Bible verse by verse

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 15:1-8

The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel:

“Human, why should wood from a grapevine be better than other kind --- say, some branch that one might find
among the trees in the forest?

Its wood can’t be used to make anything, not even a peg on which to hang a pot.

So now it is tossed in the fire as fuel and the fire consumes both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred — does this make it anymore useful for construction?

When it was fresh, it was good for nothing --- even less, when the fire has consumed it, and it is scortched!"

So the Godhead says this: "Like wood from the vine among the trees of the forest, which I consign to the fire as fuel, so I designate those still living in Jerusalem.

I will turn against them. They may have escaped one fire, but the fire will consume them yet. When I turn against them, you will know that I am God.

I will make the land worthless because they have behaved treacherously,’ says the Godhead.”

Young's Literal Translation

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

2 `Son of man, What is the vine-tree more than any tree? The vine-branch that hath been, Among trees of the forest?

3 Is wood taken from it to use for work? Do they take of it a pin to hang any vessel on it?

4 Lo, to the fire it hath been given for fuel, Its two ends hath the fire eaten, And its midst hath been scorched! Is it profitable for work?

5 Lo, in its being perfect it is not used for work, How much less, when fire hath eaten of it, And it is scorched, Hath it been used yet for work?

6 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: As the vine-tree among trees of the forest, That I have given to the fire for fuel, So I have given the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 And I have set My face against them, From the fire they have gone forth, And the fire doth consume them, And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My setting My face against them.

8 And I have made the land a desolation, Because they have committed a trespass, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 16:1-63

Again a message came to Ezekiel from the Lord.

“Human,” He said, “speak to Jerusalem about her disgusting sins.

Tell her, The Lord God says: You are no better than the citizens of Canaan—your father must have been an Amorite and your mother a Hittite!

When you were born, no one cared for you. When I first saw you, your umbilical cord was uncut, and you had been neither washed nor rubbed with salt not even dressed.

No one had any interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day when you were born, you were plopped in a field and left to die, unwanted.

But I came by and saw you there, covered with your own blood, and I said, “Live! Thrive like grain!” And you did! You grew up and became tall, slender and supple, a jewel among jewels. And when you reached the age of maidenhood, your breasts were full-formed and your pubic hair had grown; yet you were naked.

Later, when I passed by and saw you again, you were mature for marriage; and I wrapped my cloak around you to legally declare my marriage vow. I signed a covenant with you, and you became mine.

Then, when the marriage had taken place, I gave you beautiful clothes of linens and silk, embroidered, and sandals made of badger hide.

I gave you lovely ornaments, bracelets, and beautiful necklaces,

ornaments to decorate your body.

And so you were made beautiful with gold and silver, and your clothes were silk and linen and beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were!

Your reputation was great among the nations for your beauty; it was perfect because of all the gifts I gave you,” says the Lord God.

“But you thought you could get along without Me—you trusted in your charms instead; and you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was his for the asking.

You used the lovely things I gave you for making idol shrines and to decorate your bed of prostitution. Unbelievable! There has never been anything like it before!

You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I gave to you and made idols and worshiped them, which is adultery against Me.

You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you—to cover your idols! And used My oil and incense to worship them!

You set before them as a lovely sacrifice—imagine it—the fine flour and oil and honey I provided!

And you took My sons and daughters you had borne to Me and sacrificed them to your gods; and they are gone. Wasn’t it enough that you should be a prostitute?

Must you also murder my children by sacrificing them to idols?

And in all these years of adultery and sin you have not thought of those days long ago when you were naked and covered with blood.

And then, in addition to all your other wickedness—misery, misery upon you," says the Lord God—

"you built a spacious brothel for your lovers and idol altars on every street,

and there you offered your charm to every man who came by, in an endless stream of prostitution.

And you added lustful Egypt to your prostitutions by your alliance with her. My anger is great.

Therefore I have smashed you with my fist; I have shrunk your boundaries and delivered you into the hands of those who hate you—the Philistines—and even they are embarrassed by you.

You have committed adultery with the Assyrians too by making them your allies and worshiping their gods; it seems that you can never find enough gods. After your adultery there, you still weren’t satisfied,

so you worshiped the gods of that great merchant land of Babylon—and you still weren’t happy.

What a filthy heart you have, says the Lord God, to do such things as these; you are a brazen hussy,

building your idol altars, your brothels, on every street. You have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even charged for your love!

Yes, you are an adulterous wife who lives with other men instead of her own husband.

Prostitutes charge for their services—men pay with many gifts. But not you, you give them gifts, bribing them to come to you! So you are different from other prostitutes. But you had to pay them, for no one wanted you.

Prostitute, hear the word of the Lord:

This is what the Lord God says! Because I see your filthy sins, your adultery with your lovers—your worshiping of idols—and the slaying of your children as sacrifices to your gods,

this is what I am going to do: I will gather together all your allies—these lovers of yours you have sinned with, both those you loved and those you hated—and I will make you naked before them that they may see you.

I will punish you as a murderess is punished and as a woman breaking wedlock living with other men.

I will give you to your lovers—these many nations—to destroy, and they will tear down your brothels and idol altars. They will strip you, take your beautiful jewels, and leave you naked and ashamed.

They will burn your homes, punishing you before the eyes of many women. And I will see to it that you stop your whoring with other gods and end your payments to your allies for their love.

Then at last my rage against you will fade; my jealousy against you will end, and I will be quiet and not be angry with you anymore.

But first, because you have not remembered your youth but have angered me by all these evil things you do, I will fully repay you for all of your sins,’” says the Lord. “‘For you are ungrateful in addition to all your other faults.

"Like mother, like daughter"—that is what everyone will say of you.

For your mother loathed her husband and her children, and you do too. And you are exactly like your sisters, for they despised their husbands and their children. Truly, your mother must have been a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

Your older sister is Samaria, living with her daughters north of you; your younger sister is Sodom and her daughters, in the south.

You have not merely sinned as they do—no, that was nothing to you; in a very short time you outdid them.

As I live, the Lord God says, Sodom and her daughters have never been as evil as you and your daughters.

Your sister Sodom’s sins were arrogance, laziness, and gluttony, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.

She insolently had many idols as I observed. Therefore I crushed her.

Even Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have worshiped idols far more than your sisters have; they seem practically righteous in comparison with you!

Don’t be surprised then by the lighter punishment they receive. For your sins are so terrible that in comparison with you, your sisters seem innocent!

(But someday I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and Samaria again, and those of Judah too.)

Your terrible punishment will console them, for it will be greater than theirs.

Yes, your sisters, Sodom and Samaria, and all their people will be restored again, and Judah, too, will prosper at that time.

In your proud days you held Sodom in unspeakable contempt.

But now your greater wickedness has been presented to all the world, and you are the one who is scorned—by Edom and all her neighbors and all the Philistines.

This is part of your punishment for all your sins,” says the Lord.

The Lord God says: “I will repay you for your broken promises. You lightly broke your solemn vows to me, yet I will keep the pledge I made to you when you were young. I will establish an everlasting covenant with you forever,

and you will realize with shame all the evil you have done; and you will be overcome by my favor when I take your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, and make them your daughters, for you to rule over. You will know you don’t deserve this gracious act, for you did not keep my covenant.

I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know I am the Lord.

Despite all you have done, I will be kind to you again; you will cover your mouth in silence and in shame when I forgive you all that you have done,” says the Lord God.


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2 `Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, and thou hast said:

3 Thus said the Lord Jehovah to Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity [Are] of the land of the Canaanite, Thy father the Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite.

4 As to thy nativity, in the day thou wast born, Thou -- thy navel hath not been cut, And in water thou wast not washed for ease, And thou hast not been salted at all, And thou hast not been swaddled at all.

5 No eye hath had pity on thee, to do to thee any of these, To have compassion on thee, And thou art cast on the face of the field, With loathing of thy person. In the day thou hast been born -- thou!

6 And I do pass over by thee, And I see thee trodden down in thy blood, And I say to thee in thy blood, Live, And I say to thee in thy blood, Live.

7 A myriad -- as the shoot of the field I have made thee, And thou art multiplied, and art great, And comest in with an excellent adornment, Breasts have been formed, and thy hair hath grown -- And thou, naked and bare!

8 And I pass over by thee, and I see thee, And lo, thy time [is] a time of loves, And I spread My skirt over thee, And I cover thy nakedness, And I swear to thee, and come in to a covenant with thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And thou dost become Mine.

9 And I do wash thee with water, And I wash away thy blood from off thee, And I anoint thee with perfume.

10 And I clothe thee with embroidery, And I shoe thee with badger's skin, And I gird thee with fine linen, And I cover thee with figured silk.

11 And I adorn thee with adornments, And I give bracelets for thy hands, And a chain for thy neck.

12 And I give a ring for thy nose, And rings for thine ears, And a crown of beauty on thy head.

13 And thou dost put on gold and silver, And thy clothing [is] fine linen, And figured silk and embroidery, Fine flour, and honey, and oil thou hast eaten, And thou art very very beautiful, And dost go prosperously to the kingdom.

14 And go forth doth thy name among nations, Because of thy beauty -- for it [is] complete, In My honour that I have set upon thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

15 And thou dost trust in thy beauty, And goest a-whoring because of thy renown, And dost pour out thy whoredoms On every passer by -- to him it is.

16 And thou dost take of thy garments, And dost make to thee spotted high-places, And dost go a-whoring upon them, They are not coming in -- nor shall it be!

