Bible in 90 Days
40 The two sisters sent messages to men in places far away. When the men came to visit them, the sisters washed themselves. Yes, you made your eyes beautiful with paint. You wore beautiful jewels. 41 You sat on a beautiful bed with a table in front of it. On the table you put incense and olive oil that I had given to you.
42 There was a crowd of happy men around them. They included men who came from the desert and who were drunk. They put rings on the sisters' hands and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 I said this about the woman who had become tired of having sex with so many men: “They will continue to have sex with her, as she is a prostitute.” 44 So the men had sex with her, as men have sex with prostitutes. That is how they had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, those two prostitutes. 45 But good men will say that those women are guilty. They will punish them as they deserve, because they have not been faithful to me. They have also murdered people.
46 This is what the Almighty Lord says: Bring an army to attack those women. Make them very afraid. Take away their valuable things. 47 The army will throw stones at them and cut them with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters. They will destroy their houses with fire.
48 That is how I will stop the people of this land from doing disgusting things. All the women will see what has happened to Oholah and Oholibah. They will not do the same disgusting things themselves. 49 And you, Oholah and Oholibah, will receive the punishment that you deserve. You have lived as prostitutes, and you have not been faithful to me. Instead, you have worshipped idols. So I will punish you. Then you will know that I am the Almighty Lord. ’
The pot to cook meat
24 The Lord gave this message to me on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year: 2 ‘Son of man, remember this day. Write it down. On this day, the king of Babylon is starting to attack Jerusalem. 3 Tell a story to these people who refuse to obey me. Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says:
Put the pot on the fire. Put it there now.
Pour some water into the pot.
4 Put the pieces of meat into it.
Put in all the good pieces of meat.
Put in the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with all the best bones.
5 Use meat and bones from the best sheep.
Put more wood on the fire under the pot.
Cause the water in the pot to boil well.
Cook the bones and the meat.
6 This is what the Almighty Lord says:
Terrible trouble will come to the city that is full of murderers!
It is like a pot that has become dirty.
Nobody has tried to clean it.
Take out each piece of meat, one by one.
No piece is special.
7 You can see the blood of people that men killed in the city.
It lies on the rocks where everyone can see it.
Those murderers did not leave the blood on the ground,
where dirt would hide it.
8 I have put the blood on the rocks where everyone can see it.
Nothing will be able to hide it.
When I see it, I am very angry.
I will punish the people of that city as they deserve.
9 So this is what the Almighty Lord says:
Terrible trouble will come to the city that is full of murderers!
I will put more wood on the fire to destroy it.
10 Yes, make a big heap of wood.
Make the fire burn hot! Cook the meat well!
Mix in some spices!
Let the bones burn.
11 Then put the empty pot on the coals of the fire.
Make the pot very hot, so that its metal is bright red.
Burn all the dirt to remove it.
Make the pot clean again!
12 Yes, I have tried to make it clean.
But the disgusting dirt is still there.
So throw the pot and all its dirt on the fire!
13 The dirt on the pot shows the disgusting things that you do. I tried to remove those wicked things to make you clean, but you would not let me do that. So I will punish you until I am no longer angry with you. You will not be clean until that happens.
14 I, the Lord have said what I will do. Now I will do it! The time for your punishment has come! I will not change my mind. I will not be kind to you. I will not be sorry for you. I will judge you as you deserve for the things that you have done. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’
Ezekiel's wife dies
15 The Lord gave me this message: 16 ‘Son of man, I will suddenly take away from you the one person who makes you happy. But you must not weep. Do not let people see that you are sad. 17 Cry inside yourself but do not cry aloud. Do not show that you are sad because someone has died. Do not remove the cloth from your head. Keep your shoes on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your face. Do not eat the food that people eat at funerals.’[a]
18 That morning I spoke to the people. In the evening of that day, my wife died. The next morning I did what the Lord had told me to do.
19 Then the people said to me, ‘Please tell us why you are doing these things. What are you trying to show us?’ 20 So I said to them, ‘The Lord gave this message to me:
21 Say to Israel's people, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I will now make my holy place become unclean. It is the place that makes you very proud. You love it because it is so beautiful. But now enemy soldiers will kill your sons and daughters that you left in Jerusalem. 22 Then you will do the same things that I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face. You will not eat special food that people eat at funerals. 23 You will still wear your cloths on your heads. You will wear your shoes on your feet. You will not cry aloud or weep. You will suffer and you will be weak because of the punishment for your sins. You will cry quietly among yourselves. 24 Ezekiel is an example to you. You must do the same as he has done when his wife died. When this happens, you will know that I am the Almighty Lord.”[b]
25 Son of man, I will soon take away from them Jerusalem's great temple. It is the beautiful place that has made them very happy. They are very proud of it. They love to look at it. I will also take away their sons and daughters. 26 On the day when that happens, a man will run away from the battle in Jerusalem. He will come here to tell you the news. 27 At that time, you will be able to speak again.[c] You will talk with that man. You will no longer have to be quiet. You will be an example to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord. ’
The Lord warns Ammon
25 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, look towards the people in Ammon.[d] You must tell them my message to warn them. 3 Say to them, “Listen to this message from the Almighty Lord. This is what he says: You shouted happily when enemies made my holy place unclean. You were happy when the land of Israel became an empty place. And you were happy when Judah's people went away as prisoners to a foreign country. 4 So listen to me! I will give you to the people in the east to be their slaves. Their soldiers will come and they will put their tents among you. They will live among you. They will eat your fruit and they will drink your milk. 5 I will make Rabbah a place where camels eat grass.[e] I will make Ammon a place where sheep rest. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 This is what the Almighty Lord says: You were happy when I punished Israel. You clapped your hands together. You stamped your feet on the ground. 7 So listen! I will now use my power to punish you. I will allow other nations to take all your valuable things. I will completely remove you so that you will not be a nation any longer. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
The Lord warns Moab
8 The Almighty Lord says this: The people in Moab and Seir said, “Judah's people have become the same as all the other nations.” 9 So listen! I will let enemies attack the towns on the border of Moab. I will destroy their greatest cities, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim. 10 I will give Moab's people to the people in the east as their slaves, together with the Ammonites. The other nations will not remember the Ammonites any more. 11 I will also punish Moab's people.[f] Then they will know that I am the Lord.
