Bible in 90 Days
21 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] 22 “Son of man,[c] what is this proverb you people have[d] about the land of Israel, saying,[e] ‘The days are prolonged,[f] and every vision has come to nothing.’ 23 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will put an end to this proverb, and they will not quote it as a proverb again in Israel.”’ But[g] say to them, ‘The days are near, and also the word of every vision.’ 24 For there will not be any longer any false vision[h] or flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel. 25 For I, Yahweh, I will speak what I will speak as a word, and it will be done. It will not prolong itself any longer, for in your days, house of rebellion, I will speak a word and I will fulfill it!” declares[i] the Lord Yahweh. 26 And the word of Yahweh came[j] to me, saying,[k] 27 “Son of man,[l] look! The house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he is seeing is for many days from now, and for distant times he is prophesying.’ 28 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “None of my words will be prolonged any longer that I speak as a word, and it will be fulfilled!”’” declares[m] the Lord Yahweh.
Condemnation of False Prophets
13 And the word of Yahweh came[n] to me, saying,[o] 2 “Son of man,[p] prophesy to[q] the prophets of Israel who are prophesying,[r] and you must say to those who are prophets out of their own imagination,[s] ‘Hear the word of Yahweh!’ 3 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Alas, for the foolish prophets who are going after their own spirit, and they did not see anything![t] 4 Your prophets have been like foxes[u] among ruins. 5 You did not go up into[v] the breaches and repair a wall for the house of Israel to stand firm in the battle on the day of Yahweh. 6 They saw falseness and a lying divination,[w] the ones saying, ‘Declaration of Yahweh!’ and Yahweh did not send them, and they wait for the confirmation of their word.[x] 7 Have you not seen a false vision[y] and spoken a lying divination,[z] and you said, ‘Declaration of Yahweh!’ but I myself did not speak.[aa] 8 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because of your speaking falseness and because you envisioned a lie, therefore, look! I am against you!” declares[ab] the Lord Yahweh. 9 “And it will be my hand against the prophets who are seeing falseness and who are practicing lying divination. They will not be in the council of my people, and they will not be written down in the record book of the house of Israel, and into[ac] the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh. 10 Because, yes, because they led my people astray, saying[ad] ‘Peace!’ And there is not peace. And when anyone[ae] builds a flimsy wall, look, they coat it with whitewash. 11 Say to those covering it with whitewash that it will fall; there will be a torrent of rain,[af] and I will give stones of hail; they will fall! [ag] And a windstorm[ah] will burst forth! 12 And look! When the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’ 13 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘And so I will let burst forth a windstorm[ai] in my rage, and there will be a torrent of rain[aj] in my anger, and hailstones in my rage for complete destruction.[ak] 14 And I will break down the wall that you covered with whitewash, and I will knock it to the ground, and its foundation will be revealed, and it will fall, and you will come to an end in the midst of it, and you will know that I am Yahweh! 15 And I will fully vent my rage against the wall and against those covering it with whitewash, and I will say to you, “The wall is no more,[al] and the people covering it are no more,[am] 16 that is, the prophets of Israel, the ones prophesying concerning Jerusalem and the ones seeing visions of peace, and there is not peace!’” ” declares[an] the Lord Yahweh.
17 “And you, son of man,[ao] place your face toward the daughters of your people who prophesy from their imagination,[ap] and prophesy against them! 18 And you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to those who sew[aq] magic charm bands on all the wrists[ar] of the hands of my people and those who make the veils[as] that are on the head of people of every height, to ensnare people’s lives![at] Will you ensnare the lives[au] of my people and keep yourselves alive?[av] 19 And you defiled me among my people for a handful of barley and for morsels of bread to kill persons who should not die and to keep alive persons who should not live by means of your lies to my people who are listening to your lies.”’[aw] 20 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Look! I am against your magic charm bands with which you are ensnaring persons[ax] as birds; I will tear them from your arms, and I will release the persons that you are ensnaring, treating persons as birds. 21 And I will tear off your veils, and I will deliver my people from your hand, and they will not any longer be in your hand as prey, and you will know that I am Yahweh. 22 Because you disheartened the heart of the righteous by deception, and I have not[ay] caused him pain, and strengthened the hands of the wicked so that he did not turn[az] from his wicked way to save his life. 23 Therefore falseness[ba] you will not see,[bb] and divination you will not practice[bc] any longer, and I will rescue my people from your hand, and you will know that I am Yahweh!’”
Condemnation of Israel’s Idolatrous Elders
14 And men from the elders of Israel came to me, and they sat before me.[bd] 2 And the word of Yahweh came[be] to me, saying,[bf] 3 “Son of man,[bg] these men took up their idols into their heart and they placed before themselves[bh] a stumbling block of their guilt.[bi] Should I really let myself be consulted by them?[bj] 4 Therefore speak with them, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Every person from the house of Israel who brings up his idols into his heart and places before himself[bk] a stumbling block of his guilt[bl] and yet he comes to the prophet, I Yahweh, I will respond to him through this act[bm] with respect to the multitude[bn] of his idols, 5 so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their heart, those who are estranged from me, all of them, through their idols.’ 6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Return,[bo] and turn away from your idols and from all of your detestable things! Turn away your faces!”’ 7 For each person[bp] from the house of Israel, and from the alien who dwells as an alien in Israel, who separates himself from following me[bq] and brings up his idols into his heart and places before himself[br] a stumbling block of his guilt[bs], and yet he comes to the prophet to consult him concerning me, I Yahweh will answer[bt] him myself. 8 And I will set my face against that person, and I will make him to[bu] be a sign and make him into[bv] the subject of proverbs; and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and you will know I am Yahweh. 9 And the prophet, if he is deceived and he speaks a word, I Yahweh, I have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they will bear their guilt, like[bw] the guilt of the inquirer so[bx] the guilt of the prophet will be, 11 so that the house of Israel will not go astray again from me,[by] and they will not make themselves unclean again with all of their transgressions, and they will be for me a people, and I will be for them as God,” declares[bz] the Lord Yahweh.
