Judgment on Jerusalem’s Sins

22 The word of the Lord came to me:

² “Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed?^(A) Then confront her with all her detestable practices^{(B) 3} and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood^(C) in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, ⁴ you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed^(D) and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come.^(E) Therefore I will make you an object of scorn^(F) to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.^{(G) 5} Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.^(H)

⁶ “‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.^{(I) 7} In you they have treated father and mother with contempt;^(J) in you they have oppressed the foreigner^(K) and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.^{(L) 8} You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.^{(M) 9} In you are slanderers^(N) who are bent on shedding blood;^(O) in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines^(P) and commit lewd acts.^{(Q) 10} In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed;^(R) in you are those who violate women during their period,^(S) when they are ceremonially unclean.^{(T) 11} In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife,^(U) another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,^(V) and another violates his sister,^(W) his own father’s daughter.^{(X) 12} In you are people who accept bribes^(Y) to shed blood; you take interest^(Z) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.^(AA) And you have forgotten^(AB) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AC)

¹³ “‘I will surely strike my hands^(A) together at the unjust gain^(B) you have made and at the blood^(C) you have shed in your midst.^{(D) 14} Will your courage endure^(E) or your hands^(F) be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken,^(G) and I will do it.^{(H) 15} I will disperse you among the nations and scatter^(I) you through the countries; and I will put an end to^(J) your uncleanness.^{(K) 16} When you have been defiled^[a] in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.’”

¹⁷ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ “Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross^(L) to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace.^(M) They are but the dross of silver.^{(N) 19} Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross,^(O) I will gather you into Jerusalem. ²⁰ As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.^{(P) 21} I will gather you and I will blow^(Q) on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.^{(R) 22} As silver is melted^(S) in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath^(T) on you.’”^(U)

²³ Again the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’^{(V) 25} There is a conspiracy^(W) of her princes^[b] within her like a roaring lion^(X) tearing its prey; they devour people,^(Y) take treasures and precious things and make many widows^(Z) within her. ²⁶ Her priests do violence to my law^(AA) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;^(AB) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;^(AC) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned^(AD) among them.^{(AE) 27} Her officials^(AF) within her are like wolves^(AG) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people^(AH) to make unjust gain.^{(AI) 28} Her prophets whitewash^(AJ) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.^(AK) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.^{(AL) 29} The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;^(AM) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,^(AN) denying them justice.^(AO)

³⁰ “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall^(AP) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.^{(AQ) 31} So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,^(AR) bringing down^(AS) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AT)”

⁴⁴ “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law^(A) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.^{(B) 45} After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.^(C) It remained in the land until the time of David,^{(D) 46} who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.^{[a](E) 47} But it was Solomon who built a house for him.^(F)

⁴⁸ “However, the Most High^(G) does not live in houses made by human hands.^(H) As the prophet says:

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(K) Your hearts^(L) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?^(M) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him^(N)— ⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels^(O) but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious^(P) and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,^(Q) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.^{(R) 56} “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open^(S) and the Son of Man^(T) standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸ dragged him out of the city^(U) and began to stone him.^(V) Meanwhile, the witnesses^(W) laid their coats^(X) at the feet of a young man named Saul.^(Y)

⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”^{(Z) 60} Then he fell on his knees^(AA) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”^(AB) When he had said this, he fell asleep.^(AC)