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Ezekiel 21-24
Easy-to-Read Version
Ezekiel 21-24
Easy-to-Read Version
Babylon, the Sword
21 So the word of the Lord came to me again. He said, 2 “Son of man,[a] look toward Jerusalem and speak against their holy places. Speak against the land of Israel for me. 3 Say to the land of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord said: I am against you! I will pull my sword from its sheath. I will remove all people from you—the good and the evil. 4 I will cut off both good people and evil people from you. I will pull my sword from its sheath and use it against all people from south to north. 5 Then everyone will know that I am the Lord. They will know that I have pulled my sword from its sheath. My sword will not go back into its sheath again until it is finished.’
6 “Son of man, make sad sounds like a sad person with a broken heart. Make these sad sounds in front of the people. 7 Then they will ask you, ‘Why are you making these sad sounds?’ Then you must say, ‘Because of the sad news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear. All hands will become weak. Every spirit will become weak. All knees will be like water.’ Look, that bad news is coming. These things will happen!” This is what the Lord God said.
The Sword Is Ready
8 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 9 “Son of man, speak to the people for me. Say this, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘Look, a sword, a sharp sword,
and it has been polished.
10 The sword was made sharp for killing.
It was polished to flash like lightning.
My son, you ran away from the stick I used to punish you.
You refused to be punished with that wooden stick.
11 So the sword has been polished.
Now it can be used.
The sword was sharpened and polished.
Now it can be put in the hand of the killer.
12 “‘Son of man, shout out and scream because the sword will be used against my people and all the rulers of Israel. They wanted war—so they will be with my people when the sword comes. So slap your thigh to show your sadness, 13 because it is not just a test. You refused to be punished with the wooden stick, so what else should I use to punish you? A sword?’” This is what the Lord God said.
14 “Son of man, clap your hands to show your sadness,
and speak to the people for me.
Let the sword come down twice, no, three times!
This sword is for killing the people.
This is the sword for the great killing.
This sword will cut into them.
15 Their hearts will melt with fear,
and many people will fall.
The sword will kill many people by the city gates.
Yes, the sword will flash like lightning.
It was polished to kill the people!
16 Sword, be sharp!
Cut on the right side.
Cut straight ahead.
Cut on the left side.
Go wherever your edge was chosen to go.
17 “Then I, too, will clap my hands
and stop showing my anger.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Jerusalem Punished
18 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 19 “Son of man, draw two roads that the sword of the king of Babylon can use to come to Israel. Both roads will come from the same country. Then draw a sign at the head of the road to the city. 20 Use the sign to show which road the sword will use. One road leads to the Ammonite city of Rabbah. The other road leads to Judah, to the protected city, Jerusalem. 21 The king of Babylon has come to where the two roads separate. He uses magic to learn which way to go: He shakes his arrows, he asks his family idols, and he looks at the liver[b] from an animal he has killed.
22 “The signs tell him to take the road on his right, the road leading to Jerusalem, where he will use battering rams.[c] The signs tell him to give the command for his soldiers to begin the killing. They will shout the battle cry and set the battering rams against the gates. They will build a wall of dirt around the city and a dirt road leading up to the walls. They will build wooden towers to attack the city. 23 But the people in Jerusalem will think this is all a big mistake. They will not believe that this could happen, because they had made a peace agreement with Babylon’s king. But the king will remind them that they are guilty of breaking that agreement, and he will take them captive.”
24 This is what the Lord God says: “You have done many evil things. Your sins are very clear. You forced me to remember that you are guilty, so the enemy will catch you in his hand. 25 And you, evil leader of Israel, you will be killed. Your time of punishment has come! The end is here!”
26 This is what the Lord God says: “Take off the turban! Take off the crown! The time has come to change. The important leaders will be brought low, and those who are not important now will become important leaders. 27 I will completely destroy that city! But this will not happen until the right man becomes the new king. Then I will let him have this city.”
The Ammonites Punished
28 “Son of man, speak to the people for me. Say this, ‘This is what the Lord God says to the people of Ammon and their shameful god:
“‘Look, a sword!
The sword is out of its sheath.
It has been polished.
The sword is ready to kill.
It was polished to flash like lightning!
29 “‘Your visions are useless.
Your magic will not help you.
It is only a bunch of lies.
The sword is now at the throats of evil men.
They will soon be only dead bodies.
Their time has come.
The time has come for their evil to end.
