The Voice: Son of man, I am dispatching you to the people of Israel. They are a rebellious nation that lives in defiance of Me. They and their ancestors have broken loyalties with Me even up to this very day.

You are not being sent to a far away nation with an unintelligible language. I am sending you to the people of Israel. But if I had sent you to foreign peoples with unintelligible languages, surely they would listen to you.

When I am finished with you, your nation will lie in ruins. You will be mocked and ridiculed by the nations around you and those who pass by.

I will not look on you with pity or spare you— I will fully repay you for your shocking behavior and despicable deeds. Then you will know I am the Eternal One.

and you will know I am the Eternal One. You have been careless with My laws and disregarded My instructions, mindlessly conforming to the standards of the nations around you.

I will demolish the wall you covered with plaster and level it to the ground so that nothing is left but its foundation. When your wall falls, you will be destroyed. Then you will know I am the Eternal.

I will securely establish My covenant with you, and you will know I am the Eternal One.

But Jerusalem’s newly appointed leader rebelled against Babylon’s king by sending his ambassadors to another king in Egypt to receive horses and recruit a large army. Do you think Jerusalem’s king and his ambassadors will succeed? Is it possible to get away with such things? Can this vassal king break a covenant and escape?

And I said to them, “Get rid of all the vile images that captivate your eyes, and do not degrade yourselves with the idols of Egypt! I am the Eternal your God.”

You will know, O people of Israel, that I am the Eternal when I deal fairly with you in order to protect My good name and reputation, and not out of My frustration toward your wickedness and mindless corruption. So said the Eternal One.

and tell the land of Israel what the Eternal One says: “Pay attention. I am against you. I will draw My sword from its sheath and kill both the righteous and the wicked who live within your borders.

You will dress as you always dress: with turbans on your heads and sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or grieve. God tells me, “Instead, you will rot away from within because of your wickedness and moan among yourselves.

The day you learn of My judgment, your mouth will be opened, and your silence will be broken. Then you will be able to converse with the fugitive. You will be a living example to them, and they will know that I am the Eternal One.

This is what the Eternal Lord has to say about Ammon: Eternal One: Because you have clapped your hands and stomped your feet, delighting with a malevolent heart against the land of Israel,

I will sink you down into the pit where those people from long ago sleep in death. I will make you stay there, in the lower parts of the earth among the ancient ruins with those who dwell in the pit of the dead, and you will never be inhabited again. You will never resurface in the land of the living where I rest My glory.

Eternal One: Son of man, go to the prince of Tyre, and give him this message. This is what I, Eternal Lord, have to say: Your heart is swollen with pride— a pride that says, “I am a god. I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.” But I assure you, prince, you are nothing more than a mortal man—a man of mortal destiny. Even though you have the self-confidence of a god, you are made entirely of flesh and blood.

Eternal One (to Ezekiel): Son of man, do you think these bones can live? Ezekiel: Eternal Lord, certainly You know the answer better than I do.

I will attach muscles and tendons to you, cause flesh to grow over them, and cover you with skin. I will breathe breath into you, and you will come alive. After this happens, you will know that I am the Eternal.”

I am going to turn you around, insert sharp hooks into your jaws, and haul you off with your entire army—horses and riders outfitted with armor, breastplates, body shields, and swords.

The Man (to Ezekiel): Son of man, sharpen your senses! See with your eyes, and listen with your ears! Take notice of everything I am about to show you, because you are here to see what I do and to relay it all to the people of Israel.

Eternal One: Son of man, look closely and listen carefully. Pay attention to all I am about to tell you. I am going to lay out the rules and regulations for My temple. Take note of those having to do with entering the temple and exiting the sanctuary.