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Ezekiel 21-24
GOD’S WORD Translation
Ezekiel 21-24
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Sword of the Lord
21 [a]The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Son of man, turn to Jerusalem, preach against the holy places. Prophesy against the land of Israel. 3 Tell the land of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will take my sword out of its scabbard and kill the righteous people and the wicked people among you. 4 I’m going to kill the righteous people and the wicked people among you. That is why my sword will come out of its scabbard to be used against everyone from the south to the north. 5 Then everyone will know that I, the Lord, have taken my sword from its scabbard, and I will not put it back again.’
6 “So, son of man, groan with a breaking heart and with bitter crying while the people watch you. 7 When they ask you why you are groaning, say, ‘News has come that will discourage everyone. People’s hands will hang limp, their hearts will lose courage, and their knees will become as weak as water. It’s coming! It will surely take place!’ declares the Almighty Lord.”
8 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 9 “Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
A sword, a sword is sharpened and polished,
10 It’s sharpened to kill
and polished to flash like lightning.
How can we rejoice?
My son has refused to be disciplined or punished.
11 The sword has been handed over to be polished,
to be placed in the hand.
The sword is being sharpened and polished
to be placed in the hands of killers.
12 “ ‘Cry and mourn, son of man,
because the sword will be used against my people
and against all the princes of Israel.
I will throw the princes and my people on the sword.
So beat your breast, and grieve.
13 Testing will surely come.
What if you refuse to be disciplined again?
Won’t you be tested? declares the Almighty Lord.
14 So prophesy, son of man.
Clap your hands!
Let the sword strike again and again.
It’s the sword for killing.
It’s the sword for killing many people.
It’s the sword that surrounds them.
15 I have appointed my sword to slaughter people at all their gates
so that their hearts will sink and many will die.
Yes! It’s ready to flash like lightning.
It’s polished to kill.
16 Sword, cut to the right.
Cut to the left
or wherever your blade is turned.
17 I will also clap my hands and rest from my fury.
I, the Lord, have spoken.’ ”
The Sword of the King of Babylon
18 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 19 “Son of man, mark two roads that the king of Babylon and his sword can take. Both of these roads should start from the same country. Make a sign, and put it where the roads start to fork toward the cities. 20 Mark the road that the king and his sword can take to the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and mark the road that leads to Judah and the fortified city of Jerusalem. 21 The king of Babylon will stop where the roads branch off, where there is a fork in the road. Then he will look for omens. He will shake some arrows, ask his household gods for help, and examine animal livers. 22 The omens will indicate that he should go to the right, to Jerusalem. So he will set up his battering rams there, give the order to kill, raise a battle cry, aim the battering rams against the city gates, put up ramps, and set up blockades. 23 The people won’t believe this because they have made treaties with other nations. But the king of Babylon will remind them of their sins, and they will be captured.
24 “This is what the Almighty Lord says: You make people remember how sinful you are because you openly do wrong. You show your sins in everything you do. So you will be taken captive.
25 “You dishonest and wicked prince of Israel, the time for your final punishment has come. 26 This is what the Almighty Lord says: Take off your turban, and get rid of your crown. Things are going to change. Those who are unimportant will become important, and those who are important will become unimportant. 27 Ruins! Ruins! I will turn this place into ruins! It will not be restored until its rightful owner comes. Then I will give it to him.
28 “Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says about the Ammonites and their insults:
A sword, a sword is drawn ready to kill.
It’s polished to destroy and flash like lightning.
29 People see false visions about you
and prophesy lies about you.
The sword will be placed on the necks of dishonest, wicked people,
for whom the time of final punishment has come.
30 “ ‘Return your sword to its scabbard.
In the place where you were created,
in the land where you were born,
there I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my fury on you
and breathe on you with my fiery anger.
I will hand you over to cruel people who are skilled in destruction.
32 You will be fuel for the fire.
You will die in the land.
You will no longer be remembered.
