The Book of
Author
The author, whose name means “God Strengthens,” is identified as “Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi” (1:3). He was probably a member of the Zadokite priestly family that came into prominence during the reforms of Josiah (621 B.C.). He was trained in the priesthood during the reign of Jehoiakim, was deported to Babylon in 597 B.C., and settled in Tel Abib on the Chebar Canal near Nippur. His ministry briefly overlapped Jeremiah’s.
Date
Ezekiel’s call came to him in 593 B.C., the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s reign. The latest date given for an oracle is probably 571 B.C., making his ministry about twenty years long. The death of his wife occurred about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Exiled in the second siege of Jerusalem, he wrote to those yet in Jerusalem about its imminent and total destruction, including the departure of God’s presence. Parts were also apparently written after Jerusalem’s overthrow.
Content
Ezekiel’s personality reflects a mystical strain. The immediacy of his contact with the Spirit, his visions, and the frequency with which the word of the Lord came to him provide a connection between the older ecstatic prophets and the classical writing prophets. His spiritual experiences also anticipated the activity of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. To him rightly belongs the title “charismatic.”
Ezekiel’s message was addressed to a demoralized remnant of Judah exiled in Babylon. The moral responsibility of the individual is a primary theme in his message. Corporate responsibility no longer shields the individual. Each individual must accept personal responsibility for the national calamity. Each individual is responsible for his or her individual sin. It is the weight of the cumulative sin of each individual that contributed to the breaking of God’s covenant with Israel, and each bears a share of the blame for the judgment that resulted in the exile to Babylon.
The book is easily divided into three sections: Judah’s judgment (chs. 4—24), the heathen nations’ judgment (chs. 25—32), and future blessings for God’s covenant people (chs. 33—48).
Two theological themes act as a counterpoise in the prophet’s thought. In Ezekiel’s doctrine of man, he placed the emphasis on personal responsibility (18:4, “the soul who sins shall die”). On the other hand, he emphasized the divine grace in the rebirth of the nation. The repentance of the faithful remnant among the exiles would result in the re-creation of Israel from the dry bones. The divine Spirit would quicken them to a new life. By this emphasis on the Holy Spirit in regeneration Ezekiel anticipated the New Testament doctrine of the Holy Spirit, especially in the Gospel of John.
Christ Revealed
In Ezekiel, Christology and the Person and work of the Holy Spirit are inextricably bound together. Although a messianic figure is not clearly discernible in Ezekiel’s final vision, several messianic titles and functions in the book indicate that a Messiah is part of his eschatological vision.
The title “Son of Man” occurs some ninety times in Ezekiel. While the title is applied to Ezekiel himself, it was appropriated by Jesus as His favorite self-designation. Therefore, Ezekiel may be regarded as a type of Christ. As such, Ezekiel was empowered as a prophetic voice of the messianic age when “the Spirit of the LORD fell” upon him. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at Jordan empowered Him to articulate the advent of the messianic kingdom (Luke 4:18, 19).
Another messianic title is reflected in the vision of the Lord God as the divine Shepherd who gathers again His scattered flock. The figure evokes images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11–16).
Ezekiel further develops the fundamental idea of Israel as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” which was rooted in the covenant of Sinai (Ex. 19:6). A restored sanctuary in the midst of a regathered people whose head is the King-priest, the Davidic Messiah, foreshadows the restored tabernacle of David, the church (Amos 9:11; Acts 15:16).
A final messianic prophecy of Christ employs the figure of a sprig of cedar planted by the Lord Himself on a lofty mountain, which becomes a lofty cedar providing fruit and nests for birds. This nature metaphor, like “the Root of Jesse” (Is. 11:1, 10; Rom. 15:12), serves to represent the future Messiah. Birds and trees represent Gentile nations to show Christ’s universal reign.
The Holy Spirit at Work
Whether the prophetic revelation is presented symbolically in visions, signs, parabolic actions, or in human speech, Ezekiel claims for them the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. In addition, there are numerous references to the Spirit of God in the book. One might almost characterize the Book of Ezekiel as the “Acts of the Holy Spirit” in the Old Testament. Several of these references merit special notice.