Prophecy Against Babylon
30 “‘Put the sword back in its sheath. Babylon, I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land where you were born. 31 I will pour out my anger against you. My anger will burn you like a hot wind. I will hand you over to cruel men.[d] Those men are skilled at killing people. 32 You will be like fuel for the fire. Your blood will flow deep into the earth—people will never remember you again. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”
Ezekiel Speaks Against Jerusalem
22 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 “Son of man,[e] will you judge the city of murderers? Will you tell her about all the terrible things she has done? 3 You must say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: The city is full of murderers, so her time of punishment will come. She made filthy idols for herself, and those idols made her filthy!
4 “‘People of Jerusalem, you killed many people. You made filthy idols. You are guilty, and the time has come to punish you. Your end has come. Other nations will make fun of you and laugh at you. 5 People far and near will make fun of you. You have ruined your name. You are filled with confusion.
6 “‘Look, all the leaders in Israel are using their strength just to kill other people. 7 And the people in Jerusalem don’t respect their parents. There in the city, they abuse the foreigners. They cheat orphans and widows in that place. 8 You hate all that I consider holy. You treat my special days of rest as if they are not important. 9 In Jerusalem, people tell lies in order to kill innocent people. They go to the mountains to worship false gods and then come back to Jerusalem to eat their fellowship meals.
“‘In Jerusalem, people commit many sexual sins. 10 There men commit sexual sins with their father’s wife. There the men rape women—even during their monthly time of bleeding. 11 One man commits a terrible sin against his own neighbor’s wife. Another man has sex with his daughter-in-law and makes her unclean. Another man rapes his father’s daughter—his very own sister. 12 There men accept bribes to kill people. You lend money and charge interest on the loans. You cheat your neighbors just to make a little money. You have even forgotten me.’ This is what the Lord God said.
13 “‘Now look! I will slam my hand down and stop you! I will punish you for cheating and killing people. 14 Will you be brave then? Will you be strong at the time I come to punish you? I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do what I said! 15 I will scatter you among the nations. I will force you to go to many countries. I will completely destroy the filthy things in this city. 16 But Jerusalem, you will become unclean. And the other nations will see all these things happen. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Israel Is Like Worthless Waste
17 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 18 “Son of man, bronze, iron, lead, and tin are important metals, but when a worker melts silver to make it pure, those metals are poured off as waste. Israel has become like that waste to me. 19 So this is what the Lord God says: ‘All of you have become like worthless waste. So I will gather you into Jerusalem. 20 Workers put silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into a fire. They blow on the fire to make it hotter. Then the metals begin to melt. In the same way I will put you in my fire and melt you. That fire is my hot anger. 21 I will put you in my fire of anger and blow on it, and you will begin to melt. 22 In that city, you will be like silver melting in a fire. Then you will know that I am the Lord, and that I poured out my anger on you.’”
Ezekiel Speaks Against Jerusalem
23 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 24 “Son of man, speak to Israel. Tell her that she is not pure.[f] I am angry at that country, so that country has not received its rain. 25 The prophets in Jerusalem are making evil plans. They are like a lion—it roars when it begins to eat the animal it caught. They have destroyed many lives. They have taken many valuable things and made widows of many of the women in Jerusalem.
26 “The priests have really hurt my teachings. They don’t treat my holy things right—they don’t show they are important. They treat holy things the same as things that are not holy. They treat clean things like things that are unclean. They don’t teach the people about these things. They refuse to respect my special days of rest. They treat me as though I am not important.
27 “The leaders in Jerusalem are like a wolf eating the animal it has caught. They attack people and kill them just to get rich.
28 “The prophets don’t warn the people—they cover up the truth. They are like workers who don’t really repair a wall—they only put plaster over the holes. They only see lies. They do their magic to learn the future, but they only tell lies. They say, ‘This is what the Lord God said.’ But they are only lying—the Lord did not speak to them!
29 “The common people take advantage of each other. They cheat and steal from each other. They get rich by taking advantage of poor, helpless beggars, and they really cheat the foreigners. They are not fair to them at all!
30 “I asked the people to change their lives and protect their country. I asked people to fix the walls. I wanted them to stand by those holes in the wall and fight to protect their city. But no one came to help! 31 So I will show them my anger—I will completely destroy them. I will punish them for the evil things they have done. It is all their fault.” This is what the Lord God said.