I, the Lord, have spoken.’ ”
Jerusalem Is Judged because of Its Murderous History
22 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Will you judge, son of man? Will you judge the city of murderers? Then tell it about all the disgusting things that it has done. 3 Tell it, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: ⌞Jerusalem,⌟ you are the city that murders people who live in you. Your time has come. You dishonor yourself with disgusting idols. 4 You are guilty because of the people you have killed. You are dishonored because of the disgusting idols you have made. You have brought an end to your days, and you have come to the end of your years. That is why I will make you a disgrace to the nations and a joke in every land. 5 Those near and those far away will mock you. Your name will be dishonored, and you will be filled with confusion.
6 “ ‘See how all the princes of Israel who live in you have used their power to murder people. 7 People in you hate their fathers and mothers. They oppress foreigners in you. They oppress orphans and widows in you. 8 You have despised my holy things and dishonored the day to worship me. 9 Some of your people slander. They want to kill people. People who live in you eat food sacrificed to idols at the worship sites on the hills, and they sin sexually. 10 Men have sex with their father’s wives. They have sex with women when the women are having their periods and are unclean.[b] 11 Men do disgusting things with their neighbors’ wives. Some men sexually dishonor their daughters-in-law. Other men who live in you have sex with their sisters, their father’s daughters. 12 Other people take bribes to murder people. You collect interest and make excessive profits. You make profits by mistreating your neighbors. You have forgotten me, declares the Almighty Lord.
13 “ ‘I will use my power against you because of the excessive profits you have made and the murders you have committed. 14 Will you still be brave? Will you remain strong when I deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and force you into other countries. I will put an end to your uncleanness. 16 You will be dishonored in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
17 Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 18 “Son of man, the people of Israel have become worthless to me. All of them are like copper, tin, iron, and lead in a smelting furnace. They are like the impurities left from silver. 19 This is what the Almighty Lord says: All of you have become worthless. That is why I’m going to gather you in Jerusalem. 20 People gather silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin together in a smelting furnace to melt them with a fiery blast. In the same way, in my anger and fury I will gather you and put you in the city. I will melt you there. 21 Yes, I will gather you, breathe on you with my fiery anger, and melt you in the city. 22 You will be melted in the city like silver that is melted in a furnace. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury on you.”
23 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 24 “Son of man, tell the city, ‘You are an unclean land that has not had rain during the day of my anger. You have not been made clean.[c] 25 Your princes are like roaring lions who tear their prey into pieces. They eat people and take their treasures and precious belongings. They turn many women into widows. 26 Your priests violate my teachings and dishonor my holy things. They don’t distinguish between what is holy and what is unholy. They don’t teach the difference between what is clean and what is unclean. They ignore the days to worship me. So I am dishonored among the people. 27 Your leaders are like wolves that tear their prey into pieces. They murder and destroy people to make excessive profits. 28 Your prophets cover up these things by seeing false visions and by prophesying lies. They say, “This is what the Almighty Lord says.” Yet, the Lord hasn’t spoken. 29 The common people oppress and rob others. They do wrong to humble people and to poor people. They oppress foreigners for no reason.
30 “ ‘I looked for someone among you who could build walls or stand in front of me by the gaps in the walls to defend the land and keep it from being destroyed. But I couldn’t find anyone. 31 So I will pour out my anger on you, and with my fiery anger I will consume you. This is because of all the things you have done,’ declares the Almighty Lord.”
Samaria and Jerusalem Acted Like Prostitutes
23 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Son of man, there were once two women, daughters of the same mother. 3 They became prostitutes in Egypt when they were young. There men fondled and caressed their breasts.
4 “The older girl was named Oholah, and the younger girl was named Oholibah. I married them, and they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem. 5 Oholah acted like a prostitute, although she was my wife. She lusted after her Assyrian lovers who lived nearby. 6 They were governors and commanders clothed in purple. They were all handsome young men who rode on horses. 7 She became a prostitute for all the important men in Assyria. She dishonored herself with the idols of all those with whom she fell in love. 8 She continued the prostitution that she started in Egypt. When she was young, men went to bed with her, caressed her breasts, and treated her like a prostitute.
