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Ezekiel 1-21
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

The Vision of the Chariot

1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoi′achin), 3 the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chalde′ans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming bronze. 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures.[a] And this was their appearance: they had the form of men, 6 but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another; they went every one straight forward, without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in front;[b] the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle at the back.[c] 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 In the midst of[d] the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.

15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.[e] 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of a chrysolite; and the four had the same likeness, their construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions[f] without turning as they went. 18 The four wheels had rims and they had spokes;[g] and their rims were full of eyes round about. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, shining like crystal,[h] spread out above their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another; and each creature had two wings covering its body.[i] 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of a host; when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the firmament over their heads; when they stood still, they let down their wings.

26 And above the firmament over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire;[j] and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness as it were of a human form. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were gleaming bronze, like the appearance of fire enclosed round about; and downward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him.[k] 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.[l] And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

The Vision of the Scroll

2 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And when he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me upon my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to a nation[m] of rebels, who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The people also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them; and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that there has been a prophet among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit upon scorpions; be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear; for they are a rebellious house.

8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you; be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth, and eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and lo, a written scroll was in it; 10 and he spread it before me; and it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. 3 1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.

4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel, and speak with my words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you; for they are not willing to listen to me; because all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads. 9 Like adamant harder than flint have I made your forehead; fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go, get you to the exiles, to your people, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God’; whether they hear or refuse to hear.”

Ezekiel at the River Chebar

12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and as the glory of the Lord arose[n] from its place, I heard behind me the sound of a great earthquake; 13 it was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, that sounded like a great earthquake. 14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me; 15 and I came to the exiles at Tel-a′bib, who dwelt by the river Chebar.[o] And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.

16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 18 If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you will have saved your life. 20 Again, if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you will have saved your life.”

Ezekiel Isolated and Silenced

22 And the hand of the Lord was there upon me; and he said to me, “Arise, go forth into the plain,[p] and there I will speak with you.” 23 So I arose and went forth into the plain;[q] and lo, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I had seen by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. 24 But the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house. 25 And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people; 26 and I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be dumb and unable to reprove them; for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God’; he that will hear, let him hear; and he that will refuse to hear, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed

4 “And you, O son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem; 2 and put siegeworks against it, and build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it round about. 3 And take an iron plate, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it. This is a sign for the house of Israel.

4 “Then lie upon your left side, and I will lay the punishment of the house of Israel upon you;[r] for the number of the days that you lie upon it, you shall bear their punishment. 5 For I assign to you a number of days, three hundred and ninety days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment; so long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah; forty days I assign you, a day for each year. 7 And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared; and you shall prophesy against the city. 8 And behold, I will put cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege.

9 “And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt, and put them into a single vessel, and make bread of them. During the number of days that you lie upon your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it. 10 And the food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; once a day you shall eat it. 11 And water you shall drink by measure, the sixth part of a hin; once a day you shall drink. 12 And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung.” 13 And the Lord said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.” 14 Then I said, “Ah Lord God! behold, I have never defiled myself; from my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has foul flesh come into my mouth.” 15 Then he said to me, “See, I will let you have cow’s dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread.” 16 Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure and in dismay. 17 I will do this that they may lack bread and water, and look at one another in dismay, and waste away under their punishment.

A Sword against Jerusalem

5 “And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword; use it as a barber’s razor and pass it over your head and your beard; then take balances for weighing, and divide the hair. 2 A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are completed; and a third part you shall take and strike with the sword round about the city; and a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. 3 And you shall take from these a small number, and bind them in the skirts of your robe. 4 And of these again you shall take some, and cast them into the fire, and burn them in the fire; from there a fire will come forth into all the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries round about her. 6 And she has wickedly rebelled against my ordinances[s] more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries round about her, by rejecting my ordinances and not walking in my statutes. 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes or kept my ordinances, but have acted[t] according to the ordinances of the nations that are round about you; 8 therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations. 9 And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again. 10 Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in the midst of you, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds. 11 Wherefore, as I live, says the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will cut you down;[u] my eye will not spare, and I will have no pity. 12 A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in the midst of you; a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them.

13 “Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself; and they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken in my jealousy, when I spend my fury upon them. 14 Moreover I will make you a desolation and an object of reproach among the nations round about you and in the sight of all that pass by. 15 You shall be[v] a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations round about you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious chastisements—I, the Lord, have spoken— 16 when I loose against you[w] my deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will loose to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you, and break your staff of bread. 17 I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children; pestilence and blood shall pass through you; and I will bring the sword upon you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Judgment on Idolatrous Israel

6 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, 3 and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. 4 Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain before your idols. 5 And I will lay the dead bodies of the people of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. 6 Wherever you dwell your cities shall be waste and your high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and ruined,[x] your idols broken and destroyed, your incense altars cut down, and your works wiped out. 7 And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

8 “Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, 9 then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, when I have broken[y] their wanton heart which has departed from me, and blinded their eyes which turn wantonly after their idols; and they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.”

11 Thus says the Lord God: “Clap your hands, and stamp your foot, and say, Alas! because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. 12 He that is far off shall die of pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain lie among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, on all the mountain tops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing odor to all their idols. 14 And I will stretch out my hand against them, and make the land desolate and waste, throughout all their habitations, from the wilderness to Riblah.[z] Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Impending Disaster

7 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. 3 Now the end is upon you, and I will let loose my anger upon you, and will judge you according to your ways; and I will punish you for all your abominations. 4 And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity; but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

5 “Thus says the Lord God: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes. 6 An end has come, the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes. 7 Your doom[aa] has come to you, O inhabitant of the land; the time has come, the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting upon the mountains. 8 Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways; and I will punish you for all your abominations. 9 And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord, who smite.

10 “Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom[ab] has come, injustice[ac] has blossomed, pride has budded. 11 Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness; none of them shall remain, nor their abundance, nor their wealth; neither shall there be pre-eminence among them.[ad] 12 The time has come, the day draws near. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all their multitude. 13 For the seller shall not return to what he has sold, while they live. For wrath[ae] is upon all their multitude; it shall not turn back; and because of his iniquity, none can maintain his life.[af]

14 “They have blown the trumpet and made all ready; but none goes to battle, for my wrath is upon all their multitude. 15 The sword is without, pestilence and famine are within; he that is in the field dies by the sword; and him that is in the city famine and pestilence devour. 16 And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, every one over his iniquity. 17 All hands are feeble, and all knees weak as water. 18 They gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror covers them; shame is upon all faces, and baldness on all their heads. 19 They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing; their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. 20 Their[ag] beautiful ornament they used for vainglory, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it; therefore I will make it an unclean thing to them. 21 And I will give it into the hands of foreigners for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall profane it. 22 I will turn my face from them, that they may profane my precious[ah] place; robbers shall enter and profane it, 23 and make a desolation.[ai]

“Because the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence, 24 I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses; I will put an end to their proud might, and their holy places shall be profaned. 25 When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none. 26 Disaster comes upon disaster, rumor follows rumor; they seek a vision from the prophet, but the law perishes from the priest, and counsel from the elders. 27 The king mourns, the prince is wrapped in despair, and the hands of the people of the land are palsied by terror. According to their way I will do to them, and according to their own judgments I will judge them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Abominations in the Temple

8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. 2 Then I beheld, and lo, a form that had the appearance of a man;[aj] below what appeared to be his loins it was fire, and above his loins it was like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming bronze. 3 He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.

5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now in the direction of the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations.”

7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then said he to me, “Son of man, dig in the wall”; and when I dug in the wall, lo, there was a door. 9 And he said to me, “Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I went in and saw; and there, portrayed upon the wall round about, were all kinds of creeping things, and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. 11 And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, with Ja-azani′ah the son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up. 12 Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, every man in his room[ak] of pictures? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’” 13 He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations which they commit.”

14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.[al] 15 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? You will see still greater abominations than these.”

16 And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord; and behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too slight a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here, that they should fill the land with violence, and provoke me further to anger? Lo, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore I will deal in wrath; my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

The Slaughter of the Idolaters

9 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Draw near, you executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” 2 And lo, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, every man with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his side. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherubim on which it rested to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his side. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” 5 And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and smite; your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity; 6 slay old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one upon whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. 7 Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth.” So they went forth, and smote in the city. 8 And while they were smiting, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all that remains of Israel in the outpouring of thy wrath upon Jerusalem?”

9 Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice; for they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’ 10 As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity, but I will requite their deeds upon their heads.”

11 And lo, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his side, brought back word, saying, “I have done as thou didst command me.”

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

10 Then I looked, and behold, on the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire, in form resembling a throne. 2 And he said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim; fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.”

And he went in before my eyes. 3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in; and a cloud filled the inner court. 4 And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherubim to the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the glory of the Lord. 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.

6 And when he commanded the man clothed in linen, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 And a cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it, and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings.

9 And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling chrysolite. 10 And as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel. 11 When they went, they went in any of their four directions[am] without turning as they went, but in whatever direction the front wheel faced the others followed without turning as they went. 12 And[an] their rims, and their spokes,[ao] and the wheels were full of eyes round about—the wheels that the four of them had. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing the whirling wheels. 14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the river Chebar. 16 And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them. 17 When they stood still, these stood still, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them; for the spirit of the living creatures[ap] was in them.

18 Then the glory of the Lord went forth from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight as they went forth, with the wheels beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the house of the Lord; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.

20 These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces, and each four wings, and underneath their wings the semblance of human hands. 22 And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the very faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. They went every one straight forward.

Judgment on Wicked Counselors

11 The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which faces east. And behold, at the door of the gateway there were twenty-five men; and I saw among them Ja-azani′ah the son of Azzur, and Pelati′ah the son of Benai′ah, princes of the people. 2 And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; 3 who say, ‘The time is not near[aq] to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.”

5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the Lord: So you think, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, and have filled its streets with the slain. 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but you shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. 8 You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, says the Lord God. 9 And I will bring you forth out of the midst of it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. 10 You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord. 11 This city shall not be your caldron, nor shall you be the flesh in the midst of it; I will judge you at the border of Israel; 12 and you shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in my statutes, nor executed my ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.”

13 And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelati′ah the son of Benai′ah died. Then I fell down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”

God Will Restore Israel

14 And the word of the Lord came to me: 15 “Son of man, your brethren, even your brethren, your fellow exiles,[ar] the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They have gone far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while[as] in the countries where they have gone.’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ 18 And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19 And I will give them one[at] heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those[au] whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will requite their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord God.”

22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. 24 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chalde′a, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 And I told the exiles all the things that the Lord had showed me.

Judah’s Captivity Portrayed

12 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not; 3 for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though[av] they are a rebellious house. 4 You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile; and you shall go forth yourself at evening in their sight, as men do who must go into exile. 5 Dig through the wall in their sight, and go[aw] out through it. 6 In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, that you may not see the land; for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.”

7 And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands; I went forth in the dark, carrying my outfit upon my shoulder in their sight.

8 In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.’[ax] 11 Say, ‘I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity.’ 12 And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth; he[ay] shall dig through the wall and go[az] out through it; he shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes. 13 And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chalde′ans, yet he shall not see it; and he shall die there. 14 And I will scatter toward every wind all who are round about him, his helpers[ba] and all his troops; and I will unsheathe the sword after them. 15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. 16 But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, that they may confess all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the Lord.”

Judgment Not Postponed

17 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with fearfulness; 19 and say of the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink water in dismay, because their land will be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it. 20 And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

21 And the word of the Lord came to me: 22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days grow long, and every vision comes to nought’? 23 Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.’ But say to them, The days are at hand, and the fulfilment[bb] of every vision. 24 For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 But I the Lord will speak the word which I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, says the Lord God.”

26 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 27 “Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days hence, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word which I speak will be performed, says the Lord God.”

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, prophesy[bc] and say to those who prophesy out of their own minds: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ 3 Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets have been like foxes among ruins, O Israel. 5 You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. 6 They have spoken falsehood and divined a lie; they say, ‘Says the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfil their word. 7 Have you not seen a delusive vision, and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Says the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?”

8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered delusions and seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you, says the Lord God. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see delusive visions and who give lying divinations; they shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord God. 10 Because, yea, because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace; and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets daub it with whitewash; 11 say to those who daub it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain,[bd] great hailstones will fall, and a stormy wind break out; 12 and when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the daubing with which you daubed it?’ 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath; and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to destroy it. 14 And I will break down the wall that you have daubed with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare; when it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it; and you shall know that I am the Lord. 15 Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall, and upon those who have daubed it with whitewash; and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who daubed it, 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, says the Lord God.

17 “And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own minds; prophesy against them 18 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people, and keep other souls alive for your profit? 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death persons who should not die and keeping alive persons who should not live, by your lies to my people, who listen to lies.

20 “Wherefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls,[be] and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the souls that you hunt go free[bf] like birds. 21 Your veils also I will tear off, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey; and you shall know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not disheartened him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his wicked way to save his life; 23 therefore you shall no more see delusive visions nor practice divination; I will deliver my people out of your hand. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

God’s Judgments Justified

14 Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces; should I let myself be inquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore speak to them, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him myself[bg] because of the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to inquire for himself of me, I the Lord will answer him myself; 8 and I will set my face against that man, I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people; and you shall know that I am the Lord. 9 And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they shall bear their punishment—the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike— 11 that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, nor defile themselves any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, says the Lord God.”