23 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 “Son of man,[g] listen to this story about Samaria and Jerusalem. There were two sisters, daughters of the same mother. 3 They became prostitutes in Egypt while they were still young girls. That’s where they first let men touch and handle their young breasts. 4 The older daughter was named Oholah,[h] and her sister was named Oholibah.[i] They became my wives, and we had children. I am using the name Oholah to mean Samaria and the name Oholibah to mean Jerusalem.
5 “Then Oholah became unfaithful to me—she began to live like a prostitute. She began to want her lovers. She saw the Assyrian soldiers 6 in their blue uniforms. They were all handsome young men riding horses. They were leaders and officers, 7 and Oholah gave herself to all those men. All of them were handpicked soldiers in the Assyrian army, and she wanted them all! She became filthy with their filthy idols. 8 Besides that, she never stopped her love affair with Egypt. Egypt made love to her when she was a young girl. Egypt was the first lover to touch her young breasts. Egypt poured his untrue love on her. 9 So I let her lovers have her. She wanted Assyria, so I gave her to them! 10 They raped[j] her. They took her children and killed her. They punished her, and women still talk about her.
11 “Her younger sister Oholibah saw all these things happen. But Oholibah sinned more than her sister did! She was more unfaithful than Oholah. 12 She wanted the Assyrian leaders and officers. She wanted those soldiers in blue uniforms riding their horses. They were all handsome young men. 13 I saw that both women were going to ruin their lives with the same mistakes.
14 “Oholibah continued to be unfaithful to me. In Babylon, she saw pictures of men carved on the walls. These were pictures of Chaldean men wearing their red uniforms. 15 They wore belts around their waists and long turbans on their heads. All those men looked like chariot officers. They all looked like native-born Babylonian men, 16 and Oholibah wanted them. 17 So the Babylonian men came to her bed to have sex with her. They used her and made her so filthy that she became disgusted with them.
18 “Oholibah let everyone see that she was unfaithful. She let so many men enjoy her naked body that I became disgusted with her—just as I had become disgusted with her sister. 19 But Oholibah thought about her time as a prostitute in Egypt when she was young, and she turned to even more prostitution. 20 She remembered the lovers who excited her there, who were like animals in their sexual desires and abilities.
21 “Oholibah, you dreamed of those times when you were young, when your lovers touched and handled your young breasts. 22 So Oholibah, this is what the Lord God says: ‘You became disgusted with your lovers, but I will bring them here, and they will surround you. 23 I will bring all the men from Babylon, especially the Chaldeans. I will bring the men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the men from Assyria. I will bring all the leaders and officers, all those desirable young men, chariot officers, and handpicked soldiers riding their horses. 24 That crowd of men will come to you in large groups, riding on their horses and in their chariots. They will have their spears, shields, and helmets. They will gather around you, and I will tell them what you have done to me. Then they will punish you their own way. 25 I will show you how jealous I am. They will become angry and hurt you. They will cut off your nose and ears. They will kill you with a sword. Then they will take your children and burn whatever is left of you. 26 They will take your nice clothes and jewelry. 27 So I will stop your dreams about your love affair with Egypt. You will never again look for them. You will never remember Egypt again!’”
28 This is what the Lord God says: “I am giving you to the men you hate. I am giving you to the men you became disgusted with. 29 And they will show how much they hate you! They will take everything you worked for, and they will leave you bare and naked! People will clearly see your sins. They will see that you acted like a prostitute and dreamed wicked dreams. 30 You did those bad things when you left me to chase after the other nations. You did those bad things when you began to worship their filthy idols. 31 You followed your sister and lived as she did. You, yourself, took her cup of poison and held it in your hands.[k]” 32 This is what the Lord God says:
“You will drink your sister’s cup of poison.
It is a tall, wide cup of poison.
It holds much poison.
People will laugh at you and make fun of you.
33 You will stagger like a drunk.
You will become very dizzy.
That is the cup of destruction and devastation.
It is like the cup of punishment that your sister drank.
34 You will drink the poison in that cup.
You will drink it to the last drop.
You will throw down the glass and break it to pieces.
You will tear at your breasts from the pain.
This will happen because I am the Lord God,
and this is what I said.
35 “So this is what the Lord God said: ‘Jerusalem, you forgot me. You threw me away and left me behind. So now you must suffer for leaving me and living like a prostitute. You must suffer for your wicked dreams.’”
