Indictment of Sinful Jerusalem

22 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “As for you, son of man, will you pass judgment? Will you pass judgment against the city of blood? Then explain all her detestable practices to her.^{(A) 3} You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A city that sheds blood^(B) within her walls so that her time of judgment has come and who makes idols for herself so that she is defiled! ⁴ You are guilty of the blood you have shed,^(C) and you are defiled from the idols you have made. You have brought your judgment^[a] days near and have come to your years of punishment.^[b] Therefore, I have made you a disgrace to the nations and a mockery to all the lands. ⁵ Those who are near and those far away from you will mock you, you infamous one full of turmoil.

⁶ “‘Look, every prince of Israel^(D) within you has used his strength to shed blood. ⁷ Father and mother are treated with contempt,^(E) and the resident alien is exploited within you. The fatherless and widow are oppressed in you.^{(F) 8} You despise my holy things and profane my Sabbaths.^{(G) 9} There are men within you who slander in order to shed blood.^(H) People who live in you eat at the mountain shrines;^[c] they commit depraved acts within you. ¹⁰ Men within you have sexual intercourse with their father’s wife and violate women during their menstrual impurity.^{(I) 11} One man within you commits a detestable act with his neighbor’s wife;^(J) another defiles his daughter-in-law with depravity; and yet another violates his sister, his father’s daughter.^{(K) 12} People who live in you accept bribes in order to shed blood.^(L) You take interest and profit on a loan and brutally extort your neighbors.^(M) You have forgotten me.^(N) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

¹³ “‘Now look, I clap my hands together against the dishonest profit you have made^(O) and against the blood shed among you. ¹⁴ Will your courage endure^(P) or your hands be strong in the days when I deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will act.^{(Q) 15} I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you among the countries;^(R) I will purge your uncleanness.^{(S) 16} You^[d] will be profaned in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”^(T)

Jerusalem as God’s Furnace

¹⁷ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ “Son of man, the house of Israel has become merely dross to me.^(U) All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace;^(V) they are just dross from silver. ¹⁹ Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because all of you have become dross, I am about to gather you into Jerusalem. ²⁰ Just as one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the furnace to blow fire^(W) on them and melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and wrath, put you inside, and melt you. ²¹ Yes, I will gather you together and blow on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted within the city. ²² As silver is melted inside a furnace, so you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my wrath on you.”^(X)

Indictment of a Sinful Land

²³ The word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed,^(Y) that has not received rain in the day of indignation.’ ²⁵ The conspiracy of her prophets^(Z) within her is^[e] like a roaring lion tearing its prey: they devour people, seize wealth and valuables, and multiply the widows within her. ²⁶ Her priests do violence to my instruction and profane my holy things.^(AA) They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they do not explain the difference between the clean and the unclean.^(AB) They close their eyes to my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

²⁷ “Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives in order to make profit dishonestly. ²⁸ Her prophets plaster for them with whitewash by seeing false visions and lying divinations,^(AC) saying, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹ The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery.^(AD) They have oppressed the poor and needy and unlawfully exploited the resident alien. ³⁰ I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall^(AE) and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it,^(AF) but I found no one. ³¹ So I have poured out my indignation on them and consumed them with the fire of my fury. I have brought their conduct down on their own heads.”^(AG) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

The Two Immoral Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came to me again: ² “Son of man, there were two women,^(AH) daughters of the same mother, ³ who acted like prostitutes in Egypt,^(AI) behaving promiscuously in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin nipples caressed. ⁴ The older one was named Oholah,^[f] and her sister was Oholibah.^[g] They became mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah represents Samaria and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.

⁵ “Oholah acted like a prostitute even though she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians:^(AJ) warriors ⁶ dressed in blue, governors and prefects, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on steeds. ⁷ She offered her sexual favors to them; all of them were the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all those she lusted after and with all their idols. ⁸ She didn’t give up her promiscuity that began in Egypt,^(AK) when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin nipples, and poured out their lust on her. ⁹ Therefore, I handed her over to her lovers,^(AL) the Assyrians she lusted for. ¹⁰ They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. Since they executed judgment against her, she became notorious among women.

