Ezekiel 22
World English Bible
22 Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2 “You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations. 3 You shall say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her! 4 You have become guilty in your blood that you have shed, and are defiled in your idols which you have made! You have caused your days to draw near, and have come even to your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries. 5 Those who are near, and those who are far from you, will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult.
6 “‘“Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood. 7 In you have they treated father and mother with contempt.[a] Among you they have oppressed the foreigner. In you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow. 8 You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths. 9 Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood. In you they have eaten on the mountains. They have committed lewdness among you. 10 In you have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity. 11 One has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. Another in you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter. 12 In you have they taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord Yahweh.
13 “‘“Behold, therefore I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at your blood which has been within you. 14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I will deal with you? I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries. I will consume your filthiness out of you. 16 You will be profaned in yourself, in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”’”
17 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me. All of them are bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the middle of the furnace. They are the dross of silver. 19 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the middle of Jerusalem. 20 As they gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the middle of the furnace, to blow the fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will lay you there, and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you, and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you will be melted in the middle of it. 22 As silver is melted in the middle of the furnace, so you will be melted in the middle of it; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have poured out my wrath on you.’”
23 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, tell her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed, nor rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets within it, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They take treasure and precious things. They have made many widows within it. 26 Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths. So I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain. 28 Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying, ‘The Lord Yahweh says,’ when Yahweh has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. Yes, they have troubled the poor and needy, and have oppressed the foreigner wrongfully.
30 “I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have brought their own way on their heads,” says the Lord Yahweh.
Footnotes
- 22:7 Literally, made light of father and mother.
Ezekiel 22
Christian Standard Bible
Indictment of Sinful Jerusalem
22 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “As for you, son of man, will you pass judgment? Will you pass judgment against the city of blood? Then explain all her detestable practices to her.(A) 3 You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A city that sheds blood(B) within her walls so that her time of judgment has come and who makes idols for herself so that she is defiled! 4 You are guilty of the blood you have shed,(C) and you are defiled from the idols you have made. You have brought your judgment[a] days near and have come to your years of punishment.[b] Therefore, I have made you a disgrace to the nations and a mockery to all the lands. 5 Those who are near and those far away from you will mock you, you infamous one full of turmoil.
6 “‘Look, every prince of Israel(D) within you has used his strength to shed blood. 7 Father and mother are treated with contempt,(E) and the resident alien is exploited within you. The fatherless and widow are oppressed in you.(F) 8 You despise my holy things and profane my Sabbaths.(G) 9 There are men within you who slander in order to shed blood.(H) People who live in you eat at the mountain shrines;[c] they commit depraved acts within you. 10 Men within you have sexual intercourse with their father’s wife and violate women during their menstrual impurity.(I) 11 One man within you commits a detestable act with his neighbor’s wife;(J) another defiles his daughter-in-law with depravity; and yet another violates his sister, his father’s daughter.(K) 12 People who live in you accept bribes in order to shed blood.(L) You take interest and profit on a loan and brutally extort your neighbors.(M) You have forgotten me.(N) This is the declaration of the Lord God.
13 “‘Now look, I clap my hands together against the dishonest profit you have made(O) and against the blood shed among you. 14 Will your courage endure(P) or your hands be strong in the days when I deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will act.(Q) 15 I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you among the countries;(R) I will purge your uncleanness.(S) 16 You[d] will be profaned in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”(T)
Jerusalem as God’s Furnace
17 The word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become merely dross to me.(U) All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace;(V) they are just dross from silver. 19 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because all of you have become dross, I am about to gather you into Jerusalem. 20 Just as one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the furnace to blow fire(W) on them and melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and wrath, put you inside, and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you together and blow on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted within the city. 22 As silver is melted inside a furnace, so you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my wrath on you.”(X)
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,(Y) that has not received rain in the day of indignation.’ 25 The conspiracy of her prophets(Z) within her is[e] 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.(AA) They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they do not explain the difference between the clean and the unclean.(AB) 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,(AC) 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.(AD) 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(AE) and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it,(AF) 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.”(AG) This is the declaration of the Lord God.
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