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,(A) that has not received rain in the day of indignation.’ 25 The conspiracy of her prophets(B) within her is[a] 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.(C) They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they do not explain the difference between the clean and the unclean.(D) 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,(E) 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.(F) 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(G) and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it,(H) 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.”(I) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:24–25 LXX reads indignation, 25 whose princes within her are

23 And the word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is (A)not cleansed (B)or rained upon in the day of indignation. 25 (C)The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is (D)like a roaring lion (E)tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 (F)Her priests (G)have done violence to my law and (H)have profaned my holy things. (I)They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and (J)they have disregarded my Sabbaths, (K)so that I am profaned among them. 27 (L)Her princes in her midst are like wolves (M)tearing the prey, (N)shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 28 And (O)her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, (P)seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land (Q)have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and (R)have extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 (S)And I sought for a man among them (T)who should build up the wall (U)and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 Therefore (V)I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned (W)their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.”

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