In 11:5, the prophet asserts autobiographically that “the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said to me.” The oracle that follows is thus God’s Word in Ezekiel’s words, inspired by the Holy Spirit. The same chapter presents the Spirit as active in a vision: “Then the Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to those in captivity.”
Perhaps the best-known instance of the Spirit’s activity is in chapter 37, the vision of the valley of dry bones: “The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones” (v. 1). The subsequent vision relates the spiritual rebirth of the remnant then in exile.
A final aspect of the Spirit’s action in the life of the prophet is found in 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” It is not solely an external act of the Spirit “falling upon” someone, but the prophesied subjective experience of the Spirit’s presence within, such as Ezekiel uniquely experienced when “the Spirit entered” him (2:2). Ezekiel anticipated the new covenant’s “new birth” experience, which would be by the Spirit.
Personal Application
Three very important personal, relevant lessons can be learned in Ezekiel. First is the importance of individual moral responsibility. Although it is true that God still blesses and corrects entire local churches (Rev. 2; 3), His primary dealings are with individuals. As such, one cannot appeal to the righteousness of others as his righteousness nor need he fear personal correction for the sins of another.
Second, Ezekiel teaches that though God is reluctant to discipline His people severely, He must. He is a righteous and jealous God as much as He is merciful and forgiving.
Third, Ezekiel assures us that God will ultimately triumph in history. His enemies may be winning battles now, but future judgment will totally destroy them.
Outline of Ezekiel
I. The opening vision and call of Ezekiel 1:1—3:21
A. Introductory visions 1:1–28
B. The prophet’s commission 2:1—3:21
II. Prophecies and visions of Jerusalem’s destruction 3:22—24:27
A. Oracles of judgment 3:22—7:27
1. Against Jerusalem 3:22—5:17
2. Against the whole nation 6:1—7:27
B. Visions of idolatry in the temple 8:1—11:25
C. Judah’s exile and captivity 12:1—24:27
1. Messages of judgment against Judah 12:1—19:14
2. Oracles before the fall of Jerusalem 20:1—24:27
III. Oracles of doom against foreign nations 25:1—32:32
A. Against Ammon 25:1–7
B. Against Moab 25:8–11
C. Against Edom 25:12–14
D. Against Philistia 25:15–17
F. Against Sidon 28:20–26
IV. Prophecies of restoration 33:1—48:35
A. Ezekiel as watchman 33:1–33
B. God as shepherd 34:1–31
C. Judgment against Edom 35:1–15
D. Restoration of Israel 36:1—37:28
E. Judgment against Gog 38:1—39:29
Ezekiel’s Vision of God
1 NOW it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by athe River Chebar, that bthe heavens were opened and I saw cvisions1 of *God.
2 On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3 the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the 1Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and athe hand of the LORD was upon him there.
4 Then I looked, and behold, aa whirlwind was coming bout of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5 aAlso from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And bthis was their appearance: they had cthe likeness of a man.
6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
7 Their 1legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled alike the color of burnished bronze.
8 aThe hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings.
9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight aforward.
10 As for athe likeness of their faces, each bhad the face of a man; each of the four had cthe face of a lion on the right side, deach of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, eand each of the four had the face of an eagle.
11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and atwo covered their bodies.
12 And aeach one went straight forward; they went wherever the *spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, alike the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, ain appearance like a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, aa wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces.
16 aThe appearance of the wheels and their workings was blike the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went.
18 As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were afull of eyes, all around the four of them.
19 aWhen the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, afor the spirit of the 1living creatures was in the wheels.
21 When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the 1living creatures was in the wheels.
22 aThe likeness of the 1firmament above the heads of the 2living creatures was like the color of an awesome bcrystal, stretched out cover their heads.
23 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body.
24 aWhen they went, I heard the noise of their wings, blike the noise of many *waters, like cthe voice of the *Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings.
25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings.
26 aAnd above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, bin appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above cit.
27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward aI saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around.
28 aLike the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. bThis was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Ezekiel Sent to Rebellious Israel
So when I saw it, cI fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
1 And He said to me, “Son of man, astand on your feet, and I will speak to you.”
2 Then athe Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me.
3 And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has arebelled against Me; bthey and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very *day.
4 a“For they are 1impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’
5 a“As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a brebellious house—yet they cwill know that a *prophet has been among them.
