)Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but ^(QJ)you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. ²⁴Thus shall Ezekiel be to you ^(QK)a sign; ^(QL)according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then ^(QM)you will know that I am the Lord God.’

²⁵“As for you, ^(QN)son of man, surely on the day when I take from them ^(QO)their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters, ²⁶^(QP)on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. ²⁷On that day your mouth ^(QQ)will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. ^(QR)So you will be a sign to them, and ^(QS)they will know that I am the Lord.”

Prophecy Against Ammon

25 The word of the Lord came to me: ²^(QT)“Son of man, ^(QU)set your face toward ^(QV)the Ammonites and prophesy against them. ³Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God: ^(QW)Thus says the Lord God, Because you said, ^(QX)‘Aha!’ over my ^(QY)sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile, ⁴therefore behold, I am handing you over to ^(QZ)the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. ⁵I will make ^(RA)Rabbah a ^(RB)pasture for camels and Ammon^[aj] ^(RC)a fold for flocks. ^(RD)Then you will know that I am the Lord. ⁶For thus says the Lord God: Because ^(RE)you have clapped your hands ^(RF)and stamped your feet and ^(RG)rejoiced with all the ^(RH)malice within your soul against the land of Israel, ⁷therefore, behold, ^(RI)I have stretched out my hand against you, and ^(RJ)will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Prophecy Against Moab and Seir

⁸“Thus says the Lord God: Because ^(RK)Moab and ^(RL)Seir^[ak] said, ‘Behold, the ^(RM)house of Judah is like all the other nations,’ ⁹therefore ^(RN)I will lay open the flank of Moab from the cities, from its cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, ^(RO)Beth-jeshimoth, ^(RP)Baal-meon, and ^(RQ)Kiriathaim. ¹⁰I will give it ^(RR)along with the Ammonites ^(RS)to the people of the East as a possession, ^(RT)that the Ammonites may be remembered no more among the nations, ¹¹^(RU)and I will execute judgments upon Moab. ^(RV)Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Prophecy Against Edom

¹²“Thus says the Lord God: Because ^(RW)Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended ^(RX)in taking vengeance on them, ¹³therefore thus says the Lord God, ^(RY)I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from ^(RZ)Teman even to ^(SA)Dedan they shall fall by the sword. ¹⁴And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom ^(SB)by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and ^(SC)they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord God.

Prophecy Against Philistia

¹⁵“Thus says the Lord God: Because ^(SD)the Philistines ^(SE)acted revengefully and took vengeance ^(SF)with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity, ¹⁶therefore thus says the Lord God, ^(SG)Behold, I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off ^(SH)the Cherethites and destroy the rest of the seacoast.

Footnotes

Ezekiel 18:2 The Hebrew for you is plural
Ezekiel 18:8 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor; also verses 13, 17 (compare Leviticus 25:36)
Ezekiel 18:17 Septuagint; Hebrew from the poor
Ezekiel 18:30 Or lest iniquity be your stumbling block
Ezekiel 19:7 Hebrew knew
Ezekiel 19:9 Or in a wooden collar
Ezekiel 19:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts in your blood
Ezekiel 19:11 Or the clouds
Ezekiel 20:5 Hebrew I lifted my hand; twice in this verse; also verses 6, 15, 23, 28, 42
Ezekiel 20:29 Bamah means high place
Ezekiel 20:31 Hebrew and make your children pass through the fire
Ezekiel 20:45 Ch 21:1 in Hebrew
Ezekiel 20:46 Or toward Teman
Ezekiel 21:1 Ch 21:6 in Hebrew
Ezekiel 21:2 Some Hebrew manuscripts, compare Septuagint, Syriac against their sanctuary
Ezekiel 21:10 Probable reading; Hebrew The rod of my son despises everything of wood
Ezekiel 21:13 Or For it is a testing; and what if even the rod despises? It shall not be!
Ezekiel 21:14 Hebrew its third
Ezekiel 21:15 Hebrew many stumbling blocks
Ezekiel 21:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered taken up is uncertain
Ezekiel 21:21 Or household idols
Ezekiel 21:25 Or slain; also verse 29
Ezekiel 22:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts until
Ezekiel 22:12 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor (compare Leviticus 25:36)
Ezekiel 23:3 Hebrew nipples; also verses 8, 21
Ezekiel 23:11 Hebrew than she
Ezekiel 23:21 Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew bosom for the sake of
Ezekiel 23:24 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown
Ezekiel 23:37 Or have even made pass through the fire
Ezekiel 23:42 Or Sabeans
Ezekiel 23:43 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
Ezekiel 24:5 Compare verse 10; Hebrew the bones
Ezekiel 24:6 Hebrew no lot has fallen upon it
Ezekiel 24:10 Or empty out the broth
Ezekiel 24:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Ezekiel 25:5 Hebrew and the Ammonites
Ezekiel 25:8 Septuagint lacks and Seir

