Chronological
Ezekiel Cuts His Hair
5 “Now, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], take a sharp sword, and use it like a barber’s razor to shave your head and beard. Then take scales and weigh and divide the hair. 2 Burn one-third with fire ·in the middle of [inside] the city when the days of the ·attack on Jerusalem [L siege] are over. Then take one-third and cut it up with the ·knife [sword] all around the city. And scatter one-third to the wind. This is how I will chase them with ·a sword [unsheathed sword]. 3 Also take a few of these hairs and ·tie [bind; tuck] them in the ·folds [edge] of your clothes. 4 Take a few more and throw them into the fire and burn them up. From there a fire will spread to all the ·people [L house] of Israel.
5 “This is what the Lord God says: This is Jerusalem. I have put her at the center of the nations with countries all around her. 6 But she has ·refused to obey [rebelled against] my ·laws [judgments] and has been more ·evil [wicked] than the nations. She has refused to ·obey [L walk in] my ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements], even more than ·nations [lands] around her. The people of Jerusalem have rejected my ·laws [judgments] and have not ·lived by [L walked in] my ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
7 “So this is what the Lord God says: You have ·caused more trouble [been more insubordinate/arrogant] than the nations around you. You have not followed my ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] or obeyed my ·laws [judgments]. You have not even obeyed the ·laws [judgments] of the nations around you.
8 “So this is what the Lord God says: [L Look; T Behold] I myself am against you, and I will ·punish you [L execute judgments in your midst] ·as the nations watch [in the sight of the nations]. 9 I will do things ·among [to] you that I have not done before and that I will never do anything like again, because ·you do the things I hate [of your detestable practices/or idols]. 10 So ·parents [fathers] among you will eat their ·children [sons], and ·children [sons] will eat their ·parents [fathers; C because of horrific starvation during the siege; Deut. 28:53–57; Jer. 19:9; Lam. 4:10]. I will ·punish you [execute judgments] and will scatter to the winds all ·who are left alive [the survivors]. 11 So the Lord God says: You have ·made my Temple unclean [defiled my sanctuary] with all your ·evil idols [abominations] and ·the hateful things you do [your detestable practices/or idols]. Because of this, as surely as I live, I will ·cut you off [or shave you; C a humiliation]. ·I will have [L My eye will show] no pity, and I will show no mercy. 12 A third of you will die by ·disease [plague; pestilence] or be ·destroyed [overcome; consumed] by ·hunger [famine] inside your walls. A third will fall dead by the sword ·outside your walls [all around]. And a third I will scatter in every direction as I chase them with a ·sword [L drawn/unsheathed sword]. 13 Then my anger will ·come to an end [be finished]. ·I will use it up against them […and my wrath will cease], and then I will be ·satisfied [calmed; appeased]. Then they will know that I, the Lord, have spoken. After I have carried out my ·anger [wrath] against them, they will know ·how strongly I felt [my zeal/jealousy].
14 “I will make you a ruin and a ·shame [reproach; object of mockery] among the nations around you, ·to be seen by [L in the eyes of] all who pass by. 15 Then you will be ·shamed [a reproach/object of mockery] and ·made fun of [taunted] by the nations around. You will be a warning and a ·terror [horror] to them. This will happen when I ·punish [execute judgments against] you in my ·great anger [L anger, wrath, and furious rebukes]. I, the Lord, have spoken. 16 I will ·send a time of hunger [L shoot deadly and destructive arrows of famine] to destroy you, and then I will make your ·hunger [famine] get even worse, and I will cut off your supply of food. 17 I will send a time of hunger and wild animals against you, and they will ·kill your children [L bereave you]. ·Disease [Plague; Pestilence] and death will sweep through your people, and I will bring the sword against you to kill you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Prophecies Against the Mountains
6 Again the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], ·look [L set your face] toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them. 3 Say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord God. The Lord God says this to the mountains, the hills, the ravines, and the valleys: [L Look; T Behold] I ·will [or am about to] bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your ·places of idol worship [L high places; C pagan worship sites; Deut. 12; 2 Kin. 23:8]. 4 Your altars will be ·destroyed [desolated] and your incense altars ·broken down [smashed]. ·Your people will be killed [L I will throw down your slain] in front of your idols. 5 I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6 In all the places you live, cities will become ·empty [desolate; laid waste]. The ·places of idol worship [L high places; 6:3] will be ruined; your altars will become ·lonely [wasted] ruins. Your idols will be ·broken [smashed] and ·brought to an end [ruined]. Your incense altars will be cut down, and ·the things you made [your works; or the idols/religious objects you have made] will be wiped out. 7 ·Your people will be killed and [L The slain will] fall among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
8 “‘But I will leave some people alive; some will ·not be killed by the nations [L escape the sword] when you are scattered among the foreign lands. 9 Then those who have escaped will remember me, as they live among the nations where they have been taken as captives. They will remember how I was ·hurt [grieved; crushed] ·because they were unfaithful to me [L by their adulterous heart] and turned away from me and ·desired to worship [by their eyes that have prostituted themselves with] their idols. They will ·hate [loathe] themselves because of ·the evil things they did that I hate [their abominations/detestable practices]. 10 Then they will know that I am the Lord. I did not ·bring this terrible thing on them for no reason [or threaten in vain this catastrophe against them].
