Bible in 90 Days
40 “They even sent for men from far away. A messenger was sent to them, and they came. The two sisters bathed themselves for them, painted their eyes and put on jewelry. 41 They sat on a fine bed with a table set before it. They put my incense and my oil on the table.
42 “There was the noise of a reckless crowd in the city. Common people gathered, and drunkards were brought from the desert. They put bracelets on the hands of the two sisters. And they put beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 Then I said about the one who was worn out by her acts of adultery, ‘Let them continue their sexual sins with her. She is nothing but a prostitute.’ 44 They kept going to her as they would go to a prostitute. So they continued to go to Oholah, which was Samaria, and Oholibah, which was Jerusalem. These were the shameful women. 45 But men who do right will judge them as they judge women who take part in adultery. And they will judge them as they judge women who murder people. This is because Samaria and Jerusalem are guilty of adultery and murder.
46 “This is what the Lord God says: Bring together a mob against Samaria and Jerusalem. And hand them over to be frightened and robbed. 47 Let the mob kill them by throwing stones at them. Let the mob cut them down with their swords. Let them kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses with fire.
48 “So I will put an end to sexual sins in the land. Then all women will be warned. And they will not do the sexual sins you have done. 49 You will be punished for your sexual sins and the sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”
The Pot and the Meat
24 The Lord spoke his word to me. It was in the ninth year, in the tenth month of our captivity. It was on the tenth day of the month. He said: 2 “Human being, write for yourself this date, this very date. The king of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem this very day. 3 And tell a story to the people who refuse to obey me. Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Put on the pot. Put it on
and pour water in it.
4 Put in the pieces of meat.
Put in the best pieces—the legs and the shoulders.
Fill it with the best bones.
5 Take the best of the flock.
Pile wood under the pot.
Boil the pieces of meat
until even the bones are cooked.
6 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
How terrible it will be for the city of murderers!
How terrible it will be for the rusty pot!
Its rust will not go away!
Take the meat out of it, piece by piece.
Don’t choose any special piece.
7 “‘The blood from her killings is still in the city.
She poured the blood on the bare rock.
She did not pour it on the ground
where dust would cover it.
8 To stir up my anger and revenge,
I put the blood she spilled on the bare rock.
So it will not be covered.
9 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
How terrible it will be for the city of murderers!
I will also pile the wood high for burning.
10 Pile up the wood
and light the fire.
Finish cooking the meat.
Mix in the spices.
And let the bones burn.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals.
It will become hot, and its copper sides will glow.
The dirty scum stuck inside it may then melt
and its rust burn away.
12 But efforts to clean the pot have failed.
Its heavy rust cannot be removed,
even in the fire.
13 “‘In your sinful action there is shame. I wanted to cleanse you, but you are still unclean. You will never be cleansed from your sin until my anger against you is carried out.
14 “‘I, the Lord, have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back punishment. I will not feel pity. I will judge you by your ways and actions, says the Lord God.’”
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 16 “Human being, I am going to take your wife from you. She is the desire of your eyes. She will die suddenly. But you must not be sad or cry loudly for her. You must not shed any tears. 17 Groan silently. Do not cry loudly for the dead. Tie on your turban, and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your face. And do not eat the food people eat when they are sad about a death.”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning. Then my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people asked me, “Tell us, what do the things you are doing mean for us?”
20 Then I said to them, “The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 21 ‘Say to the people of Israel, This is what the Lord God says: I am going to dishonor my Temple. You think it gives you strength. You are proud of it. You love to look at it. It makes you happy. But your sons and daughters that you left behind in Jerusalem will fall dead by the sword. 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your face. You will not eat the food people eat when they are sad about a death. 23 Your turbans will be on your heads. And your sandals will be on your feet. You will not cry loudly. But you will rot away in your sins. You will groan to each other. 24 So Ezekiel will be a sign for you. You will do all the same things he did. When it happens, you will know that I am the Lord God.’
