Bible in 90 Days
The Lord is Angry
2 How, in his anger,[a]
the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion in a cloud!
He has thrown down from heavens to earth
the splendor of Israel,
and he has not remembered his footstool
in the day of his anger.[b]
2 The Lord has devoured; he has not shown mercy
to all the dwellings of Jacob;
he has broken down in his wrath
the fortifications of the daughter of Judah;
he has leveled to the ground, he has dishonored
the kingdom and its commanders.[c]
3 He has cut down in fierce anger[d]
all the might of Israel;
he has withdrawn his right hand
from the faces of the enemy,
and he has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire,
it has consumed all around.
4 He has bent his bow like an enemy;
he has set his right hand
like a foe, and he has slain
all the treasures of the eye;[e]
in the tent of the daughter of Zion,
he has poured out his anger like fire.
5 The Lord has become like an enemy;
he has destroyed Israel;
he has destroyed all its citadel fortresses;[f]
he has ruined all its fortifications
and multiplied lamentation and mourning
in the daughter of Judah.
6 He has broken down his dwelling[g] place like the garden;
he has ruined his appointed feasts;
Yahweh has made them forget in Zion
festival[h] and Sabbath,
and he has despised in his anger
king and priest.
7 The Lord has rejected his altar;
he has rejected his sanctuary;
he has delivered into the hands of the enemy
the walls of its citadel fortresses.[i]
They have cried out in the house of Yahweh
like a day of an appointed feast.
8 Yahweh has planned to destroy
the wall of the daughter of Zion.
He measured with a line; he has not restrained
his hand from destroying;
he caused rampart and wall to mourn;
together they have languished away.
9 Her gates have sunk into the earth;
he has ruined and broken her bars,
her kings and its princes are among the nations;
there is no more law.[j]
Also, her prophets have not found
a revelation from Yahweh.
10 They sit on the ground,
the elders of the daughter of Zion are silent.
They cast dust on their head,
they have put on sackcloth;
the young women of Jerusalem
have bowed their head down to the ground.
11 My eyes have spent all their tears;[k]
my stomach[l] is in torment,
my heart[m] is poured out on the earth
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because child and babe faint
in the public squares of a city.
12 To their mothers they say,
“Where is the bread and wine?”
as they faint like the wounded
in the public squares of a city,
as their life is being poured out
onto the bosom of their mothers.
13 What can I say for you? What can I compare to you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
To what can I liken you so that I can comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For your destruction is as vast as the sea;
who can heal you?
14 Your prophets had a vision for you,
false and worthless;
they have not exposed your sin,
to restore your fortune;
they have seen oracles for you,
false and misleading.
15 They clap hands over you,
all who pass along the way;
they hiss and they shake their head,
at the daughter of Jerusalem.
Is this the city of which it is said,
“A perfection of beauty, a joy for all the earth?”
16 They have opened their mouths against you,
all your enemies.
They hiss and gnash a tooth,
and they say, “We have destroyed her!
Surely this is the day we have hoped for;
we have found it, we have seen it!”
17 Yahweh has done what he has planned;
he has fulfilled his promise
that he ordained from the days of old;
he has demolished and not shown mercy;
he has made an enemy rejoice over you,
he has exalted the might[n] of your foes.
18 Their heart cried to the Lord,
“O wall of the daughter of Zion,
let tears stream down like a river;
day and night,
do not give yourself relief,
do not give your eyes rest.
19 “Arise, cry out in the night,
at the beginning of the night watches;
pour out your heart like water,
before the face of the Lord.
Lift to him your hands,
for the life of your children,
who faint in starvation,
at the head of all streets.”
20 See, Yahweh, and take note!
With whom have you dealt thus?
Should women eat their young
children of tender care?
Should priest and prophet be slain
in the sanctuary of the Lord?
21 They lie in the soil of the streets,
young and old;
my young women[o] and young men,
they have fallen by the sword;
you have slain on the day of your anger,[p]
you have slaughtered and not shown mercy.
22 You have summoned my horror from all around,
as if for a feast day;
no one on the day of Yahweh’s anger
is a fugitive and a survivor;
whoever I have cared for and reared,
my enemy has destroyed.
Israel’s Affliction
3 I am a man who has seen misery,
under the rod of his wrath.
2 He has driven me along, he brought
darkness and not light.
3 Surely he has turned his hand against me,
all day long.
4 He has worn out my flesh and skin,
he has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged[q] and engulfed me
with bitterness and hardship.
6 In darkness he has let me dwell
like the dead of long ago.
7 He has built a wall around me, I cannot go out;
he has made my bronze fetters heavy.
8 Though I cry out for help,
he shuts out my prayers.
9 He has blocked my ways with dressed stones;
he has made my paths crooked.
10 To me he is like a bear lying in wait,
a lion in hiding.
11 He has forsaken my way and torn me to pieces;
he has caused me desolation.
12 He has bent his bow and set me
as the target for the arrow.
13 He shot the arrows of his quiver[r]
into my kidneys.
14 I have become a laughingstock for all the people,
their mocking song all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitterness,
he has drenched me with wormwood.
16 He has broken my teeth on grit,
he has trampled me down in ash.
17 My life has been removed from peace,
I have forgotten goodness.
18 And I have said, “My glory is ruined,
my expectation from Yahweh.”
19 Remember my misery and bitterness,
the wormwood[s] and venom!
20 Surely my soul remembers
and bows down within me.
21 This I have reminded myself,[t]
therefore I will hope.