12 [bh]And the word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, 14 even if these three men, Noah, Daniel,[bi] and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord God. 15 If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the beasts; 16 even if these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; they alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate. 17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Let a sword go through the land; and I cut off from it man and beast; 18 though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be delivered. 19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast; 20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.

21 “For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four sore acts of judgment, sword, famine, evil beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! 22 Yet, if there should be left in it any survivors to lead out sons and daughters, when they come forth to you, and you see their ways and their doings, you will be consoled for the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. 23 They will console you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord God.”

The Useless Vine

15 And the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do men take a peg from it to hang any vessel on? 4 Lo, it is given to the fire for fuel; when the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing; how much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything! 6 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them; though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them; and you will know that I am the Lord, when I set my face against them. 8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, says the Lord God.”

God’s Faithless Bride

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. 4 And as for your birth, on the day you were born your navel string was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor swathed with bands. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you; but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born.

6 “And when I passed by you, and saw you weltering in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live, 7 and grow up[bj] like a plant of the field.’ And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full maidenhood;[bk] your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.

8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, behold, you were at the age for love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness: yea, I plighted my troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord God, and you became mine. 9 Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with leather, I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 And I decked you with ornaments, and put bracelets on your arms, and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head. 13 Thus you were decked with gold and silver; and your raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth; you ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful, and came to regal estate. 14 And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor which I had bestowed upon you, says the Lord God.

15 “But you trusted in your beauty, and played the harlot because of your renown, and lavished your harlotries on any passer-by. 16 You took some of your garments, and made for yourself gaily decked shrines, and on them played the harlot; the like has never been, nor ever shall be. 17 You also took your fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and with them played the harlot; 18 and you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them. 19 Also my bread which I gave you—I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey—you set before them for a pleasing odor, says the Lord God.[bl] 20 And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter 21 that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? 22 And in all your abominations and your harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, weltering in your blood.

23 “And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! says the Lord God), 24 you built yourself a vaulted chamber, and made yourself a lofty place in every square; 25 at the head of every street you built your lofty place and prostituted your beauty, offering yourself to any passer-by, and multiplying your harlotry. 26 You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your harlotry, to provoke me to anger. 27 Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you, and diminished your allotted portion, and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You played the harlot also with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; yea, you played the harlot with them, and still you were not satisfied. 29 You multiplied your harlotry also with the trading land of Chalde′a; and even with this you were not satisfied.

30 “How lovesick is your heart, says the Lord God, seeing you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot; 31 building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned hire. 32 Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all harlots; but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side for your harlotries. 34 So you were different from other women in your harlotries: none solicited you to play the harlot; and you gave hire, while no hire was given to you; therefore you were different.

35 “Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord: 36 Thus says the Lord God, Because your shame was laid bare and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotries with your lovers, and because of all your idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them, 37 therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you loathed; I will gather them against you from every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy. 39 And I will give you into the hand of your lovers, and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty places; they shall strip you of your clothes and take your fair jewels, and leave you naked and bare. 40 They shall bring up a host against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 And they shall burn your houses and execute judgments upon you in the sight of many women; I will make you stop playing the harlot, and you shall also give hire no more. 42 So will I satisfy my fury on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you; I will be calm, and will no more be angry. 43 Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things; therefore, behold, I will requite your deeds upon your head, says the Lord God.

“Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations? 44 Behold, every one who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46 And your elder sister is Samar′ia, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 Yet you were not content to walk in their ways, or do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48 As I live, says the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, surfeit of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them, when I saw it. 51 Samar′ia has not committed half your sins; you have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations which you have committed. 52 Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have made judgment favorable to your sisters; because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

53 “I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samar′ia and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in the midst of them, 54 that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them. 55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former estate, and Samar′ia and her daughters shall return to their former estate; and you and your daughters shall return to your former estate. 56 Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become like her[bm] an object of reproach for the daughters of Edom[bn] and all her neighbors, and for the daughters of the Philistines, those round about who despise you. 58 You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, says the Lord.

An Everlasting Covenant

59 “Yea, thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, 60 yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant. 61 Then you will remember your ways, and be ashamed when I[bo] take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you all that you have done, says the Lord God.”

The Two Eagles and the Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 [bp]“Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak an allegory to the house of Israel; 3 say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar; 4 he broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade, and set it in a city of merchants. 5 Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, 6 and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine, and brought forth branches and put forth foliage.

7 “But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him that he might water it. From the bed where it was planted 8 he transplanted it[bq] to good soil by abundant waters, that it might bring forth branches, and bear fruit, and become a noble vine. 9 Say, Thus says the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its branches,[br] so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. 10 Behold, when it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it grew?”

11 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. 13 And he took one of the seed royal and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. (The chief men of the land he had taken away, 14 that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and that by keeping his covenant it might stand.) 15 But he rebelled against him by sending ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Can a man escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? 16 As I live, says the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. 17 Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. 18 Because he despised the oath and broke the covenant, because he gave his hand and yet did all these things, he shall not escape. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely my oath which he despised, and my covenant which he broke, I will requite upon his head. 20 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treason he has committed against me. 21 And all the pick[bs] of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Israel Exalted at Last

22 Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain; 23 on the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar; and under it will dwell all kinds of beasts;[bt] in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.”

Individual Retribution

18 The word of the Lord came to me again: 2 “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins shall die.

5 “If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right— 6 if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman in her time of impurity, 7 does not oppress any one, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 8 does not lend at interest or take any increase, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between man and man, 9 walks in my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances[bu]—he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord God.

10 “If he begets a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood,[bv] 11 who does none of these duties, but eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, 13 lends at interest, and takes increase; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominable things; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

14 “But if this man begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has done, and fears, and does not do likewise, 15 who does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, 16 does not wrong any one, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from iniquity,[bw] takes no interest or increase, observes my ordinances, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20 The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 “But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does the same abominable things that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, he shall die.

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.[bx] 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the Lord God; so turn, and live.”

Israel Degraded

19 And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:

What a lioness was your mother
    among lions!
She couched in the midst of young lions,
    rearing her whelps.
3 And she brought up one of her whelps;
    he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men.
4 The nations sounded an alarm against him;
    he was taken in their pit;
and they brought him with hooks
    to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she was baffled,[by]
    that her hope was lost,
she took another of her whelps
    and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions;
    he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men.
7 And he ravaged their strongholds,[bz]
    and laid waste their cities;
and the land was appalled and all who were in it
    at the sound of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him
    snares[ca] on every side;
they spread their net over him;
    he was taken in their pit.
9 With hooks they put him in a cage,
    and brought him to the king of Babylon;
    they brought him into custody,
that his voice should no more be heard
    upon the mountains of Israel.

10 Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard[cb]
    transplanted by the water,
fruitful and full of branches
    by reason of abundant water.
11 Its strongest stem became
    a ruler’s scepter;
it towered aloft
    among the thick boughs;
it was seen in its height
    with the mass of its branches.
12 But the vine was plucked up in fury,
    cast down to the ground;
the east wind dried it up;
    its fruit was stripped off,
its strong stem was withered;
    the fire consumed it.
13 Now it is transplanted in the wilderness,
    in a dry and thirsty land.
14 And fire has gone out from its stem,
    has consumed its branches and fruit,
so that there remains in it no strong stem,
    no scepter for a ruler.

This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.

Israel’s Continuing Rebellion

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, Is it to inquire of me that you come? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. 4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then let them know the abominations of their fathers, 5 and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the seed of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. 7 And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. 8 But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not every man cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

“Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they dwelt, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. 10 So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live. 12 Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not walk in my statutes but rejected my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned.

“Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make a full end of them. 14 But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, 16 because they rejected my ordinances and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.

18 “And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I the Lord am your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to observe my ordinances, 20 and hallow my sabbaths that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I the Lord am your God. 21 But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes, and were not careful to observe my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live; they profaned my sabbaths.

“Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I withheld my hand, and acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, 24 because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their fathers’ idols. 25 Moreover I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not have life; 26 and I defiled them through their very gifts in making them offer by fire all their first-born, that I might horrify them; I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.

27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In this again your fathers blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me. 28 For when I had brought them into the land which I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their soothing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings. 29 (I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? So its name is called Bamah[cc] to this day.) 30 Wherefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go astray after their detestable things? 31 When you offer your gifts and sacrifice your sons by fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.

32 “What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.’

God Will Restore Israel

33 “As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out; 35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the Lord God. 37 I will make you pass under the rod, and I will let you go in by number.[cd] 38 I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39 “As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.

40 “For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, says the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land; there I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. 41 As a pleasing odor I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 42 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country which I swore to give to your fathers. 43 And there you shall remember your ways and all the doings with which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. 44 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, says the Lord God.”

A Prophecy against the Negeb

45 [ce] And the word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest land in the Negeb; 47 say to the forest of the Negeb, Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” 49 Then I said, “Ah Lord God! they are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of allegories?’”

The Drawn Sword of God

21 [cf] The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. 4 Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north; 5 and all flesh shall know that I the Lord have drawn my sword out of its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again. 6 Sigh therefore, son of man; sigh with breaking heart and bitter grief before their eyes. 7 And when they say to you, ‘Why do you sigh?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the tidings. When it comes, every heart will melt and all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will be fulfilled,’” says the Lord God.

8 And the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, Say:

A sword, a sword is sharpened
    and also polished,
10 sharpened for slaughter,
    polished to flash like lightning!

Or do we make mirth? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood. 11 So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be handled; it is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer. 12 Cry and wail, son of man, for it is against my people; it is against all the princes of Israel; they are delivered over to the sword with my people. Smite therefore upon your thigh. 13 For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise the rod?” says the Lord God.

14 “Prophesy therefore, son of man; clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, yea thrice, the sword for those to be slain; it is the sword for the great slaughter, which encompasses them, 15 that their hearts may melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword; ah! it is made like lightning, it is polished[cg] for slaughter. 16 Cut sharply to right[ch] and left where your edge is directed. 17 I also will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury; I the Lord have spoken.”

18 The word of the Lord came to me again: 19 “Son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them shall come forth from the same land. And make a signpost, make it at the head of the way to a city; 20 mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah and to[ci] Jerusalem the fortified.