17 And thou dost take thy beauteous vessels Of My gold and My silver that I gave to thee, And dost make to thee images of a male, And dost go a-whoring with them,

18 And dost take the garments of thy embroidery, And thou dost cover them, And My oil and My perfume thou hast set before them.

19 And My bread, that I gave to thee, Fine flour, and oil, and honey, that I caused thee to eat. Thou hast even set it before them, For a sweet fragrance -- thus it is, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

20 And thou dost take thy sons and thy daughters Whom thou hast born to Me, And dost sacrifice them to them for food. Is it a little thing because of thy whoredoms,

21 That thou dost slaughter My sons, And dost give them up in causing them to pass over to them?

22 And with all thine abominations and thy whoredoms, Thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, When thou wast naked and bare, Trodden down in thy blood thou wast!

23 And it cometh to pass, after all thy wickedness, (Wo, wo, to thee -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah),

24 That thou dost build to thee an arch, And dost make to thee a high place in every broad place.

25 At every head of the way thou hast built thy high place, And thou dost make thy beauty abominable, And dost open wide thy feet to every passer by, And dost multiply thy whoredoms,

26 And dost go a-whoring unto sons of Egypt, Thy neighbours -- great of appetite! And thou dost multiply thy whoredoms, To provoke Me to anger.

27 And lo, I have stretched out My hand against thee, And I diminish thy portion, And give thee to the desire of those hating thee, The daughters of the Philistines, Who are ashamed of thy wicked way.

28 And thou goest a-whoring unto sons of Asshur, Without thy being satisfied, And thou dost go a-whoring with them, And also -- thou hast not been satisfied.

29 And thou dost multiply thy whoredoms On the land of Canaan -- toward Chaldea, And even with this thou hast not been satisfied.

30 How weak [is] thy heart, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, In thy doing all these, The work of a domineering whorish woman.

31 In thy building thine arch at the head of every way, Thy high place thou hast made in every broad place, And -- hast not been as a whore deriding a gift.

32 The wife who committeth adultery -- Under her husband -- doth receive strangers.

33 To all whores they give a gift, And -- thou hast given thy gifts to all thy lovers, And dost bribe them to come in unto thee, From round about -- in thy whoredoms.

34 And the contrary is in thee from women in thy whoredoms, That after thee none doth go a-whoring; And in thy giving a gift, And a gift hath not been given to thee; And thou art become contrary.

35 Therefore, O whore, hear a word of Jehovah,

36 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because of thy brass being poured forth, And thy nakedness is revealed in thy whoredoms near thy lovers, And near all the idols of thy abominations, And according to the blood of thy sons, Whom thou hast given to them;

37 Therefore, lo, I am assembling all thy lovers, To whom thou hast been sweet, And all whom thou hast loved, Besides all whom thou hast hated; And I have assembled them by thee round about, And have revealed thy nakedness to them, And they have seen all thy nakedness.

38 And I have judged thee -- judgments of adultresses, And of women shedding blood, And have given thee blood, fury, and jealousy.

39 And I have given thee into their hand, And they have thrown down thine arch, And they have broken down thy high places, And they have stript thee of thy garments, And they have taken thy beauteous vessels, And they have left thee naked and bare.

40 And have caused an assembly to come up against thee, And stoned thee with stones, And thrust thee through with their swords,

41 And burnt thy houses with fire, And done in thee judgments before the eyes of many women, And I have caused thee to cease from going a-whoring, And also a gift thou givest no more.

42 And I have caused My fury against thee to rest, And My jealousy hath turned aside from thee, And I have been quiet, and I am not angry any more.

43 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, And dost give trouble to Me in all these, Lo, even I also thy way at first gave up, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And I did not this thought for all thine abominations.

44 Lo, every one using a simile, Doth use a simile concerning thee, saying: As the mother -- her daughter!

45 Thy mother's daughter thou [art], Loathing her husband and her sons, And thy sisters' sister thou [art], Who loathed their husbands and their sons, Your mother [is] a Hittite, and your father an Amorite.

46 And thine elder sister [is] Samaria, she and her daughters, Who is dwelling at thy left hand, And thy younger sister, who is dwelling on thy right hand, [is] Sodom and her daughters.

47 And -- in their ways thou hast not walked, And according to their abominations done, As a little thing it hath been loathed, And thou dost more corruptly than they in all thy ways.

48 I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Sodom thy sister hath not done -- she and her daughters -- As thou hast done -- thou and thy daughters.

49 Lo, this hath been the iniquity of Sodom thy sister, Arrogancy, fulness of bread, and quiet ease, Have been to her and to her daughters, And the hand of the afflicted and needy She hath not strengthened.

50 And they are haughty and do abomination before Me, And I turn them aside when I have seen.

51 As to Samaria, as the half of thy sins -- she hath not sinned, And thou dost multiply thine abominations more than they, And dost justify thy sisters by all thy abominations that thou hast done.

52 Thou also -- bear thy shame, That thou hast adjudged to thy sisters, Because of thy sins that thou hast done more abominably than they, They are more righteous than thou, And thou, also, be ashamed and bear thy shame, In thy justifying thy sisters.

53 And I have turned back [to] their captivity, The captivity of Sodom and her daughters, And the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, And the captivity of thy captives in their midst,

54 So that thou dost bear thy shame, And hast been ashamed of all that thou hast done, In thy comforting them.

55 And thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, Do turn back to their former state, And Samaria and her daughters Do turn back to their former state, And thou and thy daughters do turn back to your former state.

56 And thy sister Sodom hath not been for a report in thy mouth, In the day of thine arrogancy,

57 Before thy wickedness is revealed, As [at] the time of the reproach of the daughters of Aram, And of all her neighbours, the daughters of the Philistines, Who are despising thee round about.

58 Thy devices and thine abominations, Thou hast borne them, an affirmation of Jehovah.

59 For thus said the Lord Jehovah: I have dealt with thee as thou hast done, In that thou hast despised an oath -- to break covenant.

60 And I -- I have remembered My covenant with thee, In the days of thy youth, And I have established for thee a covenant age-during.

61 And thou hast remembered thy ways, And thou hast been ashamed, In thy receiving thy sisters -- Thine elder with thy younger, And I have given them to thee for daughters, And not by thy covenant.

62 And I -- I have established My covenant with thee, And thou hast known that I [am] Jehovah.

63 So that thou dost remember, And thou hast been ashamed, And there is not to thee any more an opening of the mouth because of thy shame, In My receiving atonement for thee, For all that thou hast done, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 17:1-24

The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel:

"Human, put forth a riddle, and a parable to the house of Israel,

Say, so says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings of wide expanse, loaded with feathers having various colors, came to Lebanon and snatched the highest branch of the cedar.

He clipped off the top of its young twigs and carried it into a land of merchants. He set it in a city of dealers.

He took also some of the seed of the land and planted it in a fruitful field placing it by much waters and set it as a willow tree.

It grew and became a low spreading vine, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were beneath. So it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

There was also another great eagle with great wings loaded with feathers. And this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him, that he might water it by the bed where it was planted.

It was planted in a good soil by plenty of water, that it might bring branch out, and maybe bear fruit, that it might be a terrific vine.

Say: So asks the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will He not pull up its roots --- cutting off its fruit, so that it dies and its spring leaves wither? It will not take a great power or many people to pull it from its roots.

Though it has been planted, will it grow? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind hits it? It shall wither in the irrigation trench where it grew."

Additionally the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel:

"Tell the rebellious house: Do you not know the meaning? Explain: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king and officials, and led them to him in Babylon.

He took one of the king’s children, and made a covenant with him, and put him under oath. He has also taken away the mighty of the land,

that the kingdom might be debased, that it might not lift itself up, but by the keeping of his covenant it might stand.

But this individual rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape who does such things? Can he indeed break the covenant and be saved?

As I EXIST, says the Lord God, surely in the country of Babylon who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in the bowels of Babylon he shall die.

Nor shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war by casting up mounts and building forts to cut off many persons.

Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when he had given his allegiance and has done all these things, he shall never escape.

So says the Lord God: As I EXIST, surely My oath that he has despised and My covenant that he has broken, I will inflict upon his own head.

I will spread My net over him, and he shall be trapped in My snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he accomplished against Me.

All the choice men in all his troops shall be killed, and those who remain shall be scattered toward all winds. And you shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.

So says the Lord God: I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar and set it aside. I will crop off from the top of its young twigs a tender one and will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

On the mountain peak of Israel I will plant it. And it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a splendid cedar. And under it all fowl of every wing shall nest. In the shadow of its branches they shall nest.

All the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish.

I, the Lord, so says and will accomplish."


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2 `Son of man, put forth a riddle, and use a simile unto the house of Israel,

3 and thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: The great eagle, great-winged, long-pinioned, Full of feathers, that hath diverse colours, Hath come in unto Lebanon, And it taketh the foliage of the cedar,

4 The top of its tender twigs it hath cropped, And it bringeth it in to the land of Canaan. In a city of merchants it hath placed it.

5 And it taketh of the seed of the land, And doth put it in a field of seed, To take by many waters, In a conspicuous place it hath set it.

6 And it springeth up, and becometh a spreading vine, humble of stature, To turn its thin shoots toward itself, And its roots are under it, And it becometh a vine, and maketh boughs, And sendeth forth beauteous branches.