6 “And you, son of man, ado not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though bbriers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; cdo not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, dthough they are a rebellious house.
7 a“You shall speak My *words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.
8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and aeat what I give you.”
9 Now when I looked, there was aa hand stretched out to me; and behold, ba scroll of a book was in it.
10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
1 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; aeat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and *fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I aate, and it was in my mouth blike honey in sweetness.
4 Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.
5 “For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel,
6 “not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, ahad I sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
7 “But the house of Israel will not listen to you, abecause they will not listen to Me; bfor all the house of Israel are 1impudent and hard-hearted.
8 “Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads.
9 a“Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; bdo not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”
10 Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and *hear with your ears.
11 “And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, a‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”
12 Then athe Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the bglory of the LORD from His place!”
13 I also heard the anoise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise.
14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the 1heat of my spirit; but athe hand of the LORD was strong upon me.
15 Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and aI sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
Ezekiel Is a Watchman
16 Now it acame to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
17 a“Son of *man, I have made you ba *watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them cwarning from Me:
18 “When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man ashall die in his iniquity; but his *blood I will require at your hand.
19 “Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; abut you have delivered your soul.
20 “Again, when a arighteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.
21 “Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”
22 aThen the hand of the LORD was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out binto the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”
23 So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, athe *glory of the LORD stood there, like the glory which I bsaw by the River Chebar; cand I fell on my face.
24 Then athe Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25 “And you, O son of man, surely athey will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them.
26 a“I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and bnot be 1one to rebuke them, cfor they are a rebellious house.
27 a“But when I speak with you, I will *open your mouth, and you shall say to them, b‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed
1 “You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem.
2 a“Lay siege against it, build a bsiege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around.
3 “Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be abesieged, and you shall lay siege against it. bThis will be a *sign to the house of Israel.
4 “Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity.
5 “For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; aso you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
6 “And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.
7 “Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it.
8 a“And surely I will 1restrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege.
9 “Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it.
10 “And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it.
11 “You shall also drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin; from time to time you shall drink.
12 “And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.”
13 Then the LORD said, “So ashall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the *Gentiles, where I will drive them.”
14 So I said, a“Ah, Lord GOD! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten bwhat died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has cabominable1 flesh ever come into my mouth.”
15 Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”
16 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, surely I will cut off the asupply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall beat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall cdrink water by measure and with dread,
17 “that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and awaste away because of their iniquity.
A Sword Against Jerusalem
1 “And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, aand pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair.
2 a“You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of bthe city, when cthe days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after dthem.
3 a“You shall also take a small number of them and bind them in the edge of your garment.
4 “Then take some of them again and athrow them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will go out into all the house of Israel.
5 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her.
6 ‘She has rebelled against My judgments by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that are all around her; for they have refused My judgments, and they have not walked in My statutes.’
7 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have 1multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you, have not walked in My statutes anor kept My judgments, 2nor even done according to the judgments of the nations that are all around you’—
8 “therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Indeed I, even I, am against you and will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations.
9 a‘And I will do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I will never do again, because of all your abominations.
10 ‘Therefore fathers ashall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments among you, and all of you who remain I will bscatter to all the winds.
11 ‘Therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely, because you have adefiled My sanctuary with all your bdetestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you; cMy eye will not spare, nor will I have any pity.
12 a‘One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and bI will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after cthem.
13 ‘Thus shall My anger abe spent, and I will bcause My fury to rest upon them, cand I will be avenged; dand they shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it in My zeal, when I have spent My fury upon them.
14 ‘Moreover aI will make you a waste and a reproach among the nations that are all around you, in the sight of all who pass by.
15 ‘So 1it shall be a areproach, a taunt, a blesson,* and an astonishment to the nations that are all around you, when I execute judgments among you in anger and in fury and in cfurious rebukes. I, the LORD, have spoken.
16 ‘When I asend against them the terrible arrows of famine which shall be for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, I will increase the famine upon you and cut off your bsupply of bread.
17 ‘So I will send against you famine and awild beasts, and they will bereave you. bPestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.’ ”
Judgment on Idolatrous Israel
1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
2 “Son of man, aset your face toward the bmountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
3 “and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains, to the hills, to the ravines, and to the valleys: “Indeed I, even I, will bring a sword against you, and aI will destroy your 1high places.