22 The loyal love of Yahweh does not cease;
his compassions do not come to an end.
23 They are new in the morning,
great is your faithfulness.
24 “Yahweh is my portion,”
says my soul,
“Thus I will hope on him.”
25 Yahweh is good to those who wait on him,
to the person that seeks him.
26 It is good to wait in silence
for the salvation of Yahweh.
27 It is good for a man who carries
the yoke of his childhood.
28 Let him sit alone and be silent
when he[u] has laid it on him.
29 Let him put[v] his mouth in the dust;
perhaps there is hope.
30 Let him give a cheek to his smiter,
let him be filled with disgrace.
31 For the Lord will not reject
forever.
32 For even though he causes grief he has compassion
according to the greatness of his royal love.
33 He does not afflict willingly,[w]
or grieve anyone.[x]
34 To crush under his feet
all the prisoners of the earth;
35 to deprive one of justice[y]
before the face of the Most High;
36 to subvert a person in a legal dispute
—the Lord has not found delight in these things.
37 Who can speak[z] and it will happen
if the Lord has not commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that disaster and good will come?
39 Why should any living person complain
about his sin?
40 Let us test and examine our ways;
let us return to Yahweh.
41 Let us lift up our hearts with our hands
to God in the heavens.
42 We ourselves have transgressed and rebelled,
you have not forgiven.
43 You have covered yourself in anger[aa] and pursued us,
you have slain and not shown mercy.
44 You have covered yourself in a cloud
so that prayer cannot pass through.[ab]
45 You have made us scum and refuse
in the midst of the nations.
46 All our enemies
have opened their mouth against us.
47 Fear and a pit have come upon us,
desolation and destruction.
48 Channels of water run down my eyes
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes have poured down unceasingly
without respite,
50 until Yahweh looks down
and sees from heaven.
51 My eyes inflict my soul
because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My enemies hunt me without cause,
like a bird.
53 They have silenced me in a pit,[ac]
they have thrown a stone at me.
54 Water has flown over my head,
I said, “I am cut off.”
55 I have called your name, O Yahweh,
from the depths of the pit.
56 You have heard my cry, “Do not shut your ear
to my cry for help, for my relief!”
57 You came near on a day when I called you,
you said, “Do not fear!”
58 O Lord, you have pleaded for my cause,[ad]
you have redeemed my life.
59 You have seen my injustice, O Yahweh;
judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
all there plans against me.
61 You have heard their disgrace, O Yahweh,
all their plans against me.
62 The lips and meditation of my assailants
are against me all day long.
63 Look at their sitting and their standing,
I am their mocking song.
64 Return to them what is deserved, O Yahweh,
according to the work of their hands.
65 Give them a stubborn heart;
curse them!
66 Pursue them in anger[ae] and destroy them
from under the heavens of Yahweh.
Zion Is Punished
4 How the gold has grown dim,
the pure gold has changed.
The stones of holiness are scattered
at the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion
weighed against fine gold,
how they are thought of as earthen vessels of clay,
the work of the potter’s hands.
3 Even the jackal bears the beast
and nurses their cubs;
but the daughter of my people has become ruthless,
like ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the nursling cleaves
to its palate in thirst.
Children beg for food,
no one lays it out before them.[af]
5 The ones who eat delicacies,
they are ruined in the streets;
the ones nurtured in purple
lie on piles of trash.
6 The iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater
than the sin of Sodom;
it was overthrown in a moment
and no hands were laid on her.
7 Her princes were purer than snow,
they were whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than rubies,
sapphire their appearance.
8 Now their appearance is blacker than soot,
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones,
it has become dry like wood.
9 Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of famine;
they have pined away, very hungry
for the crops of my field.
10 The hands of compassionate women,
have cooked their children;
they became as something to eat
in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 Yahweh has completed his anger,
he has poured out his fierce anger;[ag]
he has kindled a fire in Zion,
it consumed her[ah] foundations.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
and all the inhabitants of the world,
that a foe and an enemy could enter
into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Because of the sins of her prophets,
the guilt of her priests,
who shed blood in her midst,
of righteous people.
14 They wander blindly in the streets;
they were defiled with the blood,
their clothes
could not be touched.
15 “Go away! Defiled!” they shout to them.
“Go away! Go away! Do not touch!”
so they left, they left; it was said among the nations,
“They will no longer dwell with us.”[ai]
16 The presence of Yahweh has scattered them,
he will no longer watch over them;
they did not honor the priests,[aj]
they did not show mercy to elders.
17 Still our eyes failed,
looking for our help in vain;
in our watchtower, we kept watch
for a nation that could not save.
18 They hunted our steps,
from walking in our streets;
our end has come near, our days are finished,[ak]
our end has come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter
than the eagles of the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains,
they have set an ambush for us in the desert.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed one of Yahweh,
was captured in their pits;
of whom we said, “In his shadow
we will live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup will pass,
you will become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22 The punishment of your iniquity is completed, O daughter of Zion,
your exile will not continue;
but he will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom,
he will reveal your sins.
A Request for Mercy
5 Remember, O Yahweh, what has become of us;
take note, and see our disgrace!
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our houses, to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans, fatherless,
our mothers are like widows.
4 We pay for water with money,[al]
our wood comes to us at a price.
5 We are driven on our necks;
we are weary, there is no rest for us.
6 We have made a deal with Egypt and Assyria
to be satisfied with food.
7 Our fathers have sinned, they are no more;
we bear their iniquity.