Jerusalem will not be Spared
12 And the word of Yahweh came[ca] to me, saying,[cb] 13 “Son of man,[cc] when a land sins against me by acting very unfaithfully,[cd] then I will stretch out my hand against it, and I will break for it the supply of food,[ce] and I will send against it famine, and I will cut it off, both human and animal. 14 And if even the three of these men were in the midst of it—Noah, Daniel, and Job—they, through their righteousness, would save only themselves!”[cf] declares[cg] the Lord Yahweh. 15 “If a fierce animal I should let cross through the land, and it should make it childless and it will be a desolation, so that there will not be one crossing over the land due to[ch] the presence of the animal, 16 even if these three men were in the midst of it, as surely as I live,”[ci] declares[cj] the Lord Yahweh, “surely they will not save sons and daughters; they themselves alone,[ck] they will be saved, but the land will be a desolation. 17 Or, if I bring a sword over that land, and I say, ‘Sword, let it cross over into[cl] the land!’ And I will cut off from it both human and animal. 18 And if these three men were in the midst of it, as surely as I live,”[cm] declares[cn] the Lord Yahweh, “they will not save sons and daughters, but they alone[co] will be saved. 19 And if I were to send a plague to that land, and I pour out my rage on it with blood to cut it off, both human and animal, 20 and if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the midst of her, as surely as I live,”[cp] declares[cq] the Lord Yahweh, “surely not a son, surely not a daughter will they save by their righteousness; they would save themselves.”[cr] 21 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “How much more when I send my four punishments—the evil sword, and famine, and a fierce animal, and a plague—to Jerusalem to cut it off, both human and animal! 22 But[cs] look! A remnant will be left over in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out.[ct] Look! They are coming out to you, and you will see their way, and with their deeds you will be consoled with respect to[cu] the evil that I brought over Jerusalem, all of it that I brought over[cv] it. 23 And they will console you when you see their way and their deeds, and you will know that not for nothing I did all that I did in it,” declares[cw] the Lord Yahweh.
Jerusalem a Useless Vine
15 And the word of Yahweh came[cx] to me, saying,[cy] 2 “Son of man, how will the wood of the vine be better than[cz] any of the wood of[da] the branch which is among the trees of the forest?[db] 3 Can wood be taken from it to make anything, or can they take a tent peg from it to hang on it any object?[dc] 4 Look! It is given to the fire as fuel. The fire will consume two of its ends, and its middle will be charred. Is it useful for anything? 5 Look! When it is in perfect condition,[dd] it will not be used for anything, how much less[de] when the fire has consumed it[df] and it is charred; and then can it be used again for anything? 6 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Just like[dg] the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest[dh] which I gave to the fire for fuel, so I have given the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them. From the fire they mayescape,[di] but the fire will yet consume them, and they will know that I am Yahweh when I set my face against them.[dj] 8 And I will make the land a desolation because they acted very unfaithfully!”[dk] declares[dl] the Lord Yahweh.
God’s Covenant Grace to Unfaithful and Rebellious Israel
16 And the word of Yahweh came[dm] to me, saying,[dn] 2 “Son of man,[do] make known to Jerusalem its detestable things, 3 and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were from the land of the Canaanites,[dp] your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. 4 And as for your birth, on the day you were born[dq] your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were not thoroughly washed clean with water,[dr] and you were not thoroughly rubbed with salt,[ds] and you were not carefully wrapped in strips of cloth.[dt] 5 No eye took pity on you[du] to do to you one of these things to show compassion for you, and you were thrown into the open field[dv] in their despising of you on the day you were born.[dw]
6 “‘And I passed by you, and I saw you kicking about in your blood, and I said to you in your blood, “Live! 7 Grow up;[dx] I will make you like a plant of the field.” And you grew up, and you became tall and reached full womanhood.[dy] Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown, but you were naked and bare.
8 “‘And I passed by you, and I saw you, and look, your time of lovemaking had come,[dz] and so I spread out my hem over you, and I covered your nakedness, and I swore to you, and I entered into[ea] a covenant with you,’ declares[eb] the Lord Yahweh, ‘and you became mine.[ec] 9 And I washed you with water, and I rinsed off your blood from on you, and I anointed you with oil. 10 And I clothed you with beautiful finished cloth, and I put sandals on you of fine leather, and I bound you in fine linen, and I covered you with costly fabric. 11 And I adorned you with ornaments,[ed] and I put a bracelet on your arms and a necklace on your neck. 12 And I put an ornamental ring on your nose and earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown[ee] on your head. 13 And you adorned yourself with gold and silver, and your clothing was fine linen and costly fabric and beautiful finished cloth; you ate finely milled flour and honey and olive oil, and you became exceedingly beautiful; you were fit to be a queen.[ef] 14 And a name went out for you among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect because of my majesty that I bestowed on you,’ declares[eg] the Lord Yahweh. 15 ‘And you trusted in your beauty, and you prostituted on account of your name, and you poured out your fornication on every one passing by, saying, “Let it be his.” 16 And you took from your clothes and you made for yourself colorful[eh] shrines, and you prostituted on them; this had not happened before,[ei] and it will not continue to happen.[ej] 17 And you took your beautiful jewelry[ek] made from my gold and from my silver that I had given to you, and you made for yourself male images,[el] and you prostituted with them. 18 And you took the clothes of your beautiful finished cloth, and you covered them and my oil and my incense you set before them.[em] 19 And my bread that I gave to you, finely milled flour and oil and honey with which I fed you, then you set it before them[en] as a pleasing odor,[eo] and so it was,’ declares[ep] the Lord Yahweh. 20 ‘And you took your sons and your daughters whom you had borne for me, and you sacrificed them to them to be eaten,[eq] as if your whorings were not enough.[er] 21 And you slaughtered my children, and you gave them to be sacrificed to them.[es] 22 And in all of your detestable things and your fornication you did not remember the days of your childhood when you were naked and bare,[et] when you were kicking about in your blood.