The Lord warns Edom
12 The Almighty Lord says this: Edom's people were cruel to Judah's people when they wanted to punish them.[g] They are guilty because of what they did to Judah's people. 13 So the Almighty Lord God says this: I will use my power to punish Edom. I will destroy Edom's people and animals. Edom will become an empty place. Enemy soldiers will use their swords to kill the people, everywhere from Teman to Dedan. 14 I will use my people, the Israelites, to punish Edom. The Edomites will know that I am very angry with them. They will know that their punishment comes from me. That is what the Almighty Lord says.
The Lord warns the Philistines
15 The AlmightyLord says this: The Philistines were cruel to Judah's people when they wanted to punish them. They hated Judah's people and they wanted to destroy them. They would not stop attacking them. 16 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I will use my power to punish the Philistines. I will kill the Kerethites. I will destroy the people who remain on the coast of the sea.[h] 17 I will punish them very much because of the things that they have done. I will show them that I am very angry with them. When and I punish them as they deserve, they will know that I am the Lord. ’
The Lord warns Tyre[i]
26 The Lord gave this message to me on the first day of the month, in the 11th year:
2 ‘Son of man, Tyre's people have said, “Good! An enemy has destroyed Jerusalem! Traders from that city went out to many nations. Now we will do that instead of them. We will become rich because Jerusalem is no longer a strong city.”
3 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I have become your enemy, Tyre. I will bring many nations to attack you. They will be like the waves of the sea as they hit you. 4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre. They will knock down its strong towers. I will then remove all the stones that remain. The city will become a rock with nothing on it. 5 On that rock, in the middle of the sea, men will dry the nets that they use to catch fish. That is what I say, says the Almighty Lord. Armies from other nations will take Tyre's valuable things for themselves. 6 Soldiers will use their swords to kill people in the small towns on the coast near Tyre. Then people will know that I am the Lord.
7 This is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I will bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to attack Tyre from the north. He is a powerful king. He will bring his great army with soldiers on horses and chariots. 8 His soldiers will destroy your towns and villages on the coast. They will build heaps of earth around your walls. They will hold up their shields like a wall as they attack you. 9 They will use heavy pieces of wood to knock down the city's walls. They will use their weapons to knock down the strong towers.
10 King Nebuchadnezzar's army will have many horses. As they attack you, the dirt from their feet will cover you. The noise of the riders on the horses and the chariots' wheels will cause the city's walls to shake. They will break through the city's gates and walls. 11 The horses will run along all the streets. The soldiers will kill your people with their swords. The strong pillars of your buildings will fall to the ground. 12 The soldiers will take your riches and valuable things for themselves. They will break down your walls. They will destroy your beautiful homes. They will throw into the sea all the wood and stones that remain from your buildings. 13 I will stop the noise of your songs. Nobody will hear the sound of your harps any longer. 14 Tyre will be a rock in the sea with no buildings on it. Men will dry their nets on it. Nobody will never build the city again. That is what I, the Almighty Lord, have said. So it will certainly happen!
15 This is what the Almighty Lord says to Tyre: All the people who live on the coast of the sea will hear the news. When they know that you have fallen to the ground, they will shake with fear.[j] They will hear the loud cries of your people when they die in the battle. 16 Then the rulers of the towns on the coast of the sea will be very sad. They will no longer sit on their thrones. They will remove their beautiful royal clothes. They will sit on the ground as they shake with fear. They will not stop shaking when they hear what has happened to you. 17 Then they will sing this funeral song about you:
“City that was famous for your great sailors,
now your power has gone!
In the past, you made many people afraid,
as your brave men travelled across the sea.
18 Now you have fallen to the ground
and people who live on the coast shake with fear.
Now your power has gone
and those people are very afraid.”
19 This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will make you an empty place, like cities where nobody lives. The great waves of the sea will completely cover you. 20 Then I will cause you to you to fall deep down into the earth. You will be part of the world of dead people who lived a long time ago. You will join other cities that became heaps of stones long ago. You will remain there. You will never again be a city in the world where people are alive. 21 I will cause terrible things to happen to you. You will come to a complete end. People will look for you, but they will never find you. That is what the Almighty Lord says.’
A funeral song about Tyre
27 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, sing a funeral song about Tyre. 3 Tyre is a city on the coast of the sea. From there, traders go across the sea to sell things to people in many other countries. This is what the Almighty Lord says to Tyre:
“Tyre, you say that you are completely beautiful.