Judgment Against Oholah and Oholibah
36 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then tell them about the terrible things they have done. 37 They committed the sin of adultery. They are guilty of murder. They acted like prostitutes—they left me to be with their filthy idols. They had my children, but they forced them to pass through fire. They did this to give food to their filthy idols. 38 They also treated my special days of rest and my holy place as though they were not important. 39 They killed their children for their idols, and then they went into my holy place and made it filthy too! They did this inside my Temple!
40 “They have sent for men from faraway places. You sent a messenger to these men, and they came to see you. You bathed for them, painted your eyes, and put on your jewelry. 41 You sat on a fine bed with a table set before it. You put my incense[l] and my oil[m] on this table.
42 “The noise in Jerusalem sounded like a crowd of people having a party.[n] Many people came to the party. People were already drinking as they came in from the desert. They gave bracelets and beautiful crowns to the women. 43 Then I spoke to one of the women who was worn out from her sexual sins. I asked her, ‘Will they continue to do sexual sins with her, and she with them?’ 44 But they kept going to her as they would go to a prostitute. Yes, they went again and again to Oholah and Oholibah, those wicked women.
45 “But good men will judge them guilty of adultery and murder, because Oholah and Oholibah committed adultery and their hands are covered with blood!”
46 This is what the Lord God said: “Gather the people together to punish and terrorize Oholah and Oholibah. 47 They will throw stones at these women and kill them. They will cut the women to pieces with their swords. They will kill their children and burn their houses. 48 In this way I will remove that shame from this country, and all the other women will be warned not to do the shameful things you have done. 49 They will punish you for the wicked things you did. You will be punished for worshiping your filthy idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”
The Pot and the Meat
24 The word of the Lord came to me. This was on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of exile.[o] He said, 2 “Son of man,[p] write today’s date and this note: ‘On this date the army of the king of Babylon surrounded Jerusalem.’ 3 The people there refuse to obey me. I have a story with a message for them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“‘Put the pot on the fire.
Put on the pot and pour in the water.
4 Put in the pieces of meat.
Put in every good piece, the thighs and the shoulders.
Fill the pot with the best bones.
5 Use the best animals in the flock.
Pile the wood under the pot,
and boil the pieces of meat.
Boil the soup until even the bones are cooked.
6 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
It will be bad for Jerusalem.
It will be bad for that city of murderers.
Jerusalem is like a pot with rust on it,
and those spots of rust cannot be removed!
That pot is not clean, and the rust cannot be removed,
so the meat must be thrown out and not divided among the priests.
7 Jerusalem is like a pot with rust on it.
This is because the blood from the murders is still there!
She put the blood on the bare rock.
She did not pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt.[q]
8 I put her blood on the bare rock
so that it would not be covered.
I did this so that people would become angry
and punish her for killing innocent people.
9 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
It will be bad for that city of murderers!
I will pile up plenty of wood for the fire.
10 Put plenty of wood under the pot.
Light the fire.
Cook the meat until it is well done.
Mix in the spices,[r]
and let the bones be burned up.
11 Then let the pot stand empty on the coals.
Let it become so hot that its stains[s] begin to glow.
Those stains will be melted away.
The rust will be destroyed.
12 “‘Jerusalem might work hard
to scrub away her stains.
But that ‘rust’ will not go away!
Only the fire of punishment will remove it.
13 “‘You sinned against me
and became stained with sin.
I wanted to wash you and make you clean,
but the stains would not come out.
I will not try washing you again
until my hot anger is finished with you!
14 “‘I am the Lord. I said your punishment would come, and I will make it happen. I will not hold back the punishment or feel sorry for you. I will punish you for the evil things you did. This is what the Lord God said.’”
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 16 “Son of man, you love your wife very much, but I am going to take her away from you. Your wife will die suddenly, but you must not show your sadness. You must not cry loudly. You will cry and your tears will fall, 17 but you must mourn quietly. Dress as you normally do; wear your turban and sandals; don’t cover your mustache, and don’t eat the food people normally eat when someone dies.”
18 The next morning I told the people what God had said. That evening, my wife died. The next morning I did what God commanded. 19 Then the people said to me, “Why are you doing this? What does it mean?”