23 “‘And then after all of your evil! Woe, woe, to you!’ declares[eu] the Lord Yahweh. 24 ‘And then you built for yourself a mound, and you made for yourself a high place in every public square. 25 At the head of every street you built your high place and you disgraced your beauty and you spread your feet for every passerby, and you increased your whoring. 26 And you prostituted with the Egyptians,[ev] your neighbors who were sexually aroused,[ew] and you increased your fornication to provoke me. 27 And look! I stretched out my hand against you, and I reduced your portion, and I gave you into[ex] the desire of your haters, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed because of your lewd conduct.[ey] 28 And you prostituted with the Assyrians[ez] on account of your insatiable lust,[fa] and you prostituted with them, and still you were not satisfied. 29 And you increased your fornication to the land of traders,[fb] to Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied. 30 How hot with fever was your heart!’ declares[fc] the Lord Yahweh. ‘When you did[fd] all of these actions of a headstrong female prostitute,[fe] 31 when you built[ff] your mound at the head of every street and your high place you made on every street, yet[fg] you were[fh] not like a prostitute, as you were scorning your harlot’s wages. 32 O, adulterous woman! In the place of her husband she received strangers. 33 To all prostitutes they give a fee, but you, you gave your gifts to all of your lovers, and you bribed them to come to you from all around in your whorings! 34 And it was the opposite with you from the other women in your whorings; no one solicited you as a prostitute.[fi] You gave[fj] a harlot’s wages, and a harlot’s wages were not given to you, and so it was just the opposite.
35 “‘Therefore, prostitute, hear the word of Yahweh. 36 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because of the pouring out of your shame and because your nakedness was revealed in your whoring with your lovers, and on account of all of the idols of your detestable things, and according to the blood of your children whom you gave to them, 37 therefore, look! I am gathering all of your lovers whom you were pleased about,[fk] and all of whom you loved in addition to all of whom you hated, and I will gather them against you from everywhere,[fl] and I will uncover your nakedness to them, and they will see all of your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you with the judgment of women committing adultery and shedding blood, and I will give you the blood of rage and jealousy. 39 And I will give you into their hand, and they will demolish your mound, and they will break down your high places, and they will strip you of your clothes, and they will take your beautiful jewelry,[fm] and they will leave you naked and bare. 40 And they will bring up against you a crowd, and they will stone you with stones,[fn] and they will cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 And they will burn your houses with fire, and they will execute against you judgments before[fo] many women, and I will stop you from prostitution, and also a harlot’s wages you will not give[fp] again. 42 And I will satisfy my rage on you, and my jealousy will turn away from you, and I will be calm, and I will not be angry any longer. 43 Because[fq] you did not remember[fr] the days of your childhood and you made me angry with all of these. And in turn I, look, I will return your way upon your head,’ declares[fs] the Lord Yahweh, ‘and did[ft] you not do wickedness[fu] in addition to all of your detestable things? 44 Look! Everyone quoting a proverb[fv] against you, he will quote, saying,[fw] ‘Like her mother is her daughter!’ 45 You are a daughter of your mother who abhorred her husband and her children, and you are a sister of your sisters who abhorred their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father was an Amorite. 46 And your elder sister, she is Samaria, and her daughters, who are dwelling on your north, and your younger sister is the one dwelling on your south; she is Sodom and her daughters. 47 And you have not only gone in their ways, but[fx] you also did according to their detestable things. In such a short time[fy] you behaved more corruptly than they in all of your ways. 48 As surely as I live,’[fz] declares[ga] the Lord Yahweh, ‘surely your sister Sodom and her daughters did not do as[gb] you and your daughters did. 49 Look! This was the iniquity of Sodom, your sister: Pride, abundance of food, and prosperous ease[gc] was to her and to her daughters, and she did not sustain the needy and the poor.[gd] 50 And they were proud, and they did a detestable thing before me,[ge] and I removed them because[gf] I saw it. 51 And Samaria did not sin according to even half of your sins,[gg] and you caused your detestable things to increase more than they, and you made your sister righteous in comparison with all of your detestable things that you did.[gh] 52 Also,[gi] you bear your disgrace, by which you furnished justification to your sisters[gj] through your sins by which you acted more abominably than they; they were more righteous than you, and also,[gk] you be ashamed and bear your disgrace through your making your sister righteous.
53 And I will restore their fortune, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and even the fortunes of your captivity in the midst of them, 54 in order that you may bear your disgrace and you may be put to shame because of all that you did at your consoling them. 55 And as for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, they will return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters, they will return to their former state, and you and your daughters will return to your former state. 56 And was not Sodom, your sister, a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride 57 before[gl] your evil was uncovered? It was like the time of the scorn of the daughters of Aram and all those around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who are despising you. 58 Your wickedness and your detestable things, you, you must bear them,’ declares[gm] Yahweh. 59 ‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: And I will do it[gn] to you according to what you have done,[go] who despised the oath to break covenant. 60 And I, I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant.[gp] 61 And you will remember your ways, and you will be ashamed when you take your sisters, both the older and the younger,[gq] and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of your covenant. 62 And I, I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am Yahweh, 63 in order that you will remember, and you will be ashamed, and you will not open your mouth again[gr] because of[gs] your disgrace when I forgive you for all that you have done!’” declares[gt] the Lord Yahweh.
Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine
17 And the word of Yahweh came[gu] to me, saying,[gv] 2 “Son of man,[gw] tell a riddle and quote a proverb to the house of Israel, 3 and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “The great eagle with great wings and long feathers[gx] and full of variegated plumage[gy] came to Lebanon and he took the treetop of the cedar. 4 He plucked the top of its new plant shoot, and he brought it to the land of Canaan and put it in a city of merchants, 5 and he took from the seed of the land and placed it in fertile soil[gz] on[ha] many waters; like a willow he planted it. 6 And it sprouted, and it became a vine spreading out,[hb] low of height, turning its branches to him, and its roots were under it, and it became a vine,[hc] and it made[hd] branches, and it sent out foliage.
7 “‘“And there was another great eagle, great of wings and with abundant plumage, and look! This vine stretched out its roots toward him and extended its branches to him to water it from the garden bed where it was planted.[he] 8 It was planted in[hf] a good field by[hg] many waters[hh] to produce branches[hi] and to bear fruit to become[hj] a beautiful vine.”’[hk] 9 Say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Will it prosper? Will he not tear out its roots, and will he not make its fruit scaly, and it will wither, and all of the freshness of its vegetation will dry up? And to lift it from its roots will not require great strength or many people.[hl] 10 And look! Though it is planted, will it prosper? When the east wind strikes it,[hm] will it not dry up completely? On the garden bed of its vegetation it will dry up!”’”
11 And the word of Yahweh came[hn] to me, saying, 12 “Say now to the rebellious house of Israel, ‘Do you not know what these are?’[ho] Say, ‘Look! The king of Babylon will come to Jerusalem, and he will take its king and its officials, and he will bring[hp] them to himself,[hq] to Babylon. 13 And he took from the seed of the kingship, and he made with him a covenant, and he brought him under oath,[hr] and he took the rulers of the land, 14 so that they would be a humble kingdom and not lift itself up to keep his covenant in order for it to stand.[hs] 15 But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt to give to him horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he escape doing these things, and can he break the covenant and escape? 16 As I live,’[ht] declares[hu] the Lord Yahweh, ‘surely[hv] in the place of the king who made[hw] him king, who despised his oath and who broke his covenant with him—in the midst of Babylon he will die. 17 And not with a great army and with a great crowd will Pharaoh work[hx] with him in the war, at the pouring out of a siege ramp and the building of siege works to destroy many lives. 18 And he despised the oath to break covenant. And, look, he gave his hand in pledge, and yet he did all of these things. He will not escape.’ 19 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘As I live,[hy] surely[hz] my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke I will return upon his head. 20 And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my hunting net, and I will bring him to Babylon, and I will enter into judgment with him there about his infidelity that he displayed against me. 21 And all of his choice troops, among all of his troops, they will fall by the sword, and those who are remaining,[ia] they will be scattered to all the directions of the wind, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have spoken.’ 22 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘And I will take, even I, from the treetop of the high cedar, and I will plant it, from the head of its new plant shoot I will pluck a tender one, and I will plant it, even I, on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the height of the mountain of Israel I will plant it, and it will carry[ib] branches,[ic] and it will bear fruit, and it will become a noble cedar,[id] and all of the birds of all wings[ie] will dwell under it in the shade of its branches. 24 And all of the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, I will bring low a high tree, and I will exalt a low, fresh tree, and I will make a dry tree flourish. I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will do it.’”
God’s Just Treatment of Individuals, Both Righteous and Wicked
18 And the word of Yahweh came[if] to me, saying,[ig] 2 “What do you mean by[ih] quoting this proverb about the land of Israel, saying,[ii] ‘The fathers, they ate unripe fruit, and the teeth of the child became blunt.’[ij] 3 As I live,[ik] declares[il] the Lord Yahweh, it will surely not any longer be appropriate for you[im] to quote this proverb in Israel! 4 Look! All lives are mine.[in] The lives of father and son alike are mine.[io] The person[ip] sinning will die. 5 And if a man is righteous and does justice and righteousness, 6 and on the mountains he does not eat and he does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he does not defile and he does not approach a woman of[iq] menstruation, 7 and he oppresses no one[ir] and he returns a pledge for his loan and he commits no robbery[is] and he gives[it] his bread to the hungry and he covers a naked person with a garment, 8 and he does not charge interest[iu] and he takes no usury, and he holds back[iv] his hand from injustice and he executes a judgment of fairness between persons,[iw] 9 and in my statutes he goes about and my regulations he keeps,[ix] performing faithfully[iy] —then he is righteous, and certainly he will live,” declares[iz] the Lord Yahweh.
10 “And now he has a son, a violent one, who sheds blood[ja] and does any of these things[jb] 11 (though[jc] he[jd] did not do all of these things), for the son also[je] eats on the mountains and he defiles the wife of his neighbor. 12 He oppresses the needy and the poor, and he commits robbery,[jf] and he does not return a pledge for a loan, and he lifts his eyes to the idols so he does a detestable thing. 13 He charges interest[jg] and takes usury. Then, shall he live? He shall not live, for he did all of these detestable things. Surely he will die! His blood will be on him.
14 “And look! He has a son, and he sees all of the sin of his father that he did, and he sees it, but he does not do it. 15 On the mountains he does not eat, and he does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he does not defile. 16 And he oppresses no one; he requires no pledge for a loan, and he does not commit robbery;[jh] he gives his bread to the hungry, and he covers the naked person with a garment. 17 He brings back[ji] his hand from iniquity;[jj] he does not take interest and usury; he does my regulations; he goes[jk] in my statutes. He will not die because of the guilt of his father; he will surely live! 18 Because his father oppressed severely;[jl] he stole from his brother;[jm] that which is not good he did in the midst of his people, and look! He will die through[jn] his guilt.
