7 “But there was 1another great eagle with large wings and many feathers;
And behold, athis vine bent its roots toward him,
And stretched its branches toward him,
From the garden terrace where it had been planted,
That he might water it.
8 It was planted in 1good* soil by many waters,
To bring forth branches, bear fruit,
And become a majestic vine.” ’
9 “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“Will it thrive?
aWill he not pull up its roots,
Cut off its fruit,
And leave it to wither?
All of its spring leaves will wither,
And no great power or many people
Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.
10Behold, it is planted,
Will it thrive?
aWill it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it?
It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew.” ’ ”
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
12 “Say now to athe rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Indeed bthe king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon.
13 a‘And he took the king’s offspring, *made a covenant with him, band put him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land,
14 ‘that the kingdom might be abrought low and not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
15 ‘But ahe rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, bthat they might give him horses and many people. cWill he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?
16 ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely ain the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
17 a‘Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, bwhen they heap up a siege mound and build a 1wall to cut off many persons.
18 ‘Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact agave1 his hand and still did all these things, he shall not escape.’ ”
19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head.
20 “I will aspread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and btry him there for the 1treason which he committed against Me.
21 a“All his 1fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be bscattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken.”
Israel Exalted at Last
22 Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will take also one of the highest abranches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs ba tender one, and will cplant it on a high and prominent mountain.
23 a“On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. bUnder it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell.
24 “And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, ahave brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; bI, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.”
A False Proverb Refuted
1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,
2 “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:
‘The afathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall no longer use this *proverb in Israel.
4 “Behold, all souls are aMine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
bThe soul who sins shall die.
And does what is lawful and right;
6 aIf he has not eaten 1on the mountains,
Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor bdefiled his neighbor’s wife,
Nor approached ca woman during her impurity;
7If he has not aoppressed anyone,
But has restored to the debtor his bpledge;
Has robbed no one by violence,
But has cgiven his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with dclothing;
8If he has not 1exacted ausury
Nor taken any increase,
But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity
And bexecuted true 2judgment between man and man;
9 If he has walked in My statutes
And kept My judgments faithfully—
He is just;
He shall surely alive!”
Says the Lord GOD.
10 “If he begets a son who is a robber
Or aa shedder of blood,
Who does any of these things
11 And does none of those duties,
But has eaten 1on the mountains
Or defiled his neighbor’s wife;
12 If he has oppressed the poor and needy,
Robbed by violence,
Not restored the pledge,
Lifted his eyes to the idols,
Or acommitted abomination;
Or taken increase—
Shall he then live?
He shall not live!
If he has done any of these abominations,
He shall surely die;
aHis blood shall be upon him.
14 “If, however, he begets a son
Who sees all the sins which his father has done,
And considers but does not do likewise;
15 aWho has not eaten 1on the mountains,
Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife;
Nor withheld a pledge,
Nor robbed by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
17 Who has withdrawn his hand from 1the poor
And not received usury or increase,
But has executed My judgments
And walked in My statutes—
He shall not die for the iniquity of his father;
He shall surely live!
Because he cruelly oppressed,
Robbed his brother by violence,
And did what is not good among his people,
Behold, ahe shall die for his iniquity.
Turn and Live
19 “Yet you say, ‘Why ashould the son not bear the guilt of the *father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live.
20 a“The soul who sins shall die. bThe son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. cThe righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, dand the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 “But aif a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
22 a“None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be *remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall blive.
23 a“Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?
24 “But awhen a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? bAll the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.
25 “Yet you say, a‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?
26 a“When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies.
27 “Again, awhen a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive.
28 “Because he aconsiders and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
29 a“Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?
30 a“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. b“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.
31 a“Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a bnew heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?
32 “For aI have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and blive!”
Israel Degraded
1 “Moreover atake up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 “and say:
‘What is your mother? A lioness:
She lay down among the lions;
Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3She brought up one of her cubs,
And ahe became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey,
And he devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him;
He was trapped in their pit,
And they brought him with chains to the land of aEgypt.
5 ‘When she saw that she *waited, that her hope was lost,
She took aanother of her cubs and made him a young lion.