11 “‘This is what the Lord God says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, and ·groan [L say, “Ah!”] because of all the ·hateful, evil things [evil and detestable practices] the ·people [L house] of Israel have done. They will ·die by war [L fall by the sword], ·hunger [famine], and ·disease [plague; pestilence; Lev. 26:25–26]. 12 The person who is far away will die by ·disease [plague; pestilence]. The one who is nearby will ·die in war [fall by the sword]. The person who ·is still alive [L remains and is spared] and has escaped these will die from ·hunger [famine]. So I will ·carry out [spend; exhaust] my ·anger [wrath; fury] on them. 13 Their people will lie dead among their idols around the altars, on every high hill, on all the mountain tops, and under every green tree and leafy oak—all the places where they offered ·sweet-smelling [fragrant; or pleasing] incense to their idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will ·use my power [L stretch out my hand] against them to make the land ·empty [desolate] and wasted from the ·desert [wilderness] to ·Diblah,[a] wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Ezekiel Tells of the End
7 Again the ·Lord spoke his word to me [L word of the Lord came], saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], the Lord God says this to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come on the four corners of the land. 3 Now the end has come for you, and I will send my anger against you. I will judge you for the way you have lived, and I will ·make you pay [punish you; or hold you accountable; L place upon you] for all your ·actions that I hate [detestable/abominable practices]. 4 ·I will have no pity on [L My eye will not pity] you; I will not ·hold back punishment from [spare] you. Instead, I will make you pay for the way you have lived and for your ·actions that I hate [detestable/abominable practices]. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5 “This is what the Lord God says: Disaster ·on top of [or unheard of] disaster ·is [L look/T behold, it is] coming. 6 The end has come! The end has come! It has ·stirred itself up [aroused; awakened] against you! Look! It ·has come [or is coming]! 7 ·Disaster [Doom] has come for you who live in the land! The time has come; the day of is near. It will be a day of ·confusion [panic], not ·celebration [shouts of joy], on the mountains. 8 Soon I will pour out my ·anger [wrath] against you; I will ·carry out [spend; exhaust] my anger against you. I will judge you for the way you have lived and will ·make you pay [punish you; or hold you accountable] for ·everything you have done that I hate [your detestable/abominable practices]. 9 ·I will show no pity [L My eye will not pity you], and I will not ·hold back punishment [spare you]. I will ·pay you back [punish you; or hold you accountable] for ·the way you have lived and the things you have done that I hate [your detestable/abominable practices]. Then you will know that I am the Lord who ·punishes [strikes you].
10 “·Look [T Behold], the day is here. ·Look [T Behold] It has come. ·Disaster [Doom] has ·come [gone out], ·violence has grown [L the rod has budded; Num. 17; C may refer to Nebuchadnezzar, the instrument of God’s judgment], ·and there is more pride than ever [L pride/arrogance has blossomed]. 11 Violence has grown into a ·weapon [rod; staff] for punishing wickedness. None of the people will be left—none of that crowd, none of their wealth, and ·nothing of value [or none of their prominent ones]. 12 The time has come; the day has arrived. Don’t let the buyer ·be happy [rejoice] or the seller ·be sad [grieve; mourn], because my ·burning anger [wrath] is against the whole crowd. 13 Sellers will not ·return to the land [or recover the property] they have sold as long as they live, because the vision against all that crowd will not be ·changed [revoked; reversed]. Because of their ·sins [iniquity], they will not ·save [preserve] their lives. 14 They have blown the trumpet, and everything is ready. But no one is going to the battle, because my ·anger [wrath] is against all that crowd.
15 “The sword is outside, and ·disease [pestilence; plague] and ·hunger [famine] are inside [6:12]. Whoever is in the field will die by the sword. ·Hunger [Famine] and ·disease [pestilence; plague] will destroy those in the city. 16 ·Those who are left alive and [The survivors] who escape will be on the mountains, moaning like doves of the valleys about their own ·sin [iniquity]. 17 All hands ·will hang weakly with fear [are weak/limp], and all knees will ·become weak as water [or be wet with urine; L run with water]. 18 They will put on ·rough cloth to show how sad they are [burlap; sackcloth]. ·They will tremble all over with fear [L Terror/Horror covers them]. Their faces will show their shame, and all their heads will be shaved. 19 The people will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be like ·trash [filth; an unclean thing]. Their silver and gold will not save them from the Lord’s ·anger [wrath]. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, because it ·caused them to fall [was their stumbling block] into sin. 20 ·They were proud of their beautiful jewelry [or They used God’s ornaments for their own prideful means; C the ornaments could refer to the temple treasures] and used it to make their ·idols [abominable images] and their ·evil statues, which I hate [detestable/abominable idols]. So I will turn their wealth into ·trash [filth; an unclean thing]. 21 I will give it to foreigners as loot from war and to the ·evil [or most wicked] people in the world as ·treasure [plunder], and they will ·dishonor [desecrate; defile; C ritually] it. 22 I will also turn [L my face] away from the ·people [L house] of Israel, and they will ·dishonor [desecrate; defile; C ritually] my treasured place. Then robbers will enter and ·dishonor [desecrate; defile; C ritually] it.