9 “That is why I handed her over to her lovers, to the Assyrians whom she lusted after. 10 They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters, and killed her with a sword. Women gossiped about how she was punished.
11 “Even though her younger sister Oholibah saw this, Oholibah lusted after men more than her sister did. Oholibah’s prostitution became worse than her sister’s prostitution. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians who were nearby. They were governors and commanders in full dress. They were mounted horsemen, all of them desirable young men. 13 I saw that she was dishonoring herself. Both sisters acted the same way. 14 Yet, she carried her prostitution even further. She saw pictures of men carved on walls. They were figures of Babylonian men, painted in bright red. 15 The men had belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads. All of them looked like Babylonian officers who were born in Babylon. 16 She fell in love with them at first sight and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17 So these men came from Babylon, went to bed with her, and dishonored her with their lust. After they had dishonored her, she turned away from them in disgust.
18 “She carried out her prostitution openly, and she lay around naked. I turned away from her in disgust as I had turned away from her sister. 19 She remembered how she had been a prostitute in Egypt when she was young. So she took part in even more prostitution. 20 She lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose semen was like that of horses. 21 So she longed to do the sinful things she did when she was young in Egypt, when young men caressed and fondled her breasts.
22 “Oholibah, this is what the Almighty Lord says: I’m going to stir up your lovers against you. They are the lovers you turned away from in disgust. I will bring them against you from every side. 23 I will bring men from Babylon and from all Babylonia, men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, as well as all the Assyrians. They are desirable young men, governors and commanders, military officers and important men. All of them ride on horses. 24 They will attack you from the north, with chariots and wagons and with a large number of troops. They will attack you from all around with small and large shields and with helmets. I have handed you over to them for punishment. They will punish you with their own kind of punishment. 25 I will direct my burning anger against you so that they will deal with you in anger. They will cut off your nose and ears and kill everyone who remains. They will take your sons and your daughters and burn down whatever is left. 26 They will rip off your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. 27 I will put a stop to your sinning and to your prostitution, which you began in Egypt. You won’t desire these things anymore or remember Egypt anymore.
28 “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I’m going to hand you over to those you hate and to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will treat you hatefully and take away everything that you have worked for. They will leave you naked and bare. The shame of your prostitution will be revealed. 30 Your sinning and your prostitution have done this to you, because you lusted after the nations and dishonored yourself with their idols. 31 You’ve acted the same way as your sister. That is why I will put her cup in your hand. 32 This is what the Almighty Lord says:
You will drink from your sister’s cup,
a cup that is deep and wide.
You will be scorned and mocked,
because this cup holds so much.
33 The cup of your sister Samaria will be filled
with drunkenness and sorrow.
34 You will drink from it and drain it.
You will break it into pieces
and tear your breasts off your body.
I have spoken, declares the Almighty Lord.
35 “This is what the Almighty Lord says: You have forgotten me and turned your back on me. So you will be punished for your sinning and prostitution.”
36 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah and tell them about their disgusting practices? 37 They have committed adultery. Their hands are covered with blood. They commit adultery with their idols. They have sacrificed the children they gave birth to for me as burnt offerings to idols. 38 They have also done this to me: They have polluted my holy places when they do these things and dishonored the days to worship me. 39 When they sacrificed their children to their idols, they came into my holy place and dishonored it. That is what they’ve done in my temple.
40 “They even sent messengers to invite men to come from far away. When the men arrived, they washed themselves for the men, painted their eyes, and put on their jewels. 41 They sat on their fine couches with tables in front of them. They put my incense and my olive oil on their tables.
42 “I heard the noise from a carefree crowd. A large number of people came from the desert, and they put bracelets on the women’s wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said, ‘She is worn out from her acts of adultery.’ Yet, men continued to have sex with her. 44 Men slept with her. They slept with those sinful women, Oholah and Oholibah just as they slept with a prostitute. 45 Righteous people will punish these women for adultery and for murder, because these women have committed adultery and their hands are covered with blood.