7 And there is another great eagle, Great-winged, and abounding with feathers, And lo, this vine hath bent its roots toward him, And its thin shoots it hath sent out toward him, To water it from the furrows of its planting,

8 On a good field, by many waters, it is planted, To make branches, and to bear fruit, To be for an goodly vine.

9 Say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: It prospereth -- its roots doth he not draw out, And its fruit cut off, and it is withered? [In] all the leaves of its springing it withereth, And not by great strength, and by a numerous people, To lift it up by its roots.

10 And lo, the planted thing -- doth it prosper? When come against it doth the east wind, Doth it not utterly wither? On the furrows of its springing it withereth.'

11 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

12 `Say, I pray thee, to the rebellious house, Have ye not known what these [are]? Say, Lo, come hath the king of Babylon to Jerusalem, And he taketh its king, and its princes, And bringeth them to himself to Babylon.

13 And he taketh of the seed of the kingdom, And maketh with him a covenant, And bringeth him in to an oath, And the mighty of the land he hath taken,

14 That the kingdom may be humble, That it may not lift itself up, To keep his covenant -- that it may stand.

15 And he rebelleth against him, To send his messengers to Egypt, To give to him horses, and much people, Doth he prosper? doth he escape who is doing these things? And hath he broken covenant and escaped?

16 I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Doth he not -- in the place of the king who is causing him to reign, Whose oath he hath despised, And whose covenant he hath broken, With him -- in the midst of Babylon -- die?

17 And not with a great force, and with a numerous assembly, Doth Pharaoh maintain him in battle, By pouring out a mount, and in building a fortification, To cut off many souls.

18 And he despised the oath -- to break covenant, And lo, he hath given his hand, And all these he hath done, he escapeth not.

19 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: I live -- Mine oath that he hath despised, And My covenant that he hath broken, Have I not put it on his head?

20 And I have spread out for him My snare, And he hath been caught in My net, And I have brought him in to Babylon, And pleaded with him there his trespass, That he hath trespassed against Me.

21 And all his fugitives, with all his bands, By sword do fall, and those remaining, To every wind they are spread out, And ye have known that I, Jehovah, have spoken.

22 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I have taken of the foliage of the high cedar, And I have set [it], From the top of its tender shoots a tender one I crop, And I -- I have planted [it] on a mountain high and lofty.

23 In a mountain -- the high place of Israel, I plant it, And it hath borne boughs, and yielded fruit, And become a goodly cedar, And dwelt under it have all birds of every wing, In the shade of its thin shoots they dwell.

24 And known have all trees of the field That I, Jehovah, have made low the high tree, I have set on high the low tree, I have dried up the moist tree, And I have caused the dry tree to flourish, I, Jehovah, have spoken, and have done [it]!'

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 18:1-32

The word of God came to me:

“What's it represent, that you keep quoting this proverb in Israel —

‘When parents eat sour grapes,
their children’s teeth are set on edge’?

As I exist,” says the Godhead, “I swear that you will never again quote this proverb in Israel.

You see, all souls belong to me — both the parent’s and the child’s are equally mine — so it is the person who sins, himself, who must die.

Consider someone who is righteous, who does what is lawful and right.

He doesn’t feasts on the mountains or raise his eyes toward the idols of the house of Israel; he doesn’t defile his neighbor’s wife or touch a woman during her time of menstrual impurity;

he doesn’t wrong anyone; he returns any pledged property a debtor has provided as collateral for a loan; he steals nothing, but gives his food to the hungry and clothing to those in need;

he neither expects nor accepts interest on a loan; he refrains from what is evil; and he judges honestly between individuals.

In short, he lives according to My laws and observes my rulings, so as to act faithfully. Such a person is righteous, and he will certainly survive,” says the Godshead.

“Now suppose he is the father of a son who is a robber, a murderer, or who does any of these things to a brother —

yet the father himself does none of this. He feasts on the mountains, is an adulterer,

wrongs the poor and needy, takes by robbery, doesn’t return pledged property, lifts his eyes toward idols, engages in disgusting behavior,

demands and accepts interest. Should he live? He will not survive, because he has engaged in all these disgusting practices — he must be put executed; his blood is on him.

“But now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father committed, ponders them, and behaves differently.

He does NOT feast upon the mountains, raise his eyes to idols of the house of Israel, mess with his neighbor’s wife,

wrong others, keep property held as collateral or steal, but instead gives his food to the hungry and clothing to those in need of it;

he refrains from oppressing the poor; and he neither expects nor accepts interest. He obeys My rulings and lives according to My laws. So he will not die for his father’s sins but will certainly live.

Yet his father, because he oppressed so cruelly, committed robbery against his brother and never did anything good among his people — he will die for his sins.

“You ask, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear his father’s guilt?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, has kept all my laws and obeyed them, he will certainly live.

The person who sins is the one that will die — a son is not to bear his father’s guilt upon him, nor is the father to bear his son’s guilt upon him; but the righteousness of the righteous will be his own, as will the wickedness of the wicked will be his own.

“However, if a wicked person repents of all the sins he committed, keeps my laws and does what is lawful and right; then he will certainly live, he will not die.

None of the transgressions he committed will be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done, he will live.

Do I take any pleasure at all in having the wicked person die?” asks Godhead. “Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and survive?

“On the other hand, when the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness by acting in accordance with all the disgusting practices that the wicked person does, will he live? None of the righteous deeds he has done will be recalled; for the trespasses and sins he has committed, he will die.

“So now you say, ‘God's way isn’t fair.’ Listen, Israel! Is it my way that is unfair? or your ways that are unfair?

When the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness, he will die for it — for the wickedness he commits he will die.

And when the wicked person turns away from all the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he will save his life.

Because he thinks it over and repents of all the transgressions he committed, he will certainly live, not die.

Yet Israel says, ‘God's way isn’t fair.’ Israel, are My ways unfair, or are your ways unfair?

Therefore, Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways,” says the Godhead. “Repent, and turn yourselves away from all your transgressions, so that they will not be a stumblingblock that brings guilt upon you.

Throw far away from yourselves all your crimes that you committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why should you die, house of Israel?

I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” says the Godhead, “so turn yourselves around, and live!


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 `And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

2 `What -- to you, ye -- using this simile Concerning the ground of Israel, saying: Fathers do eat unripe fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted?

3 I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Ye have no more the use of this simile in Israel.

4 Lo, all the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son -- they are Mine, The soul that is sinning -- it doth die.

5 And a man, when he is righteous, And hath done judgment and righteousness,

6 On the mountains he hath not eaten, And his eyes he hath not lifted up Unto idols of the house of Israel, And the wife of his neighbour defiled not, And to a separated woman cometh not near,

7 A man -- he doth not oppress, His pledge to the debtor he doth return, Plunder he doth not take away, His bread to the hungry he doth give, And the naked doth cover with a garment,

8 In usury he doth not give, and increase taketh not, From perversity he turneth back his hand, True judgment he doth between man and man.

9 In My statutes he doth walk, And My judgments he hath kept -- to deal truly, Righteous [is] he, he surely liveth, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

10 And -- he hath begotten a son, A burglar -- a shedder of blood, And he hath made a brother of one of these,

11 And he all those hath not done, For even on the mountains he hath eaten, And the wife of his neighbour he hath defiled,

12 The afflicted and needy he hath oppressed, Plunder he hath taken violently away, A pledge he doth not return, And unto the idols he hath lifted up his eyes, Abomination he hath done!

13 In usury he hath given, and increase taken, And he liveth: he doth not live, All these abominations he hath done, He doth surely die, his blood is on him.

14 And -- lo, he hath begotten a son, And he seeth all the sins of his father, That he hath done, and he feareth, And doth not do like them,

15 On the mountains he hath not eaten, And his eyes he hath not lifted up Unto idols of the house of Israel, The wife of his neighbour he hath not defiled,

16 A man -- he hath not oppressed, A pledge he hath not bound, And plunder he hath not taken away, His bread to the hungry he hath given, And the naked he covered with a garment,

17 From the afflicted he hath turned back his hand, Usury and increase he hath not taken, My judgments he hath done, In My statutes he hath walked, He doth not die for the iniquity of his father, He doth surely live.

18 His father -- because he used oppression, Did violently Plunder a brother, And that which [is] not good did in the midst of his people, And lo, he is dying in his iniquity.

19 And ye have said, Wherefore hath not the son, Borne of the iniquity of the father? And -- the son judgment and righteousness hath done, All My statutes he hath kept, And he doeth them, he surely liveth.

20 The soul that doth sin -- it doth die. A son doth not bear of the iniquity of the father, And a father doth not bear of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous is on him, And the wickedness of the wicked is on him.

21 And the wicked -- when he turneth back From all his sins that he hath done, And he hath kept all My statutes, And hath done judgment and righteousness, He doth surely live, he doth not die.

22 All his transgressions that he hath done Are not remembered to him, In his righteousness that he hath done he liveth.

23 Do I at all desire the death of the wicked? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Is it not in his turning back from his way -- And he hath lived?

24 And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked hath done, he doth -- thus he liveth, All his righteousnesses that he hath done are not remembered, For his trespass that he hath trespassed, And for his sin that he hath sinned, For them he doth die.

25 And ye have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord. Hear, I pray you, O house of Israel, My way -- is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?

26 In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, And he is dying by them, for his perversity That he hath done he dieth.

27 And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he hath done, And he doth judgment and righteousness, He his soul doth keep alive.

28 And he seeth and turneth back, From all his transgressions that he hath done, He doth surely live, he doth not die,

29 And the house of Israel have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord, My ways -- are they not pondered? O house of Israel -- are not your ways unpondered?

