Israel's Shedding of Blood

22 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “And you, (A)son of man, (B)will you judge, will you judge (C)the bloody city? (D)Then declare to her all her abominations. You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that (E)her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! You have become guilty (F)by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought (G)your days near, the appointed time of[a] your years has come. (H)Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; (I)your name is defiled; (J)you are full of tumult.

“Behold, (K)the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. Father and mother (L)are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner (M)suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow (N)are wronged in you. (O)You have despised my holy things and (P)profaned my Sabbaths. (Q)There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you (R)who eat on the mountains; (S)they commit lewdness in your midst. 10 In you (T)men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. 11 (U)One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; (V)another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; (W)another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. 12 In you (X)they take bribes to shed blood; (Y)you take interest and profit[b] and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but (Z)me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

13 “Behold, (AA)I strike my hand at (AB)the dishonest gain that you have made, and at (AC)the blood that has been in your midst. 14 (AD)Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? (AE)I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. 15 (AF)I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and (AG)I will consume your uncleanness out of you. 16 And (AH)you shall be profaned by your own doing (AI)in the sight of the nations, (AJ)and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 22:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts until
  2. Ezekiel 22:12 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor (compare Leviticus 25:36)

Indictment of Sinful Jerusalem

22 The word of the Lord came to me: “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) 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! 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 days near and have come to your years of punishment. Therefore, I have made you a disgrace to the nations and a mockery to all the lands. Those who are near and those far away from you will mock you, you infamous one full of turmoil.

“Look, every prince of Israel(D) within you has used his strength to shed blood. Father and mother are treated with contempt,(E) and the foreign resident is exploited within you. The fatherless and widow are oppressed in you.(F) You despise My holy things and profane My Sabbaths.(G) There are men within you who slander in order to shed blood.(H) People who live in you eat at the mountain shrines; they commit immoral 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 wickedly defiles his daughter-in-law; 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, Yahweh, 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[a] will be profaned in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 22:16 One Hb ms, LXX, Syr, Vg read I