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Ezekiel 23:40-35:15
New King James Version
Ezekiel 23:40-35:15
New King James Version
40 “Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, (A)to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you (B)washed yourself for them, (C)painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately (D)couch, with a table prepared before it, (E)on which you had set My incense and My oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and [a]Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their [b]wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said concerning her who had grown old in adulteries, ‘Will they commit harlotry with her now, and she with them?’ 44 Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women. 45 But righteous men will (F)judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and (G)blood is on their hands.
46 “For thus says the Lord God: (H)‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder. 47 (I)The assembly shall stone them with stones and [c]execute them with their swords; (J)they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. 48 Thus (K)I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, (L)that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness. 49 They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall (M)pay for your idolatrous sins. (N)Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.’ ”
Symbol of the Cooking Pot(O)
24 Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, write down the name of the day, this very day—the king of Babylon started his siege against Jerusalem (P)this very day. 3 (Q)And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
(R)“Put on a pot, set it on,
And also pour water into it.
4 Gather pieces of meat in it,
Every good piece,
The thigh and the shoulder.
Fill it with choice [d]cuts;
5 Take the choice of the flock.
Also pile fuel bones under it,
Make it boil well,
And let the cuts simmer in it.”
6 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Woe to (S)the bloody city,
To the pot whose scum is in it,
And whose scum is not gone from it!
Bring it out piece by piece,
On which no (T)lot has fallen.
7 For her blood is in her midst;
She set it on top of a rock;
(U)She did not pour it on the ground,
To cover it with dust.
8 That it may raise up fury and take vengeance,
(V)I have set her blood on top of a rock,
That it may not be covered.”
9 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God:
(W)“Woe to the bloody city!
I too will make the pyre great.
10 Heap on the wood,
Kindle the fire;
Cook the meat well,
Mix in the spices,
And let the [e]cuts be burned up.
11 “Then set the pot empty on the coals,
That it may become hot and its bronze may burn,
That (X)its filthiness may be melted in it,
That its scum may be consumed.
12 She has [f]grown weary with [g]lies,
And her great scum has not gone from her.
Let her scum be in the fire!
13 In your (Y)filthiness is lewdness.
Because I have cleansed you, and you were not cleansed,
You will (Z)not be cleansed of your filthiness anymore,
(AA)Till I have caused My fury to rest upon you.
14 (AB)I, the Lord, have spoken it;
(AC)It shall come to pass, and I will do it;
I will not hold back,
(AD)Nor will I spare,
Nor will I relent;
According to your ways
And according to your deeds
[h]They will judge you,”
Says the Lord God.’ ”
The Prophet’s Wife Dies
15 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall (AE)neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh in silence, (AF)make no mourning for the dead; (AG)bind your turban on your head, and (AH)put your sandals on your feet; (AI)do not cover your [i]lips, and do not eat man’s bread of sorrow.”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and the next morning I did as I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me, (AJ)“Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?”
20 Then I answered them, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, (AK)I will profane My sanctuary, [j]your arrogant boast, the desire of your eyes, the [k]delight of your soul; (AL)and your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And you shall do as I have done; (AM)you shall not cover your [l]lips nor eat man’s bread of sorrow. 23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; (AN)you shall neither mourn nor weep, but (AO)you shall pine away in your iniquities and mourn with one another. 24 Thus (AP)Ezekiel is a sign to you; according to all that he has done you shall do; (AQ)and when this comes, (AR)you shall know that I am the Lord God.’ ”
25 ‘And you, son of man—will it not be in the day when I take from them (AS)their stronghold, their joy and their glory, the desire of their eyes, and [m]that on which they set their minds, their sons and their daughters: 26 that on that day (AT)one who escapes will come to you to let you hear it with your ears? 27 (AU)On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you shall speak and no longer be mute. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”
Proclamation Against Ammon
25 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (AV)set your face (AW)against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them. 3 Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: (AX)“Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity, 4 indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the [n]men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. 5 And I will make (AY)Rabbah (AZ)a stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. (BA)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”
6 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Because you (BB)clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and (BC)rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, 7 indeed, therefore, I will (BD)stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
Proclamation Against Moab
8 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because (BE)Moab and (BF)Seir say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations,’ 9 therefore, behold, I will clear the territory of Moab of cities, of the cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and (BG)Kirjathaim. 10 (BH)To the men of the East I will give it as a possession, together with the Ammonites, that the Ammonites (BI)may not be remembered among the nations. 11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”
Proclamation Against Edom
12 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (BJ)“Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,” 13 therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; [o]Dedan shall fall by the sword. 14 (BK)I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord God.
Proclamation Against Philistia
15 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (BL)“Because (BM)the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with [p]a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the [q]old hatred,” 16 therefore thus says the Lord God: (BN)“I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the (BO)Cherethites (BP)and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. 17 I will (BQ)execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; (BR)and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I lay My vengeance upon them.” ’ ”
Proclamation Against Tyre
26 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (BS)because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, (BT)‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’
3 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. 4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and (BU)make her like the top of a rock. 5 It shall be a place for spreading nets (BV)in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord God; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations. 6 Also her daughter villages which are in the fields shall be slain by the sword. (BW)Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’
7 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north (BX)Nebuchadnezzar[r] king of Babylon, (BY)king of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army with many people. 8 He will slay with the sword your daughter villages in the fields; he will (BZ)heap up a siege mound against you, build a wall against you, and raise a [s]defense against you. 9 He will direct his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. 10 Because of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, the wagons, and the chariots, when he enters your gates, as men enter a city that has been breached. 11 With the hooves of his (CA)horses he will trample all your streets; he will slay your people by the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground. 12 They will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the (CB)midst of the water. 13 (CC)I will put an end to the sound of (CD)your songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more. 14 (CE)I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,’ says the Lord God.
15 “Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: ‘Will the coastlands not (CF)shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded cry, when slaughter is made in the midst of you? 16 Then all the (CG)princes of the sea will (CH)come down from their thrones, lay aside their robes, and take off their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling; (CI)they will sit on the ground, (CJ)tremble every moment, and (CK)be astonished at you. 17 And they will take up a (CL)lamentation for you, and say to you:
“How you have perished,
O one inhabited by seafaring men,
O renowned city,
Who was (CM)strong at sea,
She and her inhabitants,
Who caused their terror to be on all her inhabitants!
