Doom for the Mountains of Israel

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face(A) against the mountains(B) of Israel; prophesy against them(C) and say: ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys:(D) I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.(E) Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars(F) will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols.(G) I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones(H) around your altars.(I) Wherever you live,(J) the towns will be laid waste and the high places(K) demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols(L) smashed and ruined, your incense altars(M) broken down, and what you have made wiped out.(N) Your people will fall slain(O) among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(P)

“‘But I will spare some, for some of you will escape(Q) the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations.(R) Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember(S) me—how I have been grieved(T) by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols.(U) They will loathe themselves for the evil(V) they have done and for all their detestable practices.(W) 10 And they will know that I am the Lord;(X) I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.(Y)

11 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the people of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague.(Z) 12 One who is far away will die of the plague, and one who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I pour out my wrath(AA) on them.(AB) 13 And they will know that I am the Lord, when their people lie slain among their idols(AC) around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak(AD)—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.(AE) 14 And I will stretch out my hand(AF) against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah[a]—wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(AG)’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 6:14 Most Hebrew manuscripts; a few Hebrew manuscripts Riblah

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,

And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.

And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.

And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.

In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.

And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.

10 And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.

11 Thus saith the Lord God; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.

12 He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them.

13 Then shall ye know that I am the Lord, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.

14 So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Judgment against Israel’s Mountains

Again a message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, turn and face the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. Proclaim this message from the Sovereign Lord against the mountains of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring war upon you, and I will smash your pagan shrines. All your altars will be demolished, and your places of worship will be destroyed. I will kill your people in front of your idols.[a] I will lay your corpses in front of your idols and scatter your bones around your altars. Wherever you live there will be desolation, and I will destroy your pagan shrines. Your altars will be demolished, your idols will be smashed, your places of worship will be torn down, and all the religious objects you have made will be destroyed. The place will be littered with corpses, and you will know that I alone am the Lord.

“But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world. Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins. 10 They will know that I alone am the Lord and that I was serious when I said I would bring this calamity on them.

11 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Clap your hands in horror, and stamp your feet. Cry out because of all the detestable sins the people of Israel have committed. Now they are going to die from war and famine and disease. 12 Disease will strike down those who are far away in exile. War will destroy those who are nearby. And anyone who survives will be killed by famine. So at last I will spend my fury on them. 13 They will know that I am the Lord when their dead lie scattered among their idols and altars on every hill and mountain and under every green tree and every great shade tree—the places where they offered sacrifices to their idols. 14 I will crush them and make their cities desolate from the wilderness in the south to Riblah[b] in the north. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. 6:4 The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung; also in 6:5, 6, 9, 13.
  2. 6:14 As in some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts read Diblah.

Judgment Against Idolatry

The word of the Lord came to me: (A)“Son of man, (B)set your face toward (C)the mountains of Israel, and (D)prophesy against them, and say, (E)You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to (F)the mountains and (G)the hills, to (H)the ravines and the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, (I)and I will destroy your high places. (J)Your altars shall become desolate, and your (K)incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain before your idols. (L)And I will lay the dead bodies of the people of Israel before their idols, (M)and I will scatter your bones around your altars. Wherever you dwell, (N)the cities shall be waste and (O)the high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and ruined,[a] your idols broken and destroyed, your (P)incense altars cut down, and your works wiped out. And the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

(Q)“Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations (R)some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, then those of you who escape (S)will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how (T)I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes (U)that go whoring after their idols. (V)And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the Lord. (W)I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.”

11 Thus says the Lord God: (X)“Clap your hands (Y)and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, (Z)for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. 12 (AA)He who is far off shall die of pestilence, and he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who is left and is preserved shall die of famine. (AB)Thus I will spend my fury upon them. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, (AC)when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, (AD)on every high hill, (AE)on all the mountaintops, (AF)under every green tree, and under (AG)every leafy oak, wherever (AH)they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols. 14 And (AI)I will stretch out my hand against them and (AJ)make the land desolate and waste, (AK)in all their dwelling places, from the wilderness to (AL)Riblah.[b] Then (AM)they will know that I am the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 6:6 Or and punished
  2. Ezekiel 6:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Diblah