Israel in the Furnace

¹⁷ The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹⁸ “Son of man, ^(A)the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a ^(B)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 ^(C)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 ^(D)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 ^(E)not ^[a]cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ ^25 (F)The conspiracy of her ^[b]prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they ^(G)have devoured ^[c]people; ^(H)they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. ^26 (I)Her priests have ^[d]violated My law and ^(J)profaned My holy things; they have not ^(K)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 ^(L)princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy ^[e]people, and to get dishonest gain. ^28 (M)Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, ^(N)seeing false visions, and divining ^(O)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 ^(P)oppress the stranger. ^30 (Q)So I sought for a man among them who would ^(R)make a wall, and ^(S)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 ^(T)poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed ^(U)their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.