Ezekiel 18:1-25:16

New International Version

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’?^(A)

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

⁵“Suppose there is a righteous man
    who does what is just and right.
⁶He does not eat at the mountain^(E) shrines
    or look to the idols^(F) of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
    or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.^(G)
⁷He does not oppress^(H) anyone,
    but returns what he took in pledge^(I) for a loan.
He does not commit robbery^(J)
    but gives his food to the hungry^(K)
    and provides clothing for the naked.^(L)
⁸He does not lend to them at interest
    or take a profit from them.^(M)
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
    and judges fairly^(N) between two parties.
⁹He follows my decrees^(O)
    and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;^(P)
    he will surely live,^(Q)
declares the Sovereign Lord.

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

“He eats at the mountain shrines.^(S)
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
¹²He oppresses the poor^(T) and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.^(U)
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.^(V)
¹³He lends at interest and takes a profit.^(W)

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.^(X)

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:^(Y)

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

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. ¹⁸But 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.^(AE) ²⁰The one who sins is the one who will die.^(AF) 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.^(AG)

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

²⁴“But if a righteous person turns^(AN) 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^(AO) they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.^(AP)

²⁵“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’^(AQ) Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust?^(AR) Is it not your ways that are unjust? ²⁶If 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. ²⁷But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life.^(AS) ²⁸Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.^(AT) ²⁹Yet 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!^(AU) Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.^(AV) ³¹Rid^(AW) yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart^(AX) and a new spirit. Why^(AY) will you die, people of Israel?^(AZ) ³²For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent^(BA) and live!^(BB)

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament^(BC) concerning the princes^(BD) of Israel ²and say:

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

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

¹⁰“‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard^[c]^(BT)
    planted by the water;^(BU)
it was fruitful and full of branches
    because of abundant water.^(BV)
¹¹Its 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.^(BW)
¹²But it was uprooted^(BX) in fury
    and thrown to the ground.
The east wind^(BY) made it shrivel,
    it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
    and fire consumed them.^(BZ)
¹³Now it is planted in the desert,^(CA)
    in a dry and thirsty land.^(CB)
¹⁴Fire spread from one of its main^[d] branches
    and consumed^(CC) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.’^(CD)

“This is a lament^(CE) 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^(CF) of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.^(CG)

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

⁴“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors^(CK) ⁵and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose^(CL) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand^(CM) 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.^(CN)” ⁶On that day I swore^(CO) 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,^(CP) the most beautiful of all lands.^(CQ) ⁷And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images^(CR) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols^(CS) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.^(CT)”

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

¹³“‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled^(DF) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws^(DG)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.^(DH) So I said I would pour out my wrath^(DI) on them and destroy^(DJ) them in the wilderness.^(DK) ¹⁴But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned^(DL) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.^(DM) ¹⁵Also with uplifted hand I swore^(DN) 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^(DO)— ¹⁶because they rejected my laws^(DP) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts^(DQ) were devoted to their idols.^(DR) ¹⁷Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy^(DS) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. ¹⁸I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents^(DT) or keep their laws or defile yourselves^(DU) with their idols. ¹⁹I am the Lord your God;^(DV) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^(DW) ²⁰Keep my Sabbaths^(DX) holy, that they may be a sign^(DY) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.^(DZ)”

²¹“‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,^(EA) 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^(EB) against them in the wilderness.^(EC) ²²But I withheld^(ED) my hand, and for the sake of my name^(EE) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. ²³Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter^(EF) them through the countries, ²⁴because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees^(EG) and desecrated my Sabbaths,^(EH) and their eyes lusted after^(EI) their parents’ idols.^(EJ) ²⁵So I gave^(EK) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;^(EL) ²⁶I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice^(EM) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.^(EN)’