6 aHe roved among the lions,
And bbecame a young lion;
He learned to catch prey;
He devoured men.
7 1He knew their desolate places,
And laid waste their cities;
The land with its fullness was desolated
By the noise of his roaring.
8 aThen the nations set against him from the provinces on every side,
And spread their net over him;
bHe was trapped in their pit.
9 aThey put him in a cage with 1chains,
And brought him to the king of Babylon;
They brought him in nets,
That his voice should no longer be heard on bthe mountains of Israel.
10 ‘Your mother was alike a vine in your 1bloodline,
Planted by the waters,
bFruitful and full of branches
Because of many waters.
11 She had strong branches for scepters of rulers.
aShe towered in stature above the thick branches,
And was seen in her height amid the 1dense foliage.
12But she was aplucked up in fury,
She was cast down to the ground,
And the beast wind dried her fruit.
Her strong branches were broken and withered;
The fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness,
In a dry and thirsty land.
14 aFire has come out from a rod of her branches
And devoured her fruit,
So that she has no strong branch— a scepter for ruling.’ ”
bThis is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.
The Rebellions of Israel
1 It came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that acertain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
2 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” says the Lord GOD, a“I will not be inquired of by you.” ’
4 “Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then amake known to them the abominations of their fathers.
5 “Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On the day when aI chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself bknown to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, c‘I am the LORD your God.’
6 “On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, ato bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, b‘flowing with milk and honey,’ cthe glory of all lands.
7 “Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, athrow away bthe abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with cthe idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’
8 “But they rebelled against Me and would not 1obey Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will apour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’
9 a“But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself bknown to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
10 “Therefore I amade them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
11 a“And I gave them My statutes and 1showed them My judgments, b‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’
12 “Moreover I also gave them My aSabbaths, to be a *sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
13 “Yet the house of Israel arebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they bdespised My judgments, c‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly ddefiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the ewilderness, to consume them.
14 a“But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.
15 “So aI also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, b‘flowing with milk and honey,’ cthe glory of all lands,
16 a“because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for btheir heart went after their idols.
17 a“Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 “But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the *statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
19 ‘I am the LORD your God: aWalk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them;
20 a‘hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’
21 “Notwithstanding, athe children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, b‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness.
22 “Nevertheless I 1withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.
23 “Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that aI would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries,
24 a“because they had not executed My judgments, but had *despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and btheir eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.
25 “Therefore aI also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live;
26 “and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all 1their firstborn to pass athrough the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they bmight know that I am the LORD.” ’
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “In this too your fathers have ablasphemed Me, by being unfaithful to Me.
28 “When I brought them into the land concerning which I had raised My hand in an oath to give them, and athey saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, there they offered their sacrifices and provoked Me with their offerings. There they also sent up their bsweet aroma and poured out their drink offerings.
29 “Then I said to them, ‘What is this 1high place to which you go?’ So its name is called 2Bamah to this day.” ’
30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your afathers, and committing harlotry according to their babominations?
31 “For when you offer ayour gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will bnot be inquired of by you.
32 a“What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say, ‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the *families in other countries, serving wood and stone.’
God Will Restore Israel
33 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely with a mighty hand, awith an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you.
34 “I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out.
35 “And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there aI will plead My case with you face to face.
36 a“Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord GOD.
37 “I will make you apass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the bcovenant;
38 a“I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but bthey shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
39 “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord GOD: a“Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; bbut profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.
40 “For aon My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord GOD, “there ball the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there cI will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your 1sacrifices, together with all your holy things.
41 “I will accept you as a asweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles.
42 a“Then you shall know that I am the LORD, bwhen I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.
43 “And athere you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and byou shall 1loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed.
44 a“Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you bfor My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
Fire in the Forest
45 Furthermore the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
46 a“Son of man, set your face toward the south; 1preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the 2South,
47 “and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, aI will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour bevery green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces cfrom the south to the north shall be scorched by it.