25 “And as for you, human being, this is how it will be. I will take away the Temple that gives them strength. It makes them happy and proud. They love to look at it. It makes them happy. And I will take away their sons and daughters also. 26 At that time the person who escapes will come to you. He will have information for you to hear. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened. You will speak and be silent no more. So you will be a sign for them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Prophecy Against Ammon
25 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, look toward the people of Ammon and prophesy against them. 3 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God. This is what the Lord God says: You were glad when my Temple was dishonored. You were glad when the land of Israel was ruined. And you were glad when the people of Judah were taken away as captives. 4 So I am going to give you to the people of the East to be theirs. They will set up their camps among you. They will make their homes among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 And I will make the city of Rabbah a pasture for camels. And the land of Ammon will become a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 This is what the Lord God says: You clapped your hands and stamped your feet. You are happy about all the insults you have made against the land of Israel. 7 So I will use my power against you. I will give you to the nations as if you were valuables taken in war. I will wipe you out of the lands so you will no longer be a nation. I will destroy you. And you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Prophecy Against Moab and Edom
8 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Moab and Edom say, “The people of Judah are like all the other nations.” 9 So I am going to take away the cities that protect Moab’s borders. They are the best cities in that land. They are Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim. 10 Then I will give Moab, along with the Ammonites, to the people of the East. They will take over these people. Then along with the Ammonites, Moab will not be a nation anymore. 11 So I will punish the people of Moab. And they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Prophecy Against Edom
12 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Edom took revenge on the people of Judah. And the Edomites became guilty because of it. 13 So this is what the Lord God says: I will use my power against Edom. I will kill every man and animal in Edom. And I will destroy Edom all the way from Teman to Dedan. The Edomites will die in battle. 14 I will take revenge on Edom through my people Israel. So the Israelites will do to Edom what my hot anger demands. Then the Edomites will know my revenge, says the Lord God.’”
Prophecy Against Philistia
15 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘The Philistines have taken revenge with hateful hearts. Because of their strong hatred, they have tried to destroy Judah. 16 So this is what the Lord God says: I will use my power against the Philistines. I will remove the Kerethites. I will destroy those people still alive on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. 17 I will punish them in my anger until they have had enough. They will know that I am the Lord when I punish them.’”
Prophecy Against Tyre
26 It was the eleventh year, on the first day of the month of our captivity. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, the city of Tyre has spoken against Jerusalem: ‘The city that traded with the nations is destroyed. Now we can be the trading center. The city Jerusalem is ruined. Now we can make money.’ 3 So this is what the Lord God says: I am against you, Tyre. I will bring many nations against you. They will come like the sea beating its waves on your island shores. 4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers. I will also scrape away her ruins. I will make Tyre a bare rock. 5 Tyre will be an island where fishermen dry their nets. I have spoken, says the Lord God. The nations will steal valuable things from Tyre. 6 Also, her villages on the shore across from the island will be destroyed by war. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
Nebuchadnezzar to Attack Tyre
7 “This is what the Lord God says: I will bring a king from the north against Tyre. He is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the greatest king. He will bring horses, chariots, horsemen and a great army. 8 He will fight a battle and destroy your villages on the shore across from the island. He will set up devices to attack you. He will build a road of earth to the top of the walls. He will raise his shields against you. 9 He will bring logs to pound through your city walls. And he will break down your towers with his iron bars. 10 His horses will be so many that they will cover you with their dust. Your walls will shake at the noise of horsemen, wagons and chariots. The king of Babylon will enter your city gates. He will enter as men enter a city where the walls are broken through. 11 The hooves of his horses will run over your streets. He will kill your people with the sword. Your strong pillars will fall down to the ground. 12 Also, his men will take away your riches. They will steal the things you sell. They will break down your walls and destroy your nice houses. They will throw your stones, wood and trash into the sea. 13 So I will stop your songs. The music of your harps will not be heard anymore. 14 I will make you a bare rock. You will be a place for drying fishing nets. You will not be built again. This is because I, the Lord, have spoken, says the Lord God.
15 “This is what the Lord God says to Tyre: The people who live along the seacoast will shake with fear when they hear your defeat. Those of you who are injured and dying will groan. 16 Then all the leaders of the seacoast will go down from their thrones. They will take off their beautiful needlework clothes. They will clothe themselves with fear. They will sit on the ground. They will shake with fear all the time. They will be shocked when they see you. 17 They will begin singing a funeral song about you. They will say to you:
‘Tyre, you famous city, you have been destroyed!
Once seamen lived in you.
You and your people
had great power on the seas.
All the people around you
were afraid of you.
18 Now the people who live by the coast
will shake with fear on the day you fall.
The islands of the sea
will be afraid because you have been defeated.’
19 “This is what the Lord God says: I will make you an empty city. You will be like the cities that have no people living in them. I will bring the deep ocean waters over you. The Mediterranean Sea will cover you. 20 At that time I will send you down to the place of the dead. You will join the people who died long ago. I will make you live with the dead below the earth among old ruined places. You will not come back from there. People will never live in you again. 21 Other people will be afraid of what happened to you. It will be the end of you. People will look for you. But they will never find you again, says the Lord God.”
A Funeral Song for Tyre
27 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, sing a funeral song for the city of Tyre. 3 Speak to Tyre that is at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. For the people of many lands along the seacoast, Tyre is a place for trade. ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Tyre, you have said,
“I am like a beautiful ship.”
4 You were at home on the high seas.
Your builders have made your beauty perfect.
5 Your builders made all your boards
of fir trees from Mount Hermon.
They have taken a cedar tree from Lebanon.