18 Now (CN)the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall;
Yes, the coastlands by the sea are troubled at your departure.” ’
19 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring the deep upon you, and great waters cover you, 20 then I will bring you down (CO)with those who descend into the Pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lowest part of the earth, in places desolate from antiquity, with those who go down to the Pit, so that you may never be inhabited; and I shall establish glory (CP)in the land of the living. 21 (CQ)I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; (CR)though you are sought for, you will never be found again,’ says the Lord God.”
Lamentation for Tyre
27 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, 2 “Now, son of man, (CS)take up a lamentation for Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre, (CT)‘You who [t]are situated at the entrance of the sea, (CU)merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:
“O Tyre, you have said,
(CV)‘I am perfect in beauty.’
4 Your borders are in the midst of the seas.
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
5 They [u]made all your planks of fir trees from (CW)Senir;
They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast.
6 Of (CX)oaks from Bashan they made your oars;
The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks
With ivory from (CY)the coasts of [v]Cyprus.
7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail;
Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.
8 “Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;
Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you;
They became your pilots.
9 Elders of (CZ)Gebal and its wise men
Were in you to caulk your seams;
All the ships of the sea
And their oarsmen were in you
To market your merchandise.
10 “Those from Persia, [w]Lydia, and [x]Libya
Were in your army as men of war;
They hung shield and helmet in you;
They gave splendor to you.
11 Men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around,
And the men of Gammad were in your towers;
They hung their shields on your walls all around;
They made (DA)your beauty perfect.
12 (DB)“Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods. 13 (DC)Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered (DD)human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 Those from the house of (DE)Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules. 15 The men of (DF)Dedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment. 16 Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of (DG)Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and (DH)balm. 18 Damascus was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool. 19 Dan and Javan paid for your wares, [y]traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise. 20 (DI)Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of (DJ)Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of (DK)Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. 23 (DL)Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of (DM)Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad were your merchants. 24 These were your merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace.
25 “The (DN)ships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise.
You were filled and very glorious (DO)in the midst of the seas.
26 Your oarsmen brought you into many waters,
But (DP)the east wind broke you in the midst of the seas.
27 “Your (DQ)riches, wares, and merchandise,
Your mariners and pilots,
Your caulkers and merchandisers,
All your men of war who are in you,
And the entire company which is in your midst,
Will fall into the midst of the seas on the day of your ruin.
28 The (DR)common-land[z] will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots.
29 “All (DS)who handle the oar,
The mariners,
All the pilots of the sea
Will come down from their ships and stand on the [aa]shore.
30 They will make their voice heard because of you;
They will cry bitterly and (DT)cast dust on their heads;
They (DU)will roll about in ashes;
31 They will (DV)shave themselves completely bald because of you,
Gird themselves with sackcloth,
And weep for you
With bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
32 In their wailing for you
They will (DW)take up a lamentation,
And lament for you:
(DX)‘What city is like Tyre,
Destroyed in the midst of the sea?
33 ‘When(DY) your wares went out by sea,
You satisfied many people;
You enriched the kings of the earth
With your many luxury goods and your merchandise.
34 But (DZ)you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters;
(EA)Your merchandise and the entire company will fall in your midst.
35 (EB)All the inhabitants of the isles will be astonished at you;
Their kings will be greatly afraid,
And their countenance will be troubled.
36 The merchants among the peoples (EC)will hiss at you;
(ED)You will become a horror, and be no (EE)more forever.’ ” ’ ”
Proclamation Against the King of Tyre
28 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“Because your heart is (EF)lifted[ab] up,
And (EG)you say, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of gods,
(EH)In the midst of the seas,’
(EI)Yet you are a man, and not a god,
Though you set your heart as the heart of a god
3 (Behold, (EJ)you are wiser than Daniel!
There is no secret that can be hidden from you!
4 With your wisdom and your understanding
You have gained (EK)riches for yourself,
And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries;
5 (EL)By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches,
And your heart is lifted up because of your riches),”
6 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god,
7 Behold, therefore, I will bring (EM)strangers against you,
(EN)The most terrible of the nations;
And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom,
And defile your splendor.
8 They shall throw you down into the (EO)Pit,
And you shall die the death of the slain
In the midst of the seas.
9 “Will you still (EP)say before him who slays you,
‘I am a god’?
But you shall be a man, and not a god,
In the hand of him who slays you.
10 You shall die the death of (EQ)the uncircumcised
By the hand of aliens;
For I have spoken,” says the Lord God.’ ”
Lamentation for the King of Tyre
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, (ER)take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
(ES)“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in (ET)Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of (EU)your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “You were the anointed (EV)cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on (EW)the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till (EX)iniquity was found in you.
16 “By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, (EY)O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones.
17 “Your (EZ)heart was [ac]lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
18 “You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;
(FA)You have become a horror,
And shall be no (FB)more forever.” ’ ”
Proclamation Against Sidon
20 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 “Son of man, (FC)set your face (FD)toward Sidon, and prophesy against her, 22 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
(FE)“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon;
I will be glorified in your midst;
And (FF)they shall know that I am the Lord,
When I execute judgments in her and am (FG)hallowed in her.
23 (FH)For I will send pestilence upon her,
And blood in her streets;
The wounded shall be judged in her midst
By the sword against her on every side;
Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
24 “And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or (FI)a painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who (FJ)despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.”
Israel’s Future Blessing
25 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “When I have (FK)gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am (FL)hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. 26 And they will (FM)dwell [ad]safely there, (FN)build houses, and (FO)plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.” ’ ”
Proclamation Against Egypt
29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (FP)set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and (FQ)against all Egypt. 3 Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
(FR)“Behold, I am against you,
O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great (FS)monster who lies in the midst of his rivers,
(FT)Who has said, ‘My [ae]River is my own;
I have made it for myself.’
4 But (FU)I will put hooks in your jaws,
And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales;
I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.
5 I will leave you in the wilderness,
You and all the fish of your rivers;
You shall fall on the [af]open (FV)field;
(FW)You shall not be picked up or [ag]gathered.
(FX)I have given you as food
To the beasts of the field
And to the birds of the heavens.
6 “Then all the inhabitants of Egypt
Shall know that I am the Lord,
Because they have been a (FY)staff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 (FZ)When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their [ah]shoulders;
When they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their backs quiver.”
8 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will bring (GA)a sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast. 9 And the land of Egypt shall become (GB)desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the Lord, because he said, ‘The River is mine, and I have made it.’ 10 Indeed, therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, (GC)and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, (GD)from [ai]Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 (GE)Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 (GF)I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I will (GG)scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”
13 ‘Yet, thus says the Lord God: “At the (GH)end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. 14 I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a (GI)lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore. 16 No longer shall it be (GJ)the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.” ’ ”
Babylonia Will Plunder Egypt
17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (GK)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made (GL)bald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will give the land of Egypt to (GM)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they (GN)worked for Me,’ says the Lord God.