30 Therefore, each according to his ways I judge you, O house of Israel? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Turn ye back, yea, turn yourselves back, From all your transgressions, And iniquity is not to you for a stumbling-block,

31 Cast from off you all your transgressions, By which ye have transgressed, And make to you a new heart, and a new spirit, And why do ye die, O house of Israel?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of the dying, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And turn ye back and live!

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 19:1-14

"You, begin a deep wail for the leaders of Israel;

Boy!
‘What a mom you had — a lioness among lions! She lay down among young lions and trained her cubs.

One of her cubs she singled out. He became a young lion, learning to capture his prey --- he became a man-eater.

The nations rang the alarm against him; and he was caught in their trap. In chains they dragged him off to the land of Egypt.

When she saw that she had been opposed, that her hope was gone, she took another of her cubs and made a young lion of him.

He roamed among the lions, grew to be a young lion, learned to capture his prey --- becoming a man-eater.

He raped their widows and demolished their cities; the land and all in it were aghast at the sound of his roaring.

The nations set a snare for him from the provinces all around, they spread their net over him, and he was caught in their trap.

In chains they placed him in a cage and brought him to the monarch of Babylon to imprison him in a fortress, so that his roar would be heard no more among the mountains of Israel.

Your mother was like a strong grapevine planted by the water. It was fruitful and luscious because of the abundant water.

It had strong branches to be used as scepters by rulers; besides having thick foliage, it grew and grew, until its height became prominent, with its mass of branches.

But it was torn up in fury and flung on the ground. An east wind withered her fruit, her strong branches were sheared off; they dried out; and fire consumed the vine.

It has been transplanted to the desert, to a dry, thirsty land.

Fire has gone out from its own branches, consuming its fruit, so that now it has no strong branch to be a ruler’s scepter." This lament became widely expressed.


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And thou, lift up a lamentation unto princes of Israel,

2 and thou hast said: What [is] thy mother? -- a lioness, Among lions she hath crouched down, In the midst of young lions she hath multiplied her whelps.

3 And she bringeth up one of her whelps, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

4 And hear of it do nations, In their pit it hath been caught, And they bring it in with chains unto the land of Egypt.

5 And she seeth, that stayed -- perished hath her hope, And she taketh one of her whelps, A young lion she hath made it.

6 And it goeth up and down in the midst of lions, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

7 And it knoweth his forsaken habitations, And their cities it hath laid waste, And desolate is the land and its fulness, Because of the voice of his roaring.

8 And set against it do nations Round about from the provinces. And they spread out for it their net, In their pit it hath been caught.

9 And they put it in prison -- in chains, And they bring it unto the king of Babylon, They bring it in unto bulwarks, So that its voice is not heard any more On mountains of Israel.

10 Thy mother [is] as a vine in thy blood by waters planted, Fruitful and full of boughs it hath been, Because of many waters.

11 And it hath strong rods for sceptres of rulers, And high is its stature above thick branches, And it appeareth in its height In the multitude of its thin shoots.

12 And it is plucked up in fury, To the earth it hath been cast, And the east wind hath dried up its fruit, Broken and withered hath been the rod of its strength, Fire hath consumed it.

13 And now -- it is planted in a wilderness, In a land dry and thirsty.

14 And go forth doth fire from a rod of its boughs, Its fruit it hath devoured, And it hath no rod of strength -- a sceptre to rule, Lamentation it [is] -- and it is for a lamentation!'

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 20:1-49

It was in the 7th year [ since Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], the 5th month, 10th day of the month [August 14, 591 bc]. Some of the elders of Israel arrived to ask about the Lord and sat down in front of Ezekiel.

The ·Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel, saying:

“Human, speak to the elders of Israel telling them: ‘The Lord God says: Did you come to consult me? As surely as I exist, I will not allow you to ask me questions.

“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, human? Let them know the abominable things their predecessors did.

Say to them: ‘The Lord God says: When I chose Israel, I made a promise to the descendants of Jacob. I displayed Myself to them in the land of Egypt, and I promised them, saying], “I am the Lord your God.”

At that time I promised them I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had established for them, a fertile land [land flowing with milk and honey], the best place in the world.

I said to them, Each one of you must throw away detestable idols you have seen and enjoyed. Don’t make defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

But they turned against Me and refused to listen to Me. They did not throw away those hateful idols which they saw and enjoyed. They kept the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out My anger against them while they were yet in Egypt.

But I acted for the sake of My name so it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations where the Israelites abode. I made myself known to the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt while the nations watched.

So I took them from Egypt and brought them into the desert.

I gave them My requirements and spoke to them about My judgments, by which people will live if they practice them.

I also gave them my Sabbaths to be an illustration between us so they would know that I Am the Lord who set them apart.

But in the wilderness Israel turned against Me. They did not follow My rules, and they rejected My judgments, by which people will live if they obey them. They desecrated My Sabbaths. Then I decided to pour out my wrath against them and destroy them in the desert.

But I acted for the sake of My name so it would not be dishonored in view of the nations who observed as before I had brought the Israelites out of Egypt.

And in the wilderness I swore to the Israelites that I would not bring them into the land I had given them --- a fertile land, the most appropriate land in the world.

This was because they rejected My judgments and did not follow My requirements. They dishonored My Sabbaths and rather worship their idols.

But I took pity on them. I did not destroy them or put an end to them in that desert wilderness.

I said to their children there, "Do nor walk in the ways of your parents, or obey their rituals. Don’t defile yourselves with their idols.

I am the Lord your God. Live by My requirements, obey My judgments, and follow them.

Keep My Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign between me and you. Then you will realize that I Am the Lord your God.”

But these children turned against Me. They did not live by My rules statutes; ordinances; requirements, nor were they careful to obey my laws --- living if they obey them. They dishonored My Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out my anger and exhaust my rage against them there in the desert.

But I held back My anger. I acted for the sake of My name so it would not be dishonored among the observing the nations.

And in the wilderness I swore to the Israelites that I would scatter them among the nations and spread them among the various countries,

because they had not practiced My laws. They had rejected My requirements and profaned My Sabbaths and worshiped the idols of their parents.

I also allowed them to follow regulations that were not good and laws by which they could not live.

I let the Israelites make themselves unclean through gifts they brought their idols when they sacrificed their first children in the fire. I wanted to devastate them so they would know that I am the Lord.

So, human, speak to these people of Israel. Say to them, This is what the Lord God says: Your ancestors blasphemed Me by being unfaithful to me in another way.

When I had brought them into the land I promised to give them, they saw every high hill and every leafy tree. There they offered their sacrifices to other gods. They brought offerings that provoked My anger and burned their incense and poured out their drink offerings.

Then I said to them: What is this high place where you go to worship?

So tell the people of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: Are you going to defile yourselves as did your ancestors? Are you going to be unfaithful and prostitute yourselves with their hateful idols?

When you offer your children as gifts and sacrifice them in the fire, you ·are making yourselves unclean [defile yourselves; C ritually] with all your idols even today. So, ·people [L house] of Israel, should I let you ·ask me questions [consult with me]? As surely as I live, says the Lord God, I will not ·accept questions from you [let you seek/inquire of me].

What you plan will not happen. You say, “We want to be like the other nations, like tribes of other lands. We want to worship idols made of wood and stone.”

As surely as I live, says the Lord God, I will use my great power and strength and anger to be king over you.

I will bring you out from the foreign nations. With My great power and strength and anger. I will gather you from the lands where you are scattered.

I will bring you into the wilderness of nations. There I will judge you face to face.

I will judge you the same way I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of Egypt, says the Lord God.

I will count you like sheep and will bring you into line with My agreement.

I will purge those who refuse to obey me and who turn against Me. I will bring them out of the land where they are now living, but they will never enter the boundaries of Israel. Then you will know that I Am the Lord.

This is what the Lord God says: People of Israel, go serve your idols for now. But later you will listen to Me; you will not continue to dishonor my holy name with your gifts and gods.

On my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, all Israel will serve me in the land, says the Lord God. There I will accept you. There I will expect your ·offerings, the first harvest of your offerings, and all your holy gifts.

I will accept you like the pleasing smell of sacrifices when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered. Then through you I will demonstrate how holy I Am so the nations will see.

When I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I promised your ancestors, you will know that I Am the Lord.

There you will remember every deed you did that made you unclean, and then you will loathe yourselves for all the evil things you accomplish.

I will deal with you for the sake of My name, not because of your corruption. Then you will know I am the Lord, people of Israel, says the Lord God.”

Now the Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel, saying:

“Human, look toward the south. Prophesy against the south and against the wooded areas of the ·southern area.

Say to that shrubland: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says: I am ready to start a fire among you that will destroy all your green trees and dry trees. The flames that burn will not be put out. Every face from south to north will be scorched by it.

Then all the living flesh will see that I, the Lord, have kindled this fire. It will not be extinguished.”

Then Ezekiel said, “Ah, Lord God! The people are saying about me, ‘·He is speaking parables.”


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And it cometh to pass, in the seventh year, in the fifth [month], in the tenth of the month, come in have certain of the elders of Israel to seek Jehovah, and they sit before me;

2 and there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

3 `Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel, and thou hast said unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: To seek Me are ye coming in? I live -- I am not sought by you -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

4 Dost thou judge them? Dost thou judge, son of man? The abominations of their fathers cause them to know,

5 and thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In the day of My fixing on Israel, I lift up My hand, To the seed of the house of Jacob, And am known to them in the land of Egypt, And I lift up My hand to them, Saying, I [am] Jehovah your God.