8 Slaves rule over us;
there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
9 We risk our life for food[am]
because of the sword of the desert.
10 Our skin is hot like an oven
because of the scorching famine.
11 They raped women in Zion,
young women[an] in the cities of Judah.
12 They hang princes by their hand;
they do not show respect before elders.
13 Young men must carry a hand-mill
and boys stumble under the wood.
14 Elders are no longer at the gate,
young men no longer play stringed instruments.
15 The joy of our hearts has stopped;
our circle-dancing has changed to a mourning ceremony.
16 The crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this, our heart has become faint,
because of these, our eyes have become dim.
18 Because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate,
foxes tread on it.[ao]
19 You, O Yahweh, will sit forever
on your throne for generation to generation.
20 Why have you forgotten us forever?
Why have you forsaken us for so long?[ap]
21 Restore us to you, O Yahweh, that we will be restored;
renew our days as of old.
22 Unless you have utterly rejected us,
unless you are angry with us beyond measure.
Date of Vision of Living Creatures and Glory of the Throne of Yahweh
1 And it was in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, and I was in the midst of[aq] the exiles[ar] by the Kebar River.[as] The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of the king Jehoiachin— 3 the word of Yahweh came[at] clearly[au] to Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans at the Kebar River,[av] and the hand of Yahweh was on him there.
4 And I looked,[aw] and look! A storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire flashing back and forth, and brightness around and within it,[ax] and from its midst[ay] it was like the outward appearance of amber stone from the midst[az] of the fire. 5 And from its midst[ba] was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: a human form,[bb] 6 and each had four faces,[bc] and each of them had four wings.[bd] 7 And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of the foot of a calf, and they were sparkling like the outward appearance of polished bronze. 8 And under their wings were human hands[be] on their four sides. And their faces and their wings for the four of them were as follows: 9 their wings were touching one another;[bf] each of them went straight forward,[bg] without turning right or left.[bh] 10 The likeness of their faces was the face of a human in front, and the face of a lion on the right of each of them,[bi] and the face of an ox on the left of each of them,[bj] and the face of an eagle for each of them.[bk] 11 So were their faces; their wings were spread out upward;[bl] each had two touching one another and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward;[bm] wherever the spirit went[bn] they went, and they did not turn as they went.[bo] 13 As for[bp] the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. It[bq] was moving to and fro between the living creatures, and the fire was very bright[br] and lightning was going out from the fire. 14 And the living creatures were speeding to and fro[bs] like the appearance of lightning.
15 And I saw the living creatures, and look! A wheel was on the earth[bt] beside each of the living creatures that had four faces.[bu] 16 The appearance of the wheels and their construction was like the appearance of beryl,[bv] and they all looked alike,[bw] and their appearance and their construction was like a wheel within a wheel.[bx] 17 When they moved, they went toward their four sides; they did not veer at all as they went.[by] 18 And their rims were high and awesome,[bz] and all four of[ca] their rims were full of eyes all around. 19 And at the going of the living creatures, the wheels next to them also went, and when the creatures were lifted from the ground[cb] the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever[cc] the spirit went they would go there, and the wheels rose, for the spirit of the living creatures[cd] was in the wheels. 21 At their[ce] going, they[cf] go, and at their standing, they stood, and at their being lifted up from on the earth,[cg] the wheels rose,[ch] for the spirit of the living creatures[ci] was in the wheels.
22 Now[cj] the likeness above the heads of the living creatures was an expanse like the outward appearance of awesome[ck] ice[cl] spread out above their heads upward.[cm] 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight one toward the other;[cn] each had two wings covering them, and each had two wings covering their bodies. 24 And I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai,[co] and when they moved[cp] there was a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stood still[cq] they lowered their wings. 25 And there was[cr] a sound from above the expanse that was above their heads, and when they stood[cs] they lowered their wings. 26 And from above the expanse that was above their heads there was the likeness of a throne, looking like a sapphire,[ct] and above the likeness of the throne was a likeness similar to[cu] the appearance of a human on it, but above it.[cv] 27 And I saw something like the outward appearance of amber, something like the appearance of fire, with a covering around it, from the likeness of his loins and upward.[cw] And from the likeness of his loins and downward[cx] I saw something like the appearance of fire, and it was radiant all around.[cy] 28 Like the appearance[cz] of a bow that is in the cloud on a rainy day,[da] such was the radiance[db] around it; thus was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw, and I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.