21 ‘In that day (GO)I will cause the [aj]horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will (GP)open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”
Egypt and Her Allies Will Fall
30 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
(GQ)“Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’
3 For (GR)the day is near,
Even the day of the Lord is near;
It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.
4 The sword shall come upon Egypt,
And great anguish shall be in [ak]Ethiopia,
When the slain fall in Egypt,
And they (GS)take away her wealth,
And (GT)her foundations are broken down.
5 “Ethiopia, [al]Libya, [am]Lydia, (GU)all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.”
6 ‘Thus says the Lord:
“Those who uphold Egypt shall fall,
And the pride of her power shall come down.
(GV)From [an]Migdol to Syene
Those within her shall fall by the sword,”
Says the Lord God.
7 “They(GW) shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries,
And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste.
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord,
When I have set a fire in Egypt
And all her helpers are destroyed.
9 On that day (GX)messengers shall go forth from Me in ships
To make the [ao]careless Ethiopians afraid,
And great anguish shall come upon them,
As on the day of Egypt;
For indeed it is coming!”
10 ‘Thus says the Lord God:
(GY)“I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease
By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 He and his people with him, (GZ)the most terrible of the nations,
Shall be brought to destroy the land;
They shall draw their swords against Egypt,
And fill the land with the slain.
12 (HA)I will make the rivers dry,
And (HB)sell the land into the hand of the wicked;
I will make the land waste, and all that is in it,
By the hand of aliens.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
13 ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“I will also (HC)destroy the idols,
And cause the images to cease from [ap]Noph;
(HD)There shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt;
(HE)I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14 I will make (HF)Pathros desolate,
Set fire to (HG)Zoan,
(HH)And execute judgments in [aq]No.
15 I will pour My fury on [ar]Sin, the strength of Egypt;
(HI)I will cut off the multitude of [as]No,
16 And (HJ)set a fire in Egypt;
Sin shall have great pain,
No shall be split open,
And Noph shall be in distress daily.
17 The young men of [at]Aven and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword,
And these cities shall go into captivity.
18 (HK)At [au]Tehaphnehes the day shall also be [av]darkened,
When I break the yokes of Egypt there.
And her arrogant strength shall cease in her;
As for her, a cloud shall cover her,
And her daughters shall go into captivity.
19 Thus I will (HL)execute judgments on Egypt,
Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
Proclamation Against Pharaoh
20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 “Son of man, I have (HM)broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and see, (HN)it has not been bandaged for healing, nor a [aw]splint put on to bind it, to make it strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I am (HO)against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will (HP)break his arms, both the strong one and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall out of his hand. 23 (HQ)I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he will groan before him with the groanings of a mortally wounded man. 25 Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; (HR)they shall know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. 26 (HS)I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”
Egypt Cut Down Like a Great Tree(HT)
31 Now it came to pass in the (HU)eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:
(HV)‘Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 (HW)Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,
With fine branches that shaded the forest,
And of high stature;
And its top was among the thick boughs.
4 (HX)The waters made it grow;
Underground waters gave it height,
With their rivers running around the place where it was planted,
And sent out [ax]rivulets to all the trees of the field.
5 ‘Therefore (HY)its height was exalted above all the trees of the field;
Its boughs were multiplied,
And its branches became long because of the abundance of water,
As it sent them out.
6 All the (HZ)birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs;
Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young;
And in its shadow all great nations [ay]made their home.
7 ‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches,
Because its roots reached to abundant waters.
8 The cedars in the (IA)garden of God could not hide it;
The fir trees were not like its boughs,
And the [az]chestnut trees were not like its branches;
No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty.
9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches,
So that all the trees of Eden envied it,
That were in the garden of God.’
10 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and (IB)its heart was [ba]lifted up in its height, 11 therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the (IC)mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness. 12 And aliens, (ID)the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen (IE)on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie (IF)broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it.
13 ‘On (IG)its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens,
And all the beasts of the field will come to its branches—
14 So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them.
‘For (IH)they have all been delivered to death,
(II)To the depths of the earth,
Among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’
15 “Thus says the Lord God: ‘In the day when it (IJ)went down to [bb]hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to [bc]mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations (IK)shake at the sound of its fall, when I (IL)cast it down to [bd]hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and (IM)all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, (IN)were comforted in the depths of the earth. 17 They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm (IO)dwelt in its shadows among the nations.
18 (IP)‘To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; (IQ)you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord God.”
Lamentation for Pharaoh and Egypt
32 And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the (IR)twelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (IS)take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:
(IT)‘You are like a young lion among the nations,
And (IU)you are like a monster in the seas,
(IV)Bursting forth in your rivers,
Troubling the waters with your feet,
And (IW)fouling their rivers.
3 ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“I will therefore (IX)spread My net over you with a company of many people,
And they will draw you up in My net.
4 Then (IY)I will leave you on the land;
I will cast you out on the open fields,
(IZ)And cause to [be]settle on you all the birds of the heavens.
And with you I will fill the beasts of the whole earth.
5 I will lay your flesh (JA)on the mountains,
And fill the valleys with your carcass.
6 “I will also water the land with the flow of your blood,
Even to the mountains;
And the riverbeds will be full of you.
7 When I put out your light,
(JB)I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
And the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the [bf]bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you,
And bring darkness upon your land,”
Says the Lord God.
9 ‘I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. 10 Yes, I will make many peoples astonished at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and (JC)they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.
11 (JD)‘For thus says the Lord God: “The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. 12 By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them (JE)the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall.
(JF)“They shall plunder the pomp of Egypt,
And all its multitude shall be destroyed.
13 Also I will destroy all its animals
From beside its great waters;
(JG)The foot of man shall muddy them no more,
Nor shall the hooves of animals muddy them.
14 Then I will make their waters [bg]clear,
And make their rivers run like oil,”
Says the Lord God.
15 “When I make the land of Egypt desolate,
And the country is destitute of all that once filled it,
When I strike all who dwell in it,
(JH)Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
16 “This is the (JI)lamentation
With which they shall lament her;
The daughters of the nations shall lament her;
They shall lament for her, for Egypt,
And for all her multitude,”
Says the Lord God.’ ”
Egypt and Others Consigned to the Pit
17 It came to pass also in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, (JJ)that the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
18 “Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt,
And (JK)cast them down to the depths of the earth,
Her and the daughters of the famous nations,
With those who go down to the Pit:
19 ‘Whom (JL)do you surpass in beauty?