4 “Then your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and aI will cast down your slain men before your idols.
5 “And I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones all around your altars.
6 “In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the 1high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
7 “The slain shall fall in your midst, and ayou shall know that I am the LORD.
8 a“Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are bscattered through the countries.
9 “Then those of you who escape will aremember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because bI was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and cby their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; dthey will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations.
10 “And they shall know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.”
11 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“Pound1 your fists and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! bFor they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.
12 ‘He who is far off shall die by the pestilence, he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged shall die by the famine. aThus will I spend My fury upon them.
13 ‘Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain are among their idols all around their altars, aon every high hill, bon all the mountaintops, cunder every green tree, and under every thick oak, wherever they offered sweet incense to all their idols.
14 ‘So I will astretch out My hand against them and make the land desolate, yes, more desolate than the wilderness toward bDiblah, in all their dwelling places. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’ ” ’ ”
Judgment on Israel Is Near
1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel:
a‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
3 Now the end has come upon you,
And I will send My anger against you;
I will judge you aaccording to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.
4 aMy eye will not spare you,
Nor will I have pity;
But I will repay your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst;
bThen you shall know that I am the LORD!’
‘A disaster, a singular adisaster;
Behold, it has come!
The end has come;
It has dawned for you;
Behold, it has come!
7 aDoom has come to you, you who dwell in the land;
bThe time has come,
A day of trouble is near,
And not of rejoicing in the mountains.
8Now upon you I will soon apour out My fury,
And spend My anger upon you;
I will judge you according to your ways,
And I will repay you for all your abominations.
Nor will I have pity;
I will 1repay you according to your ways,
And your abominations will be in your midst.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD who strikes.
Behold, it has come!
aDoom has gone out;
The rod has blossomed,
Pride has budded.
11 aViolence has risen up into a rod of wickedness;
None of them shall remain,
None of their multitude,
None of 1them;
bNor shall there be wailing for them.
The day draws near.
‘Let not the buyer arejoice,
For wrath is on their whole multitude.
13 For the seller shall not return to what has been sold,
Though he may still be alive;
For the *vision concerns the whole multitude,
And it shall not turn back;
No one will strengthen himself
Who lives in iniquity.
14 ‘They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready,
But no one goes to battle;
For My wrath is on all their multitude.
15 aThe sword is outside,
And the pestilence and famine within.
Whoever is in the field
Will die by the sword;
And whoever is in the city,
Famine and pestilence will devour him.
16 ‘Those who asurvive will escape and be on the mountains
Like doves of the valleys,
All of them mourning,
Each for his iniquity.
17 Every ahand will be feeble,
And every knee will be as weak as water.
18They will also abe girded with sackcloth;
Horror will cover them;
Shame will be on every face,
Baldness on all their heads.
19 ‘They will throw their silver into the streets,
And their gold will be like refuse;
Their asilver and their gold will not be *able to deliver them
In the day of the wrath of the LORD;
They will not satisfy their souls,
Nor fill their stomachs,
Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.
20 ‘As for the beauty of his ornaments,
He set it in majesty;
aBut they made from it
The images of their abominations—
Their detestable things;
Therefore I have made it
Like refuse to them.
21 I will give it as aplunder
Into the hands of strangers,
And to the wicked of the earth as spoil;
And they shall defile it.
22I will turn My face from them,
And they will defile My secret place;
For robbers shall enter it and defile it.
For athe land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the aworst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be bdefiled.
25 1Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none.
26 aDisaster will come upon disaster,
And rumor will be upon rumor.
bThen they will seek a vision from a prophet;
But the law will perish from the priest,
And counsel from the *elders.
The prince will be clothed with desolation,
And the hands of the common people will tremble.
I will do to them according to their way,
And according to what they deserve I will judge them;
Then they shall know that I am the LORD!’ ”
Abominations in the Temple
1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with athe elders of Judah sitting before me, that bthe hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there.
2 aThen I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, blike the color of amber.
3 He astretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and bthe Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and cbrought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, dwhere the seat of the image of jealousy was, which eprovokes1 to jealousy.
4 And behold, the aglory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I bsaw in the plain.
5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.
6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great aabominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.”