20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me. He told me 21 to speak to the family of Israel. The Lord God said, ‘Look, I will destroy my holy place. You are proud of that place and sing songs of praise about it. You love to see it. You really love that place. But I will destroy it, and your children that you left behind will be killed in battle. 22 But you will do the same things that I have done about my dead wife. You will not cover your mustache or eat the food people normally eat when someone dies. 23 You will wear your turbans and your sandals. You will not show your sadness publicly or cry publicly, but you will waste away with guilt and talk to each other quietly about your grief. 24 So Ezekiel is an example for you. You will do all the same things he did. That time of punishment will come, and then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”
25-26 The Lord said, “Son of man, I will take away the place that makes the people feel safe—Jerusalem, that beautiful city that makes them so happy. They really love that place. They love to look at it. But I will take it away from them, and I will also take their children. On that day one of the survivors will come to you with the bad news about Jerusalem. 27 That same day you will be able to talk to the messenger. You will not be silent anymore. This will be a sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 21:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verses 6, 9, 12, 14, 19, 28.
- Ezekiel 21:21 arrows, idols, liver People who believed in false gods used these things to try to learn the future.
- Ezekiel 21:22 battering rams Heavy logs that soldiers used to break holes into the gates or walls around a city.
- Ezekiel 21:31 cruel men This is a wordplay. The Hebrew word is like the word meaning “to burn.”
- Ezekiel 22:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verses 18, 24.
- Ezekiel 22:24 not pure This is a wordplay. The Hebrew word also means “not rained on.”
- Ezekiel 23:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verse 36.
- Ezekiel 23:4 Oholah This name means “Tent.” It probably refers to the Holy Tent where the people of Israel went to worship God.
- Ezekiel 23:4 Oholibah This name means “My Tent is in her country.” Also in verses 18, 21.
- Ezekiel 23:10 raped Literally, “revealed her nakedness.” The Hebrew word meaning “revealed” is like the word meaning “carried away as a prisoner to a faraway country.”
- Ezekiel 23:31 You, yourself … your hands Or “I put her cup in your hands.”
- Ezekiel 23:41 my incense A special blend of spices that were burned as a gift to God. This special incense was to be burned only in the Temple. See Ex. 30:34-38.
- Ezekiel 23:41 my oil The special oil that was used for anointing priests and things in the Temple to make them holy (special). See Ex. 30:22-33.
- Ezekiel 23:42 party The Hebrew word is like the word for a fellowship offering, a time when people came to share a meal and enjoy themselves together with the Lord. Here, it seems this time of worship turned into a wild party. See Deut. 14:22-29; 26:1-15.
- Ezekiel 24:1 ninth year of exile This was Jan. 15, 588 B.C., the date that Nebuchadnezzar began his attack on Jerusalem.
- Ezekiel 24:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verses 16, 25.
- Ezekiel 24:7 blood … dirt The Law of Moses teaches that whoever killed an animal for food must pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt. This showed that they were giving the life of that animal back to God. See Lev. 17:1-16 and Deut. 12:1-25. If the blood was not covered with dirt, it was a witness against the killer. See Gen. 4:10, Job 15:18, and Isa. 26:21.
- Ezekiel 24:10 Mix in the spices The meaning of this sentence is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 24:11 stains Or “bronze.”
Ezekiel 21-24
New International Version
Ezekiel 21-24
New International Version
Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment
21 [a]The word of the Lord came to me:(A) 2 “Son of man, set your face against(B) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.(C) Prophesy against(D) the land of Israel 3 and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.(E) I will draw my sword(F) from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.(G) 4 Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword(H) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.(I) 5 Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword(J) from its sheath; it will not return(K) again.’(L)
6 “Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.(M) 7 And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?(N)’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear(O) and every hand go limp;(P) every spirit will become faint(Q) and every leg will be wet with urine.’(R) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
8 The word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘A sword, a sword,
sharpened and polished—
10 sharpened for the slaughter,(S)
polished to flash like lightning!
“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.(T)
11 “‘The sword is appointed to be polished,(U)
to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
made ready for the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry out and wail, son of man,
for it is against my people;
it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.(V)
13 “‘Testing will surely come. And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.’
14 “So then, son of man, prophesy
and strike your hands(W) together.
Let the sword strike twice,
even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter—
a sword for great slaughter,
closing in on them from every side.(X)
15 So that hearts may melt with fear(Y)
and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter[b]
at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
it is grasped for slaughter.(Z)
16 Slash to the right, you sword,
then to the left,
wherever your blade is turned.