The Call of Ezekiel to Speak God’s Words
2 And he said to me, “Son of man,[dc] stand on your feet, so that I can speak with you.” 2 And the Spirit[dd] came into me as he was speaking to me, and it set me on my feet, and I heard the one speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man,[de] I am sending you to the Israelites,[df] to nations[dg] who are rebelling, who rebelled against me, they and their ancestors,[dh] they transgressed against me until this very day.[di] 4 And the children[dj] are impudent[dk] and stubborn,[dl] and so I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh!’ 5 And they, whether they listen or whether they fail to listen, for they are a rebellious house, they will know that a prophet was in their midst. 6 And you, son of man,[dm] you must not be afraid of them, and you must not be afraid of their words, because[dn] briers and thorns are with you, and you are sitting among scorpions. You must not be afraid of their words, and you must not be dismayed because of their looks,[do] for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you must speak my words to them whether they listen or whether they fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8 And you, son of man,[dp] hear what I am speaking to you: you must not be rebellious like the house of rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving to you.” 9 And I looked,[dq] and look! There was a hand stretched out to me, and look! In it was a scroll with writing.[dr] 10 And he rolled it out[ds] before me,[dt] and it was written on the front and back, and there were written on it laments and mourning and wailing.[du]
3 And he said to me, “Son of man,[dv] what you find, eat! Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 And I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat, 3 and he said to me, “Son of man,[dw] you must give your stomach this to eat, and you must fill your belly with this scroll that I am giving to you.” And I ate, and it became like sweet honey[dx] in my mouth. 4 And he said to me, “Son of man,[dy] come! Go to the house of Israel, and you must speak to them with my words. 5 For you are sent to the house of Israel, not to a people of obscure speech[dz] and of a difficult language,[ea] 6 and not to many nations of obscure speech[eb] and a difficult language[ec] whose words[ed] you do not understand, for if I had sent you to them they would have listened to you. 7 And the house of Israel, they are not willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me, for all of the house of Israel is hard of forehead, and they are hard of heart. 8 But look, I have made[ee] your face hard against[ef] their faces and your forehead hard against[eg] their forehead. 9 Like a diamond harder than flint[eh] I have made your forehead; you must not fear them, and you must not be dismayed on account of them,[ei] for they are a rebellious house.[ej] 10 And he said to me, “Son of man,[ek] all of my words that I shall speak to you, receive into[el] your heart and hear with your ears. 11 And come, go to the exiles,[em] to the children[en] of your people, and you must speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh!’ whether they listen or whether they fail to listen.” 12 And the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound of a great earthquake when the glory of Yahweh rose from its place. 13 And it was the sound of the wings of the living creatures touching lightly[eo] one against the other,[ep] and the sound of the wheels beside them and the sound of a great earthquake. 14 And the Spirit lifted me and took me, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Yahweh was strong on me. 15 And I went to the exiles[eq] at Tel Abib, who were dwelling near the Kebar River,[er] and I sat where they were dwelling. I sat there seven days in the midst of them, stunned. 16 And then it happened[es] at the end of seven days, the word of Yahweh came[et] to me, saying, 17 “Son of man,[eu] I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, then you must warn them from me. 18 When I say[ev] to the wicked, ‘Surely you will die,’ and you do not warn him and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way so that he may live,[ew] that wicked person will die because of his guilt, and from your hand I will seek his blood. 19 And you, if you do warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness and from his wicked way, on account of his guilt he will die, and you yourself will have saved your life.[ex] 20 And when the righteous turns from his righteousness[ey] and does injustice, and I place[ez] a stumbling block before him,[fa] he will die, for you did not warn him. Because of his sin he will die, and his righteousness[fb] that he did will not be remembered, and his blood I shall seek from your hand. 21 And if you warn him, the righteous, not to sin, and the righteous does not sin, surely he will live, for he heeded a warning. And you will have saved your life.”[fc]
22 And the hand of Yahweh was on me there, and he said to me, “Rise up, go out to the valley, and there I will speak with you.” 23 And I rose up, and I went to the valley, and, look, there the glory of Yahweh was standing, like the glory that I saw near the Kebar River,[fd] and I fell on my face. 24 And the Spirit[fe] came into me, and it made me stand on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Come, shut yourself inside your house,[ff] 25 and you, son of man,[fg] look, they will place[fh] cords on you, and they will tie you up with them. Then you will not go out into the midst of them. 26 And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silenced, and you will not be a reproving man for them, for they are a rebellious house.[fi] 27 And when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “The one hearing him, let him hear, and the one failing to hear, let him fail,”’ for they are a rebellious house.[fj]
Siege of Jerusalem Illustrated on a Brick
4 “Now,[fk] son of man,[fl] take for yourself a brick, and you must put it before you,[fm] and you must portray on it a city, Jerusalem. 2 And you must build against it siege works, and you must build against it a bulwark, and you must heap against it a siege ramp, and you must set up against it camps and put against it a battering ram all around. 3 And take for yourself a plate of iron, and you must place it as a wall of iron between you and the city, and you must set your face against it, and it must be under siege,[fn] and you must lay the siege against it; it is a sign for the house of Israel. 4 And you, lie down on your left side, and you must put[fo] the guilt of the house of Israel on it. You will carry their guilt the number of days that you will lie on it. 5 And I will give to you the years of their guilt according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days, and you must bear the guilt[fp] of the house of Israel. 6 When you have completed these, then you must lie a second time on your right side; and you must bear the guilt[fq] of the house of Judah forty days, a day for each year, a day for each year I give it to you. 7 And toward the siege of Jerusalem you must set your face and your bared arm; then you must prophesy against it. 8 Now[fr] look! I will put on you cords, and you may not turn yourself from one side to your other side until you complete the days of your siege.