19 “Yet[jo] you say, ‘Why does the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ And since the son does justice and righteousness and he keeps all of my statutes and does them, he shall surely live! 20 The person,[jp] the one sinning, will die. A son shall not bear the guilt of the father, and a father shall not bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him; the wickedness of the wicked[jq] shall be on him. 21 But if the wicked returns from all of his sins[jr] that he has done and he keeps all of my statutes and he does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die! 22 All of his transgressions that he committed will not be remembered against[js] him. Through[jt] his righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 Have I delight by any means[ju] in the death of the wicked, declares[jv] the Lord Yahweh, and not at his turning from his way, so that[jw] he lives? 24 And when the righteous turns[jx] from his righteousness, so that[jy] he does injustice, and does all of the detestable things that the wicked do, then[jz] will he live because of all of his righteousness[ka] that he did? Those things will not be remembered because of his infidelity that he displayed, and because of his sin that he committed.[kb] Through[kc] them he shall die.
25 “Yet[kd] you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair!’ Listen, now, house of Israel, is my way not fair? Is it not your ways that are not fair? 26 When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and he does injustice, then[ke] he will die because of them; because of his injustice that he did he will die! 27 And when the wicked turns from his wickedness that he did and he does justice and righteousness, he will preserve his life.[kf] 28 And if he sees and he returns from all of his transgressions that he did, surely he will live; he will not die! 29 And yet they, the house of Israel, say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair!’ Are not my ways fair, house of Israel? Are not your ways unfair?[kg]
30 “Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one[kh] according to his ways,” declares[ki] the Lord Yahweh. “Repent[kj] and turn around from all of your transgression, and it will not be as a stumbling block of iniquity to you. 31 Throw away from yourselves[kk] all of your transgressions that you committed,[kl] and make for yourselves[km] a new heart and new spirit, and so why will you die, house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of the dying,” declares[kn] the Lord Yahweh. “And so repent[ko] and live!”
Lament for the Leaders of Israel
19 “And you, raise a lament about[kp] the leaders of Israel, 2 and you must say,
‘What a lioness was your mother
among the lions.
She lay down in the midst of young lions,
and she reared her lion cubs.
3 And she raised up one from her cubs;
he became a fierce lion,
and he learned to tear prey;
he ate[kq] humans.[kr]
4 And nations heard about him;
in their pit he was caught,
and they brought him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
5 And she saw[ks] that she was waiting in vain;
her hope was destroyed,
and she took one from her cubs,
and she made him a fierce lion.
6 And he walked about in the midst of lions;
he became a fierce lion,
and he learned to tear prey;
he ate[kt] humans.[ku]
7 And he knew their widows,[kv]
and he devastated their cities,
and the land was appalled, and everyone in it[kw]
at the sound of his roar.
8 And nations set out against him
from the surrounding provinces,[kx]
and they spread their net over him,
and he was caught in their pit.
9 And they put him in a collar with hooks,
and they brought him to the king of Babylon;
they brought him into[ky] a prison,
so that his voice would not be heard any longer[kz]
on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like the vine in your vineyard;[la]
planted fruitfully[lb] beside water,
and it was full of branches
from many waters.[lc]
11 And she produced branches of strength[ld]
to[le] scepters of rulers;
its height became tall
between[lf] thick foliage,
and it was seen[lg] because of its tallness
among the abundance of its branches.
12 But it was uprooted in rage;
it was thrown to the earth,
and the east wind dried up its fruit;
they were stripped off,
and its strong branch dried up;
fire consumed it.
13 And now it is planted in the desert,
in a dry and thirsty land.[lh]
14 And so fire has gone out from the stem of its branches;
its fruit it has consumed,
and there was not in it a strong branch,[li]
a scepter for ruling.’”
This is a lament, and it will be used as a lament.[lj]
God’s Dealings with Israel for His Name’s Sake
20 And then in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to consult Yahweh, and they sat before me.[lk] 2 And the word of Yahweh came[ll] to me, saying,[lm] 3 “Son of man,[ln] speak with the elders of Israel, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Are you coming to consult me? As I live,[lo] I will surely not allow myself[lp] to be consulted by you!”’ declares[lq] the Lord Yahweh. 4 Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man?[lr] Make known to them the detestable things of their ancestors.[ls] 5 And you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “On the day of my choosing Israel I swore[lt] to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and I made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, and I swore[lu] to them, saying,[lv] ‘I am Yahweh your God.’ 6 On that day I swore[lw] to them to bring them out from the land of Egypt to the land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey—it is the most beautiful of all of the lands. 7 Then I said to them, ‘Let each one throw away the detestable things of his eyes, and you must not make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt! I am Yahweh your God.’ 8 But they rebelled against me, and they were not willing to listen to me; each one did not throw away[lx] the detestable things of their eyes; and they did not abandon[ly] the idols of Egypt, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 “But[lz] I acted for the sake of my name to keep it from being profaned[ma] before the eyes of the nations among whom they lived,[mb] where I made known to them before their eyes, to bring them out from the land of Egypt. 10 And I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and I brought them to the desert, 11 and I gave my statutes to them, and my regulations I made known to them, which, if a person does them, then he will live by them. 12 And also my Sabbaths I gave to them to be a sign between me and between them so they would know[mc] that I, Yahweh, am the one sanctifying them.
13 “But[md] in the desert the house of Israel rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes,[me] and they rejected my regulations, which, if a person does them, he will live by them, and they greatly profaned my Sabbaths, and I decided to pour out my rage on them in the desert to destroy them, 14 and I acted for the sake of my name, that it not be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whom I brought them out.[mf] 15 And also I myself swore[mg] to them in the desert not to bring them into the land that I had given to them, flowing with milk and honey—it is the most beautiful of all of the lands— 16 because they despised my judgments, and they did not walk in my statutes,[mh] and my Sabbaths they profaned, for their heart was going after their idols. 17 But my eye took pity on them by not destroying them, and I did not completely destroy them[mi] in the desert.