7 So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall.
8 Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.
9 And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.”
10 So I went in and saw, and there—every asort of bcreeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, 1portrayed all around on the walls.
11 And there stood before them aseventy men of the *elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up.
12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, a‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.’ ”
13 And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.”
14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for 1Tammuz.
15 Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.”
16 So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, abetween the porch and the altar, bwere about twenty-five men cwith their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping dthe sun toward the east.
17 And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have afilled the land with violence; then they have returned to *provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose.
18 a“Therefore I also will act in fury. My beye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they ccry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”
The Wicked Are Slain
1 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a 1deadly weapon in his hand.”
2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his 1battle-ax in his hand. aOne man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn 2at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now athe glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the 1temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side;
4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put aa mark on the foreheads of the men bwho sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 To the others He said in my 1hearing, “Go after him through the city and akill;2 bdo not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.
6 a“Utterly1 slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but bdo not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and cbegin at My sanctuary.” dSo they began with the elders who were before the 2temple.
7 Then He said to them, “Defile the 1temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.
8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I afell on my face and cried out, and said, b“Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”
9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and athe land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, b‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and cthe LORD does not see!’
10 “And as for Me also, My aeye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but bI will recompense their deeds on their own head.”
11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”
The Glory Departs from the Temple
1 And I looked, and there in the afirmament1 that was above the head of the *cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
2 aThen He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with bcoals of fire from among the cherubim, and cscatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.
3 Now the cherubim were standing on the 1south side of the 2temple when the man went in, and the acloud filled the inner court.
4 aThen the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the 1temple; and bthe house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s cglory.
5 And the asound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like bthe voice of *Almighty God when He speaks.
6 Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels.
7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out.
8 aThe cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.
9 aAnd when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a bberyl stone.
10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
11 aWhen they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went.
12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were afull of eyes all around.
13 As for the wheels, they were called in my 1hearing, “Wheel.”
14 aEach one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was athe living creature I saw by the River Chebar.
16 aWhen the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them.
17 aWhen 1the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when 2one was lifted up, 3the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
18 Then athe glory of the LORD bdeparted from the threshold of the 1temple and stood over the cherubim.
19 And athe cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the beast gate of the LORD’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
20 aThis is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel bby the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim.
21 aEach one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
22 And athe likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. bThey each went straight forward.
Judgment on Wicked Counselors
1 Then athe Spirit lifted me up and brought me to bthe East Gate of the LORD’s house, which faces eastward; and there cat the door of the gate were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
2 And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked 1counsel in this city,
3 “who say, ‘The time is not anear to build houses; bthis city is the 1caldron, and we are the meat.’
4 “Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”
5 Then athe Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said to me, “Speak! ‘Thus says the LORD: “Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for bI know the things that come into your mind.
6 a“You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.”
7 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: a“Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron; bbut I shall bring you out of the midst of it.
8 “You have afeared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,” says the Lord GOD.
9 “And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and aexecute judgments on you.
10 a“You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at bthe border of Israel. cThen you shall know that I am the LORD.
11 a“This city shall not be your 1caldron, nor shall you be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel.
12 “And you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but ahave done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.” ’ ”
13 Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that aPelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then bI fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?”
God Will Restore Israel
14 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
15 “Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from the LORD; this land has been given to us as a possession.’
16 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, ayet I shall be a little 1sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.” ’
17 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ’
18 “And they will go there, and they will take away all its adetestable things and all its abominations from there.
19 “Then aI will give them one heart, and I will put ba new spirit within 1them, and take cthe stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,
20 a“that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; band they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
21 “But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, aI will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD.
22 So the cherubim alifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high above them.
23 And athe glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood bon the mountain, cwhich is on the east side of the city.
24 Then athe Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into 1Chaldea, to those in captivity. And the vision that I had seen went up from me.
25 So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the LORD had shown me.
Judah’s Captivity Portrayed
1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
2 “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of aa rebellious house, which bhas eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; cfor they are a rebellious house.
3 “Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.
4 “By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity.
5 “Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it.
6 “In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, afor I have made you a *sign to the house of Israel.”
7 So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.
8 And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, athe rebellious house, said to you, b‘What are you doing?’
10 “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “This aburden1 concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.” ’
11 “Say, a‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; bthey shall be carried away into captivity.’
