Font Size
Ezekiel 19-22
New King James Version
Ezekiel 19-22
New King James Version
Israel Degraded
19 “Moreover (A)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:
‘What is your mother? A lioness:
She lay down among the lions;
Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
And (B)he became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey,
And he devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him;
He was trapped in their pit,
And they brought him with chains to the land of (C)Egypt.
5 ‘When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost,
She took (D)another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
6 (E)He roved among the lions,
And (F)became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey;
He devoured men.
7 [a]He knew their desolate places,
And laid waste their cities;
The land with its fullness was desolated
By the noise of his roaring.
8 (G)Then the nations set against him from the provinces on every side,
And spread their net over him;
(H)He was trapped in their pit.
9 (I)They put him in a cage with [b]chains,
And brought him to the king of Babylon;
They brought him in nets,
That his voice should no longer be heard on (J)the mountains of Israel.
10 ‘Your mother was (K)like a vine in your [c]bloodline,
Planted by the waters,
(L)Fruitful and full of branches
Because of many waters.
11 She had strong branches for scepters of rulers.
(M)She towered in stature above the thick branches,
And was seen in her height amid the [d]dense foliage.
12 But she was (N)plucked up in fury,
She was cast down to the ground,
And the (O)east wind dried her fruit.
Her strong branches were broken and withered;
The fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness,
In a dry and thirsty land.
14 (P)Fire has come out from a rod of her branches
And devoured her fruit,
So that she has no strong branch—a scepter for ruling.’ ”
(Q)This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.
The Rebellions of Israel
20 It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that (R)certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord God, (S)“I will not be inquired of by you.” ’ 4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then (T)make known to them the abominations of their fathers.
5 “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day when (U)I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself (V)known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, (W)‘I am the Lord your God.’ 6 On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, (X)to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, (Y)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ (Z)the glory of all lands. 7 Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, (AA)throw away (AB)the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with (AC)the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ 8 But they rebelled against Me and would not [e]obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will (AD)pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’ 9 (AE)But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself (AF)known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
10 “Therefore I (AG)made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 (AH)And I gave them My statutes and [f]showed them My judgments, (AI)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ 12 Moreover I also gave them My (AJ)Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 Yet the house of Israel (AK)rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they (AL)despised My judgments, (AM)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly (AN)defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the (AO)wilderness, to consume them. 14 (AP)But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 So (AQ)I also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, (AR)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ (AS)the glory of all lands, 16 (AT)because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for (AU)their heart went after their idols. 17 (AV)Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 “But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God: (AW)Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; 20 (AX)hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’
21 “Notwithstanding, (AY)the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, (AZ)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I [g]withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that (BA)I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, 24 (BB)because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and (BC)their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.
25 “Therefore (BD)I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; 26 and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all [h]their firstborn to pass (BE)through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they (BF)might know that I am the Lord.” ’
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “In this too your fathers have (BG)blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me. 28 When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and (BH)they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their (BI)sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, ‘What is this [i]high place to which you go?’ So its name is called [j]Bamah to this day.” ’ 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your (BJ)fathers, and committing harlotry according to their (BK)abominations? 31 For when you offer (BL)your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will (BM)not be inquired of by you. 32 (BN)What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.’
God Will Restore Israel
33 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand, (BO)with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there (BP)I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 (BQ)Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God.
37 “I will make you (BR)pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the (BS)covenant; 38 (BT)I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but (BU)they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
39 “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: (BV)“Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; (BW)but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols. 40 For (BX)on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord God, “there (BY)all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there (BZ)I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your [k]sacrifices, together with all your holy things. 41 I will accept you as a (CA)sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. 42 (CB)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, (CC)when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. 43 And (CD)there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and (CE)you shall [l]loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed. 44 (CF)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you (CG)for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel,” says the Lord God.’ ”
Fire in the Forest
45 Furthermore the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46 (CH)“Son of man, set your face toward the south; [m]preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the [n]South, 47 and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, (CI)I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour (CJ)every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces (CK)from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”
49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak (CL)parables?’ ”
Babylon, the Sword of God
21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 (CM)“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, (CN)preach[o] against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; 3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am (CO)against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both (CP)righteous and wicked from you. 4 Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh (CQ)from south to north, 5 that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it (CR)shall not return anymore.” ’ 6 (CS)Sigh therefore, son of man, with [p]a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. 7 And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, (CT)all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.”
8 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ Say:
(CU)‘A sword, a sword is sharpened
And also polished!
10 Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter,
Polished to flash like lightning!
Should we then make mirth?
It despises the scepter of My son,
As it does all wood.
11 And He has given it to be polished,
That it may be handled;
This sword is sharpened, and it is polished
To be given into the hand of (CV)the slayer.’