4 Your borders reached into the middle of the sea.
Your builders made you like a great ship.
5 They used wood from the pine trees of Senir.
They used a cedar tree from Lebanon to make your mast.[k]
6 They used oak trees from Bashan to make your oars.
They used pine wood from the coasts of Cyprus to make your deck.[l]
They made it beautiful with ivory.
7 They used good linen from Egypt to make your sail.
They made it pretty with many colours.
The sail was like a flag that everyone could see.
They made tents of cloth to cover your deck.
It was blue and purple cloth that came from Cyprus island.
8 Men from Sidon and Arvad used the oars to move the ship.
Your own clever men from Tyre were your sailors.
9 Leaders from Gebal went with you.
They brought men who knew how to mend the ship.
Sailors of ships from many countries
came to buy things from you.
10 There were brave soldiers from Persia, Lydia and Libya in your army.
They hung their shields and their helmets on your walls.
They caused people to give you honour.
11 Men from Arvad and Helech were guards who stood on your walls.
Soldiers from Gammad were in your strong towers.
They hung their weapons on your walls.
They made you look very beautiful.
12 You had many valuable things to sell. So traders came from Tarshish to buy things from you. They brought silver and other good metals to pay for those things.
13 Traders from Greece, Tubal and Meshech also came to buy things from you. They paid you with slaves and with things made of bronze.
14 Men from Beth Togarmah came. They paid you with horses to use in war or for work, and also with mules.
15 Traders came to you from Rhodes and from other countries beside the sea. They paid you with ivory and with ebony wood.[m]
16 Because you had so many things to sell, traders came to you from Syria. They paid you with different jewels, with valuable purple cloth, with other beautiful cloth and with good linen.
17 Traders came to you from Judah and Israel. They paid you with wheat from Minnith, with figs, with honey, with olive oil and with medicine.
18 Traders from Damascus came to you because you had many valuable things to sell. They sold you wine from Helbon and white wool from Zahar.
19 Greek men from Uzal came to buy your things. They paid you with iron and different spices.
20 Traders from Dedan sold you blankets for your horses.
21 Men from Arabia and the rulers of Kedar came to buy your things. They brought lambs, male sheep and goats to sell to you.
22 Traders from Sheba and Raamah came to buy things from you. They brought the best kinds of spices, jewels and gold to sell to you.
23 Traders came to you from Haran, Canneh and Eden, as well as from Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad. 24 They brought beautiful clothes made with expensive cloth. They also brought carpets that were made with threads of many different colours.[n] And they brought strong ropes. They brought these things to sell in your markets. 25 Big ships from Tarshish carried your valuable things across the sea.
You, Tyre, were like a great ship in the middle of the sea.
You were full with a heavy load of many things.
26 Your sailors took you into the great waves of the sea.
There, a strong east wind has caused you to break into small pieces.
27 All your valuable things and your riches will fall into the deep sea.
All your sailors, your captains, your traders and your soldiers
will also fall into the sea.
Yes, everyone in you will drown in the sea
on that day when you break into pieces.
28 When your sailors call out for help,
the cities on the coast of the sea will shake.
29 All the sailors of other ships will leave their ships.
The sailors and their captains will stand on the shore of the sea.
30 They will weep loudly because they are very upset about you.
They will throw dirt on their heads.
They will lie down in ashes.
31 They will cut all the hair off their heads.
They will wear sackcloth.
They will weep and be very upset
because of the terrible thing that has happened to you.
32 As they weep, they will sing this funeral song about you:
‘Tyre was the greatest city.
But now it lies at the bottom of the sea
and nobody knows that it is there.’
33 Your valuable things went to many people
in nations across the sea.
People were happy with the things that they received from you.
Even kings in far places became rich because of you.
34 Now the sea has broken you into pieces.
You have fallen to the bottom of the deep sea.
All your valuable things and the people who worked in you
lie at the bottom of the sea.
35 The people who live on the coast of the sea are afraid,
because of what has happened to you.
Their kings shake with fear.
Their faces look very sad.
36 Traders from other nations keep away from you.
A terrible thing has happened to you.
It will be the end of you for ever.” ’
God warns the king of Tyre
28 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, say this to the ruler of Tyre. “This is what the Almighty Lord says:
You are a very proud man.
You say, ‘I am a god and Tyre is my throne.
I rule over all the seas around me.’
But, whatever you think, you are only a man. You are not a god.
3 You think that you are wiser than Daniel,
and that you know all secrets.
4 You have been wise and clever enough to make yourself rich.
You have stored much gold and silver in your palace.
5 Because you are a clever trader,
you have become even richer.
And because of your riches, you have become very proud.
6 So this is what the Almighty Lord says:
You think that you are as wise as a god.
7 So listen! I will bring a foreign army to attack you.
They will be a very cruel enemy.
They will use their swords to destroy your beautiful city.
They will spoil the beautiful things that you have used your wisdom to get for yourselves.
8 They will kill you violently in battle,
and the sea will become your grave.
9 When your enemies attack you,
you will no longer say, ‘I am a god.’
When they are ready to kill you,
you will know that you are only human.
10 Foreign people will kill you.
You will die like people who do not belong to me.
I, the Almighty Lord have said this.” ’
11 The Lord gave this message to me: 12 ‘Son of man, sing this funeral song about the king of Tyre. Tell him, “This is what the Almighty Lord says:
At one time, you were the example of a good man.