Footnotes

  1. 1.5 four living creatures: The description recalls the Assyrian karibu: statues of animals with human heads guarding the palace at Nineveh. Here these creatures are pressed into the service of Yahweh. They are met again in Rev 4.6-8. The point of the vision is that Yahweh is not tied to Jerusalem and could follow his people into exile.
  2. Ezekiel 1:10 Cn: Heb lacks in front
  3. Ezekiel 1:10 Cn: Heb lacks at the back
  4. Ezekiel 1:13 Gk Old Latin: Heb And the likeness of
  5. Ezekiel 1:15 Heb of their faces
  6. Ezekiel 1:17 Heb on their four sides
  7. Ezekiel 1:18 Cn: Heb uncertain
  8. Ezekiel 1:22 Gk: Heb awesome crystal
  9. 1.23 cf. the cherubim over the ark (Ex 25.20-22; 1 Sam 4.4).
  10. Ezekiel 1:26 Heb lapis lazuli
  11. Ezekiel 1:27 Or it
  12. 1.28 the glory of the Lord: The luminous cloud, or shekinah (Ex 24.16), that normally dwelt in the temple.
  13. Ezekiel 2:3 Syr: Heb nations
  14. Ezekiel 3:12 Cn: Heb blessed be the glory of the Lord
  15. Ezekiel 3:15 Heb Chebar, and to where they dwelt. Another reading is Chebar, and I sat where they sat
  16. Ezekiel 3:22 Or valley
  17. Ezekiel 3:23 Or valley
  18. Ezekiel 4:4 Cn: Heb you shall lay . . . upon it
  19. Ezekiel 5:6 Or changed my ordinances into wickedness
  20. Ezekiel 5:7 Another reading is and have not acted
  21. Ezekiel 5:11 Another reading is I will withdraw
  22. Ezekiel 5:15 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb And it shall be
  23. Ezekiel 5:16 Heb them
  24. Ezekiel 6:6 Syr Vg Tg: Heb and be made guilty
  25. Ezekiel 6:9 Syr Vg Tg: Heb I have been broken
  26. Ezekiel 6:14 Another reading is Diblah
  27. Ezekiel 7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  28. Ezekiel 7:10 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  29. Ezekiel 7:10 Or the rod
  30. Ezekiel 7:11 The Hebrew of verse 11 is uncertain
  31. Ezekiel 7:13 Cn: Heb vision
  32. Ezekiel 7:13 Heb obscure
  33. Ezekiel 7:20 Syr Symmachus: Heb Its
  34. Ezekiel 7:22 Or secret
  35. Ezekiel 7:23 Cn: Heb make the chain
  36. Ezekiel 8:2 Gk: Heb fire
  37. Ezekiel 8:12 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb rooms
  38. 8.14 weeping for Tammuz: A vegetation god known as Adonis to the Phoenicians. He was supposed to die in the summer and come to life again in the spring. Women wept at the time of his departure to the underworld.
  39. Ezekiel 10:11 Heb on their four sides
  40. Ezekiel 10:12 Gk: Heb And their whole body and
  41. Ezekiel 10:12 Heb spokes and their wings
  42. Ezekiel 10:17 Or of life
  43. Ezekiel 11:3 Or Is not the time near . . . ?
  44. Ezekiel 11:15 Gk Syr: Heb men of your kindred
  45. Ezekiel 11:16 Or in small measure
  46. Ezekiel 11:19 Another reading is a new
  47. Ezekiel 11:21 Cn: Heb To the heart of their detestable things and their abominations their heart goes
  48. Ezekiel 12:3 Or will see that
  49. Ezekiel 12:5 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb bring
  50. Ezekiel 12:10 Heb in the midst of them
  51. Ezekiel 12:12 Gk Syr: Heb they
  52. Ezekiel 12:12 Gk Syr Tg: Heb bring
  53. Ezekiel 12:14 Gk Syr Tg: Heb his help
  54. Ezekiel 12:23 Heb word
  55. Ezekiel 13:2 Gk: Heb who prophesy
  56. Ezekiel 13:11 Heb rain and you
  57. Ezekiel 13:20 Gk Syr: Heb souls for birds
  58. Ezekiel 13:20 Cn: Heb the souls
  59. Ezekiel 14:4 Cn Compare Tg: Heb uncertain
  60. 14.12-23 The Lord stresses individual responsibility rather than collective responsibility. It had been taken for granted that some just men would have to suffer in a group or city with the guilty majority.
  61. 14.14 Daniel: It is possible that this refers to Danel, an ancient Phoenician sage known to us from the Ras Shamra literature. It is unlikely that Ezekiel would have been speaking of Daniel the prophet as the other names in this passage are both of more ancient personages. Moreover, the spelling of the name in the book of Ezekiel is different from the spelling used in the book of Daniel.
  62. Ezekiel 16:7 Gk Syr: Heb I made you a myriad
  63. Ezekiel 16:7 Cn: Heb ornament of ornaments
  64. Ezekiel 16:19 Syr: Heb and it was, says the Lord God
  65. Ezekiel 16:57 Cn: Heb uncertain
  66. Ezekiel 16:57 Another reading is Aram
  67. Ezekiel 16:61 Syr: Heb you
  68. 17.2-24 The Messiah, a shoot from the stump of Jesse. Cf. Is 11.1, and also the parable of the mustard seed (Mt 13.31-32).
  69. Ezekiel 17:8 Cn: Heb it was transplanted
  70. Ezekiel 17:9 Cn: Heb fruit
  71. Ezekiel 17:21 Another reading is fugitives
  72. Ezekiel 17:23 Gk: Heb lacks all kinds of beasts
  73. Ezekiel 18:9 Gk: Heb has kept my ordinances, to deal truly
  74. Ezekiel 18:10 Heb blood, and he does any one of these things
  75. Ezekiel 18:17 Gk: Heb the poor
  76. Ezekiel 18:30 Or so that they shall not be a stumbling block of iniquity to you
  77. Ezekiel 19:5 Heb had waited
  78. Ezekiel 19:7 Tg Compare Theodotion: Heb knew his widows
  79. Ezekiel 19:8 Cn: Heb from the provinces
  80. Ezekiel 19:10 Cn: Heb in your blood
  81. Ezekiel 20:29 That is High Place
  82. Ezekiel 20:37 Gk: Heb bring you into the bond of the covenant
  83. Ezekiel 20:45 Ch 21.1 in Heb
  84. Ezekiel 21:1 Ch 21.6 in Heb
  85. Ezekiel 21:15 Tg: Heb wrapped up
  86. Ezekiel 21:16 Gk Syr Vg: Heb right, set
  87. Ezekiel 21:20 Gk Syr: Heb in
Listen to Ezekiel 1-39
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Ezekiel 1-39
New King James Version

Ezekiel’s Vision of God

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by (A)the River Chebar, that (B)the heavens were opened and I saw (C)visions[a] of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the [b]Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and (D)the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

4 Then I looked, and behold, (E)a whirlwind was coming (F)out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 (G)Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And (H)this was their appearance: they had (I)the likeness of a man. 6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7 Their [c]legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled (J)like the color of burnished bronze. 8 (K)The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight (L)forward.

10 As for (M)the likeness of their faces, each (N)had the face of a man; each of the four had (O)the face of a lion on the right side, (P)each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, (Q)and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and (R)two covered their bodies. 12 And (S)each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.

13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, (T)like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, (U)in appearance like a flash of lightning.

15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, (V)a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. 16 (W)The appearance of the wheels and their workings was (X)like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were (Y)full of eyes, all around the four of them. 19 (Z)When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, (AA)for the spirit of the [d]living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the [e]living creatures was in the wheels.

22 (AB)The likeness of the [f]firmament above the heads of the [g]living creatures was like the color of an awesome (AC)crystal, stretched out (AD)over their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. 24 (AE)When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, (AF)like the noise of many waters, like (AG)the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings.

26 (AH)And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, (AI)in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above (AJ)it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward (AK)I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 (AL)Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. (AM)This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

Ezekiel Sent to Rebellious Israel

So when I saw it, (AN)I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

Ezekiel Called to Be a Prophet

2 And He said to me, “Son of man, (AO)stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.” 2 Then (AP)the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me. 3 And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has (AQ)rebelled against Me; (AR)they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 4 (AS)For they are [h]impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 (AT)As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a (AU)rebellious house—yet they (AV)will know that a prophet has been among them.

6 “And you, son of man, (AW)do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though (AX)briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; (AY)do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, (AZ)though they are a rebellious house. 7 (BA)You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and (BB)eat what I give you.”

9 Now when I looked, there was (BC)a hand stretched out to me; and behold, (BD)a scroll of a book was in it. 10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.

The Responsibility of the Prophet

3 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; (BE)eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.

3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I (BF)ate, and it was in my mouth (BG)like honey in sweetness.

4 Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, 6 not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, (BH)had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you, (BI)because they will not listen to Me; (BJ)for all the house of Israel are [i]impudent and hard-hearted. 8 Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. 9 (BK)Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; (BL)do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

10 Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. 11 And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, (BM)‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”

12 Then (BN)the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the (BO)glory of the Lord from His place!” 13 I also heard the (BP)noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the [j]heat of my spirit; but (BQ)the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. 15 Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and (BR)I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

Ezekiel Is a Watchman

16 Now it (BS)came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 (BT)“Son of man, I have made you (BU)a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them (BV)warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man (BW)shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; (BX)but you have delivered your soul.

20 “Again, when a (BY)righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

22 (BZ)Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out (CA)into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”

23 So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, (CB)the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I (CC)saw by the River Chebar; (CD)and I fell on my face. 24 Then (CE)the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you, O son of man, surely (CF)they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. 26 (CG)I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and (CH)not be [k]one to rebuke them, (CI)for they are a rebellious house. 27 (CJ)But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, (CK)‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed

4 “You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem. 2 (CL)Lay siege against it, build a (CM)siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around. 3 Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be (CN)besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. (CO)This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

4 “Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. 5 For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; (CP)so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.

7 “Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it. 8 (CQ)And surely I will [l]restrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege.

9 “Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it. 10 And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it. 11 You shall also drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin; from time to time you shall drink. 12 And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.”

13 Then the Lord said, “So (CR)shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”

14 So I said, (CS)“Ah, Lord God! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten (CT)what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has (CU)abominable[m] flesh ever come into my mouth.”

15 Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”

16 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, surely I will cut off the (CV)supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall (CW)eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall (CX)drink water by measure and with dread, 17 that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and (CY)waste away because of their iniquity.

A Sword Against Jerusalem

5 “And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, (CZ)and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair. 2 (DA)You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of (DB)the city, when (DC)the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after (DD)them. 3 (DE)You shall also take a small number of them and bind them in the edge of your garment. 4 Then take some of them again and (DF)throw them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will go out into all the house of Israel.

5 “Thus says the Lord God: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her. 6 She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.’ 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have [n]multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes (DG)nor kept My judgments, [o]nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you’— 8 therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. 9 (DH)And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations. 10 Therefore fathers (DI)shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will (DJ)scatter to all the winds.

11 ‘Therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely, because you have (DK)defiled My sanctuary with all your (DL)detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you; (DM)My eye will not spare, nor will I have any pity. 12 (DN)One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and (DO)I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after (DP)them.

13 ‘Thus shall My anger (DQ)be spent, and I will (DR)cause My fury to rest upon them, (DS)and I will be avenged; (DT)and they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it in My zeal, when I have spent My fury upon them. 14 Moreover (DU)I will make you a waste and a reproach among the nations that are all around you, in the sight of all who pass by.

15 ‘So [p]it shall be a (DV)reproach, a taunt, a (DW)lesson, and an astonishment to the nations that are all around you, when I execute judgments among you in anger and in fury and in (DX)furious rebukes. I, the Lord, have spoken. 16 When I (DY)send against them the terrible arrows of famine which shall be for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, I will increase the famine upon you and cut off your (DZ)supply of bread. 17 So I will send against you famine and (EA)wild beasts, and they will bereave you. (EB)Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I, the Lord, have spoken.’ ”

Judgment on Idolatrous Israel

6 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, (EC)set your face toward the (ED)mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, 3 and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, to the hills, to the ravines, and to the valleys: “Indeed I, even I, will bring a sword against you, and (EE)I will destroy your [q]high places. 4 Then your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and (EF)I will cast down your slain men before your idols. 5 And I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. 6 In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the [r]high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. 7 The slain shall fall in your midst, and (EG)you shall know that I am the Lord.

8 (EH)“Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are (EI)scattered through the countries. 9 Then those of you who escape will (EJ)remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because (EK)I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and (EL)by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; (EM)they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.”

11 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (EN)“Pound[s] your fists and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! (EO)For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. 12 He who is far off shall die by the pestilence, he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged shall die by the famine. (EP)Thus will I spend My fury upon them. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols all around their altars, (EQ)on every high hill, (ER)on all the mountaintops, (ES)under every green tree, and under every thick oak, wherever they offered sweet incense to all their idols. 14 So I will (ET)stretch out My hand against them and make the land desolate, yes, more desolate than the wilderness toward (EU)Diblah, in all their dwelling places. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” ’ ”

Judgment on Israel Is Near

7 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel:

(EV)‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
3 Now the end has come upon you,
And I will send My anger against you;
I will judge you (EW)according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.
4 (EX)My eye will not spare you,
Nor will I have pity;
But I will repay your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst;
(EY)Then you shall know that I am the Lord!’

5 “Thus says the Lord God:

‘A disaster, a singular (EZ)disaster;
Behold, it has come!
6 An end has come,
The end has come;
It has dawned for you;
Behold, it has come!
7 (FA)Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land;
(FB)The time has come,
A day of trouble is near,
And not of rejoicing in the mountains.
8 Now upon you I will soon (FC)pour out My fury,
And spend My anger upon you;
I will judge you according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.

9 ‘My eye will not spare,
Nor will I have pity;
I will [t]repay you according to your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord who strikes.

10 ‘Behold, the day!
Behold, it has come!
(FD)Doom has gone out;
The rod has blossomed,
Pride has budded.
11 (FE)Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness;
None of them shall remain,
None of their multitude,
None of [u]them;
(FF)Nor shall there be wailing for them.
12 The time has come,
The day draws near.

‘Let not the buyer (FG)rejoice,
Nor the seller (FH)mourn,
For wrath is on their whole multitude.
13 For the seller shall not return to what has been sold,
Though he may still be alive;
For the vision concerns the whole multitude,
And it shall not turn back;
No one will strengthen himself
Who lives in iniquity.

14 ‘They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready,
But no one goes to battle;
For My wrath is on all their multitude.
15 (FI)The sword is outside,
And the pestilence and famine within.
Whoever is in the field
Will die by the sword;
And whoever is in the city,
Famine and pestilence will devour him.

16 ‘Those who (FJ)survive will escape and be on the mountains
Like doves of the valleys,
All of them mourning,
Each for his iniquity.
17 Every (FK)hand will be feeble,
And every knee will be as weak as water.
18 They will also (FL)be girded with sackcloth;
Horror will cover them;
Shame will be on every face,
Baldness on all their heads.

19 ‘They will throw their silver into the streets,
And their gold will be like refuse;
Their (FM)silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them
In the day of the wrath of the Lord;
They will not satisfy their souls,
Nor fill their stomachs,
Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.

20 ‘As for the beauty of his ornaments,
He set it in majesty;
(FN)But they made from it
The images of their abominations—
Their detestable things;
Therefore I have made it
Like refuse to them.
21 I will give it as (FO)plunder
Into the hands of strangers,
And to the wicked of the earth as spoil;
And they shall defile it.
22 I will turn My face from them,
And they will defile My secret place;
For robbers shall enter it and defile it.