12 “Cry and wail, son of man;
For it will be against My people,
Against all the princes of Israel.
Terrors including the sword will be against My people;
Therefore (CW)strike your thigh.
13 “Because it is (CX)a testing,
And what if the sword despises even the scepter?
(CY)The scepter shall be no more,”
says the Lord God.
14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy,
And (CZ)strike your hands together.
The third time let the sword do double damage.
It is the sword that slays,
The sword that slays the great men,
That enters their (DA)private chambers.
15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,
That the heart may melt and many may stumble.
Ah! (DB)It is made bright;
It is grasped for slaughter:
16 “Swords(DC)[q] at the ready!
Thrust right!
Set your blade!
Thrust left—
Wherever your [r]edge is ordered!
17 “I also will (DD)beat My fists together,
And (DE)I will cause My fury to rest;
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying: 19 “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city. 20 Appoint a road for the sword to go to (DF)Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the [s]images, he looks at the liver. 22 In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to (DG)lift the voice with shouting, (DH)to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall. 23 And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who (DI)have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
24 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.
25 ‘Now to you, O (DJ)profane, wicked prince of Israel, (DK)whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end, 26 thus says the Lord God:
“Remove the turban, and take off the crown;
Nothing shall remain the same.
(DL)Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
27 [t]Overthrown, overthrown,
I will make it overthrown!
(DM)It shall be no longer,
Until He comes whose right it is,
And I will give it to (DN)Him.” ’
A Sword Against the Ammonites
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God (DO)concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:
‘A sword, a sword is drawn,
Polished for slaughter,
For consuming, for flashing—
29 While they (DP)see false visions for you,
While they divine a lie to you,
To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain
(DQ)Whose day has come,
Whose iniquity shall end.
30 ‘Return(DR) it to its sheath.
(DS)I will judge you
In the place where you were created,
(DT)In the land of your [u]nativity.
31 I will (DU)pour out My indignation on you;
I will (DV)blow against you with the fire of My wrath,
And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to (DW)destroy.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire;
Your blood shall be in the midst of the land.
(DX)You shall not be remembered,
For I the Lord have spoken.’ ”
Sins of Jerusalem
22 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Now, son of man, (DY)will you judge, will you judge (DZ)the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations! 3 Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “The city sheds (EA)blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. 4 You have become guilty by the blood which you have (EB)shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; (EC)therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries. 5 Those near and those far from you will mock you as [v]infamous and full of tumult.
6 “Look, (ED)the princes of Israel: each one has used his [w]power to shed blood in you. 7 In you they have (EE)made light of father and mother; in your midst they have (EF)oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the [x]fatherless and the widow. 8 You have despised My holy things and (EG)profaned My Sabbaths. 9 In you are (EH)men who slander to cause bloodshed; (EI)in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. 10 In you men (EJ)uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are (EK)set apart during their impurity. 11 One commits abomination (EL)with his neighbor’s wife; (EM)another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s (EN)daughter. 12 In you (EO)they take bribes to shed blood; (EP)you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and (EQ)have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God.
13 “Behold, therefore, I (ER)beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. 14 (ES)Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? (ET)I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. 15 (EU)I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and (EV)remove your filthiness completely from you. 16 You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then (EW)you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
Israel in the Furnace
17 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (EX)the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a (EY)furnace; they have become dross from silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to (EZ)melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have (FA)poured out My fury on you.’ ”
Israel’s Wicked Leaders
23 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is (FB)not [y]cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 (FC)The conspiracy of her [z]prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they (FD)have devoured [aa]people; (FE)they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 (FF)Her priests have [ab]violated My law and (FG)profaned My holy things; they have not (FH)distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her (FI)princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy [ac]people, and to get dishonest gain. 28 (FJ)Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, (FK)seeing false visions, and divining (FL)lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully (FM)oppress the stranger. 30 (FN)So I sought for a man among them who would (FO)make a wall, and (FP)stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have (FQ)poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed (FR)their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 19:7 LXX He stood in insolence; Tg. He destroyed its palaces; Vg. He learned to make widows
- Ezekiel 19:9 Or hooks
- Ezekiel 19:10 Lit. blood, so with MT, Syr., Vg.; LXX like a flower on a pomegranate tree; Tg. in your likeness
- Ezekiel 19:11 Or many branches
- Ezekiel 20:8 Lit. listen to
- Ezekiel 20:11 Lit. made known to
- Ezekiel 20:22 Refrained from judgment
- Ezekiel 20:26 Lit. that open the womb
- Ezekiel 20:29 Place for pagan worship
- Ezekiel 20:29 Lit. High Place
- Ezekiel 20:40 offerings
- Ezekiel 20:43 Or despise
- Ezekiel 20:46 proclaim, lit. drop
- Ezekiel 20:46 Heb. Negev
- Ezekiel 21:2 proclaim, lit. drop
- Ezekiel 21:6 Emotional distress, lit. the breaking of your loins
- Ezekiel 21:16 Lit. Sharpen yourself! or Unite yourself!