46 “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Bring together a mob ⌞against the people of Samaria and Jerusalem⌟. Hand them over to terror and looting. 47 Then the mob will stone them and kill them with swords. The mob will kill their sons and daughters and burn their homes. 48 So I will put a stop to the sinning in the land, and all the women will be warned not to sin as they do. 49 They will be punished for their sins, and they will pay for their sin of idolatry. Then they will know that I am the Almighty Lord.”
Judah Is Compared to a Boiling Pot
24 On the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year, the Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Son of man, write down today’s date. The king of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem this very day. 3 Tell these rebellious people a story. Tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says:
Put the pot on the fire; put it on.
Pour water in it.
4 Cut the meat into pieces,
all the best pieces, the thigh and shoulder.
Fill the pot with the meatiest bones
5 selected from the best sheep.
Pile wood under the pot.
Bring the mixture in the pot to a boil.
Cook the bones that are in it well.
6 “ ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says:
How horrible it will be for that city of murderers,
for that tarnished pot.
Its tarnish will not come off.
Empty the meat out of it piece by piece
without choosing any particular piece.
7 Blood is still in that city.
The blood was poured on a bare rock.
It wasn’t poured on the ground where dust would cover it.
8 In order to stir up my fury so that I would pay that city back,
I put the blood of its victims on a bare rock.
Now that blood can’t be covered.
9 “ ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says:
How horrible it will be for that city of murderers.
I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 Pile it high, and light the fire.
Cook the meat thoroughly, stir the mixture,
and let the bones burn.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals
so that it gets hot and its copper glows.
Its impurities will melt away,
and its tarnish will burn off.
12 “ ‘I have worn myself out trying to clean this pot. Even the fire can’t take away its thick tarnish. 13 I tried to clean you of your filthy lust, but you wouldn’t clean yourself from your filth. You will never be clean until I unleash my fury on you. 14 I, the Lord, have spoken. It will happen, and I will do it. I will not ignore you, pity you, or change my plans. I will punish you because of the way you lived and because of everything you have done,’ ” declares the Almighty Lord.
Ezekiel’s Silent Sorrow over the Destruction of Jerusalem
15 Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 16 “Son of man, with one blow I’m going to take away from you the person you love the most. But you must not mourn, cry, or let tears run down your face. 17 Groan silently. Don’t grieve for the person who dies. Tie on your turban, and put on your sandals. Don’t cover your face or eat the food that mourners eat.”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I was ordered.
19 The people asked me, “Tell us, what do these things that you are doing mean to us?”
20 I told them, “The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 21 ‘Tell the nation of Israel, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I’m going to dishonor my holy place. You brag that my holy place gives you strength. It’s the thing you love the most. It’s your hearts’ desire. So the sons and daughters that you left behind will die in battle. 22 Then you must do as I did. Don’t cover your faces or eat the food that mourners eat. 23 Leave your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. Don’t grieve or cry! You will waste away because of your guilt and groan to one another. 24 Ezekiel is a sign to you. You will do everything he has done. Then you will know that I am the Almighty Lord.” ’
25 “Son of man, on that day I will take their stronghold away from them. It makes them happy and proud. It is their hearts’ desire and the thing they love the most. I will also take away their sons and daughters. 26 On that day a refugee will come to you to tell you the news. 27 On that very day your mouth will be opened, and you will talk to the refugee. You will speak and not be silent anymore. You will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Footnotes
- 21:1 Ezekiel 21:1–32 in English Bibles is Ezekiel 21:6–37 in the Hebrew Bible.
- 22:10 “Unclean ” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to God.
- 22:24 “Clean ” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to God.
Ezekiel 21-24
New International Version
Ezekiel 21-24
New International Version
Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment
21 [a]The word of the Lord came to me:(A) 2 “Son of man, set your face against(B) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.(C) Prophesy against(D) the land of Israel 3 and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.(E) I will draw my sword(F) from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.(G) 4 Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword(H) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.(I) 5 Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword(J) from its sheath; it will not return(K) again.’(L)
6 “Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.(M) 7 And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?(N)’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear(O) and every hand go limp;(P) every spirit will become faint(Q) and every leg will be wet with urine.’(R) 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,(S)
polished to flash like lightning!