12 “And athe prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes.
13 “I will also spread My anet over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. bI will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.
14 a“I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and bI will draw out the sword after them.
15 a“Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.
16 a“But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Judgment Not Postponed
17 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, aeat your bread with 1quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety.
19 “And say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may abe emptied of all who are in it, bbecause of the violence of all those who dwell in it.
20 “Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
21 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
22 “Son of man, what is this *proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, a‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?
23 “Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” But say to them, a“The days are at hand, and the 1fulfillment of every vision.
24 “For ano more shall there be any bfalse1 vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.
25 “For I am the LORD. I speak, and athe word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and bperform it,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
27 a“Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is bfor many days from now, and he prophesies of *times far off.’
28 a“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak bwill be done,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
Woe to Foolish Prophets
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy aagainst the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to bthose who prophesy out of their own cheart,1 ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ ”
3 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen 1nothing!
4 “O Israel, your prophets are alike foxes in the deserts.
5 “You ahave not gone up into the 1gaps* to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.
6 a“They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has bnot sent them; yet they *hope that the word may 1be confirmed.
7 “Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken.”
8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD.
9 “My hand will be aagainst the prophets who envision futility and who bdivine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, cnor be written in the record of the house of Israel, dnor shall they enter into the land of Israel. eThen you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, a‘Peace!’ when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they bplaster1 it with untempered mortar—
11 “say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. aThere will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down.
12 “Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ”
13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it.
14 “So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. aThen you shall know that I am the LORD.
15 “Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it,
16 ‘that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who asee visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord GOD.
17 “Likewise, son of man, aset your face against the daughters of your people, bwho prophesy out of their own 1heart; prophesy against them,
18 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms 1on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you ahunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive?
19 “And will you profane Me among My people afor handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”
20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like 1birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds.
21 “I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. aThen you shall know that I am the LORD.
22 “Because with alies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have bstrengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life.
23 “Therefore ayou shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
Idolatry Will Be Punished
1 Now asome of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them athat which causes them to stumble into iniquity. bShould I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?
4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,
5 “that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and aturn your faces away from all your abominations.
7 “For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the LORD will answer him by Myself.
8 a“I will set My face against that man and make him a bsign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. cThen you shall know that I am the LORD.
9 “And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the LORD ahave induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
10 “And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired,
11 “that the house of Israel may ano longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their *transgressions, bbut that they may be My people and I may be their God,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
Judgment on Persistent Unfaithfulness
12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying:
13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its asupply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.
14 a“Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves bby their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.
15 “If I cause awild beasts to pass through the land, and they 1empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts,
16 “even athough these three men were 1in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be bdesolate.
17 “Or if aI bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I bcut off man and beast from it,
18 “even athough these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.
19 “Or if I send aa pestilence into that land and bpour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast,
20 “even athough Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
21 For thus says the Lord GOD: “How much more it shall be when aI send My four 1severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?
22 a“Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be bbrought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and cyou will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it.
23 “And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing awithout cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord GOD.
The Outcast Vine
1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
2 “Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
3 “Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on?
4 “Instead, ait is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work?
5 “Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?
6 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
7 ‘and aI will set My face against them. bThey will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. cThen you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them.
8 ‘Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness,’ says the Lord GOD.”
God’s Love for Jerusalem
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, acause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
3 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your 1birth aand your nativity are from the land of Canaan; byour *father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
4 “As for your nativity, aon the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.
5 “No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were 1loathed on the day you were born.
6 “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’
7 a“I made you 1thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.
8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; aso I spread 1My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I bswore an oath to you and entered into a ccovenant with you, and dyou became Mine,” says the Lord GOD.
9 “Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil.
10 “I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of 1badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk.
11 “I adorned you with ornaments, aput bracelets on your wrists, band a chain on your neck.
12 “And I put a 1jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
13 “Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. aYou ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly bbeautiful, and succeeded to royalty.
14 a“Your fame went out among the nations because of your *beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord GOD.
Jerusalem’s Harlotry
15 a“But you trusted in your own beauty, bplayed the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.
16 a“You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored 1high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be.
17 “You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them.
18 “You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them.