6 In that day I did lift up My hand to them, To bring them forth from the land of Egypt, Unto a land that I spied out for them, Flowing with milk and honey, A beauty it [is] to all the lands,

7 And I say unto them, Let each cast away the detestable things of his eyes, And with the idols of Egypt be not defiled, I [am] Jehovah your God.

8 And -- they rebel against Me, And have not been willing to hearken to Me, Each, the detestable things of their eyes, They have not cast away, And the idols of Egypt have not forsaken, And I say -- to pour out My fury on them, To complete Mine anger against them, In the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 And I do [it] for My name's sake, Not to pollute [it] before the eyes of the nations, In whose midst they [are], Before whose eyes I became known to them, To bring them out from the land of Egypt.

10 And I bring them out of the land of Egypt, And I bring them in unto the wilderness,

11 And I give to them My statutes, And my judgments I caused them to know, Which the man who doth -- liveth by them.

12 And also My sabbaths I have given to them, To be for a sign between Me and them, To know that I [am] Jehovah their sanctifier.

13 And -- rebel against me do the house of Israel in the wilderness, In My statutes they have not walked, And My judgments they have despised, Which the man who doth -- liveth by them. And My sabbaths they have greatly polluted, And I say to pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

14 And I do [it] for My name's sake, Not to pollute [it] before the eyes of the nations, Before whose eyes I brought them forth.

15 And also, I, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, Not to bring them in to the land that I had given, Flowing with milk and honey, A beauty it [is] to all the lands,

16 Because against My judgments they did kick, And in My statutes they have not walked, And My sabbaths they have polluted, For after their idols their heart is going.

17 And Mine eye hath pity on them -- against destroying them, And I have not made of them an end in the wilderness.

18 And I say to their sons in the wilderness: In the statutes of your fathers ye walk not, And their judgments ye do not observe, And with their idols ye are not defiled.

19 I [am] Jehovah your God, in My statutes walk, And My judgments observe, and do them,

20 And My sabbaths sanctify, And they have been for a sign between Me and you, To know that I, Jehovah, [am] your God.

21 And -- the sons rebel against Me, In My statutes they have not walked, And My judgments they have not observed -- to do them, Which the man who doth -- liveth by them. My sabbaths they have polluted, And I say to pour out My fury upon them, To complete Mine anger against them in the wilderness.

22 And I have turned back My hand, And I do [it] for My name's sake, Not to pollute [it] before the eyes of the nations, Before whose eyes I brought them out.

23 I also, I have lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, To scatter them among nations, And to spread them through lands.

24 Because My judgments they have not done, And My statutes they have despised, And My sabbaths they have polluted, And after idols of their fathers have their eyes been.

25 And I also, I have given to them statutes not good, And judgments by which they do not live.

26 And I defile them by their own gifts, By causing to pass away every opener of a womb, So that I make them desolate, So that they know that I [am] Jehovah.

27 Therefore, speak unto the house of Israel, son of man, and thou hast said unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Still in this have your fathers reviled Me, In their committing against Me a trespass.

28 And I bring them in unto the land, That I did lift up My hand to give to them, And they see every high hill, and every thick tree, And they sacrifice there their sacrifices, And give there the provocation of their offering, And make there their sweet fragrance, And they pour out there their libations.

29 And I say unto them: What [is] the high place whither ye are going in? And its name is called `high place' to this day.

30 Therefore, say unto the house of Israel: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In the way of your fathers are ye defiled? And after their detestable things go a-whoring?

31 And in the offering of your gifts, In causing your sons to pass through fire, Ye are defiled by all your idols to this day, And I am sought by you, O house of Israel! I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, I am not sought by you.

32 And that which is going up on your mind, It is not at all -- in that ye are saying: We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands, To serve wood and stone.

33 I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Do not I, with a strong hand, And with a stretched-out arm, And with fury poured out -- rule over you?

34 And I have brought you forth from the peoples, And assembled you from the lands In which ye have been scattered, With a strong hand and with a stretched-out arm, And with fury poured out.

35 And I have brought you in unto the wilderness of the peoples, And have been judged with you there face to face.

36 As I was judged with your fathers, In the wilderness of the land of Egypt, So I am judged with you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

37 And I have caused you to pass under the rod, And brought you into the bond of the covenant,

38 And cleared out from you the rebels, And them transgressing against Me, From the land of their sojournings I bring them out, And unto the land of Israel they come not, And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.

39 And ye, O house of Israel, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Each his idols -- go -- serve ye, And, afterwards, if ye are not hearkening to me, And My holy name ye do not pollute any more by your gifts, and by your idols.

40 For, in My holy mountain, In the mountain of the height of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, There serve Me do all the house of Israel, All of it, in the land -- there I accept them, And there I do seek your heave-offerings, And with the first-fruit of your gifts, With all your holy things.

41 With sweet fragrance I do accept you, In My bringing you out from the peoples, And I have assembled you from the lands In which ye have been scattered, And I have been sanctified in you Before the eyes of the nations.

42 And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My bringing you to the ground of Israel, Unto the land that I did lift up My hand To give it to your fathers,

43 And ye have remembered there your ways, And all your doings, In which ye have been defiled, And ye have been loathsome in your own faces, For all your evils that ye have done.

44 And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My dealing with you for My name's sake, Not according to your evil ways, And according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

45 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

46 Son of man, set thy face the way of Teman, and prophesy unto the south, and prophesy unto the forest of the field -- the south;

47 and thou hast said to the forest of the south: Hear a word of Jehovah: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am kindling in thee a fire, And it hath devoured in thee every moist tree, and every dry tree, Not quenched is the glowing flames, And burnt by it have been all faces from south to north.

48 And seen have all flesh, that I, Jehovah, have kindled it -- it is not quenched.'

49 And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah, They are saying of me, Is he not using similes?

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 21:1-32

Then the ·Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel, saying:

“Human, look toward Jerusalem and speak against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel.

Tell Israel: ‘This is what the Lord says: I Am against you. I will pull my sword out of its sheath, and cut off from you both the wicked and those who do right.

Because I am going to cut off the wicked and those who do right, my sword will be unsheathed and attack all people from south to north.

Then everyone will realize that I, the Lord, have pulled my sword out from its sheath. My sword will not go back in again.’

So, human, groan with a breaking heart and great sadness. Groan before the people.

When they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you will say, ‘Because of what I have heard is going to happen. When it happens, every heart will melt with fear, and all hands will become feeble. Everyone will be fearful; all knees will be wet with urine. Look it's coming, and will happen, says the Lord God.’”

The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

“·Human, prophesy and say, This is what the Lord says:

A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished.

It is sharpened for the slaughter. It is polished to flash like lightning.

You are not happy about this horrible punishment by sword. But my son Judah, you did not change when you were simply beaten with a rod.

The sword should gleam. It is meant to be grasped in the hand. It is sharp and polished, ready for the slayer's hand.

Scream and wail, human, because the sword is meant for my people, for all the rulers of Israel. They will be killed by the sword, along with my people. So beat your chest (a sign of grief or sadness).

The test will come. And the scepter (symbolizing Judah; Gen. 49:10), who is hated by the sword (Babylonian armies), will not last, says the Lord God.

“So, human, prophesy and clap your hands (demonstrate contempt). Let the sword strike two or three times. It is a sword meant for a great slaughter. This sword closes in on those to be killed.

Their hearts will melt with fear, and many people will perish. I have placed the killing sword at all their city gates. Oh! The sword is made to flash like lightning. It is drawn, ready for killing.

Sword, slash; on the right side; then swing to the left side. Cut anywhere your blade turns.

I will also scornfully clap my hands and exhaust my anger. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

The Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel, saying:

“Human, mark two roads that the king of Babylon and his sword can follow. Both of these roads begin from the same country. And make signs where the road divides and one heads to the city.

Mark one sign to show the road he can take with his sword to Rabbah in the land of the Ammonites. Mark the other sign to show the road to Judah and Jerusalem, which is protected with strong walls.

The king of Babylon has come to where the road divides, and he is using divination. He throws lots with arrows and petitions his family idols. He examines sacrificed animal liver.

The lot in his right hand tells him to go to Jerusalem. It tells him to use logs to ram the city gates, to shout the battle cry and give the order to kill, and to build siege ramps to the top of the walls and devices to attack the walls.

The people of Jerusalem will think this prediction is false because of their treaty with Babylon. But the king of Babylon will remind them of their rebellion and they will be captured.

So this is what the Lord God says: You have shown how sinful you are by turning from the Lord. Your sins are revealed in everything you do. Because of this proof against you, you will be taken captive by the enemy.

Unclean and evil leader of Israel, you will be killed! The time of your final punishment has arrived.

This is what the Lord God says: Take off the royal turban, and remove the crown. Things will change. Those who are unimportant now will be exalted, and those who are important now will become unimportant.

A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! This place will not be rebuilt until the one comes to whom judgment belongs. Then I will give him that right."

And you, human, prophesy and say: This is what the Lord God says about the people of Ammon and their insults:

"A sword, a sword is drawn for slaughter. It is polished to consume, to flash like lightning!

Prophets see false visions regarding you and prophesy falsely about you. The sword will be put on the necks of such unclean and wicked people. Their ·day of judging has arrived; the time of final punishment is here.

Put the sword back in its sheath. I will judge you in the local where you were born.

I will pour out my anger against you and blast you with the heat of my anger. I will hand you over to cruel men, experts at destruction.