18 “And I said to their children in the desert, ‘You must not go in the statutes of your parents;[mj] you must not keep their regulations, and you must not make yourself unclean with their idols. 19 I, Yahweh, am your God, so go in my statutes and keep my regulations and do them. 20 And treat my Sabbaths as holy, and they will be a sign between me and between you that you may know[mk] that I, Yahweh, am your God.’ 21 But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my statutes,[ml] and they did not observe my regulations,[mm] which if a person does them, then he will live by them. My Sabbaths they desecrated, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to finish my anger against them in the desert. 22 But I withheld my hand, and I acted for the sake of my name not to be profaned before the eyes of the nations before whom I had brought them out before their eyes. 23 What is more, I swore[mn] to them in the desert to scatter them among the nations and to disperse them in the lands, 24 because they did not do my regulations, and my statutes they despised, and my Sabbaths they profaned, and their eyes were after the idols of their ancestors.[mo] 25 And in turn I gave to them rules that were not good and regulations by which they will not live.[mp] 26 And I defiled them through their gifts in sacrificing all of the first offspring of the womb, in order that[mq] I will cause them to be stunned, so that they will know that I am Yahweh.
27 “Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man,[mr] and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Again in this your ancestors blasphemed me at[ms] their display of infidelity toward me.”’[mt] 28 And I brought them to the land that I swore[mu] to give[mv] to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered their sacrifices, and they presented there the provocation of their offering, and they gave there their fragrant incense offering, and they poured out their libations there. 29 And I said to them, ‘What is the high place[mw] to which you are going?’ And it is called[mx] Bamah until this day. 30 Therefore thus say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “In the way of your ancestors[my] will you defile yourself, and after their vile idols will you prostitute yourselves? 31 And when you lift up your gifts, sacrificing your children[mz] through the fire, you are defiling yourself through all of your idols until today,[na] and will I let myself[nb] be consulted by you, house of Israel?”’ As I live,”[nc] declares[nd] the Lord Yahweh, “I will not let myself[ne] be consulted by you! 32 And what you are planning,[nf] surely it will not be—that you are saying, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the clans[ng] of the lands, serving wood and stone!’[nh]
33 “As I live,”[ni] declares[nj] the Lord Yahweh, “surely[nk] with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage pouring forth[nl] I will reign as king over you! 34 And I will bring you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries to which you were scattered with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage poured out. 35 Then I will bring you to the desert of the peoples, and I will execute justice on you there face to face. 36 Just as[nm] I executed justice on your ancestors[nn] in the desert of the land of Egypt, likewise I will execute justice on you!” declares[no] the Lord Yahweh. 37 “And I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 And I will purge the rebels from among you and the ones transgressing against me; I will bring them out from the land where they are living as aliens,[np] but into the land of Israel they will not come, and then you will know that I am Yahweh.
39 And you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Let each one go serve his idols now and after, if you are not listening to me, but my holy name[nq] you will not profane any longer with your gifts and with your idols.
40 “For on my holy mountain,[nr] on the mountain of the height of Israel,” declares[ns] the Lord Yahweh, “there all of the house of Israel will serve me, all of them,[nt] in the land. I will take pleasure in them, and there I will accept your contributions and the best of your portions with all of your holy objects. 41 I will accept you as a fragrant incense offering[nu] when I bring you out from the peoples and I gather you from the lands to which you were scattered, and I will show myself holy among you before the eyes of the nations. 42 And you will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land that I swore[nv] to give to your ancestors. 43 And you will remember there your ways, and all of your deeds by which you were made unclean,[nw] and you will feel a loathing for yourself[nx] for all of your evils that you have done. 44 And you will know that I am Yahweh when I deal with you[ny] for the sake of my name and not according to your evil ways[nz] or according to[oa] your corrupted deeds, house of Israel,” declares[ob] the Lord Yahweh.
45 [oc] And the word of Yahweh came[od] to me, saying,[oe] 46 “Son of man,[of] set your face toward the way of the south,[og] and preach to the south, and prophesy against the forest of the territory of the Negev. 47 And you must say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Look! I am kindling against you a fire, and it will devour in you every fresh tree and every dry tree; the blaze of the flame will not be quenched, and all the surfaces from the south to the north will be scorched by it. 48 And all creatures will see that I, Yahweh, I kindled it—it will not be quenched!”’” 49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh, they are saying about me, ‘Is he not posing a parable?’”
A Vision of the Avenging Sword of Yahweh
21 And the word of Yahweh came[oh] to me, saying,[oi] 2 “Son of man,[oj] set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach to the sanctuaries, and prophesy to the land of Israel. 3 And you must say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Look! I am against you, and I will draw out my sword from its sheath, and I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. 4 Because[ok] I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword will go out from its sheath to[ol] all creatures[om] from south to north. 5 And they will know, all creatures, that I, Yahweh, I will bring out my sword from its sheath; it will not return again!”’ 6 And you, son of man,[on] groan with shaking hips,[oo] and you must groan with bitterness before their eyes. 7 And then[op] when they say to you, ‘On account of what are you groaning?’ then you must say, ‘On account of the report, for it is coming, and every heart will be weak and all hands will hang limp and every spirit will be disheartened, and all knees will go like water.’ Look! It is coming, and it will happen!” declares[oq] the Lord Yahweh.