They took it to make a ship’s mast for you.
6 They made your oars
from oak trees in Bashan.
They made your deck
from cypress trees from the coast of Cyprus.
Your deck has ivory set into it.
7 Your sail of linen with designs sewed on it came from Egypt.
Your sail became like a flag for you.
Your cloth shades over the deck were blue and purple.
They came from the island of Cyprus.
8 Men from Sidon and Arvad used oars to row you.
Tyre, your skilled men were the sailors on your deck.
9 Workers of Byblos were on board ship with you.
They put caulk[a] in your ship’s seams.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came alongside to trade with you.
10 “‘Men of Persia, Lydia and Put
were soldiers in your army.
They hung their shields and helmets on your walls.
Their victories made you famous.
11 Men of Arvad and Celicia
guarded your city walls all around.
Men of Gammad
were in your watchtowers.
They hung their shields around your walls.
They made your beauty perfect.
12 “‘Tarshish traded with you for many kinds of things. They paid for them with silver, iron, tin and lead.
13 “‘People of Greece, Tubal and Meshech traded with you. They traded slaves and bronze things for the things you sell.
14 “‘People of Beth Togarmah traded work horses, war horses and mules for the things you sell.
15 “‘People of Rhodes traded with you. You sold your things on many coastlands. They paid you with ivory tusks and valuable black wood.
16 “‘Aram traded with you because you had so many good things to sell. They traded turquoise, purple cloth and cloth with designs sewed on. They also traded fine linen, coral and rubies for the things you sell.
17 “‘Judah and Israel traded with you. They paid for the things you sell with wheat from Minnith. They also paid with honey, olive oil and balm.
18 “‘Damascus traded with you because you have many good things. They paid for them with wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.
19 “‘The Greeks from Uzal traded for the things you sold. They paid with wrought iron, cassia and sugar cane for your good things.
20 “‘Dedan traded saddle blankets to you.
21 “‘Arabia and all the rulers of Kedar traded with you. They traded lambs, male sheep and goats to you.
22 “‘The traders of Sheba and Raamah traded with you. They paid with all the best spices, valuable gems and gold.
23 “‘Haran, Canneh, Eden and the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad traded with you. 24 They paid with the best clothes, blue cloth and cloth with designs sewed on. They traded carpets of many colors and tightly wound ropes.
25 “‘Trading ships
carried the things you sold.
You were like a ship full of heavy cargo
in the middle of the sea.
26 The men who rowed you
brought you out into the high seas.
But the east wind has broken you to pieces
in the middle of the sea.
27 Your wealth, your trade and the things you sell will sink.
Your seamen, your sailors and your workers will sink.
Your traders, your soldiers,
and everyone else on board
will sink into the sea.
This will happen on the day your ship is wrecked.
28 The people on the shore will shake with fear
when your sailors cry out.
29 All the men who row
will leave their ships.
The seamen and the sailors of other ships
will stand on the shore.
30 They will cry loudly about you.
They will cry very much.
They will throw dust on their heads.
They will roll in ashes to show they are sad.
31 They will shave their heads for you.
And they will put on rough cloth to show they are upset.
They will cry very much for you.
They will cry loudly.
32 And in their loud crying
they will sing a funeral song for you.
“No one was ever destroyed like Tyre,
surrounded by the sea.”
33 The things you traded went out over the seas.
You met the needs of many nations.
With your great wealth and things you sold,
you made kings of the earth rich.
34 But now you are broken by the sea.
You have sunk to the bottom.
The things you sell and all your people
have gone down with you.
35 All those who live along the shore
are shocked by what happened to you.
Their kings are terribly afraid.
Their faces show their fear.
36 The traders among the nations hiss at you.
You have come to a terrible end.
And you are gone forever.’”
Prophecy Against the King of Tyre
28 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, say to the ruler of Tyre: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
You are too proud.
And you say, “I am a god.
I sit on the throne of a god
in the middle of the seas.”
You think you are as wise as a god.
But you are a man, not a god.
3 You think you are wiser than Daniel.
You think you can find out all secrets.
4 Through your wisdom and understanding
you have made yourself rich.
You have gained gold and silver.
And you have saved it in your storerooms.
5 Through your great skill in trading,
you have made your riches grow.
You are too proud
because of your riches.
6 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
You think you are wise
like a god.
7 But I will bring foreign people against you.
They will be the cruelest nation.
They will pull out their swords
and destroy all that your wisdom has built.
And they will dishonor your greatness.
8 They will kill you.
You will die a terrible death
like those who are killed at sea.
9 While they are killing you,
you will not be able to say anymore, “I am a god.”
You will be only a man, not a god,
when your murderers kill you.
10 You will die like an unclean person.
Foreigners will kill you.
I have spoken, says the Lord God.’”