You were completely wise and beautiful.
13 You lived in God's beautiful garden, Eden.
You wore valuable jewels on your clothes.
The jewels were ruby, topaz, emerald,
chrysolite, onyx, jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.[o]
They were fixed to pieces of gold.
They were ready for you to wear on the day that you were born.
14 I put you there with a cherub to be your guard.
You lived on my holy mountain.
You walked among the stones that burned with fire.
15 Everything that you did was completely good
from the day that you were born.
But later, you started to do wicked things.
16 As a trader, you bought and sold many things.
As a result, you became violent and you did evil things.
So I sent you away in shame.
I would not allow you to remain on my mountain.
The cherub that had been your guard chased you out.
You could no longer walk among the stones that burned with fire.
17 But because you were so beautiful, you were very proud.
You used your wisdom to do bad things,
because you loved to have beautiful things.
So I threw you down to the ground.
I let other kings see what had happened to you.
18 As a trader, you did many wrong things to cheat people.
Your holy places became unclean.
So I caused fire to completely destroy your city.
Everyone could see that only ashes remained on the ground.
19 All the people of other nations who knew you are very afraid.
They have seen the terrible thing that has happened to you.
You have come to a complete end and you will never return.” ’
God warns Sidon[p]
20 The Lord gave this message to me: 21 ‘Son of man, turn and look towards Sidon. Tell them my message to warn them. 22 Say, “This is what the Almighty Lord says:
Listen! I have become your enemy, Sidon.
I will show your people how great I am.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
I will punish your people for their sins
so that they know that I am a holy God.
23 I will cause disease to kill people in the city.
Enemies will attack from all around the city,
and people will die in the streets.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
24 Israel will no longer suffer because of the nations that are around them. Those nations will not be like sharp thorns that give the Israelites pain. They will not insult the Israelites any more. Then they will know that I am the Almighty Lord.
25 This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will bring Israel's people back from the countries where I sent them to live. Then all the nations will see that I am a holy God for my people. My people will live in their own land that I gave to my servant, Jacob.[q] 26 They will live there safely. They will build houses and they will plant vineyards. I will punish all the nations around them who have insulted them. Then my people will live safely in their homes. And they will know that I am the Lord their God.” ’
God warns Egypt
29 The Lord gave this message to me on the 12th day of the 10th month of the 10th year: 2 ‘Son of man, turn and look towards Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. You must speak my message to warn him and all Egypt's people. 3 Tell them, “The Almighty Lord says this:
Listen, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, I have become your enemy.
You are like the great monster that lies in Egypt's streams.
You say, ‘The Nile river belongs to me! I made it for myself.’
4 But I will put hooks into your mouth and catch you.
I will cause the fish in your streams to hang on your scales.[r]
I will pull you out from the streams with all those fish on you.
5 I will leave you in the wilderness with all your fish.
You will lie on the ground in the open fields.
Nobody will pick you up or take care of you.
I will give you to the wild animals and birds to be their food.
6 Then all the people who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord. Israel's people thought that you would help them. But you were only like a weak stick for them. 7 When they wanted you to hold them up, you broke into pieces. Your sharp pieces tore their shoulders. When they held on to you, you caused their legs to shake.
8 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: I will bring am army to attack you. I will use them to kill all your men and your animals. 9 The land of Egypt will become an empty place. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
You said, ‘The Nile river belongs to me. I made it for myself.’ 10 Because of that, I have become the enemy of you and your streams. I will destroy the land of Egypt. It will be an empty place, and its buildings will become heaps of stones. I will do that everywhere, from Migdol to Aswan and as far as Ethiopia's border. 11 No men or animals will walk through that land. Nobody will live there for 40 years. 12 Egypt will become like a desert among empty lands. Its cities will be empty for 40 years, among cities that have become heaps of stones. I will cause the Egyptians to go and live among other nations in places far away.
13 But this is what the Almighty Lord says: After 40 years, I will bring the Egyptians back from the places where I sent them. 14 I will bring them back home to live in peace. I will bring them to Pathros, the land of their ancestors. There they will be a weak kingdom. 15 Egypt will be the least important of all kingdoms. It will never again have power over other nations. I will make it too weak to rule over other nations. 16 Israel will never again hope that Egypt has the power to help them. Instead, Egypt will cause Israel's people to remember their sin. Their sin was to ask Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Almighty Lord.” ’
17 The Lord gave this message to me on the first day of the first month of the 27th year: 18 ‘Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked the city of Tyre with his army. His soldiers had to work very hard. They carried heavy loads so that it hurt their heads and their shoulders. They had a lot of pain. But they did not get anything valuable from Tyre, even though they worked so hard.
19 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I will give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He will take away all its riches and its valuable things. He will take all those things to pay the soldiers of his army. 20 I will give Egypt to him to pay him for his work. When his army attacked Tyre, they did that work for me. That is what the Almighty Lord says.
21 At that time, I will make Israel a powerful nation again. Then I will give you a message to speak to them, Ezekiel. They will listen to what you say. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
A funeral song for Egypt
30 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, prophesy to the people. Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says:
Weep and cry aloud, ‘Help! The day of great trouble is coming!’
3 Yes, that day will be very soon. It is the day of the Lord.
It will be a day of dark clouds,
when the Lord will punish the nations.
4 An enemy army will attack Egypt.
The people of Ethiopia will be afraid.
Many people in Egypt will die in the battle.