(JM)Go down, be placed with the uncircumcised.’
20 “They shall fall in the midst of those slain by the sword;
She is delivered to the sword,
(JN)Drawing her and all her multitudes.
21 (JO)The strong among the mighty
Shall speak to him out of the midst of hell
With those who help him:
‘They have (JP)gone down,
They lie with the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’
22 “Assyria(JQ) is there, and all her company,
With their graves all around her,
All of them slain, fallen by the sword.
23 (JR)Her graves are set in the recesses of the Pit,
And her company is all around her grave,
All of them slain, fallen by the sword,
Who (JS)caused terror in the land of the living.
24 “There is (JT)Elam and all her multitude,
All around her grave,
All of them slain, fallen by the sword,
Who have (JU)gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth,
(JV)Who caused their terror in the land of the living;
Now they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.
25 They have set her (JW)bed in the midst of the slain,
With all her multitude,
With her graves all around it,
All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword;
Though their terror was caused
In the land of the living,
Yet they bear their shame
With those who go down to the Pit;
It was put in the midst of the slain.
26 “There are (JX)Meshech and Tubal and all their multitudes,
With all their graves around it,
All of them (JY)uncircumcised, slain by the sword,
Though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
27 (JZ)They do not lie with the mighty
Who are fallen of the uncircumcised,
Who have gone down to hell with their weapons of war;
They have laid their swords under their heads,
But their iniquities will be on their bones,
Because of the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
28 Yes, you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised,
And lie with those slain by the sword.
29 “There is (KA)Edom,
Her kings and all her princes,
Who despite their might
Are laid beside those slain by the sword;
They shall lie with the uncircumcised,
And with those who go down to the Pit.
30 (KB)There are the princes of the north,
All of them, and all the (KC)Sidonians,
Who have gone down with the slain
In shame at the terror which they caused by their might;
They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword,
And bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.
31 “Pharaoh will see them
And be (KD)comforted over all his multitude,
Pharaoh and all his army,
Slain by the sword,”
Says the Lord God.
32 “For I have caused My terror in the land of the living;
And he shall be placed in the midst of the uncircumcised
With those slain by the sword,
Pharaoh and all his multitude,”
Says the Lord God.
The Watchman and His Message
33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to (KE)the children of your people, and say to them: (KF)‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their (KG)watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does (KH)not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, (KI)his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will [bh]save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, (KJ)he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 (KK)“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have [bi]delivered your soul.
10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we (KL)pine[bj] away in them, (KM)how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, (KN)‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked (KO)turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For (KP)why should you die, O house of Israel?’
The Fairness of God’s Judgment
12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The (KQ)righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, (KR)he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, (KS)but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, (KT)when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does [bk]what is lawful and [bl]right, 15 if the wicked (KU)restores the pledge, (KV)gives back what he has stolen, and walks in (KW)the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 (KX)None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 (KY)“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not [bm]fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 (KZ)When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, (LA)‘The way of the Lord is not [bn]fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”
The Fall of Jerusalem
21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year (LB)of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, (LC)that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, (LD)“The city has been [bo]captured!”
22 Now (LE)the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had (LF)opened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
The Cause of Judah’s Ruin
23 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 24 “Son of man, (LG)they who inhabit those (LH)ruins in the land of Israel are saying, (LI)‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. (LJ)But we are many; the land has been given to us as a (LK)possession.’
25 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (LL)“You eat meat with blood, you (LM)lift up your eyes toward your idols, and (LN)shed blood. Should you then possess the (LO)land? 26 You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you (LP)defile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?” ’
27 “Say thus to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “As I live, surely (LQ)those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and the one who is in the open field (LR)I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and (LS)caves shall die of the pestilence. 28 (LT)For I will make the land most desolate, [bp]her (LU)arrogant strength shall cease, and (LV)the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through. 29 Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.” ’
Hearing and Not Doing
30 “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they (LW)speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 So (LX)they come to you as people do, they (LY)sit before you as My people, and they (LZ)hear your words, but they do not do them; (MA)for with their mouth they show much love, but (MB)their hearts pursue their own gain. 32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do (MC)not do them. 33 (MD)And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then (ME)they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
Irresponsible Shepherds
34 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: (MF)“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 (MG)You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you (MH)slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 (MI)The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor (MJ)sought what was lost; but with (MK)force and [bq]cruelty you have ruled them. 5 (ML)So they were (MM)scattered because there was no shepherd; (MN)and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep (MO)wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”
7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock (MP)became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, (MQ)but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”— 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am (MR)against the shepherds, and (MS)I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall (MT)feed themselves no more; for I will (MU)deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”
God, the True Shepherd
11 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a (MV)shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on (MW)a cloudy and dark day. 13 And (MX)I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, [br]in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 (MY)I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. (MZ)There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. 16 (NA)“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy (NB)the fat and the strong, and feed them (NC)in judgment.”
17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: (ND)“Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the [bs]residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”
20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God to them: (NE)“Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one (NF)shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—(NG)My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And (NH)I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David (NI)a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.
25 (NJ)“I will make a covenant of peace with them, and (NK)cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they (NL)will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around (NM)My hill (NN)a blessing; and I will (NO)cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be (NP)showers of blessing. 27 Then (NQ)the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have (NR)broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who (NS)enslaved them. 28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but (NT)they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a (NU)garden[bt] of renown, and they shall (NV)no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, (NW)nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that (NX)I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are (NY)My people,” says the Lord God.’
31 “You are My (NZ)flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.
Judgment on Mount Seir
35 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against (OA)Mount Seir and (OB)prophesy against it, 3 and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you;
(OC)I will stretch out My hand against you,
And make you [bu]most desolate;
4 I shall lay your cities waste,
And you shall be desolate.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
5 (OD)“Because you have had an [bv]ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, (OE)when their iniquity came to an end, 6 therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will prepare you for (OF)blood, and blood shall pursue you; (OG)since you have not hated [bw]blood, therefore blood shall pursue you. 7 Thus I will make Mount Seir [bx]most desolate, and cut off from it the (OH)one who leaves and the one who returns. 8 And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall. 9 (OI)I will make you [by]perpetually desolate, and your cities shall be uninhabited; (OJ)then you shall know that I am the Lord.