¹¹ “Now her sister Oholibah saw this, but she was even more depraved in her lust than Oholah, and made her promiscuous acts worse than those of her sister.^{(AM) 12} She lusted after the Assyrians:^(AN) governors and prefects, warriors splendidly dressed, horsemen riding on steeds, all of them desirable young men. ¹³ And I saw that she had defiled herself; both of them had taken the same path. ¹⁴ But she increased her promiscuity when she saw male figures carved on the wall,^(AO) images of the Chaldeans, engraved in bright red,^{(AP) 15} wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers, a depiction of the Babylonians in Chaldea, their native land. ¹⁶ At the sight of them^[h] she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.^{(AQ) 17} Then the Babylonians came to her,^(AR) to the bed of love, and defiled her with their lust. But after she was defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. ¹⁸ When she flaunted her promiscuity and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust just as I turned away from her sister.^{(AS) 19} Yet she multiplied her acts of promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth when she acted like a prostitute in the land of Egypt ²⁰ and lusted after their lovers, whose sexual members^[i] were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions. ²¹ So you revisited the depravity of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your nipples to enjoy your youthful breasts.^(AT)

²² “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: I am going to incite your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust. I will bring them against you from every side: ²³ the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans; Pekod, Shoa, and Koa;^(AU) and all the Assyrians with them—desirable young men, all of them governors and prefects, officers and administrators, all of them riding on steeds. ²⁴ They will come against you with an assembly of peoples and with weapons, chariots, and^[j] wagons. They will set themselves against you on every side with large and small shields and helmets. I will delegate judgment to them, and they will judge you by their own standards. ²⁵ When I vent my jealous fury on you,^(AV) they will deal with you in wrath. They will cut off your nose and ears, and the rest of you^[k] will fall by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and the rest of you will be consumed by fire. ²⁶ They will strip off your clothes and take your beautiful jewelry.^{(AW) 27} So I will put an end to your depravity and sexual immorality, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not look longingly at them or remember Egypt anymore.

²⁸ “For this is what the Lord God says: I am going to hand you over to those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. ²⁹ They will treat you with hatred, take all you have worked for, and leave you stark naked,^(AX) so that the shame of your debauchery will be exposed, both your depravity and promiscuity. ³⁰ These things will be done to you because you acted like a prostitute with the nations,^(AY) defiling yourself with their idols. ³¹ You have followed the path of your sister, so I will put her cup in your hand.”^(AZ)

³² This is what the Lord God says:

³⁵ Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Because you have forgotten me^(BC) and cast me behind your back,^(BD) you must bear the consequences of your indecency and promiscuity.”

³⁶ Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah?^(BE) Then declare their detestable practices to them.^{(BF) 37} For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands; they have committed adultery with their idols. And the children they bore to me they have sacrificed in the fire^[m] as food for the idols.^{(BG) 38} They also did this to me: they defiled my sanctuary^(BH) on that same day and profaned my Sabbaths.^{(BI) 39} On the same day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered my sanctuary to profane it.^(BJ) Yes, that is what they did inside my house.

⁴⁰ “In addition, they sent for men who came from far away when a messenger was dispatched to them. And look how they came! You bathed, painted your eyes,^(BK) and adorned yourself with jewelry for them.^{(BL) 41} You sat on a luxurious couch with a table spread before it,^(BM) on which you had set my incense and oil. ⁴² The sound of a carefree crowd was there. Drunkards^[n] from the desert were brought in, along with common men. They put bracelets on the women’s hands and beautiful tiaras on their heads. ⁴³ Then I said concerning this woman worn out by adultery: Will they^[o] now have illicit sex with her, even her? ⁴⁴ Yet they had sex with her as one does with a prostitute. This is how they had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, those depraved women. ⁴⁵ But righteous men will judge them the way adulteresses^(BN) and those who shed blood are judged, for they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

⁴⁶ “This is what the Lord God says: Summon^[p] an assembly against them and consign them to terror and plunder.^{(BO) 47} The assembly will stone them and cut them down with their swords.^(BP) They will kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses. ⁴⁸ So I will put an end to depravity in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your depraved behavior. ⁴⁹ They will punish you for your depravity,^(BQ) and you will bear the consequences for your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”

Parable of the Boiling Pot

24 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month: ² “Son of man, write down today’s date, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.^{(BR) 3} Now speak a parable^(BS) to the rebellious house. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

⁶ “‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

⁹ “‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says:

This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”

The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife: A Sign

¹⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶ “Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes^(CC) away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow.^{(CD) 17} Groan quietly; do not observe mourning rites for the dead.^(CE) Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.”^[w](CF)

¹⁸ I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did just as I was commanded. ¹⁹ Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”

²⁰ So I answered them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.^{(CG) 22} Then you will do just as I have done: You will not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners. ²³ Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not lament or weep^(CH) but will waste away^(CI) because of your iniquities and will groan to one another. ²⁴ Now Ezekiel will be a sign for you.^(CJ) You will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord God.’