23 ‘Make a chain,
For (FP)the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the (FQ)worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be (FR)defiled.
25 [v]Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none.
26 (FS)Disaster will come upon disaster,
And rumor will be upon rumor.
(FT)Then they will seek a vision from a prophet;
But the law will perish from the priest,
And counsel from the elders.

27 ‘The king will mourn,
The prince will be clothed with desolation,
And the hands of the common people will tremble.
I will do to them according to their way,
And according to what they deserve I will judge them;
Then they shall know that I am the Lord!’ ”

Abominations in the Temple

8 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with (FU)the elders of Judah sitting before me, that (FV)the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. 2 (FW)Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, (FX)like the color of amber. 3 He (FY)stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and (FZ)the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and (GA)brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, (GB)where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which (GC)provokes[w] to jealousy. 4 And behold, the (GD)glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I (GE)saw in the plain.

5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great (GF)abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” 7 So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.

9 And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” 10 So I went in and saw, and there—every (GG)sort of (GH)creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, [x]portrayed all around on the walls. 11 And there stood before them (GI)seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, (GJ)‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ”

13 And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for [y]Tammuz.

15 Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” 16 So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, (GK)between the porch and the altar, (GL)were about twenty-five men (GM)with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping (GN)the sun toward the east.

17 And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have (GO)filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. 18 (GP)Therefore I also will act in fury. My (GQ)eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they (GR)cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

The Wicked Are Slain

9 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a [z]deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his [aa]battle-ax in his hand. (GS)One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn [ab]at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Now (GT)the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the [ac]temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put (GU)a mark on the foreheads of the men (GV)who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

5 To the others He said in my [ad]hearing, “Go after him through the city and (GW)kill;[ae] (GX)do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 (GY)Utterly[af] slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but (GZ)do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and (HA)begin at My sanctuary.” (HB)So they began with the elders who were before the [ag]temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the [ah]temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I (HC)fell on my face and cried out, and said, (HD)“Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”

9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and (HE)the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, (HF)‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and (HG)the Lord does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My (HH)eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but (HI)I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”

11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”

The Glory Departs from the Temple

10 And I looked, and there in the (HJ)firmament[ai] that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2 (HK)Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with (HL)coals of fire from among the cherubim, and (HM)scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.

3 Now the cherubim were standing on the [aj]south side of the [ak]temple when the man went in, and the (HN)cloud filled the inner court. 4 (HO)Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the [al]temple; and (HP)the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s (HQ)glory. 5 And the (HR)sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like (HS)the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

6 Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. 7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. 8 (HT)The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

9 (HU)And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a (HV)beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 11 (HW)When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. 12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were (HX)full of eyes all around. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my [am]hearing, “Wheel.”

14 (HY)Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was (HZ)the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. 16 (IA)When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. 17 (IB)When [an]the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when [ao]one was lifted up, [ap]the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

18 Then (IC)the glory of the Lord (ID)departed from the threshold of the [aq]temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 And (IE)the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the (IF)east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

20 (IG)This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel (IH)by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. 21 (II)Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And (IJ)the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. (IK)They each went straight forward.

Judgment on Wicked Counselors

11 Then (IL)the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to (IM)the East Gate of the Lord’s house, which faces eastward; and there (IN)at the door of the gate were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2 And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked [ar]counsel in this city, 3 who say, ‘The time is not (IO)near to build houses; (IP)this city is the [as]caldron, and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”

5 Then (IQ)the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me, “Speak! ‘Thus says the Lord: “Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for (IR)I know the things that come into your mind. 6 (IS)You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.” 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: (IT)“Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron; (IU)but I shall bring you out of the midst of it. 8 You have (IV)feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,” says the Lord God. 9 “And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and (IW)execute judgments on you. 10 (IX)You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at (IY)the border of Israel. (IZ)Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 11 (JA)This city shall not be your [at]caldron, nor shall you be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel. 12 And you shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but (JB)have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.” ’ ”

13 Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that (JC)Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then (JD)I fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?”

God Will Restore Israel

14 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 “Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, (JE)yet I shall be a little [au]sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.” ’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (JF)“I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ’ 18 And they will go there, and they will take away all its (JG)detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19 Then (JH)I will give them one heart, and I will put (JI)a new spirit within [av]them, and take (JJ)the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 (JK)that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; (JL)and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, (JM)I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.

22 So the cherubim (JN)lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high above them. 23 And (JO)the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood (JP)on the mountain, (JQ)which is on the east side of the city.

24 Then (JR)the Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into [aw]Chaldea, to those in captivity. And the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the Lord had shown me.

Judah’s Captivity Portrayed

12 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of (JS)a rebellious house, which (JT)has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; (JU)for they are a rebellious house.

3 “Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. 4 By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity. 5 Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it. 6 In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, (JV)for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

7 So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.

8 And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, (JW)the rebellious house, said to you, (JX)‘What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “This (JY)burden[ax] concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.” ’ 11 Say, (JZ)‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; (KA)they shall be carried away into captivity.’ 12 And (KB)the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes. 13 I will also spread My (KC)net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. (KD)I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there. 14 (KE)I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and (KF)I will draw out the sword after them.

15 (KG)“Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. 16 (KH)But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Judgment Not Postponed

17 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (KI)eat your bread with [ay]quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety. 19 And say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may (KJ)be emptied of all who are in it, (KK)because of the violence of all those who dwell in it. 20 Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, (KL)‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’? 23 Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” ’ But say to them, ‘ (KM)“The days are at hand, and the [az]fulfillment of every vision. 24 For (KN)no more shall there be any (KO)false[ba] vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 For I am the Lord. I speak, and (KP)the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and (KQ)perform it,” says the Lord God.’ ”

26 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 27 (KR)“Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is (KS)for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 (KT)Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak (KU)will be done,” says the Lord God.’ ”

Woe to Foolish Prophets

13 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy (KV)against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to (KW)those who prophesy out of their own (KX)heart,[bb] ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ ”

3 Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen [bc]nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are (KY)like foxes in the deserts. 5 You (KZ)have not gone up into the [bd]gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord. 6 (LA)They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ But the Lord has (LB)not sent them; yet they hope that the word may [be]be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.”

8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord God. 9 “My hand will be (LC)against the prophets who envision futility and who (LD)divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, (LE)nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, (LF)nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. (LG)Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.

10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, (LH)‘Peace!’ when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they (LI)plaster[bf] it with untempered mortar— 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. (LJ)There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ”

13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. 14 So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. (LK)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

15 “Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, 16 that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who (LL)see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord God.

17 “Likewise, son of man, (LM)set your face against the daughters of your people, (LN)who prophesy out of their own [bg]heart; prophesy against them, 18 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms [bh]on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you (LO)hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive? 19 And will you profane Me among My people (LP)for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”

20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like [bi]birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. (LQ)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

22 “Because with (LR)lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have (LS)strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. 23 Therefore (LT)you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

Idolatry Will Be Punished

14 Now (LU)some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them (LV)that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. (LW)Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?

4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and (LX)turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself. 8 (LY)I will set My face against that man and make him a (LZ)sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. (MA)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

9 “And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the Lord (MB)have induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. 10 And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired, 11 that the house of Israel may (MC)no longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, (MD)but that they may be My people and I may be their God,” says the Lord God.’ ”

Judgment on Persistent Unfaithfulness

12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its (ME)supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14 (MF)Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves (MG)by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.

15 “If I cause (MH)wild beasts to pass through the land, and they [bj]empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, 16 even (MI)though these three men were [bk]in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be (MJ)desolate.

17 “Or if (MK)I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I (ML)cut off man and beast from it, 18 even (MM)though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.

19 “Or if I send (MN)a pestilence into that land and (MO)pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20 even (MP)though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”

21 For thus says the Lord God: “How much more it shall be when (MQ)I send My four [bl]severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it? 22 (MR)Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be (MS)brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and (MT)you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing (MU)without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord God.

The Outcast Vine

15 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? 4 Instead, (MV)it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work? 5 Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?

6 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 7 and (MW)I will set My face against them. (MX)They will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. (MY)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. 8 Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness,’ says the Lord God.”

God’s Love for Jerusalem

16 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (MZ)cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: “Your [bm]birth (NA)and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; (NB)your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your nativity, (NC)on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were [bn]loathed on the day you were born.

6 “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 (ND)I made you [bo]thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.

8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; (NE)so I spread [bp]My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I (NF)swore an oath to you and entered into a (NG)covenant with you, and (NH)you became Mine,” says the Lord God.

9 “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of [bq]badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with ornaments, (NI)put bracelets on your wrists, (NJ)and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a [br]jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. (NK)You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly (NL)beautiful, and succeeded to royalty. 14 (NM)Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord God.

Jerusalem’s Harlotry

15 (NN)“But you trusted in your own beauty, (NO)played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it. 16 (NP)You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored [bs]high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be. 17 You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them. 18 You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them. 19 Also (NQ)My food which I gave you—the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you—you set it before them as [bt]sweet incense; and so it was,” says the Lord God.

20 (NR)“Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, 21 that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the (NS)fire? 22 And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your (NT)youth, (NU)when you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood.

23 “Then it was so, after all your wickedness—‘Woe, woe to you!’ says the Lord God— 24 that (NV)you also built for yourself a shrine, and (NW)made a [bu]high place for yourself in every street. 25 You built your high places (NX)at the head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered yourself to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry. 26 You also committed harlotry with (NY)the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to (NZ)provoke Me to anger.

27 “Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your [bv]allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, (OA)the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You also played the harlot with the (OB)Assyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 29 Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, (OC)Chaldea; and even then you were not satisfied.

30 “How degenerate is your heart!” says the Lord God, “seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot.

Jerusalem’s Adultery

31 (OD)“You erected your shrine at the head of every road, and built your [bw]high place in every street. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned (OE)payment. 32 You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband. 33 Men make payment to all harlots, but (OF)you made your payments to all your lovers, and [bx]hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry. 34 You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite.”

Jerusalem’s Lovers Will Abuse Her

35 ‘Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord! 36 Thus says the Lord God: “Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of (OG)the blood of your children which you gave to them, 37 surely, therefore, (OH)I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them from all around against you and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you as (OI)women who break wedlock or (OJ)shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy. 39 I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines and break down (OK)your [by]high places. (OL)They shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.

40 (OM)“They shall also bring up an assembly against you, (ON)and they shall stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords. 41 They shall (OO)burn your houses with fire, and (OP)execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will make you (OQ)cease playing the harlot, and you shall no longer hire lovers. 42 So (OR)I will lay to rest My fury toward you, and My jealousy shall depart from you. I will be quiet, and be angry no more. 43 Because (OS)you did not remember the days of your youth, but [bz]agitated Me with all these things, surely (OT)I will also recompense your [ca]deeds on your own head,” says the Lord God. “And you shall not commit lewdness in addition to all your abominations.

More Wicked than Samaria and Sodom

44 “Indeed everyone who quotes proverbs will use this proverb against you: ‘Like mother, like daughter!’ 45 You are your mother’s daughter, [cb]loathing husband and children; and you are the (OU)sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children; (OV)your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

46 “Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells with her daughters to the north of you; and (OW)your younger sister, who dwells to the south of you, is Sodom and her daughters. 47 You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, (OX)you became more corrupt than they in all your ways.

48 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “neither (OY)your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, (OZ)fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty and (PA)committed abomination before Me; therefore (PB)I took them away as [cc]I saw fit.

51 “Samaria did not commit (PC)half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and (PD)have justified your sisters by all the abominations which you have done. 52 You who judged your sisters, bear your own shame also, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs; they are more righteous than you. Yes, be disgraced also, and bear your own shame, because you justified your sisters.

53 (PE)“When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back (PF)the captives of your captivity among them, 54 that you may bear your own shame and be disgraced by all that you did when (PG)you comforted them. 55 When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state. 56 For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the (PH)reproach of the daughters of [cd]Syria and all those around her, and of (PI)the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere. 58 (PJ)You have paid for your lewdness and your abominations,” says the Lord. 59 For thus says the Lord God: “I will deal with you as you have done, who (PK)despised (PL)the oath by breaking the covenant.

An Everlasting Covenant

60 “Nevertheless I will (PM)remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish (PN)an everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then (PO)you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters; for I will give them to you for (PP)daughters, (PQ)but not because of My covenant with you. 62 (PR)And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 that you may (PS)remember and be ashamed, (PT)and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord God.’ ”

The Eagles and the Vine

17 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a (PU)parable to the house of Israel, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(PV)“A great eagle with large wings and long pinions,
Full of feathers of various colors,
Came to Lebanon
And (PW)took from the cedar the highest branch.
4 He cropped off its topmost young twig
And carried it to a land of trade;
He set it in a city of merchants.
5 Then he took some of the seed of the land
And planted it in (PX)a fertile field;
He placed it by abundant waters
And set it (PY)like a willow tree.
6 And it grew and became a spreading vine (PZ)of low stature;
Its branches turned toward him,
But its roots were under it.
So it became a vine,
Brought forth branches,
And put forth shoots.

7 “But there was [ce]another great eagle with large wings and many feathers;
And behold, (QA)this vine bent its roots toward him,
And stretched its branches toward him,
From the garden terrace where it had been planted,
That he might water it.
8 It was planted in [cf]good soil by many waters,
To bring forth branches, bear fruit,
And become a majestic vine.” ’

9 “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Will it thrive?
(QB)Will he not pull up its roots,
Cut off its fruit,
And leave it to wither?
All of its spring leaves will wither,
And no great power or many people
Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.
10 Behold, it is planted,
Will it thrive?
(QC)Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it?
It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew.” ’ ”

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Say now to (QD)the rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Indeed (QE)the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon. 13 (QF)And he took the king’s offspring, made a covenant with him, (QG)and put him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, 14 that the kingdom might be (QH)brought low and not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 15 But (QI)he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, (QJ)that they might give him horses and many people. (QK)Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?

16 ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely (QL)in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17 (QM)Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, (QN)when they heap up a siege mound and build a [cg]wall to cut off many persons. 18 Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact (QO)gave[ch] his hand and still did all these things, he shall not escape.’ ”

19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head. 20 I will (QP)spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and (QQ)try him there for the [ci]treason which he committed against Me. 21 (QR)All his [cj]fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be (QS)scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Israel Exalted at Last(QT)

22 Thus says the Lord God: “I will take also one of the highest (QU)branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs (QV)a tender one, and will (QW)plant it on a high and prominent mountain. 23 (QX)On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. (QY)Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, (QZ)have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; (RA)I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it.”

A False Proverb Refuted

18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:

‘The (RB)fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

3 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

4 “Behold, all souls are (RC)Mine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
(RD)The soul who sins shall die.
5 But if a man is just
And does what is lawful and right;
6 (RE)If he has not eaten [ck]on the mountains,
Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor (RF)defiled his neighbor’s wife,
Nor approached (RG)a woman during her impurity;
7 If he has not (RH)oppressed anyone,
But has restored to the debtor his (RI)pledge;
Has robbed no one by violence,
But has (RJ)given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with (RK)clothing;
8 If he has not [cl]exacted (RL)usury
Nor taken any increase,
But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity
And (RM)executed true [cm]judgment between man and man;
9 If he has walked in My statutes
And kept My judgments faithfully—
He is just;
He shall surely (RN)live!”
Says the Lord God.

10 “If he begets a son who is a robber
Or (RO)a shedder of blood,
Who does any of these things
11 And does none of those duties,
But has eaten [cn]on the mountains
Or defiled his neighbor’s wife;
12 If he has oppressed the poor and needy,
Robbed by violence,
Not restored the pledge,
Lifted his eyes to the idols,
Or (RP)committed abomination;
13 If he has exacted usury
Or taken increase—
Shall he then live?
He shall not live!
If he has done any of these abominations,
He shall surely die;
(RQ)His blood shall be upon him.

14 “If, however, he begets a son
Who sees all the sins which his father has done,
And considers but does not do likewise;
15 (RR)Who has not eaten [co]on the mountains,
Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife;
16 Has not oppressed anyone,
Nor withheld a pledge,
Nor robbed by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
17 Who has withdrawn his hand from [cp]the poor
And not received usury or increase,
But has executed My judgments
And walked in My statutes—
He shall not die for the iniquity of his father;
He shall surely live!

18 “As for his father,
Because he cruelly oppressed,
Robbed his brother by violence,
And did what is not good among his people,
Behold, (RS)he shall die for his iniquity.

Turn and Live

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why (RT)should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20 (RU)The soul who sins shall die. (RV)The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. (RW)The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, (RX)and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 “But (RY)if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 (RZ)None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall (SA)live. 23 (SB)Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

24 “But (SC)when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? (SD)All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.

25 “Yet you say, (SE)‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 (SF)When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, (SG)when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he (SH)considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 (SI)Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?

30 (SJ)“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. (SK)“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 (SL)Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a (SM)new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For (SN)I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and (SO)live!”

Israel Degraded

19 “Moreover (SP)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:

‘What is your mother? A lioness:
She lay down among the lions;
Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
And (SQ)he became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey,
And he devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him;
He was trapped in their pit,
And they brought him with chains to the land of (SR)Egypt.

5 ‘When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost,
She took (SS)another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
6 (ST)He roved among the lions,
And (SU)became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey;
He devoured men.
7 [cq]He knew their desolate places,
And laid waste their cities;
The land with its fullness was desolated
By the noise of his roaring.
8 (SV)Then the nations set against him from the provinces on every side,
And spread their net over him;
(SW)He was trapped in their pit.
9 (SX)They put him in a cage with [cr]chains,
And brought him to the king of Babylon;
They brought him in nets,
That his voice should no longer be heard on (SY)the mountains of Israel.

10 ‘Your mother was (SZ)like a vine in your [cs]bloodline,
Planted by the waters,
(TA)Fruitful and full of branches
Because of many waters.
11 She had strong branches for scepters of rulers.
(TB)She towered in stature above the thick branches,
And was seen in her height amid the [ct]dense foliage.
12 But she was (TC)plucked up in fury,
She was cast down to the ground,
And the (TD)east wind dried her fruit.
Her strong branches were broken and withered;
The fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness,
In a dry and thirsty land.
14 (TE)Fire has come out from a rod of her branches
And devoured her fruit,
So that she has no strong branch—a scepter for ruling.’ ”

(TF)This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.

The Rebellions of Israel

20 It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that (TG)certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord God, (TH)“I will not be inquired of by you.” ’ 4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then (TI)make known to them the abominations of their fathers.

5 “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day when (TJ)I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself (TK)known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, (TL)‘I am the Lord your God.’ 6 On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, (TM)to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, (TN)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ (TO)the glory of all lands. 7 Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, (TP)throw away (TQ)the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with (TR)the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’ 8 But they rebelled against Me and would not [cu]obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will (TS)pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’ 9 (TT)But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself (TU)known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

10 “Therefore I (TV)made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. 11 (TW)And I gave them My statutes and [cv]showed them My judgments, (TX)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ 12 Moreover I also gave them My (TY)Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 Yet the house of Israel (TZ)rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they (UA)despised My judgments, (UB)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly (UC)defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the (UD)wilderness, to consume them. 14 (UE)But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 So (UF)I also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, (UG)‘flowing with milk and honey,’ (UH)the glory of all lands, 16 (UI)because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for (UJ)their heart went after their idols. 17 (UK)Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

18 “But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God: (UL)Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; 20 (UM)hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

21 “Notwithstanding, (UN)the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, (UO)‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I [cw]withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that (UP)I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, 24 (UQ)because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and (UR)their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

25 “Therefore (US)I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; 26 and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all [cx]their firstborn to pass (UT)through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they (UU)might know that I am the Lord.” ’

27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “In this too your fathers have (UV)blasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me. 28 When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and (UW)they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their (UX)sweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings. 29 Then I said to them, ‘What is this [cy]high place to which you go?’ So its name is called [cz]Bamah to this day.” ’ 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your (UY)fathers, and committing harlotry according to their (UZ)abominations? 31 For when you offer (VA)your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will (VB)not be inquired of by you. 32 (VC)What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries, serving wood and stone.’

God Will Restore Israel

33 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely with a mighty hand, (VD)with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you. 34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there (VE)I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 (VF)Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God.

37 “I will make you (VG)pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the (VH)covenant; 38 (VI)I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but (VJ)they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39 “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: (VK)“Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; (VL)but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols. 40 For (VM)on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord God, “there (VN)all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there (VO)I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your [da]sacrifices, together with all your holy things. 41 I will accept you as a (VP)sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. 42 (VQ)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, (VR)when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. 43 And (VS)there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and (VT)you shall [db]loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed. 44 (VU)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you (VV)for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel,” says the Lord God.’ ”

Fire in the Forest

45 Furthermore the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46 (VW)“Son of man, set your face toward the south; [dc]preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the [dd]South, 47 and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, (VX)I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour (VY)every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces (VZ)from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”

49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak (WA)parables?’ ”

Babylon, the Sword of God

21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 (WB)“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, (WC)preach[de] against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; 3 and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am (WD)against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both (WE)righteous and wicked from you. 4 Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh (WF)from south to north, 5 that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it (WG)shall not return anymore.” ’ 6 (WH)Sigh therefore, son of man, with [df]a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. 7 And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, (WI)all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.”

8 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ Say:

(WJ)‘A sword, a sword is sharpened
And also polished!
10 Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter,
Polished to flash like lightning!
Should we then make mirth?
It despises the scepter of My son,
As it does all wood.
11 And He has given it to be polished,
That it may be handled;
This sword is sharpened, and it is polished
To be given into the hand of (WK)the slayer.’

12 “Cry and wail, son of man;
For it will be against My people,
Against all the princes of Israel.
Terrors including the sword will be against My people;
Therefore (WL)strike your thigh.

13 “Because it is (WM)a testing,
And what if the sword despises even the scepter?
(WN)The scepter shall be no more,”

says the Lord God.

14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy,
And (WO)strike your hands together.
The third time let the sword do double damage.
It is the sword that slays,
The sword that slays the great men,
That enters their (WP)private chambers.
15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,
That the heart may melt and many may stumble.
Ah! (WQ)It is made bright;
It is grasped for slaughter:

16 “Swords(WR)[dg] at the ready!
Thrust right!
Set your blade!
Thrust left—
Wherever your [dh]edge is ordered!

17 “I also will (WS)beat My fists together,
And (WT)I will cause My fury to rest;
I, the Lord, have spoken.”

18 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying: 19 “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city. 20 Appoint a road for the sword to go to (WU)Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the [di]images, he looks at the liver. 22 In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to (WV)lift the voice with shouting, (WW)to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall. 23 And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who (WX)have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.

24 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.

25 ‘Now to you, O (WY)profane, wicked prince of Israel, (WZ)whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end, 26 thus says the Lord God:

“Remove the turban, and take off the crown;
Nothing shall remain the same.
(XA)Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
27 [dj]Overthrown, overthrown,
I will make it overthrown!
(XB)It shall be no longer,
Until He comes whose right it is,
And I will give it to (XC)Him.” ’

A Sword Against the Ammonites

28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God (XD)concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:

‘A sword, a sword is drawn,
Polished for slaughter,
For consuming, for flashing—
29 While they (XE)see false visions for you,
While they divine a lie to you,
To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain
(XF)Whose day has come,
Whose iniquity shall end.

30 ‘Return(XG) it to its sheath.
(XH)I will judge you
In the place where you were created,
(XI)In the land of your [dk]nativity.
31 I will (XJ)pour out My indignation on you;
I will (XK)blow against you with the fire of My wrath,
And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to (XL)destroy.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire;
Your blood shall be in the midst of the land.
(XM)You shall not be remembered,
For I the Lord have spoken.’ ”

Sins of Jerusalem

22 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Now, son of man, (XN)will you judge, will you judge (XO)the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations! 3 Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “The city sheds (XP)blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. 4 You have become guilty by the blood which you have (XQ)shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; (XR)therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries. 5 Those near and those far from you will mock you as [dl]infamous and full of tumult.

6 “Look, (XS)the princes of Israel: each one has used his [dm]power to shed blood in you. 7 In you they have (XT)made light of father and mother; in your midst they have (XU)oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the [dn]fatherless and the widow. 8 You have despised My holy things and (XV)profaned My Sabbaths. 9 In you are (XW)men who slander to cause bloodshed; (XX)in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. 10 In you men (XY)uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are (XZ)set apart during their impurity. 11 One commits abomination (YA)with his neighbor’s wife; (YB)another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s (YC)daughter. 12 In you (YD)they take bribes to shed blood; (YE)you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and (YF)have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God.

13 “Behold, therefore, I (YG)beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. 14 (YH)Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? (YI)I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. 15 (YJ)I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and (YK)remove your filthiness completely from you. 16 You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then (YL)you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

Israel in the Furnace

17 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (YM)the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a (YN)furnace; they have become dross from silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to (YO)melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have (YP)poured out My fury on you.’ ”

Israel’s Wicked Leaders

23 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is (YQ)not [do]cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 (YR)The conspiracy of her [dp]prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they (YS)have devoured [dq]people; (YT)they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 (YU)Her priests have [dr]violated My law and (YV)profaned My holy things; they have not (YW)distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her (YX)princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy [ds]people, and to get dishonest gain. 28 (YY)Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, (YZ)seeing false visions, and divining (ZA)lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully (ZB)oppress the stranger. 30 (ZC)So I sought for a man among them who would (ZD)make a wall, and (ZE)stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore I have (ZF)poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed (ZG)their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.

Two Harlot Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying:

2 “Son of man, there were (ZH)two women,
The daughters of one mother.
3 (ZI)They committed harlotry in Egypt,
They committed harlotry in (ZJ)their youth;
Their breasts were there embraced,
Their virgin bosom was there pressed.
4 Their names: [dt]Oholah the elder and [du]Oholibah (ZK)her sister;
(ZL)They were Mine,
And they bore sons and daughters.
As for their names,
Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

The Older Sister, Samaria

5 “Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine;
And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring (ZM)Assyrians,
6 Who were clothed in purple,
Captains and rulers,
All of them desirable young men,
Horsemen riding on horses.
7 Thus she committed her harlotry with them,
All of them choice men of Assyria;
And with all for whom she lusted,
With all their idols, she defiled herself.
8 She has never given up her harlotry brought (ZN)from Egypt,
For in her youth they had lain with her,
Pressed her virgin bosom,
And poured out their immorality upon her.

9 “Therefore I have delivered her
Into the hand of her lovers,
Into the hand of the (ZO)Assyrians,
For whom she lusted.
10 They uncovered her nakedness,
Took away her sons and daughters,
And slew her with the sword;
She became a byword among women,
For they had executed judgment on her.

The Younger Sister, Jerusalem

11 “Now (ZP)although her sister Oholibah saw this, (ZQ)she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry.

12 “She lusted for the neighboring (ZR)Assyrians,
(ZS)Captains and rulers,
Clothed most gorgeously,
Horsemen riding on horses,
All of them desirable young men.
13 Then I saw that she was defiled;
Both took the same way.
14 But she increased her harlotry;
She looked at men portrayed on the wall,
Images of (ZT)Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion,
15 Girded with belts around their waists,
Flowing turbans on their heads,
All of them looking like captains,
In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea,
The land of their nativity.
16 (ZU)As soon as her eyes saw them,
She lusted for them
And sent (ZV)messengers to them in Chaldea.

17 “Then the [dv]Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love,
And they defiled her with their immorality;
So she was defiled by them, (ZW)and alienated herself from them.
18 She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness.
Then (ZX)I (ZY)alienated Myself from her,
As I had alienated Myself from her sister.

19 “Yet she multiplied her harlotry
In calling to remembrance the days of her youth,
(ZZ)When she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
20 For she lusted for her [dw]paramours,
Whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys,
And whose issue is like the issue of horses.
21 Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth,
When the (AAA)Egyptians pressed your bosom
Because of your youthful breasts.

Judgment on Jerusalem

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God:

(AAB)‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you,
From whom you have alienated yourself,
And I will bring them against you from every side:
23 The Babylonians,
All the Chaldeans,
(AAC)Pekod, Shoa, Koa,
(AAD)All the Assyrians with them,
All of them desirable young men,
Governors and rulers,
Captains and men of renown,
All of them riding on horses.
24 And they shall come against you
With chariots, wagons, and war-horses,
With a horde of people.
They shall array against you
Buckler, shield, and helmet all around.

‘I will delegate judgment to them,
And they shall judge you according to their judgments.
25 I will set My (AAE)jealousy against you,
And they shall deal furiously with you;
They shall remove your nose and your ears,
And your remnant shall fall by the sword;
They shall take your sons and your daughters,
And your remnant shall be devoured by fire.
26 (AAF)They shall also strip you of your clothes
And take away your beautiful jewelry.

27 ‘Thus (AAG)I will make you cease your lewdness and your (AAH)harlotry
Brought from the land of Egypt,
So that you will not lift your eyes to them,
Nor remember Egypt anymore.’

28 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hand of (AAI)those you hate, into the hand of those (AAJ)from whom you alienated yourself. 29 (AAK)They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and (AAL)leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. 30 I will do these things to you because you have (AAM)gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols. 31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her (AAN)cup in your hand.’

32 “Thus says the Lord God:

‘You shall drink of your sister’s cup,
The deep and wide one;
(AAO)You shall be laughed to scorn
And held in derision;
It contains much.
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
The cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You shall (AAP)drink and drain it,
You shall break its [dx]shards,
And tear at your own breasts;
For I have spoken,’
Says the Lord God.

35 “Therefore thus says the Lord God:

‘Because you (AAQ)have forgotten Me and (AAR)cast Me behind your back,
Therefore you shall bear the penalty
Of your lewdness and your harlotry.’ ”

Both Sisters Judged

36 The Lord also said to me: “Son of man, will you (AAS)judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then (AAT)declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and (AAU)blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons (AAV)whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. 38 Moreover they have done this to Me: They have (AAW)defiled My sanctuary on the same day and (AAX)profaned My Sabbaths. 39 For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed (AAY)thus they have done in the midst of My house.

40 “Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, (AAZ)to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you (ABA)washed yourself for them, (ABB)painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately (ABC)couch, with a table prepared before it, (ABD)on which you had set My incense and My oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and [dy]Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their [dz]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 (ABE)judge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and (ABF)blood is on their hands.

46 “For thus says the Lord God: (ABG)‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder. 47 (ABH)The assembly shall stone them with stones and [ea]execute them with their swords; (ABI)they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. 48 Thus (ABJ)I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, (ABK)that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness. 49 They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall (ABL)pay for your idolatrous sins. (ABM)Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.’ ”

Symbol of the Cooking Pot(ABN)

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 (ABO)this very day. 3 (ABP)And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(ABQ)“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 [eb]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 (ABR)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 (ABS)lot has fallen.
7 For her blood is in her midst;
She set it on top of a rock;
(ABT)She did not pour it on the ground,
To cover it with dust.
8 That it may raise up fury and take vengeance,
(ABU)I have set her blood on top of a rock,
That it may not be covered.”

9 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God:

(ABV)“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 [ec]cuts be burned up.

11 “Then set the pot empty on the coals,
That it may become hot and its bronze may burn,
That (ABW)its filthiness may be melted in it,
That its scum may be consumed.
12 She has [ed]grown weary with [ee]lies,
And her great scum has not gone from her.
Let her scum be in the fire!
13 In your (ABX)filthiness is lewdness.
Because I have cleansed you, and you were not cleansed,
You will (ABY)not be cleansed of your filthiness anymore,
(ABZ)Till I have caused My fury to rest upon you.
14 (ACA)I, the Lord, have spoken it;
(ACB)It shall come to pass, and I will do it;
I will not hold back,
(ACC)Nor will I spare,
Nor will I relent;
According to your ways
And according to your deeds
[ef]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 (ACD)neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh in silence, (ACE)make no mourning for the dead; (ACF)bind your turban on your head, and (ACG)put your sandals on your feet; (ACH)do not cover your [eg]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, (ACI)“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, (ACJ)I will profane My sanctuary, [eh]your arrogant boast, the desire of your eyes, the [ei]delight of your soul; (ACK)and your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And you shall do as I have done; (ACL)you shall not cover your [ej]lips nor eat man’s bread of sorrow. 23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; (ACM)you shall neither mourn nor weep, but (ACN)you shall pine away in your iniquities and mourn with one another. 24 Thus (ACO)Ezekiel is a sign to you; according to all that he has done you shall do; (ACP)and when this comes, (ACQ)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 (ACR)their stronghold, their joy and their glory, the desire of their eyes, and [ek]that on which they set their minds, their sons and their daughters: 26 that on that day (ACS)one who escapes will come to you to let you hear it with your ears? 27 (ACT)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, (ACU)set your face (ACV)against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them. 3 Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: (ACW)“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 [el]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 (ACX)Rabbah (ACY)a stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. (ACZ)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

6 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Because you (ADA)clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and (ADB)rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, 7 indeed, therefore, I will (ADC)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 (ADD)Moab and (ADE)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 (ADF)Kirjathaim. 10 (ADG)To the men of the East I will give it as a possession, together with the Ammonites, that the Ammonites (ADH)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: (ADI)“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; [em]Dedan shall fall by the sword. 14 (ADJ)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: (ADK)“Because (ADL)the Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with [en]a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the [eo]old hatred,” 16 therefore thus says the Lord God: (ADM)“I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the (ADN)Cherethites (ADO)and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. 17 I will (ADP)execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; (ADQ)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, (ADR)because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, (ADS)‘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 (ADT)make her like the top of a rock. 5 It shall be a place for spreading nets (ADU)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. (ADV)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 (ADW)Nebuchadnezzar[ep] king of Babylon, (ADX)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 (ADY)heap up a siege mound against you, build a wall against you, and raise a [eq]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 (ADZ)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 (AEA)midst of the water. 13 (AEB)I will put an end to the sound of (AEC)your songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more. 14 (AED)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 (AEE)shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded cry, when slaughter is made in the midst of you? 16 Then all the (AEF)princes of the sea will (AEG)come down from their thrones, lay aside their robes, and take off their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling; (AEH)they will sit on the ground, (AEI)tremble every moment, and (AEJ)be astonished at you. 17 And they will take up a (AEK)lamentation for you, and say to you:

“How you have perished,
O one inhabited by seafaring men,
O renowned city,
Who was (AEL)strong at sea,
She and her inhabitants,
Who caused their terror to be on all her inhabitants!
18 Now (AEM)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 (AEN)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 (AEO)in the land of the living. 21 (AEP)I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; (AEQ)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, (AER)take up a lamentation for Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre, (AES)‘You who [er]are situated at the entrance of the sea, (AET)merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:

“O Tyre, you have said,
(AEU)‘I am perfect in beauty.’
4 Your borders are in the midst of the seas.
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
5 They [es]made all your planks of fir trees from (AEV)Senir;
They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast.
6 Of (AEW)oaks from Bashan they made your oars;
The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks
With ivory from (AEX)the coasts of [et]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 (AEY)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, [eu]Lydia, and [ev]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 (AEZ)your beauty perfect.

12 (AFA)“Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods. 13 (AFB)Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered (AFC)human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 Those from the house of (AFD)Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules. 15 The men of (AFE)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 (AFF)Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and (AFG)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, [ew]traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise. 20 (AFH)Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of (AFI)Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of (AFJ)Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. 23 (AFK)Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of (AFL)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 (AFM)ships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise.
You were filled and very glorious (AFN)in the midst of the seas.
26 Your oarsmen brought you into many waters,
But (AFO)the east wind broke you in the midst of the seas.

27 “Your (AFP)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 (AFQ)common-land[ex] will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots.

29 “All (AFR)who handle the oar,
The mariners,
All the pilots of the sea
Will come down from their ships and stand on the [ey]shore.
30 They will make their voice heard because of you;
They will cry bitterly and (AFS)cast dust on their heads;
They (AFT)will roll about in ashes;
31 They will (AFU)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 (AFV)take up a lamentation,
And lament for you:
(AFW)‘What city is like Tyre,
Destroyed in the midst of the sea?

33 ‘When(AFX) 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 (AFY)you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters;
(AFZ)Your merchandise and the entire company will fall in your midst.
35 (AGA)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 (AGB)will hiss at you;
(AGC)You will become a horror, and be no (AGD)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 (AGE)lifted[ez] up,
And (AGF)you say, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of gods,
(AGG)In the midst of the seas,’
(AGH)Yet you are a man, and not a god,
Though you set your heart as the heart of a god
3 (Behold, (AGI)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 (AGJ)riches for yourself,
And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries;
5 (AGK)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 (AGL)strangers against you,
(AGM)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 (AGN)Pit,
And you shall die the death of the slain
In the midst of the seas.

9 “Will you still (AGO)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 (AGP)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, (AGQ)take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(AGR)“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in (AGS)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 (AGT)your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

14 “You were the anointed (AGU)cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on (AGV)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 (AGW)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, (AGX)O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones.

17 “Your (AGY)heart was [fa]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;
(AGZ)You have become a horror,
And shall be no (AHA)more forever.” ’ ”

Proclamation Against Sidon

20 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 “Son of man, (AHB)set your face (AHC)toward Sidon, and prophesy against her, 22 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(AHD)“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon;
I will be glorified in your midst;
And (AHE)they shall know that I am the Lord,
When I execute judgments in her and am (AHF)hallowed in her.
23 (AHG)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 (AHH)a painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who (AHI)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 (AHJ)gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am (AHK)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 (AHL)dwell [fb]safely there, (AHM)build houses, and (AHN)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, (AHO)set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and (AHP)against all Egypt. 3 Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

(AHQ)“Behold, I am against you,
O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great (AHR)monster who lies in the midst of his rivers,
(AHS)Who has said, ‘My [fc]River is my own;
I have made it for myself.’
4 But (AHT)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 [fd]open (AHU)field;
(AHV)You shall not be picked up or [fe]gathered.
(AHW)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 (AHX)staff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 (AHY)When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their [ff]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 (AHZ)a sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast. 9 And the land of Egypt shall become (AIA)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, (AIB)and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, (AIC)from [fg]Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 (AID)Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 (AIE)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 (AIF)scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”

13 ‘Yet, thus says the Lord God: “At the (AIG)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 (AIH)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 (AII)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, (AIJ)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made (AIK)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 (AIL)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 (AIM)worked for Me,’ says the Lord God.

21 ‘In that day (AIN)I will cause the [fh]horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will (AIO)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:

(AIP)“Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’
3 For (AIQ)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 [fi]Ethiopia,
When the slain fall in Egypt,
And they (AIR)take away her wealth,
And (AIS)her foundations are broken down.

5 “Ethiopia, [fj]Libya, [fk]Lydia, (AIT)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.
(AIU)From [fl]Migdol to Syene
Those within her shall fall by the sword,”
Says the Lord God.