48 “All flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”
49 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak aparables?’ ”
Babylon, the Sword of God
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 a“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, bpreach1 against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
3 “and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am aagainst you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both brighteous and wicked from you.
4 “Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh afrom south to north,
5 “that all flesh may know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it ashall not return anymore.” ’
6 a“Sigh therefore, son of man, with 1a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.
7 “And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, aall hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord GOD.”
8 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ Say:
a‘A sword, a sword is sharpened
And also polished!
10 Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter,
Polished to flash like lightning!
Should we then make mirth?
It despises the scepter of My son,
As it does all wood.
11 And He has given it to be polished,
That it may be handled;
This sword is sharpened, and it is polished
To be given into the hand of athe slayer.’
12 “Cry and wail, son of man;
For it will be against My people,
Against all the princes of Israel.
Terrors including the sword will be against My people;
Therefore astrike your thigh.
13 “Because it is aa testing,
And what if the sword despises even the scepter?
bThe scepter shall be no more,”
says the Lord GOD.
14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy,
And astrike your hands together.
The third time let the sword do double damage.
It is the sword that slays,
The sword that slays the great men,
That enters their bprivate chambers.
15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,
That the heart may melt and many may stumble.
Ah! aIt is made bright;
It is grasped for slaughter:
Thrust right!
Set your blade!
Thrust left—
Wherever your 2edge is ordered!
17 “I also will abeat My fists together,
And bI will cause My fury to rest;
I, the LORD, have spoken.”
18 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying:
19 “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city.
20 “Appoint a road for the sword to go to aRabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.
21 “For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the 1images, he looks at the liver.
22 “In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to alift the voice with *shouting, bto set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall.
23 “And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who ahave *sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
24 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.
25 ‘Now to you, O aprofane, wicked prince of Israel, bwhose day has come, whose iniquity shall end,
26 ‘thus says the Lord GOD:
“Remove the turban, and take off the crown;
Nothing shall remain the same.
aExalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
I will make it overthrown!
aIt shall be no longer,
Until He comes whose right it is,
And I will give it to bHim.” ’
A Sword Against the Ammonites
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD aconcerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:
‘A sword, a sword is drawn,
Polished for slaughter,
For consuming, for flashing—
29 While they asee false visions for you,
While they divine a lie to you,
To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain
bWhose day has come,
Whose iniquity shall end.
30 ‘Returna it to its sheath.
bI will judge you
In the place where you were created,
cIn the land of your 1nativity.
31 I will apour out My indignation on you;
I will bblow against you with the fire of My wrath,
And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to cdestroy.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire;
Your blood shall be in the midst of the land.
aYou shall not be remembered,
For I the LORD have spoken.’ ”
Sins of Jerusalem
1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Now, son of man, awill you judge, will you judge bthe bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations!
3 “Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The city sheds ablood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself.
4 “You have *become guilty by the blood which you have ashed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; btherefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries.
5 “Those near and those far from you will mock you as 1infamous and full of tumult.
6 “Look, athe princes of Israel: each one has used his 1power to shed blood in you.
7 “In you they have amade light of father and mother; in your midst they have boppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the 1fatherless and the widow.
8 “You have despised My holy things and aprofaned My Sabbaths.
9 “In you are amen who slander to cause bloodshed; bin you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness.
10 “In you men auncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are bset apart during their impurity.
11 “One commits abomination awith his neighbor’s wife; banother lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s cdaughter.
12 “In you athey take bribes to shed blood; byou take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and chave forgotten Me,” says the Lord GOD.
13 “Behold, therefore, I abeat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst.
14 a“Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? bI, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it.
15 a“I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and bremove your filthiness completely from you.
16 “You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then ayou shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
Israel in the Furnace
17 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, athe house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a bfurnace; they have become dross from silver.
19 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
20 ‘As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to amelt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you.
21 ‘Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst.
22 ‘As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have apoured out My fury on you.’ ”
Israel’s Wicked Leaders
23 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is anot 1cleansed* or rained on in the day of indignation.’
25 a“The conspiracy of her 1prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they bhave devoured 2people; cthey have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.