17 I too will strike my hands(AA) together,
and my wrath(AB) will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.(AC)”
18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword(AD) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost(AE) where the road branches off to the city. 20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites(AF) and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots(AG) with arrows, he will consult his idols,(AH) he will examine the liver.(AI) 22 Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry,(AJ) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp(AK) and to erect siege works.(AL) 23 It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind(AM) them of their guilt(AN) and take them captive.
24 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.
25 “‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come,(AO) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,(AP) 26 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.(AQ) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.(AR) 27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come;(AS) to him I will give it.’(AT)
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites(AU) and their insults:
“‘A sword,(AV) a sword,
drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
and to flash like lightning!
29 Despite false visions concerning you
and lying divinations(AW) about you,
it will be laid on the necks
of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
whose time of punishment has reached its climax.(AX)
30 “‘Let the sword return to its sheath.(AY)
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,(AZ)
I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my wrath on you
and breathe(BA) out my fiery anger(BB) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
men skilled in destruction.(BC)
32 You will be fuel for the fire,(BD)
your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered(BE) no more;
for I the Lord have spoken.’”
Judgment on Jerusalem’s Sins
22 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed?(BF) Then confront her with all her detestable practices(BG) 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood(BH) in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, 4 you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed(BI) and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come.(BJ) Therefore I will make you an object of scorn(BK) to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.(BL) 5 Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.(BM)
6 “‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.(BN) 7 In you they have treated father and mother with contempt;(BO) in you they have oppressed the foreigner(BP) and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.(BQ) 8 You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.(BR) 9 In you are slanderers(BS) who are bent on shedding blood;(BT) in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines(BU) and commit lewd acts.(BV) 10 In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed;(BW) in you are those who violate women during their period,(BX) when they are ceremonially unclean.(BY) 11 In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife,(BZ) another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,(CA) and another violates his sister,(CB) his own father’s daughter.(CC) 12 In you are people who accept bribes(CD) to shed blood; you take interest(CE) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.(CF) And you have forgotten(CG) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CH)
13 “‘I will surely strike my hands(CI) together at the unjust gain(CJ) you have made and at the blood(CK) you have shed in your midst.(CL) 14 Will your courage endure(CM) or your hands(CN) be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken,(CO) and I will do it.(CP) 15 I will disperse you among the nations and scatter(CQ) you through the countries; and I will put an end to(CR) your uncleanness.(CS) 16 When you have been defiled[c] in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.’”
17 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross(CT) to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace.(CU) They are but the dross of silver.(CV) 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross,(CW) I will gather you into Jerusalem. 20 As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.(CX) 21 I will gather you and I will blow(CY) on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.(CZ) 22 As silver is melted(DA) in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath(DB) on you.’”(DC)
23 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’(DD) 25 There is a conspiracy(DE) of her princes[d] within her like a roaring lion(DF) tearing its prey; they devour people,(DG) take treasures and precious things and make many widows(DH) within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my law(DI) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;(DJ) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;(DK) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned(DL) among them.(DM) 27 Her officials(DN) within her are like wolves(DO) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people(DP) to make unjust gain.(DQ) 28 Her prophets whitewash(DR) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.(DS) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.(DT) 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;(DU) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,(DV) denying them justice.(DW)
30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall(DX) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.(DY) 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,(DZ) bringing down(EA) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(EB)”
Two Adulterous Sisters
23 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.(EC) 3 They became prostitutes in Egypt,(ED) engaging in prostitution(EE) from their youth.(EF) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.(EG) 4 The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.(EH)
5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians(EI)—warriors(EJ) 6 clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 7 She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.(EK) 8 She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,(EL) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.(EM)
9 “Therefore I delivered her into the hands(EN) of her lovers,(EO) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.(EP) 10 They stripped(EQ) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,(ER) and punishment was inflicted(ES) on her.(ET)
11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this,(EU) yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.(EV) 12 She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.(EW) 13 I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.(EX)
14 “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,(EY) figures of Chaldeans[e] portrayed in red,(EZ) 15 with belts(FA) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.[f] 16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers(FB) to them in Chaldea.(FC) 17 Then the Babylonians(FD) came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.(FE) 18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,(FF) I turned away(FG) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.(FH) 19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. 21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.[g](FI)
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers(FJ) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side(FK)— 23 the Babylonians(FL) and all the Chaldeans,(FM) the men of Pekod(FN) and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.(FO) 24 They will come against you with weapons,[h] chariots and wagons(FP) and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment,(FQ) and they will punish you according to their standards. 25 I will direct my jealous anger(FR) against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters,(FS) and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.(FT) 26 They will also strip(FU) you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.(FV) 27 So I will put a stop(FW) to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.