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^(EO) blasphemed^(EP) me by being unfaithful to me:^(EQ) ²⁸When I brought them into the land^(ER) 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.^(ES) ²⁹Then I said to them: What is this high place^(ET) 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^(EU) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?^(EV) ³¹When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children^(EW) 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.^(EX)

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. ³³As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm^(EY) and with outpoured wrath.^(EZ) ³⁴I will bring you from the nations^(FA) and gather^(FB) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand^(FC) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.^(FD) ³⁵I will bring you into the wilderness^(FE) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment^(FF) upon you. ³⁶As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(FG) ³⁷I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,^(FH) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.^(FI) ³⁸I will purge^(FJ) you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^(FK)

³⁹“‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,^(FL) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name^(FM) with your gifts and idols.^(FN) ⁴⁰For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,^(FO) declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings^(FP) and your choice gifts,^[f] along with all your holy sacrifices.^(FQ) ⁴¹I will accept you as fragrant incense^(FR) when I bring you out from the nations and gather^(FS) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy^(FT) through you in the sight of the nations.^(FU) ⁴²Then you will know that I am the Lord,^(FV) when I bring you into the land of Israel,^(FW) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.^(FX) ⁴³There you will remember your conduct^(FY) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves^(FZ) for all the evil you have done.^(GA) ⁴⁴You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake^(GB) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(GC)’”

Prophecy Against the South

⁴⁵The word of the Lord came to me: ⁴⁶“Son of man, set your face toward^(GD) the south; preach against the south and prophesy against^(GE) the forest of the southland.^(GF) ⁴⁷Say to the southern forest:^(GG) ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume^(GH) all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north^(GI) will be scorched by it.^(GJ) ⁴⁸Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.^(GK)’”

⁴⁹Then I said, “Sovereign Lord,^(GL) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?^(GM)’”^[g]

Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment

21 ^[h]The word of the Lord came to me:^(GN) ²“Son of man, set your face against^(GO) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.^(GP) Prophesy against^(GQ) the land of Israel ³and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.^(GR) I will draw my sword^(GS) from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.^(GT) ⁴Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword^(GU) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.^(GV) ⁵Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword^(GW) from its sheath; it will not return^(GX) again.’^(GY)

⁶“Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.^(GZ) ⁷And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?^(HA)’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear^(HB) and every hand go limp;^(HC) every spirit will become faint^(HD) and every leg will be wet with urine.’^(HE) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

⁸The word of the Lord came to me: ⁹“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword,
sharpened and polished—
¹⁰sharpened for the slaughter,^(HF)
polished to flash like lightning!

“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.^(HG)

¹¹“‘The sword is appointed to be polished,^(HH)
    to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
    made ready for the hand of the slayer.
¹²Cry out and wail, son of man,
    for it is against my people;
    it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
    along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.^(HI)

¹³“‘Testing will surely come. And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.’

¹⁴“So then, son of man, prophesy
    and strike your hands^(HJ) together.
Let the sword strike twice,
    even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter—
    a sword for great slaughter,
    closing in on them from every side.^(HK)
¹⁵So that hearts may melt with fear^(HL)
    and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter^[i]
    at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
    it is grasped for slaughter.^(HM)
¹⁶Slash to the right, you sword,
    then to the left,
    wherever your blade is turned.
¹⁷I too will strike my hands^(HN) together,
    and my wrath^(HO) will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.^(HP)”

¹⁸The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁹“Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword^(HQ) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost^(HR) where the road branches off to the city. ²⁰Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites^(HS) and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. ²¹For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots^(HT) with arrows, he will consult his idols,^(HU) he will examine the liver.^(HV) ²²Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry,^(HW) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp^(HX) and to erect siege works.^(HY) ²³It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind^(HZ) them of their guilt^(IA) and take them captive.

²⁴“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.

²⁵“‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come,^(IB) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,^(IC) ²⁶this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.^(ID) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.^(IE) ²⁷A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come;^(IF) to him I will give it.’^(IG)

²⁸“And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites^(IH) and their insults:

“‘A sword,^(II) a sword,
    drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
    and to flash like lightning!
²⁹Despite false visions concerning you
    and lying divinations^(IJ) about you,
it will be laid on the necks
    of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
    whose time of punishment has reached its climax.^(IK)

³⁰“‘Let the sword return to its sheath.^(IL)
    In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,^(IM)
    I will judge you.
³¹I will pour out my wrath on you
    and breathe^(IN) out my fiery anger^(IO) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
    men skilled in destruction.^(IP)
³²You will be fuel for the fire,^(IQ)
    your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered^(IR) no more;
    for I the Lord have spoken.’”