Enemies will carry away Egypt's riches.
They will knock down Egypt's buildings.
5 Soldiers from other nations will also die in the battle.
They are soldiers from Ethiopia, Put, Lydia, Libya, and Arabia,
as well as men who belong to my own people.
6 This is what the Lord says:
All the people who help Egypt will die in the battle.
Egypt will no longer be proud of her great power.
Egypt's soldiers will die everywhere, from Migdol to Aswan.
That is what the Almighty Lord says.
7 Egypt will become like a desert among other deserts.
Its cities will become heaps of stones.
8 I will burn Egypt with fire.
I will destroy all those who fight to help Egypt.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
9 At that time, I will send messengers in ships to Ethiopia. I will stop the Ethiopian people being proud of their power. Instead, the news about Egypt's trouble will make them very afraid. That day is coming soon! Be careful!
10 This is what the Almighty Lord says:
I will use King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to destroy Egypt's army.
11 The king and his army will come to destroy the land.
They are a nation of cruel people.
They will attack Egypt's people with their swords.
They will fill the land with dead bodies.
12 I will cause the Nile river to become dry.
I will put the land under the power of evil men.
Foreigners will destroy the land of Egypt
and everything that is in it.
That is what I, the Lord, say.
13 The Almighty Lord says this:
I will destroy Egypt's idols and the false gods in Memphis.
Egypt will no longer have its own ruler.
I will cause Egypt's people to be very afraid.
14 I will make Pathros a desert.
I will burn Zoan with fire.
I will punish the city of Thebes.
15 I will punish Egypt's strong city of Pelusium.
I will show the people there that I am very angry.
I will destroy all the soldiers in Thebes.
16 Yes, I will destroy all of Egypt with fire!
The people of Pelusium will suffer with great pain.
Enemies will knock down the walls of Thebes.
The people of Memphis will live in fear every day.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in the war.
Enemies will take the other people from those cities as their prisoners.
18 It will be a very dark day in Tahpanhes
when I destroy Egypt's strength.
Egypt will not be proud of her great power any more.
A dark cloud will cover the land.
Enemies will take away the people from Egypt's villages as prisoners.
19 That is how I will punish Egypt.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.” ’
20 The Lord gave this message to me on the 7th day of the first month, in the 11th year:
21 ‘Son of man, I have removed the strength of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. It is as if I have broken his arm and nobody has helped it to mend. He will never again have the power to fight battles. 22 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I have become the enemy of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. I will make him like a man with two broken arms. I will break his strong arm and his broken arm. He will not be able to fight at all! 23 I will cause the Egyptian people to run away to live in foreign countries. 24 I will make the king of Babylon powerful, to fight battles on my behalf. But I will cause Pharaoh to be weak. He will cry in pain when the king of Babylon attacks. He will receive wounds that cause him to die. 25 Yes, I will make the king of Babylon strong. But Pharaoh, king of Egypt, will become weak. I will give the king of Babylon power to fight on my behalf. He will use that power to attack Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 26 I will send the Egyptian people away to many different countries. They will live among other nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ’
31 The Lord gave this message to me on the first day of the 3rd month, in the 11th year: 2 ‘Son of man, say this to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all his people:
“You think that you are as powerful as any other country!
3 Think about how powerful Assyria was.
At one time, it was as strong as a great cedar tree in Lebanon.
It had beautiful branches that gave shade in the forest.
It was very tall. Its top reached up to the clouds.
4 Springs of water from under the ground helped it to grow very tall.
Rivers passed around the place where the tree was.
Streams from there gave water to all the trees in the forest.
5 So this cedar tree grew taller than all the other trees.
Its branches became large and very long.
It grew very well because it had plenty of water.
6 All kinds of birds built their nests among its leaves.
Under its branches, the wild animals gave birth.
All the great nations lived in its shade.
7 It was great and beautiful, with long branches.
Its roots went down deep into the ground
and they drank plenty of water.
8 The cedar trees in God's garden were not as beautiful.
The branches of the pine trees were not as strong.
No other tree in God's garden was nearly as great or as beautiful.
9 I made that tree beautiful, with all its strong branches.
All the trees in Eden, God's garden, were jealous of that tree.
10 So this is what the Almighty Lord says:
That great tree, Assyria, was very tall. Its top reached up to the clouds. It was very proud because it was so great. 11 Because of that, I put it under the power of the ruler of the nations. He has punished it as it deserved for its sins. In that way, I have removed it. 12 Foreigners from cruel nations have cut it down. They have left it on the ground. Its broken branches lie on the mountains and in the valleys. The people of other nations no longer live in its shade. They have gone away. 13 Now the birds go and sit on the bits of the tree that remain. The wild animals walk over its branches. 14 Because of that, no tree will ever grow as tall again. Even if it receives plenty of water, no tree will grow so tall that its top reaches up to the clouds. All trees will die and fall to the ground. Like people, they must die and go into their graves, under the ground.
15 This is what the Almighty Lord says: This tree has died and it has gone down into its grave. When that happened, I caused people to be very sad. I caused the springs of water to stop. There were no longer streams with plenty of water. I caused the mountains of Lebanon to become dark. All the trees in the forest became dry. 16 The other nations shook when they heard that great tree fall. I had caused it to go down into its grave, deep under the ground, as all people must die. The other strong trees saw what had happened to the great cedar tree. They were the trees of Eden and the best trees of Lebanon that had received plenty of water. They were pleased to see that the great cedar tree had fallen down. 17 The trees that had lived in the great tree's shade also fell and went into their graves. Those are the nations that had helped the great tree to fight its battles. They went to join other soldiers who had died in war.