You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will flow in the midst of the land. You will not be forgotten, because I, the Lord, have spoken.”


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2 `Son of man, set thy face unto Jerusalem, and prophesy unto the holy places, and prophesy unto the ground of Israel;

3 and thou hast said unto the ground of Israel: Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I [am] against thee, And have brought out My sword from its scabbard, And have cut off from thee righteous and wicked.

4 Because that I have cut off from thee righteous and wicked, Therefore go out doth My sword from its scabbard, Unto all flesh, from south to north.

5 And known have all flesh that I, Jehovah, Have brought out My sword from its scabbard, It doth not turn back any more.

6 And thou, son of man, sigh with breaking of loins, yea, with bitterness thou dost sigh before their eyes,

7 and it hath come to pass, when they say unto thee, For what art thou sighing? that thou hast said: Because of the report, for it is coming, And melted hath every heart, And feeble hath been all hands, And weak is every spirit, And all knees go -- waters, Lo, it is coming, yea, it hath been, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

8 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

9 `Son of man, prophesy, and thou hast said, Thus said Jehovah, say: A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.

10 So as to slaughter a slaughter it is sharpened. So as to have brightness it is polished, Desire hath rejoiced the sceptre of my son, It is despising every tree.

11 And he giveth it for polishing, For laying hold of by the hand. It is sharpened -- the sword -- and polished, To give it into the hand of a slayer.

12 Cry and howl, son of man, For it hath been among My people, It [is] among all the princes of Israel, Cast unto the sword have been My people. Therefore strike on thy thigh,

13 Because [it is] a trier, And what if even the sceptre it is despising? It shall not be, an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

14 And thou, son of man, prophesy, And smite hand on hand, And bent is the sword a third time, The sword of the wounded! It [is] the sword of the wounded -- the great one, That is entering the inner chamber to them.

15 To melt the heart, and to multiply the ruins, By all their gates I have set the point of a sword. Ah, it is made for brightness, Wrapt up for slaughter.

16 Take possession of the right, place thyself at the left, Whither thy face is appointed.

17 And I also, I smite My hand on my hand, And have caused My fury to rest; I, Jehovah, have spoken.'

18 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

19 `And thou, son of man, appoint for thee two ways, for the coming in of the sword of the king of Babylon; from one land they come forth, both of them, and a station prepare thou, at the top of the way of the city prepare [it].

20 A way appoint for the coming of the sword, Unto Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, And to Judah, in Jerusalem -- the fenced.

21 For stood hath the king of Babylon at the head of the way, At the top of the two ways, to use divination, He hath moved lightly with the arrows, He hath asked at the teraphim, He hath looked on the liver.

22 At his right hath been the divination -- Jerusalem, To place battering-rams, To open the mouth with slaughter, To lift up a voice with shouting, To place battering-rams against the gates, To pour out a mount, to build a fortification.

23 And it hath been to them as a false divination in their eyes, Who have sworn oaths to them, And he is causing iniquity to be remembered to be caught.

24 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because of your causing your iniquity to be remembered, In your transgressions being revealed, For your sins being seen, in all your doings, Because of your being remembered, By the hand ye are caught.

25 And thou, wounded, wicked one, Prince of Israel, whose day hath come, In the time of the iniquity of the end!

26 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Turn aside the mitre, and bear away the crown, This -- not this -- the low make high, And the high make low.

27 An overturn, overturn, overturn, I make it, Also this hath not been till the coming of Him, Whose [is] the judgment, and I have given it.

28 And thou, son of man, prophesy, and thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah concerning the sons of Ammon, and concerning their reproach: and thou hast said: A sword, a sword, open for slaughter, Polished to the utmost for brightness!

29 In the seeing for thee of a vain thing, In the divining for thee of a lie, To put thee on the necks of the wounded of the wicked, whose day hath come, In the time of the iniquity of the end.

30 Turn [it] back unto its scabbard, In the place where thou wast produced, In the land of thy birth I do judge thee.

31 And I have poured on thee Mine indignation, With fire of My wrath I blow against thee, And have given thee into the hand of brutish men -- artificers of destruction.

32 To the fire thou art for fuel, Thy blood is in the midst of the land, Thou art not remembered, For I, Jehovah, have spoken!'

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 22:1-31

The  word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, saying:

“And so you, human, will you judge? Will you judge the city of murderers? Then explain all her abominable acts.

You are to say: ‘This is what the Lord God says: You are a city that murders those who come to reside there. You defile yourself by fabricating idols.

You have become guilty of murder and have become defiled by those idols which you have made. So you have brought your time of punishment about; you have come to the end of your years. That is why I have made you an object shame among the nations and why all lands regard you the butt of jokes.

Those near and those far away mock you with your defiled name, your city is full of turmoil.

See how each leader of Israel at Jerusalem has been trying to murder people.

The people residing there treat their parents with contempt. They oppress visiting foreigners and wrong the orphans and widows in you.

You despise my holy things and desecrate My Sabbaths.

Slanderous men in you shed blood of others. The people in you eat food offered to idols at the mountain places of worship, and they take part in lewd/obscene acts among you.

The men in you have sexual relations with their fathers’ wives and violate women who are unclean, during their time of monthly impurity.

One man in you commits a detestable act with his neighbor’s wife, while another has shamefully made his daughter-in-law unclean sexually. And another forces his half sister to have sexual relations with him.

The people in you take bribes to murder others. You take interest and make profits by extorting your neighbor. And you have ignored Me, says the Lord God.

So, Jerusalem, see; I will shake my fist at you for stealing money and for murder.

Will you still be brave and ·strong when I punish you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will act.

I will scatter you among the nations and spread you through the countries. That is how I will remove your uncleanness.

But you, yourself, will be dishonored in the eyes of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”

The ·Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel, saying:

“Human, the people of Israel have become useless to Me. They are like the copper, tin, iron, and lead remaining in the furnace when silver is purified.

So this is what the Lord God says: Because you have become scum, I am going to bring you together inside Jerusalem.

Just as people put silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin together inside a furnace to melt them down in a blazing fire, so I will gather you in my hot anger and put you together in Jerusalem and melt you down.

I will gather you together and make you feel the heat of my anger. You will be melted down inside Jerusalem.

As silver is melted in a furnace, you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out My wrath on you.”

The Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel, saying:

“Human, say of the land, You are a land that has not had rain or showers when God is angry. Like a roaring lion that shreds the animal it captures, Israel’s rulers conspire to design evil plans. They have destroyed lives and have taken treasure and valuable objects. They have caused many women to become widows.

Israel’s priests distort My ·teachings and do not honor my holy things. They make no difference between holy and common things, and they teach there is no difference between clean and unclean things. They disregard My Sabbaths, so I am dishonored by them.

Like wolves tearing a dead animal, Jerusalem’s leaders have killed people for profit.

And the prophets attempt to cover this up by false visions and lying messages. They say, ‘This is what the Lord God says’ when the Lord did not speak. The people of the land practice extortion and steal. They oppress the poor and needy. They cheat foreigners and deny them justice.

I looked for someone to repair; the walls and to stand before Me where the walls are gapping to protect these people so I would not have to destroy them. But I could find NO ONE.

So I let them see My anger. I destroyed them with an anger that was like fire because of all the wrongs they have committed, says the Lord God.”


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

2 `And thou, son of man, dost thou judge? dost thou judge the city of blood? then thou hast caused it to know all its abominations,

3 and thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: The city is shedding blood in its midst, For the coming in of its time, And it hath made idols on it for defilement.

4 By thy blood that thou hast shed thou hast been guilty, And by thine idols that thou hast made thou hast been defiled, And thou causest thy days to draw near, And art come in unto thine years, Therefore I have given thee a reproach to nations, And a derision to all the lands.

5 The near and the far-off from thee scoff at thee, O defiled of name -- abounding in trouble.

6 Lo, princes of Israel -- each according to his arm Have been in thee to shed blood.

7 Father and mother made light of in thee, To a sojourner they dealt oppressively in thy midst, Fatherless and widow they oppressed in thee.

8 My holy things thou hast despised, And My sabbaths thou hast polluted.

9 Men of slander have been in thee to shed blood, And on the mountains they have eaten in thee, Wickedness they have done in thy midst.

10 The nakedness of a father hath one uncovered in thee, The defiled of impurity they humbled in thee.

11 And each with the wife of his neighbour hath done abomination, And each his daughter-in-law hath defiled through wickedness, And each his sister, his father's daughter, hath humbled in thee.

12 A bribe they have taken in thee to shed blood, Usury and increase thou hast taken, And cuttest off thy neighbour by oppression, And Me thou hast forgotten, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!

13 And lo, I have smitten My hand, Because of thy dishonest gain that thou hast gained, And for thy blood that hath been in thy midst.

14 Doth thy heart stand -- are thy hands strong, For the days that I am dealing with thee? I, Jehovah, have spoken and have done [it].

15 And I have scattered thee among nations, And have spread thee out among lands, And consumed thy uncleanness out of thee.

16 And thou hast been polluted in thyself Before the eyes of nations, And thou hast known that I [am] Jehovah.'

17 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, `Son of man,

18 The house of Israel hath been to Me for dross, All of them [are] brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, In the midst of a furnace -- dross hath silver been,

19 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because of your all becoming dross, Therefore, lo, I am gathering you unto the midst of Jerusalem,

20 A gathering of silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, Unto the midst of a furnace -- to blow on it fire, to melt it, So do I gather in Mine anger and in My fury, And I have let rest, and have melted you.