Judgment on Jerusalem’s Sins

22 The word of the Lord came to me:

²“Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed?^(IS) Then confront her with all her detestable practices^(IT) ³and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood^(IU) in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, ⁴you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed^(IV) and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come.^(IW) Therefore I will make you an object of scorn^(IX) to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.^(IY) ⁵Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.^(IZ)

⁶“‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.^(JA) ⁷In you they have treated father and mother with contempt;^(JB) in you they have oppressed the foreigner^(JC) and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.^(JD) ⁸You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.^(JE) ⁹In you are slanderers^(JF) who are bent on shedding blood;^(JG) in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines^(JH) and commit lewd acts.^(JI) ¹⁰In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed;^(JJ) in you are those who violate women during their period,^(JK) when they are ceremonially unclean.^(JL) ¹¹In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife,^(JM) another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,^(JN) and another violates his sister,^(JO) his own father’s daughter.^(JP) ¹²In you are people who accept bribes^(JQ) to shed blood; you take interest^(JR) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.^(JS) And you have forgotten^(JT) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(JU)

¹³“‘I will surely strike my hands^(JV) together at the unjust gain^(JW) you have made and at the blood^(JX) you have shed in your midst.^(JY) ¹⁴Will your courage endure^(JZ) or your hands^(KA) be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken,^(KB) and I will do it.^(KC) ¹⁵I will disperse you among the nations and scatter^(KD) you through the countries; and I will put an end to^(KE) your uncleanness.^(KF) ¹⁶When you have been defiled^[j] in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.’”

¹⁷Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸“Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross^(KG) to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace.^(KH) They are but the dross of silver.^(KI) ¹⁹Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross,^(KJ) I will gather you into Jerusalem. ²⁰As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.^(KK) ²¹I will gather you and I will blow^(KL) on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.^(KM) ²²As silver is melted^(KN) in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath^(KO) on you.’”^(KP)

²³Again the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴“Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’^(KQ) ²⁵There is a conspiracy^(KR) of her princes^[k] within her like a roaring lion^(KS) tearing its prey; they devour people,^(KT) take treasures and precious things and make many widows^(KU) within her. ²⁶Her priests do violence to my law^(KV) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;^(KW) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;^(KX) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned^(KY) among them.^(KZ) ²⁷Her officials^(LA) within her are like wolves^(LB) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people^(LC) to make unjust gain.^(LD) ²⁸Her prophets whitewash^(LE) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.^(LF) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.^(LG) ²⁹The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;^(LH) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,^(LI) denying them justice.^(LJ)

³⁰“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall^(LK) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.^(LL) ³¹So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,^(LM) bringing down^(LN) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(LO)”

Two Adulterous Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.^(LP) ³They became prostitutes in Egypt,^(LQ) engaging in prostitution^(LR) from their youth.^(LS) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.^(LT) ⁴The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.^(LU)

⁵“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians^(LV)—warriors^(LW) ⁶clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. ⁷She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.^(LX) ⁸She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,^(LY) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.^(LZ)

⁹“Therefore I delivered her into the hands^(MA) of her lovers,^(MB) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.^(MC) ¹⁰They stripped^(MD) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,^(ME) and punishment was inflicted^(MF) on her.^(MG)

¹¹“Her sister Oholibah saw this,^(MH) yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.^(MI) ¹²She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.^(MJ) ¹³I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.^(MK)

¹⁴“But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,^(ML) figures of Chaldeans^[l] portrayed in red,^(MM) ¹⁵with belts^(MN) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.^[m] ¹⁶As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers^(MO) to them in Chaldea.^(MP) ¹⁷Then the Babylonians^(MQ) came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.^(MR) ¹⁸When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,^(MS) I turned away^(MT) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.^(MU) ¹⁹Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. ²⁰There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. ²¹So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.^[n]^(MV)

