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Yahweh Will Destroy Israel’s Pagan Altars

And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the (A)mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Lord Yahweh! Thus says Lord Yahweh to the mountains, the hills, the ravines, and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and (B)I will destroy your high places. So your (C)altars will become desolate, and your incense altars will be broken; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols. I will also put the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your (D)bones all around your altars. In all your places of habitation, (E)cities will become waste, and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and [a]desolate, your (F)idols may be broken and cease, your incense altars may be cut in pieces, and your works may be blotted out. The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am Yahweh.

“However, I will leave a (G)remnant, for you will have those who (H)escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the lands. Then those of you who escape will (I)remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have (J)been broken over their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will (K)loathe themselves to their own faces for the evils which they have done, for all their abominations. 10 Then they will know that I am Yahweh; I have not said in vain that I would do this calamitous evil against them.”’

11 “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Strike your hands together, (L)stamp your foot and say, “(M)Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by the (N)sword, by the famine, and by the plague! 12 He who is (O)far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I (P)spend My wrath on them. 13 Then you will know that I am Yahweh when their (Q)slain are among their idols all around their altars, on (R)every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak—the places where they [b]offered a soothing aroma to all their idols. 14 So throughout all their habitations I will (S)stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and desecrated than the wilderness toward Diblah; thus they will know that I am Yahweh.”’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 6:6 As in some ancient versions; Heb bear their guilt
  2. Ezekiel 6:13 Lit gave

Against the mountains of Israel

The Lord’s word came to me: Human one, face Israel’s mountains, and prophesy to them. Say:

Hear the Lord God’s word, mountains of Israel!
The Lord God proclaims to the mountains and hills,
    to the valleys and their deepest ravines:
I’m about to bring a sword against you
    and destroy your shrines.
Your altars will be destroyed,
    your incense altars broken.
    And I’ll make your slain fall in front of your idols.
I’ll throw the Israelites’ corpses in front of their idols,
    and I’ll scatter your bones all around your altars.
Wherever you live,
    cities will be in ruins, shrines made desolate,
    turned into utter ruin.
Your altars will be punished
    and then broken down.
Your idols will be demolished,
    your incense altars shattered,
    and all your works wiped out.
The slain will fall among you,
    and you will know that I am the Lord.

But I will spare a few.
    Some of you will escape the nations’ swords
    when you are scattered throughout the lands.
Your fugitives will remember me
    in the nations to which they’ve been banished,
    how I was crushed when their roving hearts turned away from me,
    and their roving eyes went after their idols.
They will loathe themselves
    for their treacherous acts and detestable practices,
10         and they will know that I am the Lord.
Not in vain have I threatened to bring this evil against them.

11 The Lord God proclaims: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, and cry “Horror” over all the detestable practices of the house of Israel. They will fall by the sword, famine, and plague. 12 Whoever is far off will die of plague, whoever is nearby will fall to the sword, and whoever finds refuge will die of famine. I’ll satisfy my wrath against them! 13 They will know that I am the Lord when their slain appear among their idols and around their altars, wherever they offered up pleasing aromas for all their idols, on every high hill and mountaintop, and under every lofty tree and leafy oak. 14 Wherever they live, I will direct my power against them. I will turn the land into a greater wasteland than the Riblah desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord.