Fire in the South

45 [a]The word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, face the south and preach against it. Prophesy against the forest land in the Negev,(A) 47 and say to the forest there: Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says: I am about to ignite a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The blazing flame will not be extinguished, and every face from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 48 Then all people will see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it.(B) It will not be extinguished.”

49 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just posing riddles?’”(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:45 Ezk 21:1 in Hb

45 [a] And the word of Yahweh came[b] to me, saying,[c] 46 “Son of man,[d] set your face toward the way of the south,[e] and preach to the south, and prophesy against the forest of the territory of the Negev. 47 And you must say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am kindling against you a fire, and it will devour in you every fresh tree and every dry tree; the blaze of the flame will not be quenched, and all the surfaces from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 48 And all creatures will see that I, Yahweh, I kindled it—it will not be quenched!”’” 49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh, they are saying about me, ‘Is he not posing a parable?’”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:45 Ezekiel 20:45–21:32 in the English Bible is 21:1–37 in the Hebrew Bible
  2. Ezekiel 20:45 Literally “was”
  3. Ezekiel 20:45 Literally “to say”
  4. Ezekiel 20:46 Or “mortal,” or “son of humankind”
  5. Ezekiel 20:46 Or “Teman”