²²“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers^(MW) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side^(MX)— ²³the Babylonians^(MY) and all the Chaldeans,^(MZ) the men of Pekod^(NA) and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.^(NB) ²⁴They will come against you with weapons,^[o] chariots and wagons^(NC) and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment,^(ND) and they will punish you according to their standards. ²⁵I will direct my jealous anger^(NE) against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters,^(NF) and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.^(NG) ²⁶They will also strip^(NH) you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.^(NI) ²⁷So I will put a stop^(NJ) to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

²⁸“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands^(NK) of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. ²⁹They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked,^(NL) and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed.^(NM) Your lewdness^(NN) and promiscuity^(NO) ³⁰have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.^(NP) ³¹You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup^(NQ) into your hand.^(NR)

³²“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“You will drink your sister’s cup,
    a cup large and deep;
it will bring scorn and derision,^(NS)
    for it holds so much.^(NT)
³³You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
    the cup of ruin and desolation,
    the cup of your sister Samaria.^(NU)
³⁴You will drink it^(NV) and drain it dry
    and chew on its pieces—
    and you will tear your breasts.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(NW)

³⁵“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten^(NX) me and turned your back on me,^(NY) you must bear^(NZ) the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”

³⁶The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront^(OA) them with their detestable practices,^(OB) ³⁷for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.^(OC) ³⁸They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary^(OD) and desecrated my Sabbaths.^(OE) ³⁹On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated^(OF) it. That is what they did in my house.^(OG)

⁴⁰“They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,^(OH) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup^(OI) and put on your jewelry.^(OJ) ⁴¹You sat on an elegant couch,^(OK) with a table^(OL) spread before it on which you had placed the incense^(OM) and olive oil that belonged to me.^(ON)

⁴²“The noise of a carefree^(OO) crowd was around her; drunkards^(OP) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets^(OQ) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.^(OR) ⁴³Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,^(OS) for that is all she is.’ ⁴⁴And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. ⁴⁵But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,^(OT) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.^(OU)

⁴⁶“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob^(OV) against them and give them over to terror and plunder.^(OW) ⁴⁷The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters^(OX) and burn^(OY) down their houses.^(OZ)

⁴⁸“So I will put an end^(PA) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.^(PB) ⁴⁹You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry.^(PC) Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(PD)”

Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot

24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me:^(PE) ²“Son of man, record^(PF) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.^(PG) ³Tell this rebellious people^(PH) a parable^(PI) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Put on the cooking pot;^(PJ) put it on
    and pour water into it.
⁴Put into it the pieces of meat,
    all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;^(PK)
⁵    take the pick of the flock.^(PL)
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
    bring it to a boil
    and cook the bones in it.^(PM)

⁶“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Woe^(PN) to the city of bloodshed,^(PO)
    to the pot now encrusted,
    whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
    in whatever order^(PP) it comes.^(PQ)

⁷“‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:
    She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
    where the dust would cover it.^(PR)
⁸To stir up wrath and take revenge
    I put her blood on the bare rock,
    so that it would not be covered.

⁹“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
    I, too, will pile the wood high.
¹⁰So heap on the wood
    and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
    mixing in the spices;
    and let the bones be charred.
¹¹Then set the empty pot on the coals
    till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
    and its deposit burned away.^(PS)
¹²It has frustrated all efforts;
    its heavy deposit has not been removed,
    not even by fire.

¹³“‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed^(PT) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.^(PU)

¹⁴“‘I the Lord have spoken.^(PV) The time has come for me to act.^(PW) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,^(PX) nor will I relent.^(PY) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,^(PZ) declares the Sovereign Lord.^(QA)’”

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

¹⁵The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶“Son of man, with one blow^(QB) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.^(QC) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.^(QD) ¹⁷Groan quietly;^(QE) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban^(QF) fastened and your sandals^(QG) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard^(QH) or eat the customary food of mourners.^(QI)”

¹⁸So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.^(QJ)

¹⁹Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?^(QK) Why are you acting like this?”