Ezekiel’s Strange Defiled Meal
9 “And you, take for yourself[fs] wheat and barley and beans and lentils and millet[ft] and spelt, and you must put them in one vessel, and you must make them for yourself[fu] into a food during the number of days that you are lying on your side; three hundred and ninety days you shall eat it. 10 And your food that you will eat[fv] will be according to weight; twenty shekels for each day at fixed times[fw] you shall eat it. 11 And an amount of water[fx] you shall drink, a sixth of a hin; at fixed times[fy] you shall drink it. 12 And as a bread-cake of barley you shall eat it, and with human excrement[fz] you shall bake it before their eyes.” 13 And Yahweh said, “Thus shall the Israelites[ga] eat their unclean food among the nations where I will scatter them.”[gb] 14 And I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look! I have not been defiling myself, and a dead body and mangled carcass I have not eaten from my childhood until now, and unclean meat[gc] has not come into my mouth!” 15 And he said to me, “See I will give you cattle manure[gd] in the place of the feces of a human, and you may prepare your food on it.” 16 And he said to me, “Son of man,[ge] look, I am going to break the supply[gf] of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by weight, anxiously,[gg] and rationed water,[gh] and they will drink with horror, 17 so that they will lack food and water, and they will be appalled with one another,[gi] and they will waste away because of their guilt.[gj]
5 “And you, son of man,[gk] take for yourself[gl] a sword, sharp as a barber’s razor.[gm] Take it for yourself, and you must cause it to pass over your head and over your beard, and you must take for yourself a set of scales for weighing, and you must divide them.[gn] 2 A third you must burn with fire in the midst[go] of the city at the completion[gp] of the days of the siege, and you must take a third, and you must strike it with the sword around it, and a third you must scatter to the wind, and I will draw a sword behind them. 3 And you must take from these a few in number, and you must tuck them in your hem. 4 And from them again you shall take some, and you must throw them in the middle of the fire, and you must burn them with fire; from it a fire will go out to all of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: This is Jerusalem in the midst of the nations where I have put her, and countries are around her. 6 But she has rebelled against my regulations to the point of wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they rejected my regulations, and as for my statutes, they did not walk in them. 7 Therefore, thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because of your commotion more than the nations that are around you—you did not walk in my statutes, and you did not do my regulations, and according to the regulations of the nations that are around you, you did not do. 8 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Look! I, even I,[gq] am against you, and I will execute judgment in the midst of you before the eyes of the nations, 9 and I will do with you that which I have not done, and which I will not do again, because of all of your detestable things. 10 Therefore[gr] parents[gs] will eat children[gt] in the midst of you, and children[gu] will eat their parents,[gv] and I will execute judgment in you, and I will scatter your entire remnant to every wind. 11 Therefore as surely as I live,[gw] declares[gx] the Lord Yahweh, Surely[gy] because you have defiled my sanctuary with all of your vile idols and with all of your detestable things, now indeed I[gz] will reduce, and my eye will not take pity, and surely I will show no compassion. 12 A third of you will die because of the plague, and because of the famine they will perish in the midst of you, and a third will fall through the sword around you, and a third I will scatter to every direction of the wind, and I will draw the sword behind them. 13 And my anger will come to an end, and I will place my rage on them, and I will relent, and they will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my passion when I fully vent my rage against them.[ha] 14 And I will make you into a desolate place and into a disgrace among the nations that surround you before the eyes of every one who passes by.[hb] 15 And it will be[hc] an object of taunting[hd] and an object of mockery, a warning and a horror to the nations that are around you whenever I execute judgments against you in anger and in wrath and in furious punishments! I, Yahweh, have spoken! 16 When I send my arrows of deadly famine against them, which will be as destruction that I will send in order to destroy you, I will increase famine against you, and I will break the supply of food[he] for you. 17 And I will send against you famine and fierce animals,[hf] and they will make you childless; and plague and blood will pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I, Yahweh, I have spoken!”
Idolatrous Worship and Idolatrous Objects Denounced
6 And the word of Yahweh came[hg] to me, saying, 2 “Son of man,[hh] set your face to the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them, 3 and you must say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys: “Look, I am bringing upon you the sword, and I will destroy your high places, 4 and your altars will be desolate, and your incense altars will be broken, and I will throw down your slain ones before[hi] your idols, 5 and I will place[hj] the corpses of the children of Israel before[hk] their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6 In all of your dwellings, the cities will be desolate and the high places will be ruined, so that your altars will be desolate and will suffer punishment. Your idols will be broken and will come to an end, and your incense altars will be cut down, and your works will be destroyed, 7 and the slain one will fall in the midst of you, and then you will know that I am Yahweh. 8 But[hl] I will spare some, so there will be[hm] for you fugitives from the sword among the nations when you are scattered[hn] in the countries. 9 And your fugitives will remember me among the nations to which they were taken captive, that I was shattered by their adulterous heart[ho] which departed from me, and by their adulterous eyes[hp] which went after their idols, and they will feel loathing for themselves,[hq] for the evil that they did, for all of their detestable things. 10 And they will know that I am Yahweh; not in vain[hr] I spoke to bring to them this evil.”’ 11 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Clap your hand and stamp with your foot, and say, “Alas, for all of the detestable things of the evil of the house of Israel, because of which[hs] they will fall with the sword, with the famine, and with the plague. 12 The one who is far away will die by the plague, and the one who is near will fall by the sword, and the one who is being left behind and being spared will die by the famine, and I will complete my rage on[ht] them. 13 And you will know that I am Yahweh when their slain ones are in the midst of their idols[hu] around their altars at every high hill, on the tops of all the mountains and under every green tree and under every leafy oak—the place at which they gave a pleasing scent for all of their idols. 14 And I will stretch out my hand against them, and I will make the land a desolation and a wasteland from the desert to Riblah in all of their dwellings, and they will know that I am Yahweh.”’”