11 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 12 “Human being, sing a funeral song for the king of Tyre. Say to him: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
You were an example of what was perfect.
You were full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You had a wonderful life,
like those in Eden, the garden of God.
Every valuable gem was on you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
yellow quartz, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and chrysolite.
Your jewelry was made of gold.
It was prepared on the day you were created.
14 I appointed a living creature to guard you.
I put you on the holy mountain of God.
You walked among the gems of fire.
15 Your life was right and good.
This was from the day you were created,
until evil was found in you.
16 Because you traded with countries far away,
you learned to be cruel, and you sinned.
So I threw you down in disgrace from the mountain of God.
And the living creature who guarded you
forced you out from among the gems of fire.
17 You became too proud
because of your beauty.
You ruined your wisdom
because of your greatness.
I threw you down to the ground.
Your example taught a lesson to other kings.
18 You dishonored your places of worship
through your many sins and dishonest trade.
So I set your city on fire.
And it burned up.
I turned you into ashes on the ground
for all those watching to see.
19 All the nations who knew you
are shocked about you.
Your punishment was so terrible.
And you are gone forever.’”
Prophecy Against Sidon
20 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 21 “Human being, look toward the city of Sidon and prophesy against her. 22 Say: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
I am against you, Sidon.
I will show my greatness among you.
Then people will know that I am the Lord
when I have punished Sidon.
I will show my holiness by defeating her.
23 I will send diseases to Sidon,
and blood will flow in her streets.
Those who are wounded in Sidon will fall dead.
She will be attacked from all sides.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
God Will Help Israel
24 “‘No more will neighboring nations be like thorny branches or sharp stickers to hurt Israel. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.
25 “‘This is what the Lord God says: I will gather the people of Israel from the nations where they are scattered. I will show my holiness when the nations see what I do to my people. Then they will live in their own land—the land I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 Then they will live safely in the land. They will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live in safety after I have punished all the nations around who hate them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”
Prophecy Against Egypt
29 It was the tenth year, in the tenth month of our captivity. It was on the twelfth day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, look toward the king of Egypt. And prophesy against him and all Egypt. 3 Say: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
I am against you, king of Egypt.
You are like a great crocodile that lies in the Nile River.
You say, “The Nile is mine.
I made it for myself.”
4 But I will put hooks in your jaws.
I will make the fish of the Nile stick to your sides.
I will pull you up out of your rivers,
with all the fish sticking to your sides.
5 I will leave you in the desert.
I will leave you and all the fish from your rivers.
You will fall on the open field.
You will not be picked up or buried.
I have given you to the wild animals.
And I have given you to the birds of the sky for food.
6 Then all the people who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.
“‘Israel tried to lean on you for help. But you were like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass. 7 When their hands grabbed you, you splintered and tore open their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and made all their backs twist.
8 “‘So this is what the Lord God says: I will cause an enemy to attack you. He will kill your men and animals. 9 Then Egypt will become an empty desert. They will know that I am the Lord.
“‘This is because you said, “The Nile River is mine. And I have made it.” 10 So, I am against you. I am against your rivers. I will destroy the land of Egypt. It will be empty desert from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south. It will be empty all the way to the southern border of Cush. 11 No man or animal will walk through it. No one will live in Egypt for 40 years. 12 I will make the land of Egypt the emptiest country of all. And her cities will be the emptiest of all ruined cities for 40 years. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations. And I will spread them among the countries.
13 “‘This is what the Lord God says: After 40 years I will gather Egypt from the nations where they have been scattered. 14 I will bring back the Egyptian captives. I will make the Egyptians return to southern Egypt. They will return to the land that they came from. They will become a weak kingdom there. 15 It will be the weakest kingdom. It will never again rule other nations. I will make it so weak it will never again rule over the nations. 16 The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt. Egypt’s punishment will remind the Israelites of their sin. They turned to Egypt for help and not to God. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.’”
Egypt Is Given to Babylon
17 It was the twenty-seventh year of our captivity, in the first month. It was on the first day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 18 “Human being, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army fight hard against Tyre. Every soldier’s head was rubbed bare. Every shoulder was rubbed raw. But Nebuchadnezzar and his army gained nothing from fighting Tyre. 19 So this is what the Lord God says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And Nebuchadnezzar will take away Egypt’s people. He will take Egypt’s wealth and its valuable things as pay for his army. 20 I have given Nebuchadnezzar the land of Egypt. It is a reward for working hard to defeat Egypt for me. That is what the Lord God says.
21 “On that day I will make Israel grow strong again. I will let you, Ezekiel, speak to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”
Egypt Will Be Punished
30 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Human being, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Cry and say,
“The terrible day is coming.”
3 The day is near.
The Lord’s day of judging is near.
It is a cloudy day.
It is a time when the nations will be judged.