19 “Also aMy food which I gave you—the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you—you set it before them as 1sweet incense; and so it was,” says the Lord GOD.
20 a“Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter,
21 “that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the afire?
22 “And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your ayouth, bwhen you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood.
23 “Then it was so, after all your wickedness—‘Woe, woe to you!’ says the Lord GOD—
24 “that ayou also built for yourself a shrine, and bmade a 1high place for yourself in every street.
25 “You built your high places aat the head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered yourself to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry.
26 “You also committed harlotry with athe Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to bprovoke Me to anger.
27 “Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your 1allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, athe daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.
28 “You also played the harlot with the aAssyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied.
29 “Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, aChaldea; and even then you were not satisfied.
30 “How degenerate is your heart!” says the Lord GOD, “seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot.
Jerusalem’s Adultery
31 a“You erected your shrine at the head of every road, and built your 1high place in every street. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned bpayment.
32 “You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband.
33 “Men make payment to all harlots, but ayou made your payments to all your lovers, and 1hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry.
34 “You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite.”
Jerusalem’s Lovers Will Abuse Her
35 ‘Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD!
36 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of athe blood of your children which you gave to them,
37 “surely, therefore, aI will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; I will gather them from all around against you and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.
38 “And I will judge you as awomen who break wedlock or bshed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy.
39 “I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines and break down ayour 1high places. bThey shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare.
40 a“They shall also bring up an assembly against you, band they shall stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords.
41 “They shall aburn your houses with fire, and bexecute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will make you ccease playing the harlot, and you shall no longer hire lovers.
42 “So aI will lay to rest My fury toward you, and My jealousy shall depart from you. I will be quiet, and be angry no more.
43 “Because ayou did not remember the days of your youth, but 1agitated Me with all these things, surely bI will also recompense your 2deeds on your own head,” says the Lord GOD. “And you shall not commit lewdness in addition to all your abominations.
More Wicked than Samaria and Sodom
44 “Indeed everyone who quotes proverbs will use this proverb against you: ‘Like mother, like daughter!’
45 “You are your mother’s daughter, 1loathing husband and children; and you are the asister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children; byour mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.
46 “Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells with her daughters to the north of you; and ayour younger sister, who dwells to the south of you, is Sodom and her daughters.
47 “You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, ayou became more corrupt than they in all your ways.
48 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “neither ayour sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done.
49 “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, afullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50 “And they were haughty and acommitted abomination before Me; therefore bI took them away as 1I saw fit.
51 “Samaria did not commit ahalf of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and bhave justified your sisters by all the abominations which you have done.
52 “You who judged your sisters, bear your own shame also, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs; they are more righteous than you. Yes, be disgraced also, and bear your own shame, because you justified your sisters.
53 a“When I bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters, and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then I will also bring back bthe captives of your captivity among them,
54 “that you may bear your own shame and be disgraced by all that you did when ayou *comforted them.
55 “When your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters return to their former state, then you and your daughters will return to your former state.
56 “For your sister Sodom was not a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride,
57 “before your wickedness was uncovered. It was like the time of the areproach of the daughters of 1Syria and all those around her, and of bthe daughters of the Philistines, who despise you everywhere.
58 a“You have paid for your lewdness and your abominations,” says the LORD.
59 ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “I will deal with you as you have done, who adespised bthe oath by breaking the covenant.
An Everlasting Covenant
60 “Nevertheless I will aremember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish ban everlasting covenant with you.
61 “Then ayou will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters; for I will give them to you for bdaughters, cbut not because of My covenant with you.
62 a“And I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the LORD,
63 “that you may aremember and be ashamed, band never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
The Eagles and the Vine
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a aparable to the house of Israel,
3 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
a“A great eagle with large wings and long pinions,
Full of feathers of various colors,
Came to Lebanon
And btook from the cedar the highest branch.
4He cropped off its topmost young twig
And carried it to a land of trade;
He set it in a city of merchants.
5Then he took some of the seed of the land
And planted it in aa fertile field;
He placed it by abundant waters
And set it blike a willow tree.
6 And it grew and became a spreading vine aof low stature;
Its branches turned toward him,
But its roots were under it.
So it became a vine,
Brought forth branches,
And put forth shoots.