Punishment for Abominations Throughout the Land
7 And the word of Yahweh came[hv] to me, saying, 2 “And you, son of man,[hw] thus says the Lord Yahweh to the land of Israel: ‘The end comes, the end on the four corners of the land. 3 Now the end is on you, and I will send my anger on you, and I will judge you according to your ways, and I will bring on you all your detestable things. 4 And my eye will not take pity on you, and I will not show compassion for your ways; on you I will bring your detestable things; they will be in the midst of you, and you will know that I am Yahweh.’ 5 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Look! Disaster after disaster is coming! 6 The end comes, comes the end! It has awakened against you! Look! It comes! 7 Doom is coming against you, the dweller[hx] of the land; the time comes, the day is near, panic and not joy is on the mountains. 8 Soon[hy] I will pour out my rage on you, and I will fully vent my anger on you, and I will judge you according to your ways, and I will bring on you all of your detestable things. 9 And my eye will not take pity, and I will not show compassion. According to your ways I will deal with you,[hz] and your detestable things will be in the midst of you, and you will know that I am Yahweh who strikes.[ia] 10 Look! The day is coming; doom goes out, the staff blossoms, pride sprouts. 11 Violence has grown to become a staff of wickedness; none[ib] from them will remain, and none[ic] from their abundance nor from their wealth;[id] and prominence will not be among them. 12 The time has come, the day has arrived; let not the buyer rejoice, and let the seller not mourn, for anger is on all their multitude. 13 For the seller will not return to the merchandise while they are still alive,[ie] for the vision is about all of its multitude; it will not change, and a man because of his guilt will not be able to hold onto his life. 14 They shall blow on the trumpet and prepare everything,[if] but there is no one going to the battle, for my anger is on all of their multitude. 15 The sword is outside,[ig] and the plague and the famine are inside;[ih] the one who is in the field will die by the sword, and the one who is in the city, famine and plague will devour him. 16 And if their survivors will escape, they will be on the mountains, like the doves of the valley, all of them groaning, each because of his guilt. 17 All of the hands will hang limp, and all of the knees will be wet with urine.[ii] 18 And they will wear sackcloth, and horror will cover them, and on all of the faces will be shame, and baldness on all of their heads. 19 Their silver they will discard on the streets, and filth will be their gold; their silver and their gold will not be able to rescue them on the day of the wrath of Yahweh. They will not satisfy their hunger[ij] and their stomachs they will not fill, for their guilt will be their[ik] stumbling block.
Judgment for the Profanation of the Temple and Sanctuary
20 “‘And the beauty of its[il] ornament he made into a prideful thing[im] and made with it their detestable things and their vile idols; therefore I will make it into an impure thing for them. 21 And I will give it into the hand of strangers as plunder and to the wicked people of the earth as spoil, and they will defile it. 22 And I will turn my face from them, and they will defile my treasured place, and violent ones will enter and defile it. 23 Make a chain for the land; it is full of bloody crimes[in] and the city is full of violence. 24 And I will bring the worst of the nations, and they will take possession of their houses, and I will put to an end the pride of the mighty ones, and their sanctuaries will be defiled. 25 Anguish comes, and they will seek peace, and there will be none. 26 Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor will be upon rumor. And they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction will perish from the priest and counsel from the elders. 27 The king will mourn, and the prince will be dressed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. According to their way I will do to[io] them, and according to their judgments I will judge them, and they will know that I am Yahweh.’”
Abominations in the Temple and in Jerusalem
8 And then[ip] in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me.[iq] And the hand of the Lord Yahweh fell on me there, 2 and I saw,[ir] and look! A figure like the appearance of a man;[is] from the appearance of his waist and below was fire, and from his waist and upward[it] was like the appearance of brightness,[iu] like the outward appearance of[iv] amber. 3 And he sent out the form of a hand, and he took me by a lock of hair of my head, and the Spirit lifted me between earth and heaven, and it brought me to Jerusalem in visions of God to the doorway of the inner gate that faced north,[iw] at which there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which was making jealous. 4 And look! There was the glory of the God of Israel like the vision that I saw in the valley. 5 And he said to me, “Son of man,[ix] lift up now[iy] your eyes toward the north.”[iz] And I lifted up my eyes toward the north,[ja] and, look, there was to the north of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy at the entrance. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man,[jb] “Do you see[jc] what they are doing—great detestable things that the house of Israel is committing[jd] here so as to drive me from[je] my sanctuary, and yet you will see again[jf] greater[jg] detestable things.” 7 And he brought me to the doorway of the courtyard, and I saw, and look! A hole in the wall. 8 And he said to me, “Son of man,[jh] dig now[ji] through the wall.” And I dug through the wall, and look! There was a doorway. 9 And he said to me, “Come and see the detestable things, the evil that they are doing[jj] here. 10 And I came, and I saw, and look, all kinds of creatures[jk] and detestable beasts;[jl] and all of the idols of the house of Israel were carved on the wall all around.[jm] 11 And seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, was standing in the midst of them, and they were standing before them.[jn] Each one had his censer in his hand, and the fragrance of the cloud of the incense was going up. 12 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man,[jo] what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the inner rooms of his idol, for they are saying, ‘Yahweh is not seeing us; Yahweh has abandoned the land.’” 13 And he said to me, “Still you will see again[jp] greater detestable things that they are doing.” 14 And he brought me to the doorway of the gate of the house of Yahweh that is toward the north, and look! There were the women sitting weeping for Tammuz. 15 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man?[jq] Still you will see again[jr] greater detestable things than these.” 16 And he brought me to the inner courtyard of the house of Yahweh, and look, at the doorway of the temple of Yahweh, between the portico and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of Yahweh and their faces toward the east, and they were bowing down toward the east before the sun. 17 And he said to me, “Have you seen, son of man?[js] Was it too small a thing[jt] for the house of Judah to do[ju] the detestable things that they did here? For they filled up the land with violence, and they provoked me to anger again,[jv] and look! They are putting the branch to their nose. 18 And so I will act in rage, and my eye will not take pity, and I will not have compassion, and they will cry in my ear with a loud voice, and I will not hear them.”