4 An enemy will attack Egypt.
And Cush will tremble with fear.
When the killing begins in Egypt,
her wealth will be taken away.
Egypt’s foundations will be torn down.
5 Cush, Put, Lydia, Arabia, Libya and my people will die. All these who made an agreement with Egypt will fall dead in war.
6 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
Those who fight on Egypt’s side will fall.
The power she is proud of will go down.
The people in Egypt will fall dead in war
from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south,
says the Lord God.
7 They will be
the emptiest land.
Egypt’s cities will be
like other cities that lie in ruin.
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord.
This will happen when I set fire to Egypt
and when all those nations on her side are crushed.
9 “‘At that time I will send messengers in ships. They will frighten Cush which now feels safe. The people of Cush will tremble with fear when Egypt is punished. And that time is sure to come.
10 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will destroy great numbers of people in Egypt.
I will do it through Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 Nebuchadnezzar and his army
are the cruelest army of any nation.
They will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will pull out their swords against Egypt.
They will fill the land with those they kill.
12 I will make the streams of the Nile River become dry land.
Then I will sell the dry land to evil people.
I will destroy the land and everything in it.
I will do it through the power of strangers.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Egypt’s Idols Are Destroyed
13 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will destroy the idols.
And I will take away the statues of false gods from the city of Memphis.
There will no longer be a leader in Egypt.
And I will spread fear through the land of Egypt.
14 I will make southern Egypt empty.
I will start a fire in Zoan.
I will punish Thebes.
15 And I will pour out my anger against Pelusium,
the strong place of Egypt.
I will destroy great numbers of people in Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt.
Pelusium will be in great pain.
The walls of Thebes will be broken open.
And Memphis will have troubles every day.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis
will fall dead in war.
And the people will be taken away as captives.
18 In Tahpanhes the day will be dark
when I break Egypt’s power.
A cloud will cover Egypt.
And her villages will be captured and taken away.
19 So I will punish Egypt.
And they will know I am the Lord.’”
Egypt Becomes Weak
20 It happened in the eleventh year of our captivity, in the first month. It was on the seventh day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 21 “Human being, I have broken the powerful arm of the king of Egypt. It has not been tied up so it will not get well. It has not been wrapped with a bandage. So his arm will not be strong enough to hold a sword in war. 22 So this is what the Lord God says: I am against the king of Egypt. I will break his arms. I will break both the strong arm and the broken arm. I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations. And I will spread them among the countries. 24 I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong. I will put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of the king of Egypt. Then he will cry out in pain as a wounded man cries out. 25 So I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong. But the arms of the king of Egypt will fall. Then they will know that I am the Lord. I will put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will use the sword in war against Egypt. 26 Then I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations. And I will spread them among the countries. And they will know that I am the Lord.”
A Cedar Tree
31 It happened in the eleventh year of our captivity, in the third month. It was on the first day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, say to the king of Egypt and his people:
‘No one was like you in your greatness.
3 Assyria was once like a cedar tree in Lebanon.
It had beautiful branches that shaded the forest.
It was very tall.
Its top was among the clouds.
4 Much water made the tree grow.
The deep springs of water made the tree tall.
Rivers flowed
around the bottom of the tree.
They sent their streams
to all other trees of the field.
5 So the tree was taller
than all the other trees of the field.
Its branches became long and big
because of so much water.
6 All the birds of the sky
made their nests in the tree’s branches.
And all the wild animals
gave birth under the tree’s branches.
All great nations
lived in the tree’s shade.
7 So the tree was great and beautiful,
with its long branches.
Its roots reached down to many waters.
8 The cedar trees in the garden of God
were not as great as it was.
The pine trees
did not have such great branches.
The plane trees
did not have such branches.
No tree in the garden of God
was as beautiful as this tree.
9 I made it beautiful
with many branches.
And all the trees of Eden in the garden of God
wanted to be like it.
10 “‘So this is what the Lord God says: The tree has grown tall. Its top has reached the clouds. And it has become proud of its height. 11 So I have let a mighty ruler of the nations take care of the tree. The ruler will surely punish the tree. Because it is evil I will get rid of it. 12 The cruelest foreign nation cut it down and left it. The tree’s branches fell on the mountains and in all the valleys. Its broken branches were in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth left the shade of that tree. 13 The birds of the sky live on the fallen tree. The wild animals live among the tree’s fallen branches. 14 Then the trees that grow by the water will not be proud to be tall. They will not put their tops among the clouds. None of the trees that are watered well will grow that tall. They all are meant to die and go under the ground. They will be with those who have died and have gone down to where the dead are.