²⁰So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary^(QL)—the stronghold in which you take pride,^(QM) the delight of your eyes,^(QN) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters^(QO) you left behind will fall by the sword.^(QP) ²²And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard^(QQ) or eat the customary food of mourners.^(QR) ²³You will keep your turbans^(QS) on your heads and your sandals^(QT) on your feet. You will not mourn^(QU) or weep but will waste away^(QV) because of^[p] your sins and groan among yourselves.^(QW) ²⁴Ezekiel^(QX) will be a sign^(QY) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

²⁵“And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,^(QZ) their heart’s desire,^(RA) and their sons and daughters^(RB) as well— ²⁶on that day a fugitive will come to tell you^(RC) the news. ²⁷At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.^(RD) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.^(RE)”

A Prophecy Against Ammon

25 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“Son of man, set your face against^(RF) the Ammonites^(RG) and prophesy against them.^(RH) ³Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!^(RI)” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated^(RJ) and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile,^(RK) ⁴therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East^(RL) as a possession. They will set up their camps^(RM) and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.^(RN) ⁵I will turn Rabbah^(RO) into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep.^(RP) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ⁶For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands^(RQ) and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,^(RR) ⁷therefore I will stretch out my hand^(RS) against you and give you as plunder^(RT) to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy^(RU) you, and you will know that I am the Lord.^(RV)’”

A Prophecy Against Moab

⁸“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab^(RW) and Seir^(RX) said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” ⁹therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth^(RY), Baal Meon^(RZ) and Kiriathaim^(SA)—the glory of that land. ¹⁰I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered^(SB) among the nations; ¹¹and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”^(SC)

A Prophecy Against Edom

¹²“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom^(SD) took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, ¹³therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand^(SE) against Edom and kill both man and beast.^(SF) I will lay it waste, and from Teman^(SG) to Dedan^(SH) they will fall by the sword.^(SI) ¹⁴I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger^(SJ) and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”^(SK)

A Prophecy Against Philistia

¹⁵“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines^(SL) acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice^(SM) in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, ¹⁶therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines,^(SN) and I will wipe out the Kerethites^(SO) and destroy those remaining along the coast.^(SP)

Footnotes

Ezekiel 18:10 Or things to a brother
Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its
Ezekiel 20:29 Bamah means high place.
Ezekiel 20:40 Or and the gifts of your firstfruits
Ezekiel 20:49 In Hebrew texts 20:45-49 is numbered 21:1-5.
Ezekiel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-32 is numbered 21:6-37.
Ezekiel 21:15 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Ezekiel 22:16 Or When I have allotted you your inheritance
Ezekiel 22:25 Septuagint; Hebrew prophets
Ezekiel 23:14 Or Babylonians
Ezekiel 23:15 Or Babylonia; also in verse 16
Ezekiel 23:21 Syriac (see also verse 3); Hebrew caressed because of your young breasts
Ezekiel 23:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Ezekiel 24:23 Or away in

English Standard Version (ESV)

New International Version (NIV)

Ezekiel 18:1-25:16

English Standard Version

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

A Lament for the Princes of Israel

Israel's Continuing Rebellion

The Lord Will Restore Israel

The Lord Has Drawn His Sword

Israel's Shedding of Blood

Oholah and Oholibah

The Siege of Jerusalem

Ezekiel's Wife Dies

Prophecy Against Ammon

Prophecy Against Moab and Seir

Prophecy Against Edom

Prophecy Against Philistia

Footnotes

Cross references

Ezekiel 18:1-25:16

New International Version

The One Who Sins Will Die

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

Rebellious Israel Purged

Rebellious Israel Renewed

Prophecy Against the South

Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment

Judgment on Jerusalem’s Sins

Two Adulterous Sisters

Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

A Prophecy Against Ammon

A Prophecy Against Moab

A Prophecy Against Edom

A Prophecy Against Philistia

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Ezekiel 18:1-25:16 English Standard Version

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

A Lament for the Princes of Israel

Israel's Continuing Rebellion

The Lord Will Restore Israel

The Lord Has Drawn His Sword

Israel's Shedding of Blood

Oholah and Oholibah

The Siege of Jerusalem

Ezekiel's Wife Dies

Prophecy Against Ammon

Prophecy Against Moab and Seir

Prophecy Against Edom

Prophecy Against Philistia

Footnotes

Cross references

Ezekiel 18:1-25:16 New International Version

The One Who Sins Will Die

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

Rebellious Israel Purged

Rebellious Israel Renewed

Prophecy Against the South

Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment

Judgment on Jerusalem’s Sins

Two Adulterous Sisters

Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

A Prophecy Against Ammon

A Prophecy Against Moab

A Prophecy Against Edom

A Prophecy Against Philistia

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Ezekiel 18:1-25:16

English Standard Version

Ezekiel 18:1-25:16

New International Version