Yahweh’s Avenging Messenger Destroys the Wicked in the City
9 And he called in my ears with a loud voice, saying,[jw] “They have come near,[jx] the punishers of the city, and each with his weapon of destruction in his hand. 2 And look! Six men coming from the way of the upper gate[jy] that faced northward,[jz] and each with his weapon for[ka] shattering in his hand; and one man was in the midst of them, dressed in linen, and the[kb] writing case of the scribe was at his side. And they came and stood beside the bronze altar. 3 And the glory of the God of Israel lifted itself up from upon the cherub that he was on[kc] and went to the threshold of the house,[kd] and he called to the man who was clothed in linen with a scribal writing case at his side.[ke] 4 And Yahweh said to him, “Go through in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and you must place a mark on the foreheads of the men who are groaning and lamenting[kf] about all of the detestable things that are being done[kg] in the midst of her.” 5 And to the others he said in my hearing, “Go through the city behind him and kill! Your eyes shall not take pity, and you shall not have compassion. 6 You must kill totally[kh] old man, young man and young woman, and little children and women, but concerning[ki] every man with the mark on him[kj] you must not approach; and from my sanctuary you must begin.” And they began with the old men who were before[kk] the house.[kl] 7 And he said to them, “Defile the house[km] and fill the courtyards with the dead; go out! And they went out, and they killed in the city. 8 And then[kn] as they were striking,[ko] and I was left behind, I fell on my face, and I cried out, and I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! “Will you be destroying all of the remnant of Israel while you pour out your rage[kp] on Jerusalem?” 9 And he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly[kq] great, and the land is filled with bloodguilt, and the city is full of injustice. For they say Yahweh abandoned the land, and Yahweh does not see.[kr] 10 And I, my eye will not take pity, and I will not have compassion; their way I will bring on their head.” 11 And look! The man clothed in linen and with a writing case at his side[ks] was bringing back a word, saying,[kt] “I have done all that you commanded me.”
God’s Presence Leaves the Temple
10 And I looked, and look! On the expanse that was above the head of the cherubim something like a stone of sapphire,[ku] and like the appearance of the shape of a throne it appeared above them. 2 And he spoke[kv] to the man clothed in linen and said, “Go in among the wheel area under the cherubim[kw] and fill the hollow of your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and toss them on the city.” And he went right before my eyes. 3 Now[kx] the cherubim were standing on the south of the temple when the man went,[ky] and the cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4 And the glory of Yahweh rose up from on the cherub toward[kz] the threshold of the house,[la] and the house[lb] was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh. 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as[lc] the outer courtyard; it was like the voice of God Shaddai[ld] when he speaks.[le]
6 And then at his command[lf] to the man clothed in linen, saying,[lg] “Take fire from among the wheel area from among the cherubim,” he went and stood beside the wheel. 7 Then the cherub stretched out his hand from among[lh] the cherubim toward the fire that was among[li] the cherubim, and he lifted up and gave[lj] it into the hollow of the hand of the man clothed with linen, and he took it, and he went out.
8 And there appeared for[lk] the cherubim the form of a human hand[ll] under their wings. 9 And I saw, and look, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub,[lm] and the appearance of the wheels was like the outward appearance of turquoise stone.[ln] 10 Their appearance[lo] was the same for each of the four of them,[lp] as if the wheel was in the midst of a wheel. 11 When they went[lq] to the four of their directions that they went, they did not change direction when they went,[lr] for the place to which the head[ls] turned, they went behind him; they did not change direction at their going. 12 And their whole body,[lt] and their rims, and their spokes, and their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels for the four of them.[lu] 13 Concerning the wheels, he was calling them “the wheelwork” in my hearing.[lv] 14 And each one had four faces;[lw] the face of the one was the face of a cherub, and the face of the second was the face of a human, and the face of the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.
