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
International Standard Version
A Prophecy against Jerusalem
22 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Now, Son of Man, will you truly judge that blood-stained city? Then make her aware of all of her detestable practices.
3 “You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “The city keeps on shedding blood within her, hastening her time to be judged. She crafts idols that defile her.
4 “‘“You’re guilty because of the blood that you’ve shed. You were defiled by the idols that you’ve made. You’ve caused your judgment day to draw near and have even come to the end of[a] your life. Therefore, I’ve made you an object of derision among the nations and to other[b] lands. 5 Those who are both near and far away from you will scoff at you, because your reputation will be infamous and full of turmoil.
6 “‘“Watch out! Each of the princes of Israel has misused his authority to shed blood. 7 They’ve treated mothers and fathers among you with contempt. They’ve oppressed the foreigner among you. They’ve maltreated the orphan and the widow among you.
8 “‘“You have despised my sacred things and profaned my Sabbaths. 9 Slanderous men live among you, intent on shedding blood. They’ve eaten at the top of mountain shrines. They’ve crafted plans to do evil things among you. 10 They’ve revealed the nakedness of their father in your midst. They’ve humiliated those among you who were unclean due to their impurity. 11 One of you commits detestable practices with his neighbor’s wife. Another sexually defiles his daughter-in-law. Another humiliates his sister, his own father’s daughter. 12 They take bribes among you to shed blood. You’ve taken usury and exacted interest. You’ve gained control over your neighbor through extortion. And you’ve forgotten me,” declares the Lord God.
13 “Watch out! I’m vehemently angry about[c] the unjust gains that you’ve earned, and about the blood that has been shed among you. 14 Can your heart stand up to this? Can your hands remain strong when I deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken and will fulfill this. 15 I’m going to disperse you among the nations and scatter you to other lands. I’m going to put an end to your uncleanness. 16 When you’ve been defiled in the sight of the nations, then you’ll know that I am the Lord.”’”
God’s Purging Fire
17 This message came to me from the Lord: 18 “Son of Man, Israel has become like dross to me. All of them are like remnants of bronze, tin, iron, and lead in a furnace—the dross left over from smelting silver. 19 Therefore this is what the Lord God says, ‘Because all of you have become dross, watch out! I’m going to gather all of you at the center of Jerusalem, 20 just like a smelter gathers all the silver, bronze, lead, and tin to the center of a furnace and injects fire in order to melt it, I’m going to gather you in my anger and rage, make you settle down—and then I’m going to melt you down. 21 Indeed, I’m going to gather you together and exhale the fire of my fury, and then you’ll be melted from the inside out 22 like melting silver at the center of a furnace. When you’ve been melted from the center out, then you’ll know that I am the Lord. I’ll pour out my anger on you.’”
God Rebukes Prophets and Priests
23 This message came to me from the Lord: 24 “Son of Man, tell her,[d] ‘You’re a land that hasn’t been purified, one that hasn’t been rained on in the day of indignation. 25 There’s a conspiracy of prophets within her, and like a roaring lion tearing its prey, they’ve devoured people, and confiscated treasures, and taken precious things. They’ve added to the population of widows within her. 26 Her priests have violated my Law and profaned my sacred things. They didn’t differentiate between what’s sacred and what’s common. They didn’t instruct others to discern clean from unclean things. They refused to keep[e] my Sabbaths.
“‘I’m constantly being profaned among them. 27 Her princes within her are like wolves tearing their prey apart. They shed blood, destroying souls, and make unjust gain.
28 “‘Her prophets whitewashed all of these things through false visions and lying divinations. They kept on saying, “This is what the Lord God says…”, when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land were vigorously oppressive and took possession of plunder by violence. They’ve afflicted the poor and the needy and unjustly treated the foreigner. 30 I sought for a man among them to build the wall and stand in the breach in my presence on behalf of the land so that it won’t be destroyed, but I found no one, 31 so I poured my indignation over them. With my fierce anger, I’ve consumed them. I brought the consequences of[f] their behavior upon them,’[g] declares the Lord God.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 22:4 The Heb. lacks the end of
- Ezekiel 22:4 The Heb. lacks other
- Ezekiel 22:13 Lit. I’m going to strike my hands
- Ezekiel 22:24 I.e. Israel personified as a woman
- Ezekiel 22:26 Lit. refused their eyes from
- Ezekiel 22:31 The Heb. lacks the consequences of
- Ezekiel 22:31 Lit. upon their heads
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