26 a“Her priests have 1violated My law and bprofaned My holy things; they have not cdistinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the *unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
27 “Her aprinces in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy 1people, and to get dishonest gain.
28 a“Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, bseeing false visions, and divining clies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD had not spoken.
29 “The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully aoppress the stranger.
30 a“So I sought for a man among them who would bmake a wall, and cstand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
31 “Therefore I have apoured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed btheir deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD.
Two Harlot Sisters
1 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying:
2 “Son of man, there were atwo women,
The daughters of one mother.
3 aThey committed harlotry in Egypt,
They committed harlotry in btheir youth;
Their breasts were there embraced,
Their virgin bosom was there pressed.
4Their names: 1Oholah the elder and 2Oholibah aher sister;
bThey were Mine,
And they bore sons and daughters.
As for their names,
Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.
The Older Sister, Samaria
5 “Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine;
And she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring aAssyrians,
6Who were clothed in purple,
Captains and rulers,
All of them desirable young men,
Horsemen riding on horses.
7 Thus she committed her harlotry with them,
All of them choice men of Assyria;
And with all for whom she lusted,
With all their idols, she defiled herself.
8 She has never given up her harlotry brought afrom Egypt,
For in her youth they had lain with her,
Pressed her virgin bosom,
And poured out their immorality upon her.
9 “Therefore I have delivered her
Into the hand of her lovers,
Into the hand of the aAssyrians,
For whom she lusted.
10They uncovered her nakedness,
Took away her sons and daughters,
And slew her with the sword;
She became a byword among women,
For they had executed judgment on her.
The Younger Sister, Jerusalem
11 “Now aalthough her sister Oholibah saw this, bshe became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry.
12 “She lusted for the neighboring aAssyrians,
bCaptains and rulers,
Clothed most gorgeously,
Horsemen riding on horses,
All of them desirable young men.
13 Then I saw that she was defiled;
Both took the same way.
14But she increased her harlotry;
She looked at men portrayed on the wall,
Images of aChaldeans portrayed in vermilion,
15 Girded with belts around their waists,
Flowing turbans on their heads,
All of them looking like captains,
In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea,
The land of their nativity.
16 aAs soon as her eyes saw them,
She lusted for them
And sent bmessengers to them in Chaldea.
17 “Then the 1Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love,
And they defiled her with their immorality;
So she was defiled by them, aand alienated herself from them.
18 She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness.
Then aI balienated Myself from her,
As I had alienated Myself from her sister.
19 “Yet she multiplied her harlotry
In calling to remembrance the days of her youth,
aWhen she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.
20 For she lusted for her 1paramours,
Whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys,
And whose issue is like the issue of horses.
21 Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth,
When the aEgyptians pressed your bosom
Because of your youthful breasts.
Judgment on Jerusalem
22 “Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD:
a‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you,
From whom you have alienated yourself,
And I will bring them against you from every side:
23The Babylonians,
All the Chaldeans,
aPekod, Shoa, Koa,
bAll the Assyrians with them,
All of them desirable young men,
Governors and rulers,
Captains and men of renown,
All of them riding on horses.
24 And they shall come against you
With chariots, wagons, and war-horses,
With a *horde of people.
They shall array against you
Buckler, shield, and helmet all around.
‘I will delegate judgment to them,
And they shall judge you according to their judgments.
25I will set My ajealousy against you,
And they shall deal furiously with you;
They shall remove your nose and your ears,
And your remnant shall fall by the sword;
They shall take your sons and your daughters,
And your remnant shall be devoured by fire.
26 aThey shall also strip you of your clothes
And take away your beautiful jewelry.
27 ‘Thus aI will make you cease your lewdness and your bharlotry
Brought from the land of Egypt,
So that you will not lift your eyes to them,
Nor remember Egypt anymore.’
28 “For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hand of athose you hate, into the hand of those bfrom whom you alienated yourself.
29 a‘They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and bleave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry.
30 ‘I will do these things to you because you have agone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols.
31 ‘You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will put her acup in your hand.’