15 And the cherubim rose; that is, the living creatures[lx] that I saw at the Kebar River.[ly] 16 And when the cherubim went,[lz] the wheels beside them went; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to rise up from the earth,[ma] the wheels also did not turn aside from beside them. 17 When they stood,[mb] they stood, and at their rising, they rose with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them. 18 And the glory of Yahweh went out from[mc] the threshold of the temple, and it stood above the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and they rose from the earth before my eyes. At their going out, the wheels were[md] beside them. And he stood at the doorway of the eastern gate of the temple[me] of Yahweh, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.[mf]
20 This was[mg] the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel at the Kebar River,[mh] and I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces,[mi] and there were four wings for each, and the likeness of human hands[mj] was under their wings. 22 And the likeness of their faces, they were the faces that I saw at the Kebar River;[mk] thus was their appearance, and they each went straight ahead.[ml]
Judgment On Evil Rulers
11 And the Spirit lifted me up, and it brought me to the eastern gate, the one facing east, of the temple[mm] of Yahweh. And look, there were twenty-five men in the doorway of the gate, and I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur in the midst of them, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, the commanders of the people. 2 And he said to me, “Son of man,[mn] these are the men who devise mischief,[mo] and who are offering bad counsel in this city, 3 who are saying, “The building of houses is not near; the city is the pot, and we are the flesh. 4 Therefore prophesy against them! Prophesy, son of man!”[mp]
5 And the Spirit of Yahweh fell on me, and he said to me, “Say, ‘thus says Yahweh: “This is what you think, house of Israel, and I myself know them,[mq] the thoughts of your spirit. 6 You made your slain ones numerous in this city, and you have filled its streets with slain ones.”’[mr] 7 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Your slain ones whom you put in its midst, they are the flesh, and it is the pot, and I[ms] will bring you out from its midst. 8 The sword you have feared, and the sword I will bring against you!” declares[mt] the Lord Yahweh. 9 “And I will bring you out from its midst, and I will give you into the hand of strangers, and I will execute judgments against you. 10 By the sword you will fall at the border of Israel; I will judge you, and you will know that I am Yahweh. 11 It will not be as a pot to you, and so you would be[mu] in the midst of it as flesh, for at the border of Israel I will judge you. 12 And you will know that I am Yahweh, whose[mv] rules you did not follow, and whose[mw] regulations you did not do, but according to the regulations of the nations that are around you, you acted.”’[mx]
13 And it happened that as I was prophesying,[my] Pelatiahu the son of Benaiahu died! And I fell on my face, and I cried with a loud voice, and I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh, you are making a complete destruction of the remnant of Israel!” 14 And the word of Yahweh came[mz] to me, saying,[na] 15 “Son of man,[nb] your brothers, your brothers, the men of your redemption, and all of the house of Israel, all of it, who said concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem,[nc] ‘They are far from Yahweh, therefore to us this land was given as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Though I have removed them far away among the nations and though I have scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary to them for a little while in the countries to which they have gone.’”[nd] 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “And I will assemble you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries to which you were scattered among them, and I will give the land of Israel to you. 18 And when they come there, then they will remove all of its vile idols and all of its detestable things from it. 19 And I will give to them one heart, and a new spirit I will give[ne] in their inner parts. And I will remove their[nf] heart of stone from their body, and I will give to them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they may walk in my statutes, and they will keep my regulations, and they will do them, and they will be to me a people, and I myself will be to them as God. 21 But to[ng] the heart of their abominations and the detestable things their heart is going. I will bring their way on their head,” declares[nh] the Lord Yahweh.’”
22 Then[ni] the cherubim lifted up their wings, and their[nj] wheels were beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.[nk] 23 And the glory of Yahweh went up from the midst of the city, and it stood still on the mountain that is to the east of the city. 24 And the Spirit lifted me up, and it brought me to Chaldea, to the exiles,[nl] in the vision by the spirit of God; and the vision that I had seen left me.[nm] 25 And I spoke to the exiles[nn] all of the words of Yahweh that he had shown me.
The Announcement of the Imminent Coming of the Exile
12 And the word of Yahweh came[no] to me, saying,[np] 2 “Son of man,[nq] you are dwelling in the midst of the house of rebellion who has eyes to see and they do not see;[nr] they have ears to hear,[ns] and they do not hear, for they are a house of rebellion. 3 And you, son of man,[nt] prepare for yourself[nu] the baggage of an exile, and go into exile by day before their eyes. And you must go into[nv] exile from your place to another place before their eyes; perhaps they will see that they are a house of rebellion. 4 And you must bring out your baggage like the baggage of an exile by day before their eyes, and you must go out in the evening before their eyes like those who go into exile.[nw] 5 Before their eyes dig through for yourself,[nx] through the wall, and you must bring the baggage out through it. 6 Before their eyes, on your[ny] shoulder, you must lift up the baggage in the dusk, and your face you must cover, so that you may not see the land, for I make you as a sign to the house of Israel.” 7 And I did just as[nz] I was commanded; my baggage, like the baggage of an exile, I brought out by day, and in the evening I dug through for myself[oa] into[ob] the wall with my hand in the dusk; I brought the baggage on my shoulder; I carried it before their eyes. 8 And the word of Yahweh came[oc] to me in the morning, saying,[od] 9 “Son of man,[oe] did not they, the house of Israel, the house of rebellion, say to you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “This oracle is about the prince in Jerusalem and the entire[of] house of Israel who are among them.”’[og] 11 Say, ‘I am your sign, and just as[oh] I did, so will it be done to them in the exile; into[oi] captivity they will go.’ 12 And the prince who is in the midst of them, on his shoulder he will carry the baggage in the dusk, and[oj] he will go out; the wall will be dug through[ok] to bring him through it; and he will cover his face so that he will[ol] not see the land with his[om] eye. 13 And I will spread out my net on him, and he will be captured in my hunting snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. 14 And all who are around him, his help[on] and all of his troops I will scatter in every direction,[oo] and I will draw[op] the sword behind them. 15 And they will know that I am Yahweh when I scatter them[oq] among the nations and I scatter them in the countries. 16 But[or] I will spare from them a few men[os] from the sword, from the famine and from the plague, so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations to which they will go, and they will know that I am Yahweh.”
17 And the word of Yahweh came[ot] to me, saying,[ou] 18 “Son of man,[ov] you must eat your food with trembling, and your water with shuddering, and with anxiety you must drink. 19 And you must say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the inhabitants of Jerusalem about the land of Israel: “They will eat their food with anxiety and their water they will drink with horror, because their land will be desolate from[ow] its fullness because of all the violence of those who are dwelling in it.[ox] 20 And the inhabited cites will be desolate,[oy] and the land will be a desolation, and you will know that I am Yahweh.”’”
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