Historical
The Map of Jerusalem
4 “Now, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], get yourself a brick, put it in front of you, and ·draw [inscribe; engrave] ·a map [L the city] of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then ·surround it with an army [lay a siege against it]. Build ·battle [siege] works against the city and a ·dirt road to the top of the city walls [siege ramp/mound against it]. Set up camps around it, and put ·heavy logs in place to break down the walls [battering rams all around]. 3 Then get yourself an iron ·plate [pan] and set it up like an iron wall between you and the city. Turn your face toward the city ·as if to attack it [or and it will be under siege] and then ·attack [besiege it]. This is a sign to [L the house of] Israel.
4 “Then lie down on your left side, and take the ·guilt [punishment; iniquity] of [L the house of] Israel on yourself. Their ·guilt [punishment; iniquity] will be on you for the number of days you lie on your left side. 5 I have ·given [assigned to] you the same number of days as the years of the people’s sin. So you will have the ·guilt of Israel’s sin on you [punishment/iniquity of the house of Israel] for three hundred ninety days.
6 “After you have finished these days, lie down a second time, on your right side. You will then have the ·guilt [punishment; iniquity] of [L the house of] Judah on you. I will give it to you for forty days, a day for each ·year of their sin [L year]. 7 Then you will ·look [L turn your face] toward Jerusalem, which is being ·attacked [besieged]. With your arm bare, you will prophesy against Jerusalem. 8 [L And look/T behold] I will put ·ropes [cords] on you so you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your ·attack on Jerusalem [siege].
9 “Take wheat, barley, beans, ·small peas [lentils], millet and spelt [C a kind of wheat; all foods common to Babylon, where Ezekiel was exiled], and put them in one ·bowl [vessel; container], and make them into bread for yourself. You will eat it the three hundred ninety days you lie on your side. 10 You will eat ·eight ounces [L twenty shekels] of food ·every day at set times [L from time to time]. 11 You will ·drink [L measure out and drink] ·about two-thirds of a quart [L a sixth of a hin] of water ·every day at set times [L from time to time]. 12 Eat your food as you would eat a barley cake, baking it over human dung where the people can see.” 13 Then the Lord said, “In the same way [L the sons/T children of] Israel will eat unclean food [C ritually; Lev. 11] among the nations where I ·force them to go [drive/banish them].”
14 But I said, “·No [Ah], Lord God! I have never ·been made unclean [defiled myself; C ritually]. From the time I was young until now I’ve never eaten anything that died ·by itself [naturally; C a carcass] or was ·torn [mauled] by ·animals [wild beasts]. ·Unclean [Impure; C ritually] meat has never entered my mouth.”
15 “Very well,” he said. “Then I will give you cow’s dung instead of human dung to use for your fire to bake your bread.”
16 He also said to me, “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], I am going to cut off the supply of bread to Jerusalem. They will eat the bread that is measured out to them, and they will ·worry as they eat [eat anxiously]. They will drink water that is measured out to them, and they will be in ·shock [terror; dismay] as they drink it. 17 This is because bread and water will be hard to find [C because of the siege] The people will be ·shocked [terrified; dismayed] at the sight of each other, and they will ·become weak [waste away] because of their ·sin [punishment; iniquity].
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.”
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