Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot

24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(A) 2} “Son of man, record^(B) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.^{(C) 3} Tell this rebellious people^(D) a parable^(E) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁶ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁹ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

¹³ “‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed^(P) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.^(Q)

¹⁴ “‘I the Lord have spoken.^(R) The time has come for me to act.^(S) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,^(T) nor will I relent.^(U) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,^(V) declares the Sovereign Lord.^(W)’”

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁶ “Son of man, with one blow^(X) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.^(Y) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.^{(Z) 17} Groan quietly;^(AA) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban^(AB) fastened and your sandals^(AC) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard^(AD) or eat the customary food of mourners.^(AE)”

¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.^(AF)

¹⁹ Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?^(AG) Why are you acting like this?”

²⁰ So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary^(AH)—the stronghold in which you take pride,^(AI) the delight of your eyes,^(AJ) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters^(AK) you left behind will fall by the sword.^{(AL) 22} And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard^(AM) or eat the customary food of mourners.^{(AN) 23} You will keep your turbans^(AO) on your heads and your sandals^(AP) on your feet. You will not mourn^(AQ) or weep but will waste away^(AR) because of^[a] your sins and groan among yourselves.^{(AS) 24} Ezekiel^(AT) will be a sign^(AU) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

²⁵ “And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,^(AV) their heart’s desire,^(AW) and their sons and daughters^(AX) as well— ²⁶ on that day a fugitive will come to tell you^(AY) the news. ²⁷ At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.^(AZ) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.^(BA)”

A Prophecy Against Ammon

25 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, set your face against^(BB) the Ammonites^(BC) and prophesy against them.^{(BD) 3} Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!^(BE)” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated^(BF) and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile,^{(BG) 4} therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East^(BH) as a possession. They will set up their camps^(BI) and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.^{(BJ) 5} I will turn Rabbah^(BK) into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep.^(BL) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ⁶ For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands^(BM) and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,^{(BN) 7} therefore I will stretch out my hand^(BO) against you and give you as plunder^(BP) to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy^(BQ) you, and you will know that I am the Lord.^(BR)’”

A Prophecy Against Moab

⁸ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab^(BS) and Seir^(BT) said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” ⁹ therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth^(BU), Baal Meon^(BV) and Kiriathaim^(BW)—the glory of that land. ¹⁰ I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered^(BX) among the nations; ¹¹ and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”^(BY)

A Prophecy Against Edom

¹² “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom^(BZ) took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, ¹³ therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand^(CA) against Edom and kill both man and beast.^(CB) I will lay it waste, and from Teman^(CC) to Dedan^(CD) they will fall by the sword.^{(CE) 14} I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger^(CF) and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”^(CG)

A Prophecy Against Philistia

¹⁵ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines^(CH) acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice^(CI) in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, ¹⁶ therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines,^(CJ) and I will wipe out the Kerethites^(CK) and destroy those remaining along the coast.^{(CL) 17} I will carry out great vengeance^(CM) on them and punish^(CN) them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord,^(CO) when I take vengeance on them.^(CP)’”

A Prophecy Against Tyre

26 In the eleventh month of the twelfth^[b] year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(CQ) 2} “Son of man, because Tyre^(CR) has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha!^(CS) The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,’ ³ therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea^(CT) casting up its waves. ⁴ They will destroy^(CU) the walls of Tyre^(CV) and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. ⁵ Out in the sea^(CW) she will become a place to spread fishnets,^(CX) for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder^(CY) for the nations,^{(CZ) 6} and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

⁷ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar^[c](DA) king of Babylon, king of kings,^(DB) with horses and chariots,^(DC) with horsemen and a great army. ⁸ He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works^(DD) against you, build a ramp^(DE) up to your walls and raise his shields against you. ⁹ He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.^{(DF) 10} His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots^(DG) when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. ¹¹ The hooves^(DH) of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars^(DI) will fall to the ground.^{(DJ) 12} They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.^{(DK) 13} I will put an end^(DL) to your noisy songs,^(DM) and the music of your harps^(DN) will be heard no more.^{(DO) 14} I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt,^(DP) for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁵ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands^(DQ) tremble^(DR) at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan^(DS) and the slaughter takes place in you? ¹⁶ Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered^(DT) garments. Clothed^(DU) with terror, they will sit on the ground,^(DV) trembling^(DW) every moment, appalled^(DX) at you. ¹⁷ Then they will take up a lament^(DY) concerning you and say to you:

¹⁹ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths^(EC) over you and its vast waters cover you,^{(ED) 20} then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit,^(EE) to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place^[d] in the land of the living.^{(EF) 21} I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.^(EG) You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”^(EH)

2 Therefore, rid yourselves^(A) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander^(B) of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(C) so that by it you may grow up^(D) in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^(E)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(F)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(G) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(H) into a spiritual house^[a](I) to be a holy priesthood,^(J) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(K) 6} For in Scripture it says:

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(N)

⁸ and,

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^(R)

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(S) a royal priesthood,^(T) a holy nation,^(U) God’s special possession,^(V) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{(W) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(X) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹ Dear friends,^(Y) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(Z) to abstain from sinful desires,^(AA) which wage war against your soul.^{(AB) 12} Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(AC) and glorify God^(AD) on the day he visits us.

¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^(AE) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^(AF) and to commend those who do right.^{(AG) 15} For it is God’s will^(AH) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^{(AI) 16} Live as free people,^(AJ) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(AK) live as God’s slaves.^{(AL) 17} Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^(AM) fear God, honor the emperor.^(AN)

¹⁸ Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,^(AO) not only to those who are good and considerate,^(AP) but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹ For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^{(AQ) 20} But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^{(AR) 21} To this^(AS) you were called,^(AT) because Christ suffered for you,^(AU) leaving you an example,^(AV) that you should follow in his steps.

²³ When they hurled their insults at him,^(AY) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(AZ) Instead, he entrusted himself^(BA) to him who judges justly.^{(BB) 24} “He himself bore our sins”^(BC) in his body on the cross,^(BD) so that we might die to sins^(BE) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^{(BF) 25} For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[f](BG) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(BH) and Overseer of your souls.^(BI)