‘You shall drink of your sister’s cup,
The deep and wide one;
aYou shall be laughed to scorn
And held in derision;
It contains much.
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
The cup of horror and desolation,
The cup of your sister Samaria.
34 You shall adrink and drain it,
You shall break its 1shards,
And tear at your own breasts;
For I have spoken,’
Says the Lord GOD.
35 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
‘Because you ahave forgotten Me and bcast Me behind your back,
Therefore you shall bear the penalty
Of your lewdness and your harlotry.’ ”
Both Sisters Judged
36 The LORD also said to me: “Son of man, will you ajudge Oholah and Oholibah? Then bdeclare to them their abominations.
37 “For they have committed adultery, and ablood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons bwhom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them.
38 “Moreover they have done this to Me: They have adefiled My sanctuary on the same day and bprofaned My Sabbaths.
39 “For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed athus they have done in the midst of My house.
40 “Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, ato whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you bwashed yourself for them, cpainted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments.
41 “You sat on a stately acouch, with a table prepared before it, bon which you had set My incense and My oil.
42 “The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and 1Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their 2wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 “Then I said concerning her who had grown old in adulteries, ‘Will they commit harlotry with her now, and she with them?’
44 “Yet they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who plays the harlot; thus they went in to Oholah and Oholibah, the lewd women.
45 “But righteous men will ajudge them after the manner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and bblood is on their hands.
46 “For thus says the Lord GOD: a‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to trouble and plunder.
47 a‘The assembly shall stone them with stones and 1execute them with their swords; bthey shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire.
48 ‘Thus aI will cause lewdness to cease from the land, bthat all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness.
49 ‘They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall apay for your idolatrous sins. bThen you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.’ ”
Symbol of the Cooking Pot
1 Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, write down the name of the day, this very day—the king of Babylon started his siege against Jerusalem athis very day.
3 a“And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
b“Put on a pot, set it on,
And also pour water into it.
4 Gather pieces of meat in it,
Every good piece,
The thigh and the shoulder.
Fill it with choice 1cuts;
5 Take the choice of the flock.
Also pile fuel bones under it,
Make it boil well,
And let the cuts simmer in it.”
6 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
“Woe to athe bloody city,
To the pot whose scum is in it,
And whose scum is not gone from it!
Bring it out piece by piece,
On which no blot has fallen.
7 For her blood is in her midst;
She set it on top of a rock;
aShe did not pour it on the ground,
To cover it with dust.
8 That it may raise up fury and take vengeance,
aI have set her blood on top of a rock,
That it may not be covered.”
9 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
a“Woe to the bloody city!
I too will make the pyre great.
Kindle the fire;
Cook the meat well,
Mix in the spices,
And let the 1cuts be burned up.
11 “Then set the pot empty on the coals,
That it may become hot and its bronze may burn,
That aits filthiness may be melted in it,
That its scum may be consumed.
12 She has 1grown weary with 2lies,
And her great scum has not gone from her.
Let her scum be in the fire!
13 In your afilthiness is lewdness.
Because I have cleansed you, and you were not cleansed,
You will bnot be cleansed of your filthiness anymore,
cTill I have caused My fury to rest upon you.
14 aI, the LORD, have spoken it;
bIt shall come to pass, and I will do it;
I will not hold back,
cNor will I spare,
Nor will I relent;
According to your ways
And according to your deeds
1They will judge you,”
Says the Lord GOD.’ ”
The Prophet’s Wife Dies
15 Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
16 “Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall aneither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down.
17 “Sigh in silence, amake no mourning for the dead; bbind your turban on your head, and cput your sandals on your feet; ddo not cover your 1lips, and do not eat man’s bread of sorrow.”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and the next morning I did as I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me, a“Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?”
20 Then I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
21 ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, aI will profane My sanctuary, 1your arrogant boast, the desire of your eyes, the 2delight of your soul; band your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.
22 ‘And you shall do as I have done; ayou shall not cover your 1lips nor eat man’s bread of sorrow.
23 ‘Your turbans shall be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; ayou shall neither mourn nor weep, but byou shall pine away in your *iniquities and mourn with one another.