18 Yes, Egypt is very strong, like the great trees of Eden. You are as great and powerful as any nation. But you will fall to the ground and go into your grave. It happened to Assyria and the other nations, and it will happen to you. You will lie under the ground among people who do not belong to me and who have died in war.
This is a picture of what will happen to Pharaoh and all his people. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’[s]
A funeral song for Egypt and its king
32 The Lord gave this message to me on the first day of the 12th month, in the 12th year: 2 ‘Son of man, sing a funeral song about Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Say this to him:
“You have shown your power among the nations,
like a strong lion.
But really you are a monster who lives in the sea.
You live in the rivers of your country.
You beat the water with your feet.
The water of your streams becomes dirty.
3 This is what the Almighty Lord says:
I will bring a big crowd of people together
to catch you in my net.
They will use my net to pull you out of the water.
4 I will throw you onto dry ground
and I will leave you there.
I will bring the birds to fly down from the sky
and sit on you.
I will bring the wild animals to feed themselves on you,
and eat as much as they want.
5 I will put the meat of your body on the mountains.
Your bones will fill the valleys.
6 I will make the ground wet with your blood.
It will pour out of you, up to the mountains.
And it will fill the deep valleys.
7 When I completely destroy you,
I will cover the sky and make the stars become dark.
I will cover the sun with a cloud.
The moon will no longer give any light.
8 I will make the sky over you become dark,
with no lights in it.
Your whole country will become dark.
That is what the Almighty Lord says.
9 When many other nations know that I have destroyed you,
they will be afraid.
Foreign nations that you do not know will be very upset.
10 The people of many countries will be afraid
when they see what I have done to you.
Their kings will shake with fear.
When I wave my sword in front of them,
they will not stop shaking!
At the time that your life finishes,
they will also fear death.
11 This is what the Almighty Lord says:
The king of Babylon will attack you with his army.
12 His brave soldiers will fight against you.
I will cause them to destroy your army.
They are the most cruel of all the nations.
They will stop Egypt's people being proud of their power.
They will destroy all Egypt's armies.
13 I will destroy all Egypt's cows that live beside its great rivers.
So no people or animals will walk in the water any more.
They will not cause the water to become dirty.
14 Then I will cause the water in the rivers to be clean again.
The water will move freely like olive oil.
That is what the Almighty Lord says.
15 I will cause Egypt to become an empty place.
I will remove everything that grows on the land.
I will kill all the people who live there.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
16 That is the funeral song that they will sing about Egypt. Women of many nations will sing it. They will sing it because of the death of Egypt and all her people. That is what the Almighty Lord says.’
17 In the 12th year, the Lord gave this message to me on the 15th day of the month: 18 ‘Son of man, weep for the many people of Egypt. Send them down to the place of dead people, deep under the ground. They will be there in their graves with the people of other powerful nations. 19 Say to them, “You think you are more beautiful than the people of other nations. But you too must go down to lie in your graves among those who do not belong to God.”
20 An enemy has come to attack Egypt! Many of its people will die among the soldiers who die in battle. The enemy will take many of Egypt's people away as their prisoners. 21 In the place of dead people, brave soldiers will welcome the people of Egypt and those who helped them. They will say, “They have come down to join us who do not belong to God. They have died in battle and now they lie in their graves.”
22 The people of Assyria and its whole army are there in their graves! All of them died in battle. 23 Their graves are in the deepest parts of the deep hole of death. Soldiers who fought with them lie all around. They were very cruel to people when they were alive. But they died in battle and now they lie in their graves.
24 The people of Elam and its whole army are also there! All of them died in battle too. They were cruel to many people when they were alive. Now they have gone down deep below the ground, as people who do not belong to God. They are ashamed to join with other people in the deep hole of death. 25 Elam lies there on a bed that people have prepared for her. All Elam's soldiers lie around its grave. None of them belongs to God and they have all died in battle. When they were alive, they made people very afraid. But now they are ashamed, as they lie in their graves among other dead people in the deep hole of death.
26 Meshech and Tubal are also there in their graves, with their soldiers all around. When they were alive, they made people very afraid. Now they have all died in battle and none of them belongs to God. 27 They do not lie with the brave dead soldiers of long ago. Those men went down into their graves with honour. People buried them with their weapons. They put their swords under their heads. When those brave men were alive, they caused people to be very afraid of them.
28 You too, Egypt, will lie in your grave among those who do not belong to God. You will lie beside other people who died in battle.
29 Edom is there, too, with its kings and leaders. They were powerful, but now they lie in their graves, among those who have died in battle. They have gone down into the deep hole of death with those who do not belong to God.
30 All the rulers of the north are there, as well as all the people of Sidon. They used their power to make people very afraid. But now they are ashamed, like other people who have gone down into the deep hole of death. They lie in their graves with those who have died in battle, and they do not belong to God.
31 The Almighty Lord says this: Pharaoh will not feel so sad when he sees all these other dead people in their graves. He and his whole army will know that they are not the only people to have died in battle. 32 When he was alive, I caused him to make people very afraid. But Pharaoh and all his great army will lie in their graves among other people who died in battle. They will lie with people who do not belong to God. That is what I, the Almighty Lord, have said.’