21 And I have heaped you up, And blown on you in the fire of My wrath, And ye have been melted in its midst.

22 As the melting of silver in the midst of a furnace, So are ye melted in its midst, And ye have known that I, Jehovah, I have poured out My fury upon you.'

23 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

24 `Son of man, say to it, Thou [art] a land, It [is] not cleansed nor rained on in a day of indignation.

25 A conspiracy of its prophets [is] in its midst, as a roaring lion tearing prey; The soul they have devoured, Wealth and glory they have taken, Its widows have multiplied in its midst.

26 Its priests have wronged My law, And they pollute My holy things, Between holy and common they have not made separation, And between the unclean and the clean they have not made known, And from my sabbaths they have hidden their eyes, And I am pierced in their midst.

27 Its princes in its midst [are] as wolves, Tearing prey, to shed blood, to destroy souls, For the sake of gaining dishonest gain.

28 And its prophets have daubed for them with chalk, Seeing a vain thing, and divining for them a lie, Saying, `Thus said the Lord Jehovah:' And Jehovah hath not spoken.

29 The people of the land have used oppression, And have taken plunder violently away, And humble and needy have oppressed, And the sojourner oppressed -- without judgment.

30 And I seek of them a man making a fence, And standing in the breach before Me, In behalf of the land -- not to destroy it, And I have not found.

31 And I pour out on them mine indignation, By fire of My wrath I have consumed them, Their way on their own head I have put, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 23:1-49

The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, saying:

“Human, a woman had two daughters.

While they were youthful they went to Egypt and took up prostitution. They let men fondle and hold their virgin breasts.

The oldest girl was named Aholah, and her sister was Aholibah. They became my wives and had sons and daughters. Aholah is Samaria, and Aholibah is Jerusalem (Hebrew word for “tent,” and refer to Israel and Judah).

While still was mine, Samaria engaged in prostitution. She lusted after lovers, men from Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors

They wore blue uniforms. They were all desirable young men, equestrian captains and commanders.

Samaria became a prostitute for all the elite men in Assyria and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she desired.

She progressed in the prostitution she initiated in Egypt. When young, she had slept with men, and they fondled her virgin breasts and emptied out their lust on her.

So I handed her over to those lovers, the Assyrians, that she wanted so badly.

They stripped her naked and took away her sons and daughters. Then they killed her with a sword (fall of Samaria to the Assyrians in 722–721 bc). Women everywhere began to gossip about how she had been punished.

Her sister Jerusalem (Aholibah) saw what occurred, but she became more depraved than her sister in her sexuality and prostitution.

She also desired the Assyrians, who were all soldiers in beautiful uniforms — handsome young equestrian governors and commanders.

I observed that both girls were alike; both were whores.

But Jerusalem went even further. She saw carvings of Babylonian men on a wall. They wore scarlet and had belts around their waists and turbans on their heads. They all looked like chariot officers born in Babylonia (natives of Chaldea).

When she saw them, she lusted to have sexual relations with them and sent messengers to them in Babylonia (Judah’s attempt at alliances with Babylon).

So these Babylonian men came to her bed of love and spoiled her with their lust. After that, she became sick of them.

But she continued her prostitution so openly that everyone knew of it, and I finally turned away from her in disgust, as I had her sister.

But she remembered how she was a young prostitute in Egypt, so she took part in even more orgies.

She lusted after lovers whose genitals were the size of donkeys and seminal emission like that of horses.

In the very way you desired to do the sinful things of your youth in Egypt. There men fondled and caressed your young breasts."

So, ·Jerusalem/Aholibah, this is what the Lord God says: "You are tired of your lovers. So now I will make them angry with you and have them abuse you from all sides.

Men from Babylon and all the Chaldeans and men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa attack you. All the Assyrians will attack you: desirable young governors and commanders, all of them important men and all riding horses.

Those men will attack with great armies and with their weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will surround you helmeted and possessing large and small shields. And I will give them the right to punish you, and they will judge you by their standards.

Then you will see how strong my anger can be when they deal with you in their anger. They will cut off your noses and ears. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those who are left will be burned.

They will strip off your clothes and steal your beautiful jewelry.

I will put a stop to the obscene behavior you began when you were in Egypt so that you will not desire it or remember Egypt anymore."

This is what the Lord God says: "You became disgusted with your lovers, but I am going to hand you over to those men you now hate.

They will treat you with hate and take away everything you worked for, leaving you nothing. Everyone will know about the sinful things you did. Your lewdness and promiscuity

have brought this upon you. You have had sexual relations with the nations and defiled yourself by worshiping their idols.

You did the same things your sister did, so you will get the same punishment, like a bitter cup to drink."

This is what the Lord God says: "You will drink the same cup your sister did, and that cup is humongous. Everyone will mocked and derided you, because the cup holds much.

It will make you miserable and drunk. It is the cup of fear and devastation. It is the same cup of your sister Samaria.

You will drink everything in it, and then you will smash it and tear at your breasts. I have spoken, says the Lord God."

So this is what the Lord God says: "You have forgotten Me and ·turned your back on Me. So you must bear the consequences for your lewdness and prostitution.”

The Lord said to me: “Human, will you judge Samaria and Jerusalem, showing them their hateful acts?

They are guilty of adultery and murder. They have taken part in adultery with their idols. They even offered our children as sacrifices in the fire to be food for these idols.

They have also done this to Me: They made My Temple unclean at the same time they dishonored My Sabbaths.

They sacrificed their children to their idols. Then they entered My Temple at that very time to desecrate it. That is what they did inside My Temple!

They even sent for men from far away, who came after a messenger was sent to them. You bathed yourselves for them, painted your eyes, and put on jewelry.

You sat on a luxurious couch with a table set before it, on which you put My incense and My oil.

There was the noise of a party crowd in the city. Common people gathered, and drunkards were brought from the desert. They put bracelets on the wrists of the two sisters and beautiful crowns on their heads.

Then I said about the one who was used up by her acts of adultery, ‘Let them continue their sexual sins with her. She is nothing but whore.’

They kept going at her as they would go with a prostitute. So they continued to go at Samaria/Aholah and Jerusalem/Aholibah; these obscene women.

But men who are righteous will punish them as they punish women who take part in adultery and who murder people, because they are guilty of adultery and murder."

This is what the Lord God says: "Bring together a mob against Samaria and Jerusalem and give them over to terror and plunder.

Let the army; invaders stone them, and let them cut them down with their swords. Let them kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses down.

I will put an end to obscenity in the land. Then all women will be warned, and they will not perform the same wickedness.

You will be punished for your lewdness and the sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.”


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, `Son of man,

2 Two women were daughters of one mother,

3 And they go a-whoring in Egypt, In their youth they have gone a-whoring, There they have bruised their breasts, And there they have dealt with the loves of their virginity.

4 And their names [are] Aholah the elder, And Aholibah her sister, And they are Mine, and bear sons and daughters. As to their names -- Samaria [is] Aholah, And Jerusalem [is] Aholibah.

5 And go a-whoring doth Aholah under Me, And she doteth on her lovers, On the neighbouring Assyrians,

6 Clothed with blue -- governors and prefects, Desirable young men all of them, Horsemen, riding on horses,

7 And she giveth her whoredoms on them, The choice of the sons of Asshur, All of them -- even all on whom she doted, By all their idols she hath been defiled.

8 And her whoredoms out of Egypt she hath not forsaken, For with her they lay in her youth, And they dealt with the loves of her virginity, And they pour out their whoredoms on her.

9 Therefore I have given her into the hand of her lovers, Into the hand of sons of Asshur on whom she doted.

10 They have uncovered her nakedness, Her sons and her daughters they have taken, And her by sword they have slain, And she is a name for women, And judgments they have done with her.

11 And see doth her sister Aholibah, And she maketh her doting love more corrupt than she, And her whoredoms than the whoredoms of her sister.

12 On sons of Asshur she hath doted, Governors and prefects, Neighbouring ones -- clothed in perfection, Horsemen, riding on horses, Desirable young men all of them.

13 And I see that she hath been defiled, One way [is] to them both.

14 And she doth add unto her whoredoms, And she seeth graved men on the wall, Pictures of Chaldeans, graved with red lead,

15 Girded with a girdle on their loins, Dyed attire spread out on their heads, The appearance of rulers -- all of them, The likeness of sons of Babylon, Chaldea is the land of their birth.

16 And she doteth on them at the sight of her eyes, And sendeth messengers to them, to Chaldea.

17 And come in unto her do sons of Babylon, To the bed of loves, And they defile her with their whoredoms, And she is defiled with them, And her soul is alienated from them.

18 And she revealeth her whoredoms, And she revealeth her nakedness, And alienated is My soul from off her, As alienated was My soul from off her sister.

19 And she multiplieth her whoredoms, To remember the days of her youth, When she went a-whoring in the land of Egypt.

20 And she doteth on their paramours, Whose flesh [is] the flesh of asses, And the issue of horses -- their issue.

21 Thou lookest after the wickedness of thy youth, In dealing out of Egypt thy loves, For the sake of the breasts of thy youth.

22 Therefore, O Aholibah, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am stirring up thy lovers against thee, From whom thy soul hath been alienated, And have brought them in against thee from round about.

23 Sons of Babylon, and of all Chaldea, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, All the sons of Asshur with them, Desirable young men, governors and prefects, All of them -- rulers and proclaimed ones, Riding on horses, all of them.