23 “·Make chains for captives [L Prepare/Forge the chains], because the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence. 24 So I will bring the ·worst [most evil/wicked/ruthless] of the nations to take over the people’s houses. I will also end the pride of the strong, and their ·holy places [sanctuaries] will be ·dishonored [desecrated; defiled; C ritually]. 25 ·When the people are suffering greatly [or Terror/Anguish is coming!], they will look for peace, but there will be none. 26 Disaster will come on top of disaster, and rumor will be added to rumor. Then they will ·try to get [seek] a vision from a prophet; the ·teachings of God [L laws; instructions] from the priest and the ·advice [counsel] from the elders ·will be lost [perishes]. 27 The king will ·cry greatly [mourn], the prince will ·give up hope [L be clothed/wrapped in despair], and the hands of the people of land will shake with fear. I will ·punish [deal with] them for the way they have lived. The way they have judged others is the way I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel’s Vision of Jerusalem
8 It was the sixth year [C since king Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], on the fifth day of the sixth month [C September 17, 592 bc; this vision is the subject of chapters 8–11]. I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah in front of me. There ·I felt the power of the Lord God [L the hand of the Lord God came upon me]. 2 I looked and saw something that looked like a ·human [man]. From the waist down it looked like fire, and from the waist up it looked like bright glowing ·metal [or amber]. 3 ·It [or He] stretched out the shape of a hand and caught me by the hair on my head. ·The Spirit [or A spirit; or The wind] lifted me up between the earth and ·the sky [heaven]. He took me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple. In the courtyard was the ·idol that caused God to be jealous [L image of jealousy; 2 Kin. 21:7; 2 Chr. 33:7, 15]. 4 I saw the glory of the God of Israel [C his manifest presence] there, as I had seen ·on the plain [in the valley].
5 Then he said to me, “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], now look toward the north.” So I looked up toward the north, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar was the ·idol that caused God to be jealous [image of jealousy].
6 He said to me, “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], do you see what they are doing? Do you see how many ·hateful [detestable; abominable] things the ·people [L house] of Israel are doing here that drive me far away from my ·Temple [sanctuary]? But you will see things more ·hateful [detestable; abominable] than these.”
7 Then he brought me to the entry of the courtyard. When I looked, I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “·Human [T Son of man], dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall and saw an ·entrance [doorway].
9 Then he said to me, “Go in and see the ·hateful [detestable; abominable], ·evil [wicked] things they are doing here.” 10 So I entered and looked, and ·I saw [L look; T behold] every kind of crawling thing [Lev. 11:20] and hateful beast [C unclean animal, ritually] and all the idols of the ·people [L house] of Israel, ·carved [engraved] on the wall all around [C such images were idolatrous; Deut. 4:16–18; Rom. 1:23]. 11 Standing in front of these carvings and idols were seventy of the elders of [L the house of] Israel and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each man had his ·pan for burning incense [censer] in his hand, and a ·sweet-smelling [fragrant] cloud of incense was rising.
12 Then he said to me, “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], have you seen what the elders of [L the house of] Israel are doing in the dark? Have you seen each man in the ·room [chamber; shrine] of his own ·idol [carved image]? They say, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us. The Lord has ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the land.’” 13 He also said to me, “You will see even more ·hateful [detestable; abominable] things that they are doing.”
14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, where I saw women sitting and crying for Tammuz [C a Babylonian god of fertility and rain, whose annual death marked the change of seasons]. 15 He said to me, “Do you see, ·human [T son of man; 2:1]? You will see things even more ·hateful [detestable; abominable] than these.”
16 Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the ·Temple [L house of the Lord]. There I saw about twenty-five men at the entrance to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, between the ·porch [portico] and the altar. With their backs turned to the Temple of the Lord, they faced east and were worshiping the sun in the east.
17 He said to me, “Do you see, ·human [T son of man; 2:1]? Is it ·unimportant [a trivial thing] that the ·people [L house] of Judah are doing the ·hateful [detestable; abominable] things they have done here? They have filled the land with violence and ·made me continually angry [provoked me to still greater anger]. ·Look [T Behold], they are ·insulting me every way they can [L putting the branch to their nose; C perhaps part of the worship of the sun god]. 18 So I will act ·in anger [with wrath]. I will have no pity, nor will I ·show mercy [spare them]. Even if they shout in my ears, I won’t listen to them.”
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