Ezekiel 22:1-9

New International Reader's Version

The Lord Judges Jerusalem for Its Sins

22 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,

² “Son of man, are you going to judge Jerusalem? Will you judge this city that has so many murderers in it? Then tell its people they have done many evil things. I hate those things. ³ Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “Your city brings death on itself. You spill blood inside its walls. You make yourselves ‘unclean’ by making statues of gods. ⁴ You are guilty of spilling blood. Your statues have made you ‘unclean.’ You have brought your days to a close. The end of your years has come. So the nations will make fun of you. All the countries will laugh at you. ⁵ Those who are near you will tell jokes about you. So will those who are far away. Trouble fills the streets of your sinful city.

⁶ “ ‘ “The princes of Israel are in your city. All of them use their power to spill blood. ⁷ They have made fun of fathers and mothers alike. They have crushed outsiders. They have treated badly the children whose fathers have died. They have done the same thing to widows. ⁸ You have looked down on the holy things that were set apart to me. You have misused my Sabbath days. ⁹ You have spread lies about others so you can spill someone’s blood. You eat at the mountain temples. You commit impure acts.