²⁵ “As for you, son of man, know that on that day I will take from them their stronghold—their pride and joy, the delight of their eyes, and the longing of their hearts—as well as their sons and daughters. ²⁶ On that day a fugitive will come to you and report the news.^{(CK) 27} On that day your mouth will be opened to talk with him; you will speak and no longer be mute.^(CL) So you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

Psalm 134

Call to Evening Worship

A song of ascents.

8 ¹ But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.^(A)

An Adulteress Forgiven

² At dawn he went to the temple^(B) again, and all the people were coming to him.^(C) He sat down^(D) and began to teach them.

³ Then the scribes and the Pharisees^(E) brought a woman caught in adultery,^(F) making her stand in the center. ⁴ “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.^{(G) 5} In the law Moses^(H) commanded us to stone such women.^(I) So what do you say?” ⁶ They asked this to trap him,^(J) in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin^(K) among you^(L) should be the first to throw a stone at her.”^{(M) 8} Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. ⁹ When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. ¹⁰ When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, Lord,”^[a] she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,”^(N) said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”]

The Light of the World

¹² Jesus spoke to them again: “I am^(O) the light^(P) of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”^(Q)

¹³ So the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”

¹⁴ “Even if I testify about myself,” Jesus replied, “my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going.^{(R) 15} You judge^(S) by human standards.^[b](T) I judge no one.^{(U) 16} And if I do judge, my judgment is true, because it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.^{(V) 17} Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.^{(W) 18} I am the one who testifies^(X) about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

¹⁹ Then they asked him, “Where is your Father?”

“You know neither me nor my Father,”^(Y) Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”^{(Z) 20} He spoke these words by the treasury,^(AA) while teaching in the temple. But no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus Predicts His Departure

²¹ Then he said to them again, “I’m going away; ^(AB) you will look for me, and you will die in your sin.^(AC) Where I’m going, you cannot come.”^(AD)

²² So the Jews said again, “He won’t kill himself, will he, since he says, ‘Where I’m going, you cannot come’^(AE)?”

²³ “You are from below,” he told them, “I am from above.^(AF) You are of this world; ^(AG) I am not of this world.^{(AH) 24} Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

²⁵ “Who are you?” they questioned.

“Exactly what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them. ²⁶ “I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the one who sent me^(AI) is true, and what I have heard from him—these things I tell the world.”^(AJ)

²⁷ They did not know he was speaking to them about the Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man,^(AK) then you will know that I am^(AL) he, and that I do nothing on my own.^(AM) But just as the Father taught me, I say these things. ²⁹ The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone,^(AN) because I always do what pleases him.”

Truth and Freedom

³⁰ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

³¹ Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word,^[c](AO) you really are my disciples. ³² You will know the truth,^(AP) and the truth will set you free.”

³³ “We are descendants^[d] of Abraham,”^(AQ) they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴ Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.^{(AR) 35} A slave does not remain in the household forever,^(AS) but a son does remain forever.^{(AT) 36} So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. ³⁷ I know you are descendants of Abraham,^(AU) but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you. ³⁸ I speak what I have seen^(AV) in the presence of the Father; ^[e](AW) so then, you do what you have heard from your father.”

³⁹ “Our father is Abraham,” they replied.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did.^{(AX) 40} But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth^(AY) that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. ⁴¹ You’re doing what your father does.”^(AZ)

“We weren’t born^(BA) of sexual immorality,”^(BB) they said. “We have one Father—God.”^(BC)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,^(BD) because I came from God^(BE) and I am here. For I didn’t come on my own, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to^[f] my word.^{(BF) 44} You are of your father the devil,^(BG) and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer^(BH) from the beginning^(BI) and does not stand in the truth,^(BJ) because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature,^[g] because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ Who among you can convict me of sin?^(BK) If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”

Jesus and Abraham

⁴⁸ The Jews responded to him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan^(BL) and have a demon?” ^(BM)

⁴⁹ “I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I do not seek my own glory; ^(BN) there is one who seeks it and judges. ⁵¹ Truly I tell you, if anyone keeps my word,^(BO) he will never see death.”

⁵² Then the Jews said, “Now we know you have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets died. Who do you claim to be?”

⁵⁴ “If I glorify myself,” Jesus answered, “my glory is nothing. My Father—about whom you say, ‘He is our God’—he is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵ You do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say I don’t know him,^(BP) I would be a liar like you. But I do know him,^(BQ) and I keep his word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it^(BR) and was glad.”

⁵⁷ The Jews replied, “You aren’t fifty years old yet, and you’ve seen Abraham?” ^[h]

⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”^(BS)

⁵⁹ So they picked up stones^(BT) to throw at him.^(BU) But Jesus was hidden^[i](BV) and went out of the temple.^[j](BW)