23 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is (A)not clean or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 There is a (B)conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have (C)devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many (D)widows in the midst of her. 26 Her (E)priests have done violence to My Law and have (F)profaned My holy things; they have made no (G)distinction between the holy and the [a]common, and they have not taught the difference between the (H)unclean and the clean; and they have closed their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am defiled among them. 27 Her leaders within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and (I)destroying lives in order to make (J)dishonest profit. 28 And her prophets have coated with whitewash for them, seeing (K)false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have practiced (L)extortion and committed robbery, and they have oppressed the poor and needy, and have (M)oppressed the stranger without justice. 30 I (N)searched for a man among them who would (O)build up a wall and (P)stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found [b]no one. 31 So I have poured out My (Q)indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; I have brought (R)their way upon their heads,” declares the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 22:26 Lit profane
  2. Ezekiel 22:30 Lit not

Indictment of a Sinful Land

23 The word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed,(A) that has not received rain in the day of indignation.’ 25 The conspiracy of her prophets(B) within her is[a] like a roaring lion tearing its prey: they devour people, seize wealth and valuables, and multiply the widows within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my instruction and profane my holy things.(C) They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they do not explain the difference between the clean and the unclean.(D) They close their eyes to my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

27 “Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives in order to make profit dishonestly. 28 Her prophets plaster for them with whitewash by seeing false visions and lying divinations,(E) saying, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery.(F) They have oppressed the poor and needy and unlawfully exploited the resident alien. 30 I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall(G) and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it,(H) but I found no one. 31 So I have poured out my indignation on them and consumed them with the fire of my fury. I have brought their conduct down on their own heads.”(I) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:24–25 LXX reads indignation, 25 whose princes within her are

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.’(A) 25 There is a conspiracy(B) of her princes[a] within her like a roaring lion(C) tearing its prey; they devour people,(D) take treasures and precious things and make many widows(E) within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my law(F) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;(G) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;(H) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned(I) among them.(J) 27 Her officials(K) within her are like wolves(L) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people(M) to make unjust gain.(N) 28 Her prophets whitewash(O) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.(P) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.(Q) 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;(R) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,(S) denying them justice.(T)

30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall(U) 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.(V) 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,(W) bringing down(X) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 22:25 Septuagint; Hebrew prophets