28 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands(FX) of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked,(FY) and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed.(FZ) Your lewdness(GA) and promiscuity(GB) 30 have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.(GC) 31 You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup(GD) into your hand.(GE)
32 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“You will drink your sister’s cup,
a cup large and deep;
it will bring scorn and derision,(GF)
for it holds so much.(GG)
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
the cup of ruin and desolation,
the cup of your sister Samaria.(GH)
34 You will drink it(GI) and drain it dry
and chew on its pieces—
and you will tear your breasts.
I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(GJ)
35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten(GK) me and turned your back on me,(GL) you must bear(GM) the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”
36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront(GN) them with their detestable practices,(GO) 37 for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them.(GP) 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary(GQ) and desecrated my Sabbaths.(GR) 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated(GS) it. That is what they did in my house.(GT)
40 “They even sent messengers for men who came from far away,(GU) and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup(GV) and put on your jewelry.(GW) 41 You sat on an elegant couch,(GX) with a table(GY) spread before it on which you had placed the incense(GZ) and olive oil that belonged to me.(HA)
42 “The noise of a carefree(HB) crowd was around her; drunkards(HC) were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets(HD) on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.(HE) 43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute,(HF) for that is all she is.’ 44 And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. 45 But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,(HG) because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.(HH)
46 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob(HI) against them and give them over to terror and plunder.(HJ) 47 The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters(HK) and burn(HL) down their houses.(HM)
48 “So I will put an end(HN) to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.(HO) 49 You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry.(HP) Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(HQ)”
Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot
24 In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me:(HR) 2 “Son of man, record(HS) this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.(HT) 3 Tell this rebellious people(HU) a parable(HV) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Put on the cooking pot;(HW) put it on
and pour water into it.
4 Put into it the pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;(HX)
5 take the pick of the flock.(HY)
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.(HZ)
6 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe(IA) to the city of bloodshed,(IB)
to the pot now encrusted,
whose deposit will not go away!
Take the meat out piece by piece
in whatever order(IC) it comes.(ID)
7 “‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:
She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
where the dust would cover it.(IE)
8 To stir up wrath and take revenge
I put her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.
9 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!
I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 So heap on the wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.
11 Then set the empty pot on the coals
till it becomes hot and its copper glows,
so that its impurities may be melted
and its deposit burned away.(IF)
12 It has frustrated all efforts;
its heavy deposit has not been removed,
not even by fire.
13 “‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed(IG) from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.(IH)
14 “‘I the Lord have spoken.(II) The time has come for me to act.(IJ) I will not hold back; I will not have pity,(IK) nor will I relent.(IL) You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,(IM) declares the Sovereign Lord.(IN)’”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, with one blow(IO) I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.(IP) Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.(IQ) 17 Groan quietly;(IR) do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban(IS) fastened and your sandals(IT) on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard(IU) or eat the customary food of mourners.(IV)”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.(IW)
19 Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us?(IX) Why are you acting like this?”
20 So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary(IY)—the stronghold in which you take pride,(IZ) the delight of your eyes,(JA) the object of your affection. The sons and daughters(JB) you left behind will fall by the sword.(JC) 22 And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard(JD) or eat the customary food of mourners.(JE) 23 You will keep your turbans(JF) on your heads and your sandals(JG) on your feet. You will not mourn(JH) or weep but will waste away(JI) because of[i] your sins and groan among yourselves.(JJ) 24 Ezekiel(JK) will be a sign(JL) to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’
25 “And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes,(JM) their heart’s desire,(JN) and their sons and daughters(JO) as well— 26 on that day a fugitive will come to tell you(JP) the news. 27 At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.(JQ) So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.(JR)”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-32 is numbered 21:6-37.
- Ezekiel 21:15 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 22:16 Or When I have allotted you your inheritance
- Ezekiel 22:25 Septuagint; Hebrew prophets
- Ezekiel 23:14 Or Babylonians
- Ezekiel 23:15 Or Babylonia; also in verse 16
- Ezekiel 23:21 Syriac (see also verse 3); Hebrew caressed because of your young breasts
- Ezekiel 23:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Ezekiel 24:23 Or away in
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