10 “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will (OK)possess them,’ although (OL)the Lord was there, 11 therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will do (OM)according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. 12 (ON)Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have (OO)heard all your (OP)blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’ 13 Thus (OQ)with your mouth you have [bz]boasted against Me and multiplied your (OR)words against Me; I have heard them.”
14 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (OS)“The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate. 15 (OT)As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, (OU)so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom—all of it! Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 23:42 Or drunkards
- Ezekiel 23:42 Lit. hands
- Ezekiel 23:47 Lit. cut down
- Ezekiel 24:4 Lit. bones
- Ezekiel 24:10 Lit. bones
- Ezekiel 24:12 Or wearied Me
- Ezekiel 24:12 Or toil
- Ezekiel 24:14 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. I
- Ezekiel 24:17 Lit. moustache
- Ezekiel 24:21 Lit. the pride of your strength
- Ezekiel 24:21 Lit. compassion
- Ezekiel 24:22 Lit. moustache
- Ezekiel 24:25 Lit. the lifting up of their soul
- Ezekiel 25:4 Lit. sons
- Ezekiel 25:13 Or even to Dedan they shall fall
- Ezekiel 25:15 Lit. spite in soul
- Ezekiel 25:15 Or perpetual
- Ezekiel 26:7 Heb. Nebuchadrezzar, and so elsewhere in the book
- Ezekiel 26:8 Lit. a large shield
- Ezekiel 27:3 Lit. sit or dwell
- Ezekiel 27:5 built
- Ezekiel 27:6 Heb. Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus
- Ezekiel 27:10 Heb. Lud
- Ezekiel 27:10 Heb. Put
- Ezekiel 27:19 LXX, Syr. from Uzal
- Ezekiel 27:28 open lands or pasturelands
- Ezekiel 27:29 Lit. land
- Ezekiel 28:2 Proud
- Ezekiel 28:17 Proud
- Ezekiel 28:26 securely
- Ezekiel 29:3 The Nile
- Ezekiel 29:5 Lit. face of the field
- Ezekiel 29:5 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; some Heb. mss., Tg. buried
- Ezekiel 29:7 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Syr. hand
- Ezekiel 29:10 Or the tower
- Ezekiel 29:21 Strength
- Ezekiel 30:4 Heb. Cush
- Ezekiel 30:5 Heb. Put
- Ezekiel 30:5 Heb. Lud
- Ezekiel 30:6 Or the tower
- Ezekiel 30:9 Or secure
- Ezekiel 30:13 Ancient Memphis
- Ezekiel 30:14 Ancient Thebes
- Ezekiel 30:15 Ancient Pelusium
- Ezekiel 30:15 Ancient Thebes
- Ezekiel 30:17 Ancient On, Heliopolis
- Ezekiel 30:18 Tahpanhes, Jer. 43:7
- Ezekiel 30:18 So with many Heb. mss., Bg., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT refrained
- Ezekiel 30:21 Lit. bandage
- Ezekiel 31:4 Or channels
- Ezekiel 31:6 Lit. dwelled
- Ezekiel 31:8 Or plane, Heb. armon
- Ezekiel 31:10 Proud
- Ezekiel 31:15 Or Sheol
- Ezekiel 31:15 Lit. be darkened
- Ezekiel 31:16 Or Sheol
- Ezekiel 32:4 Lit. sit or dwell
- Ezekiel 32:8 Or shining
- Ezekiel 32:14 Lit. sink; settle, grow clear
- Ezekiel 33:5 Or deliver his soul
- Ezekiel 33:9 Or saved your life
- Ezekiel 33:10 Or waste away
- Ezekiel 33:14 justice
- Ezekiel 33:14 righteousness
- Ezekiel 33:17 Or equitable
- Ezekiel 33:20 Or equitable
- Ezekiel 33:21 Lit. struck down
- Ezekiel 33:28 Lit. pride of her strength
- Ezekiel 34:4 harshness or rigor
- Ezekiel 34:13 Or by the streams
- Ezekiel 34:18 remainder
- Ezekiel 34:29 Lit. planting place
- Ezekiel 35:3 Lit. a desolation and a waste
- Ezekiel 35:5 Or everlasting
- Ezekiel 35:6 Or bloodshed
- Ezekiel 35:7 Lit. a waste and a desolation
- Ezekiel 35:9 Lit. desolated forever
- Ezekiel 35:13 Lit. made yourself great
Ezekiel 23:40-33:16
New International Version
Ezekiel 23:40-33:16
New International Version
40 “They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,(A) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup(B) and put on your jewelry.(C) 41 You sat on an elegant couch,(D) with a table(E) spread before it on which you had placed the incense(F) and olive oil that belonged to me.(G)
42 “The noise of a carefree(H) crowd was around her; drunkards(I) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets(J) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.(K) 43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,(L) for that is all she is.’ 44 And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. 45 But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,(M) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.(N)
46 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob(O) against them and give them over to terror and plunder.(P) 47 The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters(Q) and burn(R) down their houses.(S)
48 “So I will put an end(T) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.(U) 49 You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry.(V) Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(W)”
Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot
24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me:(X) 2 “Son of man, record(Y) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.(Z) 3 Tell this rebellious people(AA) a parable(AB) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Put on the cooking pot;(AC) put it on
and pour water into it.
4 Put into it the pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;(AD)
5 take the pick of the flock.(AE)
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.(AF)
6 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe(AG) to the city of bloodshed,(AH)
to the pot now encrusted,
whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
in whatever order(AI) it comes.(AJ)
7 “‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:
She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
where the dust would cover it.(AK)
8 To stir up wrath and take revenge
I put her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.
9 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 So heap on the wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals
till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
and its deposit burned away.(AL)
12 It has frustrated all efforts;
its heavy deposit has not been removed,
not even by fire.
13 “‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed(AM) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.(AN)
14 “‘I the Lord have spoken.(AO) The time has come for me to act.(AP) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,(AQ) nor will I relent.(AR) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,(AS) declares the Sovereign Lord.(AT)’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, with one blow(AU) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.(AV) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.(AW) 17 Groan quietly;(AX) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban(AY) fastened and your sandals(AZ) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard(BA) or eat the customary food of mourners.(BB)”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.(BC)
19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?(BD) Why are you acting like this?”