7 “They(AIV) 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 (AIW)messengers shall go forth from Me in ships
To make the [fm]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:

(AIX)“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, (AIY)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 (AIZ)I will make the rivers dry,
And (AJA)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 (AJB)destroy the idols,
And cause the images to cease from [fn]Noph;
(AJC)There shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt;
(AJD)I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14 I will make (AJE)Pathros desolate,
Set fire to (AJF)Zoan,
(AJG)And execute judgments in [fo]No.
15 I will pour My fury on [fp]Sin, the strength of Egypt;
(AJH)I will cut off the multitude of [fq]No,
16 And (AJI)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 [fr]Aven and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword,
And these cities shall go into captivity.
18 (AJJ)At [fs]Tehaphnehes the day shall also be [ft]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 (AJK)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 (AJL)broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and see, (AJM)it has not been bandaged for healing, nor a [fu]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 (AJN)against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will (AJO)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 (AJP)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; (AJQ)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 (AJR)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(AJS)

31 Now it came to pass in the (AJT)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:

(AJU)‘Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 (AJV)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 (AJW)The waters made it grow;
Underground waters gave it height,
With their rivers running around the place where it was planted,
And sent out [fv]rivulets to all the trees of the field.

5 ‘Therefore (AJX)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 (AJY)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 [fw]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 (AJZ)garden of God could not hide it;
The fir trees were not like its boughs,
And the [fx]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 (AKA)its heart was [fy]lifted up in its height, 11 therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the (AKB)mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness. 12 And aliens, (AKC)the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen (AKD)on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie (AKE)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 (AKF)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 (AKG)they have all been delivered to death,
(AKH)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 (AKI)went down to [fz]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 [ga]mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations (AKJ)shake at the sound of its fall, when I (AKK)cast it down to [gb]hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and (AKL)all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, (AKM)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 (AKN)dwelt in its shadows among the nations.

18 (AKO)‘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; (AKP)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 (AKQ)twelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (AKR)take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:

(AKS)‘You are like a young lion among the nations,
And (AKT)you are like a monster in the seas,
(AKU)Bursting forth in your rivers,
Troubling the waters with your feet,
And (AKV)fouling their rivers.

3 ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“I will therefore (AKW)spread My net over you with a company of many people,
And they will draw you up in My net.
4 Then (AKX)I will leave you on the land;
I will cast you out on the open fields,
(AKY)And cause to [gc]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 (AKZ)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,
(ALA)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 [gd]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 (ALB)they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.

11 (ALC)‘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 (ALD)the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall.

(ALE)“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;
(ALF)The foot of man shall muddy them no more,
Nor shall the hooves of animals muddy them.
14 Then I will make their waters [ge]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,
(ALG)Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

16 “This is the (ALH)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, (ALI)that the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

18 “Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt,
And (ALJ)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 (ALK)do you surpass in beauty?
(ALL)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,
(ALM)Drawing her and all her multitudes.
21 (ALN)The strong among the mighty
Shall speak to him out of the midst of hell
With those who help him:
‘They have (ALO)gone down,
They lie with the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’

22 “Assyria(ALP) is there, and all her company,
With their graves all around her,
All of them slain, fallen by the sword.
23 (ALQ)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 (ALR)caused terror in the land of the living.

24 “There is (ALS)Elam and all her multitude,
All around her grave,
All of them slain, fallen by the sword,
Who have (ALT)gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth,
(ALU)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 (ALV)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 (ALW)Meshech and Tubal and all their multitudes,
With all their graves around it,
All of them (ALX)uncircumcised, slain by the sword,
Though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
27 (ALY)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 (ALZ)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 (AMA)There are the princes of the north,
All of them, and all the (AMB)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 (AMC)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 (AMD)the children of your people, and say to them: (AME)‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their (AMF)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 (AMG)not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, (AMH)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 [gf]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, (AMI)he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

7 (AMJ)“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 [gg]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 (AMK)pine[gh] away in them, (AML)how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, (AMM)‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked (AMN)turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For (AMO)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 (AMP)righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, (AMQ)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, (AMR)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, (AMS)when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does [gi]what is lawful and [gj]right, 15 if the wicked (AMT)restores the pledge, (AMU)gives back what he has stolen, and walks in (AMV)the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 (AMW)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 (AMX)“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not [gk]fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 (AMY)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, (AMZ)‘The way of the Lord is not [gl]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 (ANA)of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, (ANB)that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, (ANC)“The city has been [gm]captured!”

22 Now (AND)the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had (ANE)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, (ANF)they who inhabit those (ANG)ruins in the land of Israel are saying, (ANH)‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. (ANI)But we are many; the land has been given to us as a (ANJ)possession.’

25 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (ANK)“You eat meat with blood, you (ANL)lift up your eyes toward your idols, and (ANM)shed blood. Should you then possess the (ANN)land? 26 You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you (ANO)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 (ANP)those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and the one who is in the open field (ANQ)I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and (ANR)caves shall die of the pestilence. 28 (ANS)For I will make the land most desolate, [gn]her (ANT)arrogant strength shall cease, and (ANU)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 (ANV)speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 So (ANW)they come to you as people do, they (ANX)sit before you as My people, and they (ANY)hear your words, but they do not do them; (ANZ)for with their mouth they show much love, but (AOA)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 (AOB)not do them. 33 (AOC)And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then (AOD)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: (AOE)“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 (AOF)You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you (AOG)slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 (AOH)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 (AOI)sought what was lost; but with (AOJ)force and [go]cruelty you have ruled them. 5 (AOK)So they were (AOL)scattered because there was no shepherd; (AOM)and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep (AON)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 (AOO)became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, (AOP)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 (AOQ)against the shepherds, and (AOR)I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall (AOS)feed themselves no more; for I will (AOT)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 (AOU)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 (AOV)a cloudy and dark day. 13 And (AOW)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, [gp]in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 (AOX)I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. (AOY)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 (AOZ)“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 (APA)the fat and the strong, and feed them (APB)in judgment.”

17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: (APC)“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 [gq]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: (APD)“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 (APE)shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—(APF)My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And (APG)I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David (APH)a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

25 (API)“I will make a covenant of peace with them, and (APJ)cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they (APK)will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around (APL)My hill (APM)a blessing; and I will (APN)cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be (APO)showers of blessing. 27 Then (APP)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 (APQ)broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who (APR)enslaved them. 28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but (APS)they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a (APT)garden[gr] of renown, and they shall (APU)no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, (APV)nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that (APW)I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are (APX)My people,” says the Lord God.’

31 “You are My (APY)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 (APZ)Mount Seir and (AQA)prophesy against it, 3 and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you;
(AQB)I will stretch out My hand against you,
And make you [gs]most desolate;
4 I shall lay your cities waste,
And you shall be desolate.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

5 (AQC)“Because you have had an [gt]ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, (AQD)when their iniquity came to an end, 6 therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will prepare you for (AQE)blood, and blood shall pursue you; (AQF)since you have not hated [gu]blood, therefore blood shall pursue you. 7 Thus I will make Mount Seir [gv]most desolate, and cut off from it the (AQG)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 (AQH)I will make you [gw]perpetually desolate, and your cities shall be uninhabited; (AQI)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 (AQJ)possess them,’ although (AQK)the Lord was there, 11 therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will do (AQL)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 (AQM)Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have (AQN)heard all your (AQO)blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’ 13 Thus (AQP)with your mouth you have [gx]boasted against Me and multiplied your (AQQ)words against Me; I have heard them.”

14 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (AQR)“The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate. 15 (AQS)As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, (AQT)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.” ’

Blessing on Israel

36 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the (AQU)mountains of Israel, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord! 2 Thus says the Lord God: “Because (AQV)the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! (AQW)The [gy]ancient heights (AQX)have become our possession,’ ” ’ 3 therefore prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, (AQY)and you are taken up by the lips of (AQZ)talkers and slandered by the people”— 4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, the hills, the [gz]rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which (ARA)became plunder and (ARB)mockery to the rest of the nations all around— 5 therefore thus says the Lord God: (ARC)“Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, (ARD)who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joy and [ha]spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country.” ’

6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have (ARE)borne the shame of the nations.” 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I have (ARF)raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall (ARG)bear their own shame. 8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. 9 For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. 10 I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and (ARH)the ruins rebuilt. 11 (ARI)I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and [hb]bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do (ARJ)better for you than at your beginnings. (ARK)Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 12 Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; (ARL)they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you (ARM)bereave them of children.”

13 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because they say to you, (ARN)‘You devour men and bereave your nation of children,’ 14 therefore you shall devour men no more, nor bereave your nation anymore,” says the Lord God. 15 (ARO)“Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore,” says the Lord God.’ ”

The Renewal of Israel

16 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, (ARP)they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like (ARQ)the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. 18 Therefore I poured out My fury on them (ARR)for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. 19 So I (ARS)scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them (ART)according to their ways and their deeds. 20 When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they (ARU)profaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ 21 But I had concern (ARV)for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went.

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, (ARW)but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am (ARX)hallowed in you before their eyes. 24 For (ARY)I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 (ARZ)Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you (ASA)from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a (ASB)new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My (ASC)Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 (ASD)Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; (ASE)you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will (ASF)deliver you from all your uncleannesses. (ASG)I will call for the grain and multiply it, and (ASH)bring no famine upon you. 30 (ASI)And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31 Then (ASJ)you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you (ASK)will [hc]loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 (ASL)Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”

33 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, (ASM)and the ruins shall be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. 35 So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of (ASN)Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. (ASO)I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.”

37 ‘Thus says the Lord God: (ASP)“I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will (ASQ)increase their men like a flock. 38 Like a [hd]flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its [he]feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

The Dry Bones Live

37 The (ASR)hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out (ASS)in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, (AST)You know.”

4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will (ASU)cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. (ASV)Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the [hf]breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (ASW)“Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, (ASX)and [hg]breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the (ASY)whole house of Israel. They indeed say, (ASZ)‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, (ATA)O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and (ATB)bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I (ATC)will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

One Kingdom, One King

15 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “As for you, son of man, (ATD)take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for (ATE)the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then (ATF)join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, (ATG)‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— 19 (ATH)say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take (ATI)the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ 20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand (ATJ)before their eyes.

21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely (ATK)I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and (ATL)I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and (ATM)one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 (ATN)They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but (ATO)I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

24 (ATP)“David My servant shall be king over them, and (ATQ)they shall all have one shepherd; (ATR)they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. 25 (ATS)Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, (ATT)forever; and (ATU)My servant David shall be their prince forever. 26 Moreover I will [hh]make (ATV)a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and (ATW)multiply them, and I will set My (ATX)sanctuary in their midst forevermore. 27 (ATY)My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be (ATZ)their God, and they shall be My people. 28 (AUA)The nations also will know that I, the Lord, (AUB)sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”

Gog and Allies Attack Israel

38 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 (AUC)“Son of man, (AUD)set your face against (AUE)Gog, of the land of (AUF)Magog, [hi]the prince of Rosh, (AUG)Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 (AUH)I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and (AUI)lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, (AUJ)all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, [hj]Ethiopia, and [hk]Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 (AUK)Gomer and all its troops; the house of (AUL)Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.

7 (AUM)“Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. 8 (AUN)After many days (AUO)you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword (AUP)and gathered from many people on (AUQ)the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them (AUR)dwell safely. 9 You will ascend, coming (AUS)like a storm, covering the (AUT)land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”

10 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of (AUU)unwalled villages; I will (AUV)go to a peaceful people, (AUW)who dwell [hl]safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’— 12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, (AUX)and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. 13 (AUY)Sheba, (AUZ)Dedan, the merchants (AVA)of Tarshish, and all (AVB)their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’ ” ’

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (AVC)“On that day when My people Israel (AVD)dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 (AVE)Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may (AVF)know Me, when I am (AVG)hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” 17 Thus says the Lord God: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?

Judgment on Gog

18 “And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face. 19 For (AVH)in My jealousy (AVI)and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: (AVJ)‘Surely in that day there shall be a great [hm]earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that (AVK)the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. (AVL)The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ 21 I will (AVM)call for (AVN)a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. (AVO)“Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will (AVP)bring him to judgment with (AVQ)pestilence and bloodshed; (AVR)I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, (AVS)great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and (AVT)sanctify Myself, (AVU)and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’

Gog’s Armies Destroyed

39 “And (AVV)you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, [hn]the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; 2 and I will (AVW)turn you around and lead you on, (AVX)bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. 4 (AVY)You shall [ho]fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; (AVZ)I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 You shall [hp]fall on [hq]the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord God. 6 (AWA)“And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live [hr]in security in (AWB)the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord. 7 (AWC)So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them (AWD)profane My holy name anymore. (AWE)Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. 8 (AWF)Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord God. “This is the day (AWG)of which I have spoken.

9 “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the [hs]javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years. 10 They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; (AWH)and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,” says the Lord God.