“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.(T)
11 “‘The sword is appointed to be polished,(U)
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.(V)
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(W) 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.(X)
15 So that hearts may melt with fear(Y)
and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter[b]
at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
it is grasped for slaughter.(Z)
16 Slash to the right, you sword,
then to the left,
wherever your blade is turned.
17 I too will strike my hands(AA) together,
and my wrath(AB) will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.(AC)”
18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword(AD) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost(AE) where the road branches off to the city. 20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites(AF) 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(AG) with arrows, he will consult his idols,(AH) he will examine the liver.(AI) 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,(AJ) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp(AK) and to erect siege works.(AL) 23 It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind(AM) them of their guilt(AN) 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,(AO) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,(AP) 26 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.(AQ) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.(AR) 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;(AS) to him I will give it.’(AT)
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites(AU) and their insults:
“‘A sword,(AV) a sword,
drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
and to flash like lightning!
29 Despite false visions concerning you
and lying divinations(AW) 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.(AX)
30 “‘Let the sword return to its sheath.(AY)
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,(AZ)
I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my wrath on you
and breathe(BA) out my fiery anger(BB) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
men skilled in destruction.(BC)
32 You will be fuel for the fire,(BD)
your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered(BE) 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?(BF) Then confront her with all her detestable practices(BG) 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood(BH) in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, 4 you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed(BI) 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.(BJ) Therefore I will make you an object of scorn(BK) to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.(BL) 5 Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.(BM)
6 “‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.(BN) 7 In you they have treated father and mother with contempt;(BO) in you they have oppressed the foreigner(BP) and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.(BQ) 8 You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.(BR) 9 In you are slanderers(BS) who are bent on shedding blood;(BT) in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines(BU) and commit lewd acts.(BV) 10 In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed;(BW) in you are those who violate women during their period,(BX) when they are ceremonially unclean.(BY) 11 In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife,(BZ) another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,(CA) and another violates his sister,(CB) his own father’s daughter.(CC) 12 In you are people who accept bribes(CD) to shed blood; you take interest(CE) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.(CF) And you have forgotten(CG) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CH)
13 “‘I will surely strike my hands(CI) together at the unjust gain(CJ) you have made and at the blood(CK) you have shed in your midst.(CL) 14 Will your courage endure(CM) or your hands(CN) be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken,(CO) and I will do it.(CP) 15 I will disperse you among the nations and scatter(CQ) you through the countries; and I will put an end to(CR) your uncleanness.(CS) 16 When you have been defiled[c] 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(CT) to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace.(CU) They are but the dross of silver.(CV) 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross,(CW) 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.(CX) 21 I will gather you and I will blow(CY) on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.(CZ) 22 As silver is melted(DA) in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath(DB) on you.’”(DC)
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.’(DD) 25 There is a conspiracy(DE) of her princes[d] within her like a roaring lion(DF) tearing its prey; they devour people,(DG) take treasures and precious things and make many widows(DH) within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my law(DI) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;(DJ) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;(DK) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned(DL) among them.(DM) 27 Her officials(DN) within her are like wolves(DO) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people(DP) to make unjust gain.(DQ) 28 Her prophets whitewash(DR) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.(DS) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.(DT) 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;(DU) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,(DV) denying them justice.(DW)
30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall(DX) 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.(DY) 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,(DZ) bringing down(EA) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(EB)”
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.(EC) 3 They became prostitutes in Egypt,(ED) engaging in prostitution(EE) from their youth.(EF) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.(EG) 4 The 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.(EH)
5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians(EI)—warriors(EJ) 6 clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 7 She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.(EK) 8 She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,(EL) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.(EM)
9 “Therefore I delivered her into the hands(EN) of her lovers,(EO) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.(EP) 10 They stripped(EQ) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,(ER) and punishment was inflicted(ES) on her.(ET)