Ezekiel must warn his people
33 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, speak to your people. Say to them, “Think about what might happen if I send an army to attack a country. The people of that country might choose one of their own men to be a guard to warn them about danger.[t] 3 Then, if the guard sees that enemy soldiers are ready to attack, he must blow a trumpet to warn his people. 4 Someone might hear the sound of the trumpet, but he does nothing to keep himself safe. If enemy soldiers then come and kill that person, he is guilty of his own death. 5 He deserves to die because he heard the sound of the trumpet, but he did nothing. When the trumpet warned him of danger, he should have got ready. If he had done that, he would have saved his life. 6 But the guard might not blow the trumpet when he sees the enemy. He might not warn his people that the enemy is ready to attack them. Then enemy soldiers might kill some of his people. Those people will die because of their sins. But the guard will be guilty of their death, because he did not warn them of danger.”
7 Son of man, I have chosen you to be a guard for Israel's people. You must listen to the messages that I give you. Then you must use what I say to warn the Israelites. 8 I might say to a wicked person, “You will certainly die because of your sins.” Then you must warn that wicked person to stop doing wicked things. If you do not warn him, he will die because of his sins. But I will say that you are guilty of his death. 9 If you do warn him and he refuses to change, he will die because of his sins. But you will have saved your own life.
10 Son of man, give Israel's people this message: “You are saying, ‘The punishment for our sins is too much for us. We are dying because of all the bad things that we have done. What should we do so that we can continue to live?’ ”
11 Tell them, “It does not make me happy to punish wicked people with death. I, the Almighty Lord, promise you this, as surely as I live. I want wicked people to stop doing wrong things so that they may continue to live. So stop doing evil things! Israel's people, you do not have to die. Turn back to me!”
12 Son of man, you must say to your people, “If a righteous person refuses to obey me, I will punish him. The good things that he has done will not save him. And if a wicked person stops doing bad things, he will no longer be guilty. Righteous people will not continue to live if they start to do bad things.”
13 I may say to righteous people that they will certainly continue to live. But then they may trust in the good things that they have done. They may think that I will not punish them if they start to do evil things. But if they do that, I will destroy them because of their sins. I will not even think about the good things that they did at an earlier time.
14 Also, I may say to wicked people, “You will certainly die because of your sins.” But then they may stop doing bad things. They may start to do things that are good and right. 15 For example, a wicked person might give back something that he has taken from someone as a guarantee. Or he might give back things that he has robbed from people. A wicked person might start to obey the laws that give life. He might stop doing evil things. If wicked people change like that, then they will continue to live. They will not die as punishment for their sins. 16 I will not think about the sins that they have done. Now that they have started to do things that are good and right, they will certainly continue to live.
17 Your people, the Israelites, are saying: “The Lord is not fair in the things that he does!” But it is the people themselves who live in a way that is not fair. 18 If a righteous person stops doing good things and he starts to do evil things, he will die. He deserves to die because of his sins. 19 Also, if a wicked person stops doing bad things and he starts to do things that are good and right, he will continue to live. He deserves to live because he has changed. 20 But you Israelites continue to say, “The Lord is not fair!” But I will judge each of you in a way that you deserve for the things that you have done.’
Ezekiel hears news about Jerusalem
21 This is what happened 12 years after we had come to Babylon as prisoners. It was on the 5th day of the 10th month of that year. A man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me in Babylon.[u] He said, ‘Enemies have taken Jerusalem for themselves.’ 22 Before that man arrived, the Lord had taken hold of me in the night. He had opened my mouth so that I was able to speak again.[v]
23 Then the Lord gave this message to me:
24 ‘Son of man, there are people who continue to live in the places in Israel that have become heaps of stones. Those Israelites are saying, “Abraham was only one man, but God gave him the whole land of Israel. We are many people. So we can be sure that the land now belongs to us.”
25 Because they say that, you must tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: You eat meat which still has blood in it. You worship your idols. You also murder people. So you do not deserve to have the land for yourselves. 26 You use violence to get the things that you want. You do disgusting things. You have sex with other men's wives. So you should certainly not have the land!”
27 Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I promise you this, as surely as I live. Soldiers will kill the people who live among the heaps of stones. I will cause wild animals to eat the people who live in the fields. Diseases will kill the people who hide in strong buildings and in caves. 28 I will make the land become empty, like a desert. You will no longer be proud of your power. Israel's mountains will become empty places that nobody travels through. 29 I will cause the land to become heaps of stones where nobody lives. I will do that to punish the people for the disgusting things that they have done. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
30 Son of man, the Israelites who are here with you in Babylon are talking about you. They meet together near the walls of the city and at the doors of their houses. They are saying to each other, “Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.”
31 They are my people and they come as a crowd to listen to you. They sit and they listen to your words. But they do not obey what you say. They say that they love me. But really they like to cheat people to get things for themselves. 32 They like to hear your voice. For them, you are like someone who sings beautiful songs about love. They listen to your words but they do not obey them.
33 All these things that I have said will certainly happen. When my people see them happen, they will know that a prophet has lived among them.’