24 And they have come in against thee, With arms, rider, and wheel, And with an assembly of peoples; Target, and shield, and helmet, They do set against thee round about, And I have set before them judgment, They have judged thee in their Judgments.

25 And I have set My jealousy against thee, And they have dealt with thee in fury, Thy nose and thine ears they turn aside, And thy posterity by sword falleth, They, thy sons and thy daughters do take away, And thy posterity is devoured by fire.

26 And they have stripped thee of thy garments, And have taken thy beauteous jewels.

27 And I have caused thy wickedness to cease from thee, And thy whoredoms out of the land of Egypt, And thou liftest not up thine eyes unto them, And Egypt thou dost not remember again.

28 For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am giving thee into a hand that thou hast hated, Into a hand from which thou wast alienated.

29 And they have dealt with thee in hatred, And they have taken all thy labour, And they have left thee naked and bare, And revealed hath been the nakedness of thy whoredoms, And the wickedness of thy whoredoms.

30 To do these things to thee, In thy going a-whoring after nations, Because thou hast been defiled with their idols,

31 In the way of thy sister thou hast walked, And I have given her cup into thy hand.

32 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: The cup of thy sister thou dost drink, The deep and the wide one, (Thou art for laughter and for scorn,) Abundant to contain.

33 With drunkenness and sorrow thou art filled, A cup of astonishment and desolation, The cup of thy sister Samaria.

34 And thou hast drunk it, and hast drained [it], And its earthen ware thou dost gnaw, And thine own breasts thou pluckest off, For I have spoken, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah,

35 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast forgotten Me, And thou dost cast Me behind thy back, Even thou also bear thy wickedness and thy whoredoms.'

36 And Jehovah saith unto me, `Son of man, Dost thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? Declare then to them their abominations.

37 For they have committed adultery, And blood [is] in their hands, With their idols they committed adultery, And also their sons whom they bore to Me, They caused to pass over to them for food.

38 Again, this they have done to Me, They defiled My sanctuary in that day, And My sabbaths they have polluted.

39 And in their slaughtering their sons to their idols They also come in unto My sanctuary in that day to pollute it, And lo, thus they have done in the midst of My house,

40 And also that they send to men coming from afar, Unto whom a messenger is sent, And lo, they have come in for whom thou hast washed, Painted thine eyes, and put on adornment.

41 And thou hast sat on a couch of honour, And a table arrayed before it, And My perfume and My oil placed on it.

42 And the voice of a multitude at ease [is] with her, And unto men of the common people are brought in Sabeans from the wilderness, And they put bracelets on their hands, And a beauteous crown on their heads.

43 And I say of the worn-out one in adulteries, Now they commit her whoredoms -- she also!

44 And they come in unto her, As the coming in unto a whorish woman, So they have come in unto Aholah, And unto Aholibah -- the wicked women.

45 As to righteous men, they judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, And the judgment of women shedding blood, For they [are] adulteresses, And blood [is] in their hands.

46 For thus said the Lord Jehovah: Bring up against them an assembly, And give them to trembling and to spoiling.

47 And they have cast at them the stone of the assembly, And cut them with their swords, Their sons and their daughters they do slay, And their houses with fire they burn.

48 And I have caused wickedness to cease from the land, And instructed have been all the women, And they do not according to your wickedness.

49 And they have put your wickedness on you, And the sins of your idols ye bear, And ye have known that I [am] the Lord Jehovah!

[_LittleNipper]

Ezekiel 24:1-27

Again in the 9th year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, in the 10th month, on the 10th of the month, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel.

“Human, log the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem today.

Speak a parable against rebellious Judah and say to them, This is what the Lord God says:

“Put on a pot and also pour water into it;

Place in it pieces of meat. Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder ---- fill it with choice bones.

Take the select choice of the flock, pile wood under the pot. Make it boil vigorously --- boil its bones in the pot.”

This is what the Lord God says: “Judgment is coming to the bloody city, to the pot in which there is rust and whose rust has not been removed! Take out of it piece by piece, without making any choice.

For her shed blood remains in her midst; she placed it on the bare rock --- not poured out on the ground which would cover it in dust.

That it may cause wrath to appear to take vengeance, I have put her shame for her children sacrificed to Molech on the bare rock, to be left uncovered.”

So, this is what the Lord God says: "Misery to the bloody city! I will also stack the wood high. Heap on wood, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in spices, and burn the bones.

Then set the empty pot (Jerusalem) back on the coals so that it may be hot, and its bronze may glow, its filthiness may be melted, and the scum consumed.

She has wearied Me with toil, yet her massive corrosion has not left her. Her thick rust and filth will not be burned away by fire the flames temprature.

In your filthiness are lewdness and outrage, I would have cleansed you. Still you were not willing to be cleansed. You will not be cleansed from your filthiness, until I have satisfied My wrath against you.

I the Lord have spoken; it is coming and I will take action. I will not relent, I will not have compassion, and I will not be sorry. In accordance with your motives and deeds I will judge and punish you,” says the Lord God.”

Additionally the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, saying:

“Human, listen carefully, I am about to take away from you the desire of your eyes [your wife] instantly. You shall not mourn nor weep --- your tears shall not flow.

Sigh and groan inwardly; do not mourn for the dead. Wrap your turban and put your sandals on your feet, and do not cover your mustache or eat the bread furnished by others."

So, Ezekiel spoke to the people in the morning, and that evening his wife died. And the following day Ezekiel did as commanded.

The people said, “These things that you are doing, what do they mean for us?”

Ezekile answered them, “The word of the Lord came, saying,

"Speak to the house of Israel, This is what the Lord God says:

Behold, I will desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your motivation, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.

You will do as I (Ezekiel); you shall not cover your mustache nor eat the bread brought to you by others.

Your turbans will be on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away in your sins and you will groan to one another.

So Ezekiel will be your sign --- do as he does... And when the destruction of the temple happens, then you will realize doubtlessly that I am the Lord God.

As for you, human, on the day when I take their strength and their sanctuary from them, their joy and their glory, the desire of their eyes and their heart’s delight, and I also take their sons and their daughters,

on that day a survivor will arrive to you to let you hear with your own ears.

On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and no longer be mute. In this way you shall be a sign to them, and they will realize doubtlessly that I am the Lord.”


Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth of the month, saying,

2 `Son of man, write for thee the name of the day -- this self-same day leaned hath the king of Babylon toward Jerusalem in this self-same day --

3 and use unto the rebellious house a simile, and thou hast said unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: To set on the pot, to set [it] on, and also to pour into it water,

4 To gather its pieces unto it, every good piece, Thigh and shoulder, the choice of the bones to fill in.

5 The choice of the flock to take, And also to pile of the bones under it, Boil it thoroughly, yea, cook its bones in its midst.

6 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo [to] the city of blood, A pot whose scum [is] in it, And its scum hath not come out of it, By piece of it, by piece of it bring it out, Not fallen on it hath a lot.

7 For her blood in her midst hath been, On a clear place of a rock she hath set it, She hath not poured it on the earth, To cover it over with dust.

8 To cause fury to come up to take vengeance, I have put her blood on a clear place of a rock -- not to be covered.

9 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Wo [to] the city of blood, yea, I -- I make great the pile.

10 Make abundant the wood, Kindle the fire, consume the flesh, And make the compound, And let the bones be burnt.

11 And cause it to stand on its coals empty, So that its brass is hot and burning, Melted hath been in its midst its uncleanness, Consumed is its scum.

12 [With] sorrows she hath wearied herself, And the abundance of her scum goeth not out of her, In the fire [is] her scum.

13 In thine uncleanness [is] wickedness, Because I have cleansed thee, And thou hast not been cleansed, From thine uncleanness thou art not cleansed again, Till I have caused My fury to rest on thee.

14 I, Jehovah, hath spoken, It hath come, and I have done [it], I do not free, nor do I spare, nor do I repent, According to thy ways, and according to thine acts, they have judged thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

15 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

16 `Son of man, lo, I am taking from thee the desire of thine eyes by a stroke, and thou dost not mourn, nor weep, nor let thy tear come.

17 Cease to groan, [for] the dead thou dost make no mourning, thy bonnet bind on thee, and thy shoes thou dost put on thy feet, and thou dost not cover over the upper lip, and bread of men thou dost not eat.'

18 And I speak unto the people in the morning, and my wife dieth in the evening, and I do in the morning as I have been commanded.

19 And the people say unto me, `Dost thou not declare to us what these [are] to us, that thou art doing?'

20 And I say unto them, `A word of Jehovah hath been unto me, saying:

21 Say to the house of Israel: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am polluting My sanctuary, The excellency of your strength, The desire of your eyes, and the pitied of your soul, And your sons and your daughters whom ye have left, by sword they do fall.

22 And ye have done as I have done, On the upper lip ye are not covered, And bread of men ye do not eat.

23 And your bonnets [are] on your heads, And your shoes [are] on your feet, Ye do not mourn nor do ye weep, And ye have wasted away for your iniquities, And ye have howled one unto another.

24 And Ezekiel hath been to you for a type, According to all that he hath done ye do; In its coming in -- ye have known that I [am] the Lord Jehovah.

25 And thou, son of man, Is it not in the day of My taking from them their strength, The joy of their beauty, the desire of their eyes, And the song of their soul, Their sons and their daughters?

26 In that day come doth the escaped one to thee. To cause the ears to hear.

27 In that day opened is thy mouth with the escaped, And thou speakest, and art not silent any more, And thou hast been to them for a type. And they have known that I [am] Jehovah.'