11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this,(EU) yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.(EV) 12 She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.(EW) 13 I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.(EX)
14 “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,(EY) figures of Chaldeans[e] portrayed in red,(EZ) 15 with belts(FA) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.[f] 16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers(FB) to them in Chaldea.(FC) 17 Then the Babylonians(FD) 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.(FE) 18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,(FF) I turned away(FG) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.(FH) 19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. 21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.[g](FI)
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers(FJ) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side(FK)— 23 the Babylonians(FL) and all the Chaldeans,(FM) the men of Pekod(FN) 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.(FO) 24 They will come against you with weapons,[h] chariots and wagons(FP) 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,(FQ) and they will punish you according to their standards. 25 I will direct my jealous anger(FR) 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,(FS) and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.(FT) 26 They will also strip(FU) you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.(FV) 27 So I will put a stop(FW) 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(FX) of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked,(FY) and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed.(FZ) Your lewdness(GA) and promiscuity(GB) 30 have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.(GC) 31 You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup(GD) into your hand.(GE)
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,(GF)
for it holds so much.(GG)
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
the cup of ruin and desolation,
the cup of your sister Samaria.(GH)
34 You will drink it(GI) and drain it dry
and chew on its pieces—
and you will tear your breasts.
I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(GJ)
35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten(GK) me and turned your back on me,(GL) you must bear(GM) the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”
36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront(GN) them with their detestable practices,(GO) 37 for 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.(GP) 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary(GQ) and desecrated my Sabbaths.(GR) 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated(GS) it. That is what they did in my house.(GT)
40 “They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,(GU) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup(GV) and put on your jewelry.(GW) 41 You sat on an elegant couch,(GX) with a table(GY) spread before it on which you had placed the incense(GZ) and olive oil that belonged to me.(HA)
42 “The noise of a carefree(HB) crowd was around her; drunkards(HC) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets(HD) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.(HE) 43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,(HF) for that is all she is.’ 44 And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. 45 But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,(HG) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.(HH)
46 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob(HI) against them and give them over to terror and plunder.(HJ) 47 The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters(HK) and burn(HL) down their houses.(HM)
48 “So I will put an end(HN) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.(HO) 49 You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry.(HP) Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(HQ)”
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:(HR) 2 “Son of man, record(HS) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.(HT) 3 Tell this rebellious people(HU) a parable(HV) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Put on the cooking pot;(HW) put it on
and pour water into it.
4 Put into it the pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;(HX)
5 take the pick of the flock.(HY)
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.(HZ)
6 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe(IA) to the city of bloodshed,(IB)
to the pot now encrusted,
whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
in whatever order(IC) it comes.(ID)
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.(IE)
8 To 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.
10 So heap on the wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.
11 Then 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.(IF)
12 It 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(IG) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.(IH)
14 “‘I the Lord have spoken.(II) The time has come for me to act.(IJ) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,(IK) nor will I relent.(IL) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,(IM) declares the Sovereign Lord.(IN)’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, with one blow(IO) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.(IP) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.(IQ) 17 Groan quietly;(IR) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban(IS) fastened and your sandals(IT) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard(IU) or eat the customary food of mourners.(IV)”
18 So 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.(IW)
19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?(IX) Why are you acting like this?”
20 So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary(IY)—the stronghold in which you take pride,(IZ) the delight of your eyes,(JA) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters(JB) you left behind will fall by the sword.(JC) 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard(JD) or eat the customary food of mourners.(JE) 23 You will keep your turbans(JF) on your heads and your sandals(JG) on your feet. You will not mourn(JH) or weep but will waste away(JI) because of[i] your sins and groan among yourselves.(JJ) 24 Ezekiel(JK) will be a sign(JL) 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,(JM) their heart’s desire,(JN) and their sons and daughters(JO) as well— 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you(JP) the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.(JQ) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.(JR)”
Footnotes
- 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
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