Idolatrous Worship Denounced

Now the word of the Lord 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, listen to the word of the Lord [a]God! This is what the Lord [b]God says to the mountains, the hills, the ravines, and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword against you, and (B)I will destroy your high places. So your (C)altars will become deserted and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols. I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your (D)bones around your altars. [c]Everywhere you live, (E)cities will be in ruins and the high places will be deserted, so that your altars will be in ruins and [d]deserted, your (F)idols will be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars will be cut down, and your works wiped out. The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

“However, I will leave a (G)remnant, in that you will have those who (H)escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries. Then those of you who escape will (I)remember Me among the nations to which they will be taken captive, how I have [e](J)been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which committed infidelity with their idols; and they will (K)loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 Then they will know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would inflict this disaster on them.”’

11 “This is what the Lord [f]God says: ‘Clap your hands, (L)stamp your foot and say, “(M)Woe, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by the (N)sword, famine, and plague! 12 Anyone who is (O)far away will die by the plague, anyone who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who remains and is spared from these will die by the famine. So I will (P)expend My wrath on them. 13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their (Q)dead are among their idols around their altars, on (R)every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every leafy tree and under every massive oak with thick branches—the places where they offered a soothing aroma to all their idols. 14 So through all their dwelling places I will (S)stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; so they will know that I am the Lord.”’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 6:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  2. Ezekiel 6:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  3. Ezekiel 6:6 Lit In all your dwellings
  4. Ezekiel 6:6 As in some ancient versions; MT suffer for their guilt
  5. Ezekiel 6:9 Lit been broken; another reading is broken their (but unlikely)
  6. Ezekiel 6:11 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy [a]unto them, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the [b]watercourses and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. And your altars shall become desolate, and your sun-images shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. In all your dwelling-places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and [c]made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your sun-images may be hewn down, and your works may be [d]abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.

Yet will I leave a remnant, in that ye shall have some that escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. And those of you that escape shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captive, how that [e]I have been broken with their lewd heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the harlot after their idols: and they shall loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am Jehovah: I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.

11 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Smite with thy hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas! because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. 12 He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is [f]besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my wrath upon them. 13 And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick [g]oak, the places where they offered sweet savor to all their idols. 14 And I will stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate and waste, [h]from the wilderness toward Diblah, throughout all their habitations: and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 6:2 Or, against
  2. Ezekiel 6:3 Or, ravines
  3. Ezekiel 6:6 Or, bear their guilt
  4. Ezekiel 6:6 Hebrew blotted out.
  5. Ezekiel 6:9 Or, I have broken for myself their etc.
  6. Ezekiel 6:12 Or, preserved
  7. Ezekiel 6:13 Or, terebinth
  8. Ezekiel 6:14 Or, more than