20 So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary(BE)—the stronghold in which you take pride,(BF) the delight of your eyes,(BG) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters(BH) you left behind will fall by the sword.(BI) 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard(BJ) or eat the customary food of mourners.(BK) 23 You will keep your turbans(BL) on your heads and your sandals(BM) on your feet. You will not mourn(BN) or weep but will waste away(BO) because of[a] your sins and groan among yourselves.(BP) 24 Ezekiel(BQ) will be a sign(BR) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’
25 “And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,(BS) their heart’s desire,(BT) and their sons and daughters(BU) as well— 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you(BV) the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.(BW) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.(BX)”
A Prophecy Against Ammon
25 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against(BY) the Ammonites(BZ) and prophesy against them.(CA) 3 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!(CB)” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated(CC) and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile,(CD) 4 therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East(CE) as a possession. They will set up their camps(CF) and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.(CG) 5 I will turn Rabbah(CH) into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep.(CI) Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands(CJ) and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,(CK) 7 therefore I will stretch out my hand(CL) against you and give you as plunder(CM) to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy(CN) you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(CO)’”
A Prophecy Against Moab
8 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab(CP) and Seir(CQ) said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” 9 therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth(CR), Baal Meon(CS) and Kiriathaim(CT)—the glory of that land. 10 I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered(CU) among the nations; 11 and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”(CV)
A Prophecy Against Edom
12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom(CW) took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand(CX) against Edom and kill both man and beast.(CY) I will lay it waste, and from Teman(CZ) to Dedan(DA) they will fall by the sword.(DB) 14 I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger(DC) and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”(DD)
A Prophecy Against Philistia
15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines(DE) acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice(DF) in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines,(DG) and I will wipe out the Kerethites(DH) and destroy those remaining along the coast.(DI) 17 I will carry out great vengeance(DJ) on them and punish(DK) them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord,(DL) when I take vengeance on them.(DM)’”
A Prophecy Against Tyre
26 In the eleventh month of the twelfth[b] year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:(DN) 2 “Son of man, because Tyre(DO) has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha!(DP) The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,’ 3 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea(DQ) casting up its waves. 4 They will destroy(DR) the walls of Tyre(DS) and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. 5 Out in the sea(DT) she will become a place to spread fishnets,(DU) for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder(DV) for the nations,(DW) 6 and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
7 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar[c](DX) king of Babylon, king of kings,(DY) with horses and chariots,(DZ) with horsemen and a great army. 8 He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works(EA) against you, build a ramp(EB) up to your walls and raise his shields against you. 9 He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.(EC) 10 His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots(ED) when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. 11 The hooves(EE) of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars(EF) will fall to the ground.(EG) 12 They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.(EH) 13 I will put an end(EI) to your noisy songs,(EJ) and the music of your harps(EK) will be heard no more.(EL) 14 I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt,(EM) for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands(EN) tremble(EO) at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan(EP) and the slaughter takes place in you? 16 Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered(EQ) garments. Clothed(ER) with terror, they will sit on the ground,(ES) trembling(ET) every moment, appalled(EU) at you. 17 Then they will take up a lament(EV) concerning you and say to you:
“‘How you are destroyed, city of renown,
peopled by men of the sea!
You were a power on the seas,
you and your citizens;
you put your terror
on all who lived there.(EW)
18 Now the coastlands tremble(EX)
on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea
are terrified at your collapse.’(EY)
19 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths(EZ) over you and its vast waters cover you,(FA) 20 then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit,(FB) to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place[d] in the land of the living.(FC) 21 I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.(FD) You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(FE)
A Lament Over Tyre
27 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, take up a lament(FF) concerning Tyre. 3 Say to Tyre,(FG) situated at the gateway to the sea,(FH) merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘You say, Tyre,
“I am perfect in beauty.(FI)”
4 Your domain was on the high seas;
your builders brought your beauty to perfection.(FJ)
5 They made all your timbers
of juniper from Senir[e];(FK)
they took a cedar from Lebanon(FL)
to make a mast for you.
6 Of oaks(FM) from Bashan
they made your oars;
of cypress wood[f] from the coasts of Cyprus(FN)
they made your deck, adorned with ivory.
7 Fine embroidered linen(FO) from Egypt was your sail
and served as your banner;
your awnings were of blue and purple(FP)
from the coasts of Elishah.(FQ)
8 Men of Sidon and Arvad(FR) were your oarsmen;
your skilled men, Tyre, were aboard as your sailors.(FS)
9 Veteran craftsmen of Byblos(FT) were on board
as shipwrights to caulk your seams.
All the ships of the sea(FU) and their sailors
came alongside to trade for your wares.
10 “‘Men of Persia,(FV) Lydia(FW) and Put(FX)
served as soldiers in your army.
They hung their shields(FY) and helmets on your walls,
bringing you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helek
guarded your walls on every side;
men of Gammad
were in your towers.
They hung their shields around your walls;
they brought your beauty to perfection.(FZ)
12 “‘Tarshish(GA) did business with you because of your great wealth of goods;(GB) they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.
13 “‘Greece,(GC) Tubal and Meshek(GD) did business with you; they traded human beings(GE) and articles of bronze for your wares.
14 “‘Men of Beth Togarmah(GF) exchanged chariot horses, cavalry horses and mules for your merchandise.
15 “‘The men of Rhodes[g](GG) traded with you, and many coastlands(GH) were your customers; they paid you with ivory(GI) tusks and ebony.
16 “‘Aram[h](GJ) did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise,(GK) purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen,(GL) coral(GM) and rubies for your merchandise.
17 “‘Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat(GN) from Minnith(GO) and confections,[i] honey, olive oil and balm(GP) for your wares.(GQ)
18 “‘Damascus(GR) did business with you because of your many products and great wealth of goods.(GS) They offered wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar 19 and casks of wine from Izal(GT) in exchange for your wares: wrought iron, cassia(GU) and calamus.
20 “‘Dedan(GV) traded in saddle blankets with you.
21 “‘Arabia(GW) and all the princes of Kedar(GX) were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.
22 “‘The merchants of Sheba(GY) and Raamah traded with you; for your merchandise they exchanged the finest of all kinds of spices(GZ) and precious stones, and gold.(HA)
23 “‘Harran,(HB) Kanneh and Eden(HC) and merchants of Sheba, Ashur(HD) and Kilmad traded with you. 24 In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.
25 “‘The ships of Tarshish(HE) serve
as carriers for your wares.
You are filled with heavy cargo
as you sail the sea.(HF)
26 Your oarsmen take you
out to the high seas.
But the east wind(HG) will break you to pieces
far out at sea.
27 Your wealth,(HH) merchandise and wares,
your mariners, sailors and shipwrights,
your merchants and all your soldiers,
and everyone else on board
will sink into the heart of the sea(HI)
on the day of your shipwreck.
28 The shorelands will quake(HJ)
when your sailors cry out.
29 All who handle the oars
will abandon their ships;
the mariners and all the sailors
will stand on the shore.
30 They will raise their voice
and cry bitterly over you;
they will sprinkle dust(HK) on their heads
and roll(HL) in ashes.(HM)
31 They will shave their heads(HN) because of you
and will put on sackcloth.
They will weep(HO) over you with anguish of soul
and with bitter mourning.(HP)
32 As they wail and mourn over you,
they will take up a lament(HQ) concerning you:
“Who was ever silenced like Tyre,
surrounded by the sea?(HR)”
33 When your merchandise went out on the seas,(HS)
you satisfied many nations;
with your great wealth(HT) and your wares
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are shattered by the sea
in the depths of the waters;
your wares and all your company
have gone down with you.(HU)
35 All who live in the coastlands(HV)
are appalled(HW) at you;
their kings shudder with horror
and their faces are distorted with fear.(HX)
36 The merchants among the nations scoff at you;(HY)
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.(HZ)’”
A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre
28 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man(IA), say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘In the pride of your heart
you say, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne(IB) of a god
in the heart of the seas.”(IC)
But you are a mere mortal and not a god,
though you think you are as wise as a god.(ID)
3 Are you wiser than Daniel[j]?(IE)
Is no secret hidden from you?
4 By your wisdom and understanding
you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
in your treasuries.(IF)
5 By your great skill in trading(IG)
you have increased your wealth,(IH)
and because of your wealth
your heart has grown proud.(II)
6 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Because you think you are wise,
as wise as a god,
7 I am going to bring foreigners against you,
the most ruthless of nations;(IJ)
they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom(IK)
and pierce your shining splendor.(IL)
8 They will bring you down to the pit,(IM)
and you will die a violent death(IN)
in the heart of the seas.(IO)
9 Will you then say, “I am a god,”
in the presence of those who kill you?
You will be but a mortal, not a god,(IP)
in the hands of those who slay you.(IQ)
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised(IR)
at the hands of foreigners.
I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament(IS) concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘You were the seal of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.(IT)
13 You were in Eden,(IU)
the garden of God;(IV)
every precious stone(IW) adorned you:
carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
topaz, onyx and jasper,
lapis lazuli, turquoise(IX) and beryl.[k]
Your settings and mountings[l] were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.(IY)
14 You were anointed(IZ) as a guardian cherub,(JA)
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,(JB)
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, guardian cherub,(JC)
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud(JD)
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.(JE)
18 By your many sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire(JF) come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes(JG) on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.(JH)
19 All the nations who knew you
are appalled(JI) at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.(JJ)’”
A Prophecy Against Sidon
20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, set your face against(JK) Sidon;(JL) prophesy against her 22 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I am against you, Sidon,
and among you I will display my glory.(JM)
You will know that I am the Lord,
when I inflict punishment(JN) on you
and within you am proved to be holy.(JO)
23 I will send a plague upon you
and make blood flow in your streets.
The slain will fall within you,
with the sword against you on every side.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.(JP)
24 “‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns.(JQ) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.
25 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather(JR) the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered,(JS) I will be proved holy(JT) through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.(JU) 26 They will live there in safety(JV) and will build houses and plant(JW) vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment(JX) on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.(JY)’”
A Prophecy Against Egypt
Judgment on Pharaoh
29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me:(JZ) 2 “Son of man, set your face against(KA) Pharaoh king of Egypt(KB) and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.(KC) 3 Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I am against you, Pharaoh(KD) king of Egypt,
you great monster(KE) lying among your streams.
You say, “The Nile(KF) belongs to me;
I made it for myself.”
4 But I will put hooks(KG) in your jaws
and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.
I will pull you out from among your streams,
with all the fish sticking to your scales.(KH)
5 I will leave you in the desert,
you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open field
and not be gathered(KI) or picked up.
I will give you as food
to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.(KJ)
6 Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.
“‘You have been a staff of reed(KK) for the people of Israel. 7 When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered(KL) and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.[m](KM)
8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast.(KN) 9 Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
“‘Because you said, “The Nile(KO) is mine; I made it,(KP)” 10 therefore I am against you(KQ) and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt(KR) a ruin and a desolate waste(KS) from Migdol(KT) to Aswan,(KU) as far as the border of Cush.[n](KV) 11 The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.(KW) 12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate(KX) among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.(KY)
13 “‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. 14 I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,(KZ) the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly(LA) kingdom.(LB) 15 It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.(LC) I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. 16 Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence(LD) for the people of Israel but will be a reminder(LE) of their sin in turning to her for help.(LF) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(LG)’”
Nebuchadnezzar’s Reward
17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(LH) 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar(LI) king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare(LJ) and every shoulder made raw.(LK) Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king(LL) of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder(LM) the land as pay for his army.(LN) 20 I have given him Egypt(LO) as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(LP)
21 “On that day I will make a horn[o](LQ) grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth(LR) among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(LS)”
A Lament Over Egypt
30 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Wail(LT) and say,
“Alas for that day!”
3 For the day is near,(LU)
the day of the Lord(LV) is near—
a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.
4 A sword will come against Egypt,(LW)
and anguish will come upon Cush.[p](LX)
When the slain fall in Egypt,
her wealth will be carried away
and her foundations torn down.(LY)
5 Cush and Libya,(LZ) Lydia and all Arabia,(MA) Kub and the people(MB) of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.(MC)
6 “‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘The allies of Egypt will fall
and her proud strength will fail.
From Migdol to Aswan(MD)
they will fall by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
7 “‘They will be desolate
among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
among ruined cities.(ME)
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord,
when I set fire(MF) to Egypt
and all her helpers are crushed.(MG)
9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush(MH) out of her complacency. Anguish(MI) will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.(MJ)
10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar(MK) king of Babylon.(ML)
11 He and his army—the most ruthless of nations(MM)—
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain.(MN)
12 I will dry up(MO) the waters of the Nile(MP)
and sell the land to an evil nation;
by the hand of foreigners
I will lay waste(MQ) the land and everything in it.
I the Lord have spoken.
13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will destroy the idols(MR)
and put an end to the images in Memphis.(MS)
No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,(MT)
and I will spread fear throughout the land.