- Ezekiel 21:16 Lit. face
- Ezekiel 21:21 Heb. teraphim
- Ezekiel 21:27 Or Distortion, Ruin
- Ezekiel 21:30 Or origin
- Ezekiel 22:5 Lit. defiled of name
- Ezekiel 22:6 Lit. arm
- Ezekiel 22:7 Lit. orphan
- Ezekiel 22:24 So with MT, Syr., Vg.; LXX showered upon
- Ezekiel 22:25 So with MT, Vg.; LXX princes; Tg. scribes
- Ezekiel 22:25 Lit. souls
- Ezekiel 22:26 Lit. done violence to
- Ezekiel 22:27 Lit. souls
Ezekiel 19-22
New International Version
Ezekiel 19-22
New International Version
A Lament Over Israel’s Princes
19 “Take up a lament(A) concerning the princes(B) of Israel 2 and say:
“‘What a lioness(C) was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among them
and reared her cubs.(D)
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(E)
to the land of Egypt.(F)
5 “‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(G)
and made him a strong lion.(H)
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.(I)
7 He broke down[a] their strongholds
and devastated(J) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.
8 Then the nations(K) came against him,
those from regions round about.
They spread their net(L) for him,
and he was trapped in their pit.(M)
9 With hooks(N) they pulled him into a cage
and brought him to the king of Babylon.(O)
They put him in prison,
so his roar(P) was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.(Q)
10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[b](R)
planted by the water;(S)
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.(T)
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.(U)
12 But it was uprooted(V) in fury
and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(W) made it shrivel,
it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
and fire consumed them.(X)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(Y)
in a dry and thirsty land.(Z)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[c] branches
and consumed(AA) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(AB)
“This is a lament(AC) 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(AD) of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.(AE)
2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders(AF) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire(AG) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AH)’
4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors(AI) 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose(AJ) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand(AK) 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.(AL)” 6 On that day I swore(AM) 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,(AN) the most beautiful of all lands.(AO) 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images(AP) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols(AQ) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.(AR)”
8 “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;(AS) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.(AT) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.(AU) 9 But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.(AV) I did it to keep my name from being profaned(AW) 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.(AX) 11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.(AY) 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths(AZ) as a sign(BA) between us,(BB) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.(BC)
13 “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled(BD) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws(BE)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.(BF) So I said I would pour out my wrath(BG) on them and destroy(BH) them in the wilderness.(BI) 14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned(BJ) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.(BK) 15 Also with uplifted hand I swore(BL) 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(BM)— 16 because they rejected my laws(BN) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts(BO) were devoted to their idols.(BP) 17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy(BQ) 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(BR) or keep their laws or defile yourselves(BS) with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God;(BT) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(BU) 20 Keep my Sabbaths(BV) holy, that they may be a sign(BW) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.(BX)”
21 “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,(BY) 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(BZ) against them in the wilderness.(CA) 22 But I withheld(CB) my hand, and for the sake of my name(CC) 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(CD) them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees(CE) and desecrated my Sabbaths,(CF) and their eyes lusted after(CG) their parents’ idols.(CH) 25 So I gave(CI) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;(CJ) 26 I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice(CK) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.(CL)’
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(CM) blasphemed(CN) me by being unfaithful to me:(CO) 28 When I brought them into the land(CP) 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.(CQ) 29 Then I said to them: What is this high place(CR) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah[d] to this day.)