Israel's leaders are like shepherds
34 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, you must speak my message to the shepherds of Israel to warn them.[w] Tell them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Terrible trouble will come to you shepherds of Israel who only think about yourselves. Shepherds should take care of the sheep and feed them. 3 You drink their milk and you use their wool to make clothes for yourselves. You kill the best animals to eat. But you do not take care of the sheep! 4 You have not helped the weak sheep to be strong. You have not made the sick sheep well. Nor have you covered their wounds. You have not looked for lost sheep and brought them back. Instead, you have ruled my people in a cruel way. 5 So my sheep ran away to different places because they did not have a shepherd to take care of them. Then the wild animals found them and ate them. 6 My sheep went over all the mountains and the high hills. They went to places everywhere on the earth. And nobody went to look for them and bring them back again.
7 So, you shepherds, listen to the Lord's message. 8 My sheep do not have any shepherds to take care of them. So they are not safe from danger. They have become food for all the wild animals. You, my shepherds, have not gone to look for the sheep that were lost. You only wanted to help yourselves instead of my sheep. So I, the Almighty Lord, promise you this, as surely as I live. 9 You shepherds, listen to the Lord's message! 10 The Almighty Lord says this: I have become the shepherds' enemy. I will take my sheep away from them. I will no longer allow them to be shepherds. They will not be able to kill my sheep to feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep, so that the shepherds cannot eat them.
11 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: I myself will go and look for my sheep to bring them back. 12 I will be like a shepherd who looks everywhere to find his lost sheep. I will find them and I will rescue them. I will bring them back from the places that they have run away to. It was a dark day with many clouds when they ran away. 13 They have been living in foreign countries among other people. I will bring them back to live in their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel. They will eat beside its rivers and in all the places where people live. 14 I will feed them in fields on Israel's mountains where grass grows. They will lie down in the good fields. They will eat the green grass that grows on the mountains. 15 I myself will take care of my sheep. I will give them safe places to lie down and rest. I, the Almighty Lord, say this. 16 I will find the lost sheep and I will bring them back. I will cover their wounds. I will help those who are weak to become strong. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will give them justice as their food!
17 This is what I, the Almighty Lord, say to you, my sheep: I will judge you. I will decide which of you are good and which of you are bad. I will judge between male sheep and goats. 18 You bad sheep make sure that you have plenty of good grass to eat. But then you spoil the other grass so that no other sheep can eat it. You have clean water to drink. But then you spoil the water which remains. It is too dirty for other sheep to drink. 19 Because of that, my sheep eat grass that you have spoiled. They drink water that you have made dirty with your feet.
20 So this is what I, the Almighty Lord, say to the sheep: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep. 21 You fat sheep use your shoulders to push the other sheep away. You attack the weak sheep with your horns so that they run away. 22 Because you do this, I will rescue my sheep. They will no longer be in danger from other animals. I will judge between one sheep and another sheep.
23 Then I will choose one shepherd to lead them. He is my servant, David. He will take care of them as their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God. My servant David will be their ruler. I, the Lord, have said this.[x]
25 I will make an agreement with them, that I will give them peace. I will remove the dangerous wild animals from the land. Then they can live there safely, even in the wilderness. They will not be afraid when they sleep in the forests. 26 I will bless them with many good things as they live around my holy hill. I will send rain at the proper time each year. The rain will bring my blessings to them. 27 The trees in the fields will give them fruit to eat. Crops of food will grow in the ground. The people will live safely in their land. I will take away the power of those who were cruel to them. I will rescue them from the people who made them their slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 28 They will no longer be in danger from other nations. Wild animals will no longer eat them. They will live safely and nobody will cause them to be afraid. 29 I will give them a land that is famous for its good crops. So famine will never cause them to suffer in that land. Other nations will no longer insult them. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. They will know that they are my people, the Israelites. That is what the Almighty Lord says.
31 You are my people and I take care of you, as a shepherd takes care of his sheep. You are my people and I am your God. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’
The Lord's message to Edom
35 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, look towards Mount Seir.[y] Then speak my message to warn it. 3 Say to it, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I am your enemy, Mount Seir. I will attack you, so that you become like a desert. 4 I will destroy your towns. They will become heaps of stones where nobody lives. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5 You have always hated Israel's people. Because of that, you did not help them when their enemy attacked them and killed them. They were in great trouble when I punished them for their sins.[z] 6 So I, the Almighty Lord, promise you this, as surely as I live. I will allow your enemies to kill you. If you run away from them, they will chase you and kill you. You were happy to see an enemy kill my people, so an enemy will kill you also. 7 I will make Mount Seir become like a desert where nobody lives. I will destroy anyone who travels through that place. 8 Dead bodies will lie all over your mountains. The bodies of men who have died in battle will lie on your hills and in your valleys. 9 I will make you a desert for ever and nobody will live in your towns. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
10 You said, ‘We will take these two nations for ourselves. Israel and Judah will belong to us.’ You said that when I, the Lord, was there with them. 11 So I promise that I will punish you, as surely as I live. That is what the Almighty Lord says. Because you were angry and jealous, you hated my people, So I will punish you as you deserve. When I judge you, my people will know who I am. 12 Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard you. You have insulted the mountains of Israel. You said, ‘Those mountains have become a desert. So we can take them for ourselves.’ 13 You said many proud things to insult me. You thought that you were greater than me. I heard everything that you said!
14 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: I will make your land become a desert. All the people in the world will be very happy when they see this. 15 You were happy when you saw me punish Israel's people so that their land became a desert. Because you were happy, I will punish you as you deserve. Mount Seir and all the land of Edom will become an empty desert. Then Edom's people will know that I am the Lord.” ’
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