The Burial of Gog

11 “It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of [ht]Hamon Gog. 12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, (AWI)in order to cleanse the land. 13 Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain (AWJ)renown for it on the day that (AWK)I am glorified,” says the Lord God. 14 “They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of [hu]a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order (AWL)to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. 15 The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall [hv]set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. 16 The name of the city will also be [hw]Hamonah. Thus they shall (AWM)cleanse the land.” ’

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 1:1 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Syr., Tg. a vision
  2. Ezekiel 1:3 Or Babylonians, and so elsewhere in the book
  3. Ezekiel 1:7 Lit. feet
  4. Ezekiel 1:20 Lit. living creature; LXX, Vg. spirit of life; Tg. creatures
  5. Ezekiel 1:21 See note at v. 20
  6. Ezekiel 1:22 Or expanse
  7. Ezekiel 1:22 So with LXX, Tg., Vg.; MT living creature
  8. Ezekiel 2:4 Lit. stiff-faced and hard-hearted sons
  9. Ezekiel 3:7 Lit. strong of forehead
  10. Ezekiel 3:14 Or anger
  11. Ezekiel 3:26 Lit. one who rebukes
  12. Ezekiel 4:8 Lit. put ropes on
  13. Ezekiel 4:14 Ritually unclean flesh, Lev. 7:18
  14. Ezekiel 5:7 Or raged
  15. Ezekiel 5:7 So with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; many Heb. mss., Syr. but have done (cf. 11:12)
  16. Ezekiel 5:15 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. you
  17. Ezekiel 6:3 Places for pagan worship
  18. Ezekiel 6:6 Places for pagan worship
  19. Ezekiel 6:11 Lit. Strike your hands
  20. Ezekiel 7:9 Lit. give
  21. Ezekiel 7:11 Or their wealth
  22. Ezekiel 7:25 Lit. Shuddering
  23. Ezekiel 8:3 Arouses the Lord’s jealousy
  24. Ezekiel 8:10 Or carved
  25. Ezekiel 8:14 A Sumerian fertility god similar to the Gr. god Adonis
  26. Ezekiel 9:1 Or destroying
  27. Ezekiel 9:2 Lit. shattering weapon
  28. Ezekiel 9:2 Lit. upon his loins
  29. Ezekiel 9:3 Lit. house
  30. Ezekiel 9:5 Lit. ears
  31. Ezekiel 9:5 Lit. strike
  32. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit. Slay to destruction
  33. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit. house
  34. Ezekiel 9:7 Lit. house
  35. Ezekiel 10:1 expanse
  36. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit. right
  37. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit. house
  38. Ezekiel 10:4 Lit. house
  39. Ezekiel 10:13 Lit. ears
  40. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they
  41. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they were
  42. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they lifted them
  43. Ezekiel 10:18 Lit. house
  44. Ezekiel 11:2 Advice
  45. Ezekiel 11:3 Pot
  46. Ezekiel 11:11 Pot
  47. Ezekiel 11:16 holy place
  48. Ezekiel 11:19 Lit. you (pl.)
  49. Ezekiel 11:24 Or Babylon, and so elsewhere in the book
  50. Ezekiel 12:10 oracle, prophecy
  51. Ezekiel 12:18 shaking
  52. Ezekiel 12:23 Lit. word
  53. Ezekiel 12:24 Lit. vain
  54. Ezekiel 13:2 Inspiration
  55. Ezekiel 13:3 No vision
  56. Ezekiel 13:5 breaches
  57. Ezekiel 13:6 Come true
  58. Ezekiel 13:10 Or whitewash
  59. Ezekiel 13:17 Inspiration
  60. Ezekiel 13:18 Lit. over all the joints of My hands; Vg. under every elbow; LXX, Tg. on all elbows of the hands
  61. Ezekiel 13:20 Lit. flying ones
  62. Ezekiel 14:15 Lit. bereave it of children
  63. Ezekiel 14:16 Lit. in the midst of it
  64. Ezekiel 14:21 Lit. evil
  65. Ezekiel 16:3 origin and your birth
  66. Ezekiel 16:5 abhorred
  67. Ezekiel 16:7 Lit. a myriad
  68. Ezekiel 16:8 Or the corner of My garment
  69. Ezekiel 16:10 Or dolphin or dugong
  70. Ezekiel 16:12 Lit. ring
  71. Ezekiel 16:16 Places for pagan worship
  72. Ezekiel 16:19 Or a sweet aroma
  73. Ezekiel 16:24 Place for pagan worship
  74. Ezekiel 16:27 Allowance of food
  75. Ezekiel 16:31 Place for pagan worship
  76. Ezekiel 16:33 Or bribed
  77. Ezekiel 16:39 Places for pagan worship
  78. Ezekiel 16:43 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT were agitated with Me
  79. Ezekiel 16:43 Lit. way
  80. Ezekiel 16:45 Or despising
  81. Ezekiel 16:50 Vg. you saw; LXX he saw; Tg. as was revealed to Me
  82. Ezekiel 16:57 Heb. Aram; so with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; many Heb. mss., Syr. Edom
  83. Ezekiel 17:7 So with LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT, Tg. one
  84. Ezekiel 17:8 Lit. a good field
  85. Ezekiel 17:17 Or siege wall
  86. Ezekiel 17:18 Took an oath
  87. Ezekiel 17:20 Lit. unfaithful act
  88. Ezekiel 17:21 So with MT, Vg.; many Heb. mss., Syr. choice men; Tg. mighty men; LXX omits All his fugitives
  89. Ezekiel 18:6 At the mountain shrines
  90. Ezekiel 18:8 Lent money at interest
  91. Ezekiel 18:8 justice
  92. Ezekiel 18:11 At the mountain shrines
  93. Ezekiel 18:15 At the mountain shrines
  94. Ezekiel 18:17 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX iniquity (cf. v. 8)
  95. Ezekiel 19:7 LXX He stood in insolence; Tg. He destroyed its palaces; Vg. He learned to make widows
  96. Ezekiel 19:9 Or hooks
  97. Ezekiel 19:10 Lit. blood, so with MT, Syr., Vg.; LXX like a flower on a pomegranate tree; Tg. in your likeness
  98. Ezekiel 19:11 Or many branches
  99. Ezekiel 20:8 Lit. listen to
  100. Ezekiel 20:11 Lit. made known to
  101. Ezekiel 20:22 Refrained from judgment
  102. Ezekiel 20:26 Lit. that open the womb
  103. Ezekiel 20:29 Place for pagan worship
  104. Ezekiel 20:29 Lit. High Place
  105. Ezekiel 20:40 offerings
  106. Ezekiel 20:43 Or despise
  107. Ezekiel 20:46 proclaim, lit. drop
  108. Ezekiel 20:46 Heb. Negev
  109. Ezekiel 21:2 proclaim, lit. drop
  110. Ezekiel 21:6 Emotional distress, lit. the breaking of your loins
  111. Ezekiel 21:16 Lit. Sharpen yourself! or Unite yourself!
  112. Ezekiel 21:16 Lit. face
  113. Ezekiel 21:21 Heb. teraphim
  114. Ezekiel 21:27 Or Distortion, Ruin
  115. Ezekiel 21:30 Or origin
  116. Ezekiel 22:5 Lit. defiled of name
  117. Ezekiel 22:6 Lit. arm
  118. Ezekiel 22:7 Lit. orphan
  119. Ezekiel 22:24 So with MT, Syr., Vg.; LXX showered upon
  120. Ezekiel 22:25 So with MT, Vg.; LXX princes; Tg. scribes
  121. Ezekiel 22:25 Lit. souls
  122. Ezekiel 22:26 Lit. done violence to
  123. Ezekiel 22:27 Lit. souls
  124. Ezekiel 23:4 Lit. Her Own Tabernacle
  125. Ezekiel 23:4 Lit. My Tabernacle Is in Her
  126. Ezekiel 23:17 Lit. sons of Babel
  127. Ezekiel 23:20 Illicit lovers
  128. Ezekiel 23:34 Earthenware fragments
  129. Ezekiel 23:42 Or drunkards
  130. Ezekiel 23:42 Lit. hands
  131. Ezekiel 23:47 Lit. cut down
  132. Ezekiel 24:4 Lit. bones
  133. Ezekiel 24:10 Lit. bones
  134. Ezekiel 24:12 Or wearied Me
  135. Ezekiel 24:12 Or toil
  136. Ezekiel 24:14 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. I
  137. Ezekiel 24:17 Lit. moustache
  138. Ezekiel 24:21 Lit. the pride of your strength
  139. Ezekiel 24:21 Lit. compassion
  140. Ezekiel 24:22 Lit. moustache
  141. Ezekiel 24:25 Lit. the lifting up of their soul
  142. Ezekiel 25:4 Lit. sons
  143. Ezekiel 25:13 Or even to Dedan they shall fall
  144. Ezekiel 25:15 Lit. spite in soul
  145. Ezekiel 25:15 Or perpetual
  146. Ezekiel 26:7 Heb. Nebuchadrezzar, and so elsewhere in the book
  147. Ezekiel 26:8 Lit. a large shield
  148. Ezekiel 27:3 Lit. sit or dwell
  149. Ezekiel 27:5 built
  150. Ezekiel 27:6 Heb. Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus
  151. Ezekiel 27:10 Heb. Lud
  152. Ezekiel 27:10 Heb. Put
  153. Ezekiel 27:19 LXX, Syr. from Uzal
  154. Ezekiel 27:28 open lands or pasturelands
  155. Ezekiel 27:29 Lit. land
  156. Ezekiel 28:2 Proud
  157. Ezekiel 28:17 Proud
  158. Ezekiel 28:26 securely
  159. Ezekiel 29:3 The Nile
  160. Ezekiel 29:5 Lit. face of the field
  161. Ezekiel 29:5 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; some Heb. mss., Tg. buried
  162. Ezekiel 29:7 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Syr. hand
  163. Ezekiel 29:10 Or the tower
  164. Ezekiel 29:21 Strength
  165. Ezekiel 30:4 Heb. Cush
  166. Ezekiel 30:5 Heb. Put
  167. Ezekiel 30:5 Heb. Lud
  168. Ezekiel 30:6 Or the tower
  169. Ezekiel 30:9 Or secure
  170. Ezekiel 30:13 Ancient Memphis
  171. Ezekiel 30:14 Ancient Thebes
  172. Ezekiel 30:15 Ancient Pelusium
  173. Ezekiel 30:15 Ancient Thebes
  174. Ezekiel 30:17 Ancient On, Heliopolis
  175. Ezekiel 30:18 Tahpanhes, Jer. 43:7
  176. Ezekiel 30:18 So with many Heb. mss., Bg., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT refrained
  177. Ezekiel 30:21 Lit. bandage
  178. Ezekiel 31:4 Or channels
  179. Ezekiel 31:6 Lit. dwelled
  180. Ezekiel 31:8 Or plane, Heb. armon
  181. Ezekiel 31:10 Proud
  182. Ezekiel 31:15 Or Sheol
  183. Ezekiel 31:15 Lit. be darkened
  184. Ezekiel 31:16 Or Sheol
  185. Ezekiel 32:4 Lit. sit or dwell
  186. Ezekiel 32:8 Or shining
  187. Ezekiel 32:14 Lit. sink; settle, grow clear
  188. Ezekiel 33:5 Or deliver his soul
  189. Ezekiel 33:9 Or saved your life
  190. Ezekiel 33:10 Or waste away
  191. Ezekiel 33:14 justice
  192. Ezekiel 33:14 righteousness
  193. Ezekiel 33:17 Or equitable
  194. Ezekiel 33:20 Or equitable
  195. Ezekiel 33:21 Lit. struck down
  196. Ezekiel 33:28 Lit. pride of her strength
  197. Ezekiel 34:4 harshness or rigor
  198. Ezekiel 34:13 Or by the streams
  199. Ezekiel 34:18 remainder
  200. Ezekiel 34:29 Lit. planting place
  201. Ezekiel 35:3 Lit. a desolation and a waste
  202. Ezekiel 35:5 Or everlasting
  203. Ezekiel 35:6 Or bloodshed
  204. Ezekiel 35:7 Lit. a waste and a desolation
  205. Ezekiel 35:9 Lit. desolated forever
  206. Ezekiel 35:13 Lit. made yourself great
  207. Ezekiel 36:2 Or everlasting
  208. Ezekiel 36:4 Or ravines
  209. Ezekiel 36:5 Lit. scorning souls
  210. Ezekiel 36:11 Lit. be fruitful
  211. Ezekiel 36:31 despise
  212. Ezekiel 36:38 Lit. holy flock
  213. Ezekiel 36:38 appointed feasts
  214. Ezekiel 37:9 Breath of life
  215. Ezekiel 37:10 Breath of life
  216. Ezekiel 37:26 Lit. cut
  217. Ezekiel 38:2 Tg., Vg., Aquila the chief prince of Meshech, also v. 3
  218. Ezekiel 38:5 Heb. Cush
  219. Ezekiel 38:5 Heb. Put
  220. Ezekiel 38:11 securely
  221. Ezekiel 38:19 Lit. shaking
  222. Ezekiel 39:1 Tg., Vg., Aquila the chief prince of Meshech
  223. Ezekiel 39:4 Be slain
  224. Ezekiel 39:5 Be slain
  225. Ezekiel 39:5 Lit. the face of the field
  226. Ezekiel 39:6 securely or confidently
  227. Ezekiel 39:9 Lit. hand staffs
  228. Ezekiel 39:11 Lit. The Multitude of Gog
  229. Ezekiel 39:14 Lit. those who pass through
  230. Ezekiel 39:15 build
  231. Ezekiel 39:16 Lit. Multitude
Next
Baruch 6
Ezekiel 22
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