15 “‘This is what the Lord God says: On the day when the tree went down to where the dead are, I made people cry loudly. I covered the deep springs and held back their rivers. And the great waters stopped flowing. I made Lebanon cry loudly for the great tree. All the trees of the field dried up and died. 16 I made the nations shake with fear at the sound of the tree falling. I brought the tree down to where the dead are. It went with those who go down to the grave. Then trees of Eden and the best trees of Lebanon were comforted. All the well-watered trees were comforted in the earth below. 17 But these trees also went down with the great tree to the place where the dead are. They went to join those who were killed in war. They had lived under the great tree’s shade. They were its friends among the nations.
18 “‘So no tree in Eden is equal to you in greatness and honor. But you will go down with the trees of Eden to the earth below. You will lie among unclean people who were killed in war.
“‘This will happen to the king of Egypt and all his people, says the Lord God.’”
A Funeral Song
32 It happened in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month of our captivity. It was on the first day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, sing a funeral song about the king of Egypt. Say to him:
‘You are like a young lion among the nations.
You are like a crocodile in the seas.
You splash around in your streams.
And you stir up the waters with your feet.
You make the rivers muddy.
3 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will spread my net over you.
And I will use a large group of people
to pull you up in my net.
4 Then I will throw you on the land.
I will toss you into the open field.
I will let the birds of the sky rest on you.
And I will let the animals of the earth eat you until they are full.
5 I will scatter your flesh on the mountains.
And I will fill the valleys with what is left of you.
6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood.
I will soak the mountains,
and the ravines will be full of your flesh.
7 I will make you disappear.
And I will cover the sky and make the stars dark.
I will cover the sun with a cloud.
And the moon will not shine.
8 I will make all the shining lights in the sky
become dark over you.
I will bring darkness over your land,
says the Lord God.
9 I will cause many people to be afraid
when I have another nation destroy you.
Nations you have not known will be afraid because of you.
10 I will cause people to be shocked about you.
Their kings will tremble with fear because of you
when I swing my sword before them.
They will shake every moment
on the day you fall.
Each king will be afraid for his own life.
11 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
The sword of the king of Babylon
will come on you.
12 I will cause your people to fall
by the swords of mighty soldiers.
They are the most terrible of all the nations.
They will destroy the pride of Egypt.
All Egypt’s people will be destroyed.
13 I will also destroy all Egypt’s cattle
which live alongside many waters.
The foot of man will not stir the waters.
And the hooves of cattle will not muddy them anymore.
14 So I will let the Egyptians’ waters become quiet.
I will cause their rivers to run as smoothly as olive oil,
says the Lord God.
15 I will make the land of Egypt empty.
I will take everything that is in the land.
I will destroy all those who live in Egypt.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
16 “This is the funeral song people will sing for Egypt. The women of the nations will sing it for Egypt. They will sing a funeral song for Egypt and all its people, says the Lord God.”
Egypt to Be Destroyed
17 It happened in the twelfth year of our captivity. It was on the fifteenth day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 18 “Human being, cry for the people of Egypt. Bring down Egypt, together with the women of the powerful nations. Bring them down to the earth below. Bring them down with those who go to the place of the dead. 19 Say to them: ‘Are you more beautiful than others? Go lie down in death with those who are unclean.’ 20 The Egyptians will fall among those killed by war. Egypt is going to be killed by the sword. The enemy will drag her and all her people away. 21 The leaders of the mighty ones will speak from the place of death. They will say about the king of Egypt and the nations which help him: ‘The king and the nations which help him have come down here. They lie killed by the sword among those who are unclean.’
22 “Assyria and all its army lie dead there. The graves of their soldiers are all around. All were killed in war. 23 Assyria’s grave was put in the deep parts of the place where the dead are. And its army lies around its grave. When they lived, they frightened people in the land of the living. But now all of them have been killed in war.
24 “The nation of Elam is there. And all its army is around its grave. All of them were killed in war. They had frightened people on earth and were unclean. So they went down to the lowest parts of the place where the dead are. And they must carry their shame with those who go down to the place where the dead are. 25 A bed is made for Elam with all those killed in war. They will be in the place where the dead are. The graves of her soldiers are all around her. Elam’s people are unclean. So they have been killed in war. They also scared people who live on earth. But they must also carry their shame with those who go down to where the dead are. Their graves are with the rest who were killed.
26 “Meshech and Tubal are there. The graves of all their soldiers surround them. All of them are unclean. So they have been killed in war. They also frightened people who live on earth. 27 But they are not buried with the other unclean soldiers who have been killed in battle. They are not with those who went where the dead are with their weapons of war. These soldiers had their swords laid under their heads and their shields on their bodies. People who live on earth used to be afraid of these mighty soldiers.
28 “You, king of Egypt, will be broken and lie among those who are unclean. You will be with those who were killed in war.
29 “Edom is there also. Its kings and all its leaders are there. They were mighty. But now they lie in death with those killed in war. They will lie with those who are unclean. And they will be with those who go down to where the dead are.