8 And the word of Yahweh came[or] to me, saying,[os] 9 “Son of man,[ot] prophesy, and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ say, ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and is also polished. 10 It is sharpened to slaughter a slaughter, polished to flash like lightning![ou] Or will we rejoice?[ov] A rod, my son, is despising every tree.[ow] 11 And he gives it to be polished, to be seized by the hand.[ox] It is sharpened—a sword—and it is polished to give it into the hand of the killer. 12 Cry and wail, son of man,[oy] for it is against my people; it is against all of the princes of Israel. They are thrown to the sword with my people; therefore strike your thigh.[oz] 13 For examine![pa] And what if also the rod will not be despising?’ declares[pb] the Lord Yahweh. 14 And you, son of man,[pc] prophesy and clap your hands.[pd] And the sword will strike twice;[pe] let it happen a third time. It is a sword of the dead, the sword of the great dead that is surrounding them, 15 so that a heart melts, and the fallen multiply[pf] at all of their gates. I gave a sword for slaughter, and alas! It is made for flashing, it is grasped[pg] for slaughtering. 16 Gather together, strike to the right; cause to go to the left, where your edge[ph] is directed. 17 And also I myself[pi] will clap my hands,[pj] and I will satisfy my rage! I, Yahweh, I have spoken.”
18 And the word of Yahweh came[pk] to me, saying,[pl] 19 “And you, son of man,[pm] mark out for yourself[pn] two roads for the coming of the sword of the king of Babylon; they must both[po] go out from the same land. And hew out a signpost;[pp] hew it at the head of the road of the city. 20 You must mark a road for the coming of the sword to Rabbah of the Ammonites[pq] and to Judah, in Jerusalem the fortified. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork of the road at the head of the two roads to practice divination. He shakes the arrows,[pr] he inquires with the teraphim, he examines[ps] the liver. 22 In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem, to put up battering rams, to open a mouth for slaughter,[pt] to raise the battle cry,[pu] to put up battering rams against gates, to build a siege ramp, to build siege works.[pv] 23 And it will be to them like practicing divination falsely[pw] in their eyes; they have sworn oaths for themselves.[px] But[py] he will bring their guilt to remembrance so as to seize them.
24 “Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because you have brought to remembrance your guilt by the uncovering of your transgressions, so that your sins in all of your deeds appear—because of your being remembered, you will be captured in the hand.’ 25 And as for you, profane one, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come with the time of the punishment of the end, 26 thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Remove the turban and lift off the crown; things are no longer the same. Exalt the low and bring low the high. 27 A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will make it! Also[pz] this has not ever happened;[qa] it will remain until the coming of the one to whom the judgment belongs and I have given it to him.’ 28 And you, son of man,[qb] prophesy, and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the Ammonites[qc] and concerning their disgrace,’ and you must say, ‘A sword, a sword is drawn for slaughtering; it is polished for holding, for flashing like lightning,[qd] 29 when seeing a false vision for you in vain, when practicing divination for you falsely, to give[qe] you on the neck of the profane ones of the wicked, whose day has come,[qf] the time of final punishment.[qg] 30 Return it to its sheath in the place where you were created. In the land of your origin I will judge you! 31 And I will pour out my anger on you; I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and I will give you into the hand of brutal men, skilled craftsmen of destruction. 32 You will be as fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the earth. You will not be remembered, for I, Yahweh, I have spoken.’”
Highlighting the Sins and the Judgments of Israel
22 And the word of Yahweh came[qh] to me, saying,[qi] 2 “And you, son of man,[qj] will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city?[qk] Then you must make known to her all of her detestable things! 3 And you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “A city pouring out blood in the midst of her; its time has come,[ql] and it made idols for itself, becoming unclean. 4 By your blood that you poured out you have become guilty, and by your idols that you made you have become unclean, and you have brought your days near, and your appointed years have come.[qm] Therefore I have made you a disgrace for the nations and a laughingstock to all of the countries. 5 The people near and the people far from you will make fun of you, the unclean and the terrified.[qn] 6 Look! The princes of Israel, each one according to his strength,[qo] they are in you for the shedding of blood.[qp] 7 They have treated father and mother with contempt in you; they violated[qq] the alien with[qr] extortion; in the midst of you they mistreated the orphan and widow. 8 You despised my holy objects; my Sabbaths you profaned. 9 Slanderous men are among you[qs] to shed blood, and they, among you,[qt] eat upon the mountains; they do wickedness in the midst of you. 10 They uncover the nakedness of a father among[qu] you; they violate a woman unclean of menstruation among[qv] you. 11 And a man does a detestable thing with the wife of his neighbor, and a man defiles his daughter-in-law in wickedness, and a man sexually violates among[qw] you his sister, the daughter of his father. 12 They take a bribe among[qx] you in order to shed blood; and you take usury, and you make gain from your neighbors by extortion, and so you have forgotten me, declares[qy] the Lord Yahweh. 13 And look! I strike my hand for your ill-gotten gain that you have made and at your blood that was in the midst of you. 14 Can your heart endure,[qz] or can your hands be strong at the days in which I am dealing with you? I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will act! 15 I will scatter you among the nations, and I will disperse you through the countries, and I will purge your uncleanness from you. 16 And I will be profaned by you before the eyes of the nations, and you will know that I am Yahweh.”’”
17 And the word of Yahweh came[ra] to me, saying,[rb] 18 “Son of man,[rc] the house of Israel has become as silver dross to me; all of them are as bronze and tin and iron and lead in the midst of a furnace, even as silver dross, silver dross they became! 19 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because all of you have become as silver dross, therefore look! I am gathering you to the midst of Jerusalem, 20 like the gathering of silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin to the middle of a furnace to blow fire on it for melting. Thus I will gather in my anger and in my rage, and I will deposit[rd] you, and I will melt you. 21 And I will gather you, and I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and so I will melt you in the midst of her. 22 Thus you will be melted like the melting of silver in the midst of a furnace, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have poured out my rage on you.’” 23 And the word of Yahweh came[re] to me, saying,[rf] 24 “Son of man,[rg] say to her, ‘You are a land not cleansed; it is not rained upon in the day of indignation.’ 25 The conspiracy of its prophets in the midst of her is like a roaring lion that is tearing prey. They devour people, and they take wealth and treasure; they make its widows numerous in the midst of her. 26 Its priests treat my law violently, and they profane my holy objects; they do not distinguish between a holy object and what is unholy, or between the clean and the unclean. They do not teach the difference, and they hide their eyes from my Sabbaths, and so I am profaned in the midst of them. 27 Its officials are like wolves tearing prey in its midst, to pour out blood, to destroy people, to make dishonest gain. 28 And for them its prophets plaster whitewash; they are seeing falseness and are practicing divination for them by lying, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh,’ and Yahweh has not spoken. 29 They severely oppress the people of the land, and they committed robbery,[rh] and they mistreated the needy and the poor, and they oppressed the alien without[ri] justice. 30 And so I sought for them somebody, one repairing the wall and standing in the breach before me[rj] on behalf of the land not to destroy it, but I did not find anyone, 31 and so I poured out my indignation on them. With the fire of my wrath I destroyed them; I returned their way upon their head,” declares[rk] the Lord Yahweh.