14 I will lay(MU) waste Upper Egypt,
set fire to Zoan(MV)
and inflict punishment on Thebes.(MW)
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
the stronghold of Egypt,
and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will set fire(MX) to Egypt;
Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
Memphis(MY) will be in constant distress.
17 The young men of Heliopolis(MZ) and Bubastis
will fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
18 Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes(NA)
when I break the yoke of Egypt;(NB)
there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
and her villages will go into captivity.(NC)
19 So I will inflict punishment(ND) on Egypt,
and they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken
20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:(NE) 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm(NF) of Pharaoh(NG) king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed(NH) or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.(NI) I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.(NJ) 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.(NK) 24 I will strengthen(NL) the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword(NM) in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan(NN) before him like a mortally wounded man. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword(NO) into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.(NP) 26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(NQ)”
Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon
31 In the eleventh year,(NR) in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(NS) 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:
“‘Who can be compared with you in majesty?
3 Consider Assyria,(NT) once a cedar in Lebanon,(NU)
with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
its top above the thick foliage.(NV)
4 The waters(NW) nourished it,
deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed
all around its base
and sent their channels
to all the trees of the field.(NX)
5 So it towered higher(NY)
than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased
and its branches grew long,
spreading because of abundant waters.(NZ)
6 All the birds of the sky
nested in its boughs,
all the animals of the wild
gave birth(OA) under its branches;
all the great nations
lived in its shade.(OB)
7 It was majestic in beauty,
with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down
to abundant waters.(OC)
8 The cedars(OD) in the garden of God
could not rival it,
nor could the junipers
equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees(OE)
compare with its branches—
no tree in the garden of God
could match its beauty.(OF)
9 I made it beautiful
with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden(OG)
in the garden of God.(OH)
10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud(OI) of its height, 11 I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,(OJ) 12 and the most ruthless of foreign nations(OK) cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;(OL) its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.(OM) 13 All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.(ON) 14 Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined(OO) for death,(OP) for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.(OQ)
15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away.(OR) 16 I made the nations tremble(OS) at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees(OT) of Eden,(OU) the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled(OV) in the earth below.(OW) 17 They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,(OX) along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.
18 “‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised,(OY) with those killed by the sword.
“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
A Lament Over Pharaoh
32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(OZ) 2 “Son of man, take up a lament(PA) concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
“‘You are like a lion(PB) among the nations;
you are like a monster(PC) in the seas(PD)
thrashing about in your streams,
churning the water with your feet
and muddying the streams.(PE)
3 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘With a great throng of people
I will cast my net over you,
and they will haul you up in my net.(PF)
4 I will throw you on the land
and hurl you on the open field.
I will let all the birds of the sky settle on you
and all the animals of the wild gorge themselves on you.(PG)
5 I will spread your flesh on the mountains
and fill the valleys(PH) with your remains.
6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood(PI)
all the way to the mountains,
and the ravines will be filled with your flesh.(PJ)
7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens
and darken their stars;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon will not give its light.(PK)
8 All the shining lights in the heavens
I will darken(PL) over you;
I will bring darkness over your land,(PM)
declares the Sovereign Lord.
9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples
when I bring about your destruction among the nations,
among[q] lands you have not known.
10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you,
and their kings will shudder with horror because of you
when I brandish my sword(PN) before them.
On the day(PO) of your downfall
each of them will tremble
every moment for his life.(PP)
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘The sword(PQ) of the king of Babylon(PR)
will come against you.(PS)
12 I will cause your hordes to fall
by the swords of mighty men—
the most ruthless of all nations.(PT)
They will shatter the pride of Egypt,
and all her hordes will be overthrown.(PU)
13 I will destroy all her cattle
from beside abundant waters
no longer to be stirred by the foot of man
or muddied by the hooves of cattle.(PV)
14 Then I will let her waters settle
and make her streams flow like oil,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 When I make Egypt desolate
and strip the land of everything in it,
when I strike down all who live there,
then they will know that I am the Lord.(PW)’
16 “This is the lament(PX) they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Egypt’s Descent Into the Realm of the Dead
17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:(PY) 18 “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign(PZ) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.(QA) 19 Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’(QB) 20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged(QC) off with all her hordes.(QD) 21 From within the realm of the dead(QE) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,(QF) with those killed by the sword.’
22 “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. 23 Their graves are in the depths of the pit(QG) and her army lies around her grave.(QH) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.
24 “Elam(QI) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.(QJ) All who had spread terror in the land of the living(QK) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(QL) 25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,(QM) killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.
26 “Meshek and Tubal(QN) are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old,[r](QO) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields[s] resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.
28 “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.
29 “Edom(QP) is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.(QQ)
30 “All the princes of the north(QR) and all the Sidonians(QS) are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised(QT) with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(QU)
31 “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled(QV) for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. 32 Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh(QW) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(QX)
Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman
33 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword(QY) against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,(QZ) 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet(RA) to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning(RB) and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.(RC) 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head.(RD) If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.(RE) 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’(RF)
7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman(RG) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(RH) 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,(RI)’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[t] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(RJ) 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,(RK) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.(RL)
10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away(RM) because of[u] them. How then can we live?(RN)”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.(RO) Turn!(RP) Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’(RQ)
12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people,(RR) ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’(RS) 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.(RT) 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just(RU) and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge(RV) for a loan, return what they have stolen,(RW) follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.(RX) 16 None of the sins(RY) that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.(RZ)
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 24:23 Or away in
- Ezekiel 26:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have month of the twelfth.
- Ezekiel 26:7 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Ezekiel and Jeremiah
- Ezekiel 26:20 Septuagint; Hebrew return, and I will give glory
- Ezekiel 27:5 That is, Mount Hermon
- Ezekiel 27:6 Targum; the Masoretic Text has a different division of the consonants.
- Ezekiel 27:15 Septuagint; Hebrew Dedan
- Ezekiel 27:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Edom
- Ezekiel 27:17 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 28:3 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature
- Ezekiel 28:13 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 28:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 29:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint and Vulgate); Hebrew and you caused their backs to stand
- Ezekiel 29:10 That is, the upper Nile region
- Ezekiel 29:21 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- Ezekiel 30:4 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verses 5 and 9
- Ezekiel 32:9 Hebrew; Septuagint bring you into captivity among the nations, / to
- Ezekiel 32:27 Septuagint; Hebrew warriors who were uncircumcised
- Ezekiel 32:27 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text punishment
- Ezekiel 33:8 Or in; also in verse 9
- Ezekiel 33:10 Or away in
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.