30 “All the rulers of the north are there. And all the Sidonians are there. Their strength frightened people. These rulers of the north and the Sidonians have gone down in shame with those who were killed. They are unclean, lying with those killed in war. They have carried their shame with those who go down to where the dead are.
31 “The king of Egypt and his army will see these who have been killed in war. Then the king and all his army will be comforted for all his soldiers killed in war, says the Lord God. 32 I made people who live on earth afraid of the king of Egypt. But he and his people will lie among those who are unclean. They will lie with those who were killed by the sword, says the Lord God.”
Ezekiel Is Watchman for Israel
33 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, speak to your people. Say to them: ‘I might bring a war against a land. The people of the land may choose one of their men. They may make him their watchman. 3 This watchman might see the enemy coming to attack the land. And he blows the trumpet and warns the people. 4 A person might hear the sound of the trumpet, but do nothing. Then the enemy will come and kill him. That person will be responsible for his own death. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet. But he did not do anything. So he is to blame for his own death. If he had done something, he would have saved his own life. 6 But the watchman might see the enemy coming to attack and not blow the trumpet. So the people are not warned. Then the enemy comes and kills one of them. That person has died because of his own sin. But I will punish the watchman for the person’s death.’
7 “As for you, human being, I have made you a watchman for Israel. If you hear a message from me, you must warn them for me. 8 I might say to the wicked person: ‘Wicked man, you will surely die.’ But you might not speak to warn the evil person to stop doing evil. Then he will die while still a sinner. But I will punish you for his death. 9 But you might warn a wicked person to stop doing evil. If he does not stop, he will die while still a sinner. But you have saved your life.
10 “So you, human being, say to Israel: ‘You have said: Surely our law-breaking and sins are hurting us. They will kill us. What can we do so we will live?’ 11 Say to them: ‘The Lord God says: As surely as I live, this is true. I do not want a wicked person to die. I want him to stop doing evil and live. Turn back! Turn back from your wicked ways! You don’t want to die, people of Israel.’
12 “And you, human being, say to your people: ‘The goodness of a good person will not save him when he sins. The evil of the wicked person will not cause him to be punished if he turns from it. A good person will not be able to live by the good he did earlier if he sins.’ 13 I might tell the good person, “You will surely live.” But he might think he has done enough good and then do evil. Then none of the good things he did will be remembered. He will die because of the evil he has done. 14 Or, I might say to the wicked person, “You will surely die.” But he might turn from his sin and do what is right and honest. 15 He returns what somebody gave him as a promise to repay a loan. He pays back what he stole. He lives by the rules that give life. He does not sin. Then that one will surely live. He will not die. 16 He will not be punished for any of his sins. He now does what is right and fair. He will surely live.
17 “But your people say: ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their own way that is not fair. 18 The good person might turn from his goodness and do evil. Then he will die for his evil. 19 But the wicked person might stop doing evil and do what is right and fair. Then he will live. 20 You still say: ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Israel, I will judge each of you by his own ways.”
The Fall of Jerusalem Explained
21 It happened in the twelfth year of our captivity. It was on the fifth day of the tenth month. A person who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me. He said, “Jerusalem has been defeated.” 22 Now I had felt the power of the Lord on me the evening before. The Lord had made me able to talk again. He did this before the person came to me in the morning. I could speak. I was not without speech anymore.
23 Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 24 “Human being, people who live in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying: ‘Abraham was only one person. Yet he was given the land as his own. Surely the land has been given to us, who are many, as our very own.’ 25 So say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: You eat meat with the blood still in it. You ask your idols for help. You murder people. Should you then have the land as your very own? 26 You depend on your sword. You do terrible things which I hate. Each of you commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife. So should you have the land?’
27 “Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, this is true. Those who are among the city ruins in Israel will be killed in war. Those who live in the country will be eaten by wild animals. People hiding in the strong places and caves will die of disease. 28 I will make the land an empty desert. The people’s pride in the land’s power will end. The mountains of Israel will become empty. No one will pass through them. 29 They will know that I am the Lord when I make the land an empty desert. This is because of the things they have done that I hate.’
30 “But as for you, human being, your people talk against you. They talk by the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to each other: ‘Come now, and hear the message from the Lord.’ 31 So they come to you as if they are still my people. They sit before you. They hear your words. But they will not do them. With their mouths they tell me they love me. But their hearts desire their selfish profits. 32 To your people you are nothing more than a singer who sings love songs. You are like one who has a beautiful voice. You are like one who plays a musical instrument well. They hear your words, but they will not do them.
33 “This will come true. It will surely happen. Then the people will know that a prophet has been among them.”