Rebellious Israel Renewed
30 “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves(CS) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?(CT) 31 When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children(CU) 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.(CV)
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. 33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm(CW) and with outpoured wrath.(CX) 34 I will bring you from the nations(CY) and gather(CZ) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand(DA) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.(DB) 35 I will bring you into the wilderness(DC) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment(DD) upon you. 36 As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DE) 37 I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,(DF) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.(DG) 38 I will purge(DH) 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.(DI)
39 “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,(DJ) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name(DK) with your gifts and idols.(DL) 40 For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,(DM) 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(DN) and your choice gifts,[e] along with all your holy sacrifices.(DO) 41 I will accept you as fragrant incense(DP) when I bring you out from the nations and gather(DQ) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy(DR) through you in the sight of the nations.(DS) 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord,(DT) when I bring you into the land of Israel,(DU) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.(DV) 43 There you will remember your conduct(DW) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves(DX) for all the evil you have done.(DY) 44 You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake(DZ) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(EA)’”
Prophecy Against the South
45 The word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, set your face toward(EB) the south; preach against the south and prophesy against(EC) the forest of the southland.(ED) 47 Say to the southern forest:(EE) ‘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(EF) all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north(EG) will be scorched by it.(EH) 48 Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.(EI)’”
49 Then I said, “Sovereign Lord,(EJ) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?(EK)’”[f]
Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment
21 [g]The word of the Lord came to me:(EL) 2 “Son of man, set your face against(EM) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.(EN) Prophesy against(EO) the land of Israel 3 and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.(EP) I will draw my sword(EQ) from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.(ER) 4 Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword(ES) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.(ET) 5 Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword(EU) from its sheath; it will not return(EV) again.’(EW)
6 “Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.(EX) 7 And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?(EY)’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear(EZ) and every hand go limp;(FA) every spirit will become faint(FB) and every leg will be wet with urine.’(FC) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
8 The 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—
10 sharpened for the slaughter,(FD)
polished to flash like lightning!
“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.(FE)
11 “‘The sword is appointed to be polished,(FF)
to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
made ready for the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry 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.(FG)
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(FH) 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.(FI)
15 So that hearts may melt with fear(FJ)
and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter[h]
at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
it is grasped for slaughter.(FK)
16 Slash to the right, you sword,
then to the left,
wherever your blade is turned.
17 I too will strike my hands(FL) together,
and my wrath(FM) will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.(FN)”
18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword(FO) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost(FP) where the road branches off to the city. 20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites(FQ) and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21 For 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(FR) with arrows, he will consult his idols,(FS) he will examine the liver.(FT) 22 Into 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,(FU) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp(FV) and to erect siege works.(FW) 23 It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind(FX) them of their guilt(FY) 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,(FZ) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,(GA) 26 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.(GB) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.(GC) 27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come;(GD) to him I will give it.’(GE)
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites(GF) and their insults:
“‘A sword,(GG) a sword,
drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
and to flash like lightning!
29 Despite false visions concerning you
and lying divinations(GH) 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.(GI)
30 “‘Let the sword return to its sheath.(GJ)
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,(GK)
I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my wrath on you
and breathe(GL) out my fiery anger(GM) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
men skilled in destruction.(GN)
32 You will be fuel for the fire,(GO)
your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered(GP) 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?(GQ) Then confront her with all her detestable practices(GR) 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood(GS) in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, 4 you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed(GT) 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.(GU) Therefore I will make you an object of scorn(GV) to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.(GW) 5 Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.(GX)
6 “‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.(GY) 7 In you they have treated father and mother with contempt;(GZ) in you they have oppressed the foreigner(HA) and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.(HB) 8 You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.(HC) 9 In you are slanderers(HD) who are bent on shedding blood;(HE) in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines(HF) and commit lewd acts.(HG) 10 In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed;(HH) in you are those who violate women during their period,(HI) when they are ceremonially unclean.(HJ) 11 In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife,(HK) another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,(HL) and another violates his sister,(HM) his own father’s daughter.(HN) 12 In you are people who accept bribes(HO) to shed blood; you take interest(HP) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.(HQ) And you have forgotten(HR) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(HS)
13 “‘I will surely strike my hands(HT) together at the unjust gain(HU) you have made and at the blood(HV) you have shed in your midst.(HW) 14 Will your courage endure(HX) or your hands(HY) be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken,(HZ) and I will do it.(IA) 15 I will disperse you among the nations and scatter(IB) you through the countries; and I will put an end to(IC) your uncleanness.(ID) 16 When you have been defiled[i] in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.’”
17 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross(IE) to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace.(IF) They are but the dross of silver.(IG) 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross,(IH) I will gather you into Jerusalem. 20 As 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.(II) 21 I will gather you and I will blow(IJ) on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.(IK) 22 As silver is melted(IL) in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath(IM) on you.’”(IN)
23 Again 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.’(IO) 25 There is a conspiracy(IP) of her princes[j] within her like a roaring lion(IQ) tearing its prey; they devour people,(IR) take treasures and precious things and make many widows(IS) within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my law(IT) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;(IU) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;(IV) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned(IW) among them.(IX) 27 Her officials(IY) within her are like wolves(IZ) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people(JA) to make unjust gain.(JB) 28 Her prophets whitewash(JC) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.(JD) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.(JE) 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;(JF) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,(JG) denying them justice.(JH)
30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall(JI) 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.(JJ) 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,(JK) bringing down(JL) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(JM)”
Footnotes
- 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
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.