Oholah and Oholibah as Symbols of God’s Corrupt People
23 And the word of Yahweh came[rl] to me, saying,[rm] 2 “Son of man,[rn] there were two women, the daughters of one mother, 3 and they prostituted themselves in Egypt in their childhood; they were prostituting themselves there, and their breasts were fondled, and there they caressed the bosoms of their virginity. 4 Now as for their names, the older was Oholah, and Oholibah was her sister. And they became mine,[ro] and they bore sons and daughters, and their names[rp] are Samaria for Oholah, and Jerusalem for Oholibah. 5 And Oholah prostituted herself while she was still mine,[rq] and she lusted for her lovers, for Assyria who was nearby, 6 clothed in blue cloth, governors and prefects, handsome young men[rr] and all of them horsemen, experts on horseback.[rs] 7 And she bestowed her fornication on them, on the choice ones of the Assyrians,[rt] all of them, and with every one after which she lusted; with all of their idols she defiled herself. 8 And her whorings from the time of Egypt she did not abandon, for they slept with her in her childhood, and they caressed the bosoms of her virginity, and they poured out their fornication on her. 9 Therefore I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians[ru] after whom she lusted.[rv] 10 They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, and they killed her with the sword. And she became a name for the women, and they executed judgments against her.
11 “And though Oholibah her sister saw, yet in her lust she behaved more corruptly than her,[rw] and her whoring was more than the prostitution of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians,[rx] governors and prefects, warriors[ry] clothed in[rz] perfection,[sa] expert horsemen,[sb] all of them handsome young men.[sc] 13 And I saw that she was defiled; they had both taken the same path![sd] 14 And she increased her whorings, and she saw men carved[se] on the wall, images of Chaldeans[sf] carved in red, 15 belted with a belt at[sg] their waist with turbans on their heads, all of them giving the appearance of adjutants,[sh] the image[si] of the Babylonians;[sj] Chaldea was the land of their birth. 16 And she lusted for them when her eyes saw them,[sk] and she sent messengers to them at Chaldea. 17 And so the Babylonians[sl] came to her for the bed of lovemaking; and they defiled her with their fornication, and she was defiled by them, and she turned from them. 18 And she revealed her whorings, and she revealed her nakedness, and so I turned from her just as[sm] I turned from her sister. 19 Yet[sn] she increased her whorings, recalling[so] the days of her childhood when she was prostituted[sp] in the land of Egypt. 20 And she lusted after her male lovers whose genitalia were the genitalia of male donkeys and their seminal emission was the seminal emission of horses. 21 And you longed after the obscene conduct of your youth when your bosom was caressed by Egypt, fondling your young breasts.
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Look! I am stirring up your lovers against you concerning whom you turned away, and I will bring them against you from all around: 23 the Babylonians[sq] and all of the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, all of the Assyrians[sr] along with them, handsome young men,[ss] governors and prefects, all of them adjutants[st] and excellent horsemen.[su] 24 And they will come against you with an army chariot and wagon and with a crowd[sv] of peoples; they will set themselves against you from all around with large shield and small shield and helmet. And I will give before them[sw] judgment, and they will judge you with their judgments. 25 And I will direct my zeal against you, and they will deal with you in anger; your nose and your ears they will remove, and those who are left,[sx] they will fall by the sword, and they will take your sons and your daughters, and your remnant[sy] will be consumed by fire. 26 And they will strip you of your clothes, and they will take your splendid jewelry.[sz] 27 And I will put an end to your obscene conduct coming from you and your fornication from the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them; and you will not remember Egypt again.’ 28 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Look! I am giving you into the hand of those you hated, into the hand of those from whom[ta] you turned away. 29 And they will deal with you in hatred, and they will take all of your acquisitions, and they will leave you naked and in bareness; and the nakedness of your fornication and your obscene conduct and your whorings will be exposed. 30 These things are accomplished[tb] against[tc] you since you prostituted yourself after the nations, and on account of that, you defiled yourself by their idols. 31 You went in the same way of your sister, and I will give her cup into your hand.”’
32 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “You will drink the deep and wide[td] cup of your sister; you will be as laughter and as scorn; the cup holds so much![te] 33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, for a cup of horror and desolation is the cup of your sister, Samaria. 34 And you will drink it, and you will drain it, and its potsherds you will gnaw, and you will tear out your breasts, for I myself[tf] spoke,” declares[tg] the Lord Yahweh. 35 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because you have forgotten me, and you threw me behind your back, now in turn[th] you bear your obscene conduct and your whorings.”
36 And Yahweh said to me, “Son of man,[ti] will you judge Oholah and Oholibah and declare their abominable deeds to[tj] them? 37 For they committed adultery, and blood is on their hands, and they committed adultery with their idols, and even their children that they had borne for me—they sacrificed them as food! 38 Also they did this to me: they defiled my sanctuary on that day, and they profaned my Sabbaths, 39 and when they slaughtered their children for their idols, they came to my sanctuary on that day to profane it. And look, this is what they did in my house![tk]
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software