The Leaders Are Like Shepherds
34 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, prophesy against the leaders of Israel, who are like shepherds. Prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who feed only themselves! Why don’t the shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the milk curds from the sheep. You clothe yourselves with the wool from the sheep. You kill the fat sheep. But you do not feed the flock. 4 You have not made the weak strong. You have not healed the sick. You have not put bandages on those that were hurt. You have not brought back those who strayed away. You have not searched for the lost. You ruled the sheep with cruel force. 5 The sheep were scattered because there was no shepherd. Then they became food for every wild animal. 6 My flock wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over all the face of the earth. And no one searched or looked for them.
7 “‘So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says: 8 As surely as I live, my flock has been caught. It has become food for all the wild animals. This is because the flock has no shepherd. The shepherds did not search for my flock. No, they fed themselves instead of my flock. 9 So, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. 10 This is what the Lord God says: I am against the shepherds. I will blame them for what has happened to my sheep. I will not let them tend the flock anymore. Then the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. And I will take my flock from their mouths. My sheep will no longer be their food.
11 “‘This is what the Lord God says: I, myself, will search for my sheep. I will take care of them. 12 A shepherd will take care of his scattered flock when it is found. In the same way I will take care of my sheep. I will save them from all the places where they are scattered. I will do this on a cloudy and dark day. 13 I will bring them out from the nations. I will gather them from the countries. I will bring them to their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains and in the ravines of Israel. And I will feed them in all the places where people live in the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture. They will eat grass on the high mountains of Israel. They will lie down on good ground where they eat grass. They will eat in rich grassland on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock and lead them to rest, says the Lord God. 16 I will search for the lost. I will bring back those that were scattered. I will put bandages on those that were hurt. I will make the weak strong. I will destroy those sheep that are fat and strong. I will tend the sheep with fairness.
17 “‘This is what the Lord God says: And as for you, my flock, I will judge between one sheep and another. I will judge between the male sheep and the male goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to eat grass in the good land? Must you crush the rest of the grass with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you make the rest of the water muddy with your feet? 19 Must my flock eat what you crush? And must they drink what you make muddy with your feet?
20 “‘So this is what the Lord God says to them: I, myself, will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep. 21 You push with your side and with your shoulder. You knock down all the weak sheep with your horns. You do this until you have forced them away. 22 So I will save my flock. They will not be hurt anymore. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 Then I will put one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will feed them. He will tend them and will be their shepherd. 24 Then I, the Lord, will be their God. And my servant David will be a ruler among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.
25 “‘And I will make an agreement of peace with my sheep. I will remove harmful animals from the land. Then the sheep will live safely in the desert. And they will sleep in the woods without danger. 26 I will bless them and let them live around my hill. I will cause the rains to come when it is time for them. There will be showers to bless them. 27 Also the trees of the field will give their fruit. The land will give its harvest. And the sheep will be safe on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord. I will break the bars of their captivity. And I will save them from the power of those who made them slaves. 28 They will not be led captive by the nations again. The wild animals will not eat them. But they will live safely. No one will make them afraid. 29 I will give them a place famous for its good crops. Then they will no longer suffer from hunger in the land. They will not suffer the insults of other nations anymore. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. The nation of Israel will know that they are my people, says the Lord God. 31 And you, my sheep, are the sheep of my pasture. You are my people and I am your God, says the Lord God.’”
Prophecy Against Edom
35 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, look toward Mount Edom and prophesy against it. 3 Say to it: ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am against you, Mount Edom. I will stretch out my hand against you. And I will make you an empty desert. 4 I will destroy your cities. And you will become empty. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5 “‘This is because you have always been an enemy of Israel. You let them be defeated in war when they were in trouble. It was the time of their final punishment. 6 So the Lord God says, As surely as I live, I will let you be murdered. Murder will chase you. You did not hate murdering people, so murder will chase you. 7 And I will make Mount Edom an empty ruin. And I will destroy everyone who goes in or comes out of it. 8 I will fill its mountains with those who are killed. Those killed in war will fall on your hills. They will fall in your valleys and in all your ravines. 9 I will make you a ruin forever. No one will live in your cities. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
10 “‘You said, “These two nations, Israel and Judah, and these two lands will be ours. We will take them for our own.” But the Lord was there. 11 So this is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, this is true. I will treat you just as you treated them. When you were angry and jealous, you acted hatefully against them. I will punish you. And that is how I will show the Israelites who I am. 12 Then you will know that I, the Lord God, have heard all your insults. Those insults were against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been ruined. They have been given to us to eat.” 13 You have not stopped your proud talk against me. I have heard you. 14 This is what the Lord God says: All the earth will be happy when I make you an empty ruin. 15 You were happy when the land of Israel was ruined. But I will do the same thing to you. Mount Edom and all Edom, you will become an empty ruin. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.