Punishment for Wickedness Foretold

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “And you, son of man, this is what the Lord [a]God says to the land of Israel: ‘An (A)end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. Now the end is upon you, for I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and [b]bring all your abominations upon you. And My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will [c](B)bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will (C)know that I am the Lord!’

“This is what the Lord [d]God says: ‘A (D)disaster, a unique disaster, behold, it is coming! An end [e]is coming; the end has come! It has (E)awakened against you; behold, it has come! Your [f]doom has come to you, you inhabitant of the land. The (F)time has come, the (G)day is near—panic rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. Now I will shortly (H)pour out My wrath on you and expend My anger against you; I will (I)judge you according to your ways and [g]bring on you all your abominations. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare you. I will [h]repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the Lord, am striking.

10 ‘Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your [i]doom has gone forth; the (J)rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. 11 Violence [j]has grown into a rod of (K)wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their [k]people, none of their (L)wealth, nor anything eminent among them. 12 The (M)time has come, the day has arrived. Let neither the (N)buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn; for (O)wrath is against all their multitude. 13 Indeed, the seller will not [l](P)regain [m]what he sold as long as [n]they both live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not [o]be averted, nor will any of them maintain his life by his wrongdoing.

14 ‘They have (Q)blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all [p]their multitude. 15 The (R)sword is outside the city and the plague and the famine are within. Anyone who is in the field will die by the sword, while famine and the plague will consume those in the city. 16 Even when their survivors (S)escape, they will be on the mountains like (T)doves of the valleys, all of them (U)moaning, each over his own wrongdoing. 17 All (V)hands will hang limp, and all [q]knees will drip with water. 18 They will (W)put on sackcloth and (X)shuddering will overwhelm them; and shame will be on all faces, and a [r](Y)bald patch on all their heads. 19 They will (Z)fling their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their (AA)silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their [s]appetite, nor can they fill their stomachs, because their wrongdoing has become a cause of stumbling.

The Temple Profaned

20 Moreover, they transformed the splendor of His jewels into pride, and (AB)they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an abhorrent thing to them. 21 And I will hand it over to the (AC)foreigners as plunder, and to the wicked of the earth as spoils; and they will profane it. 22 I will also turn My (AD)face away from them, and they will profane My treasure; then robbers will enter and profane it.

23 (AE)Make the [t]chain, for the land is full of [u](AF)bloody crimes, and the city is (AG)full of violence. 24 Therefore, I will bring the worst of the (AH)nations, and they will take possession of their houses. I will also put an end to the (AI)pride of the strong ones, and their (AJ)holy places will be profaned. 25 When anguish comes, they will seek (AK)peace, but there will be none. 26 (AL)Disaster will come upon disaster and (AM)rumor will be added to rumor; then they will seek a (AN)vision from a prophet, but the (AO)Law will be lost from the priest, and (AP)counsel from the elders. 27 The king will mourn, the prince will be (AQ)clothed in horror, and the hands of the people of the land will [v]tremble. I will deal with them because of their conduct, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 7:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  2. Ezekiel 7:3 Lit give
  3. Ezekiel 7:4 Lit give
  4. Ezekiel 7:5 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  5. Ezekiel 7:6 Or has come
  6. Ezekiel 7:7 Meaning uncertain
  7. Ezekiel 7:8 Lit give
  8. Ezekiel 7:9 Lit give
  9. Ezekiel 7:10 Meaning uncertain
  10. Ezekiel 7:11 Lit has risen
  11. Ezekiel 7:11 Or procession
  12. Ezekiel 7:13 Lit return to
  13. Ezekiel 7:13 Lit the thing sold; i.e., his inherited land
  14. Ezekiel 7:13 Lit their life among the living ones
  15. Ezekiel 7:13 Lit return
  16. Ezekiel 7:14 Lit her
  17. Ezekiel 7:17 Heb idiom meaning to wet oneself
  18. Ezekiel 7:18 I.e., shaved as a sign of mourning
  19. Ezekiel 7:19 Lit soul
  20. Ezekiel 7:23 I.e., used for imprisonment
  21. Ezekiel 7:23 Lit judgment of blood
  22. Ezekiel 7:27 Lit be horrified

The Coming of the End

Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel:

“The end is here!
    Wherever you look—
east, west, north, or south—
    your land is finished.
No hope remains,
    for I will unleash my anger against you.
I will call you to account
    for all your detestable sins.
I will turn my eyes away and show no pity.
    I will repay you for all your detestable sins.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Disaster after disaster
    is coming your way!
The end has come.
    It has finally arrived.
    Your final doom is waiting!
O people of Israel, the day of your destruction is dawning.
    The time has come; the day of trouble is near.
Shouts of anguish will be heard on the mountains,
    not shouts of joy.
Soon I will pour out my fury on you
    and unleash my anger against you.
I will call you to account
    for all your detestable sins.
I will turn my eyes away and show no pity.
    I will repay you for all your detestable sins.
Then you will know that it is I, the Lord,
    who is striking the blow.

10 “The day of judgment is here;
    your destruction awaits!
The people’s wickedness and pride
    have blossomed to full flower.
11 Their violence has grown into a rod
    that will beat them for their wickedness.
None of these proud and wicked people will survive.
    All their wealth and prestige will be swept away.
12 Yes, the time has come;
    the day is here!
Buyers should not rejoice over bargains,
    nor sellers grieve over losses,
for all of them will fall
    under my terrible anger.
13 Even if the merchants survive,
    they will never return to their business.
For what God has said applies to everyone—
    it will not be changed!
Not one person whose life is twisted by sin
    will ever recover.

The Desolation of Israel

14 “The trumpet calls Israel’s army to mobilize,
    but no one listens,
    for my fury is against them all.
15 There is war outside the city
    and disease and famine within.
Those outside the city walls
    will be killed by enemy swords.
Those inside the city
    will die of famine and disease.
16 The survivors who escape to the mountains
    will moan like doves, weeping for their sins.
17 Their hands will hang limp,
    their knees will be weak as water.
18 They will dress themselves in burlap;
    horror and shame will cover them.
They will shave their heads
    in sorrow and remorse.

19 “They will throw their money in the streets,
    tossing it out like worthless trash.
Their silver and gold won’t save them
    on that day of the Lord’s anger.
It will neither satisfy nor feed them,
    for their greed can only trip them up.
20 They were proud of their beautiful jewelry
    and used it to make detestable idols and vile images.
Therefore, I will make all their wealth
    disgusting to them.
21 I will give it as plunder to foreigners,
    to the most wicked of nations,
    and they will defile it.
22 I will turn my eyes from them
    as these robbers invade and defile my treasured land.

23 “Prepare chains for my people,
    for the land is bloodied by terrible crimes.
    Jerusalem is filled with violence.
24 I will bring the most ruthless of nations
    to occupy their homes.
I will break down their proud fortresses
    and defile their sanctuaries.
25 Terror and trembling will overcome my people.
    They will look for peace but not find it.
26 Calamity will follow calamity;
    rumor will follow rumor.
They will look in vain
    for a vision from the prophets.
They will receive no teaching from the priests
    and no counsel from the leaders.
27 The king and the prince will stand helpless,
    weeping in despair,
and the people’s hands
    will tremble with fear.
I will bring on them
    the evil they have done to others,
and they will receive the punishment
    they so richly deserve.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.”