24 ‘Thus aEzekiel is a *sign to you; according to all that he has done you shall do; band when this comes, cyou shall know that I am the Lord GOD.’ ”
25 ‘And you, son of man—will it not be in the day when I take from them atheir stronghold, their joy and their glory, the desire of their eyes, and 1that on which they set their minds, their sons and their daughters:
26 ‘that on that day aone who escapes will come to you to let you hear it with your ears?
27 a‘On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you shall speak and no longer be mute. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
Proclamation Against Ammon
1 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, aset your face bagainst the Ammonites, and prophesy against them.
3 “Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD: a“Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,
4 “indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the 1men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their *dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.
5 “And I will make aRabbah ba stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. cThen you shall know that I am the LORD.”
6 ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you aclapped your hands, stamped your feet, and brejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel,
7 “indeed, therefore, I will astretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
Proclamation Against Moab
8 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because aMoab and bSeir say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations,’
9 “therefore, behold, I will clear the territory of Moab of cities, of the cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and aKirjathaim.
10 a“To the men of the East I will give it as a possession, together with the Ammonites, that the Ammonites bmay not be remembered among the nations.
11 “And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Proclamation Against Edom
12 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,”
13 ‘therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; 1Dedan shall fall by the sword.
14 a“I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,” says the Lord GOD.
Proclamation Against Philistia
15 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“Because bthe Philistines dealt vengefully and took vengeance with 1a spiteful heart, to destroy because of the 2old hatred,”
16 ‘therefore thus says the Lord GOD: a“I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the bCherethites cand destroy the remnant of the seacoast.
17 “I will aexecute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; band they shall know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.” ’ ”
Proclamation Against Tyre
1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, abecause Tyre has said against Jerusalem, b‘Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.’
3 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up.
4 ‘And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and amake her like the top of a rock.
5 ‘It shall be a place for spreading nets ain the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ says the Lord GOD; ‘it shall become plunder for the nations.
6 ‘Also her daughter villages which are in the fields shall be slain by the sword. aThen they shall know that I am the LORD.’
7 “For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north aNebuchadnezzar1 king of Babylon, bking of kings, with horses, with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army with many people.
8 ‘He will slay with the sword your daughter villages in the fields; he will aheap up a siege mound against you, build a wall against you, and raise a 1defense against you.
9 ‘He will direct his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers.
10 ‘Because of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, the wagons, and the chariots, when he enters your gates, as men enter a city that has been breached.
11 ‘With the hooves of his ahorses he will trample all your streets; he will slay your people by the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground.
12 ‘They will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise; they will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the amidst of the water.
13 a‘I will put an end to the sound of byour songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more.
14 a‘I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken,’ says the Lord GOD.
15 “Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre: ‘Will the coastlands not ashake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded cry, when slaughter is made in the midst of you?
16 ‘Then all the aprinces of the sea will bcome down from their thrones, lay aside their robes, and take off their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling; cthey will sit on the ground, dtremble every moment, and ebe astonished at you.
17 ‘And they will take up a alamentation for you, and say to you:
“How you have perished,
O one inhabited by seafaring men,
O renowned city,
Who was bstrong at sea,
She and her inhabitants,
Who caused their terror to be on all her inhabitants!
18 Now athe coastlands tremble on the day of your fall;
Yes, the coastlands by the sea are troubled at your departure.” ’
19 “For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring the deep upon you, and great waters cover you,
20 ‘then I will bring you down awith those who descend into the Pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lowest part of the earth, in places desolate from antiquity, with those who go down to the Pit, so that you may never be inhabited; and I shall establish glory bin the land of the living.
21 a‘I will make you a terror, and you shall be no more; bthough you are sought for, you will never be found again,’ says the Lord GOD.”
Lamentation for Tyre
1 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
2 “Now, son of man, atake up a lamentation for Tyre,
3 “and say to Tyre, a‘You who 1are situated at the entrance of the sea, bmerchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lord GOD:
“O Tyre, you have said,
c‘I am perfect in beauty.’
4Your borders are in the midst of the seas.
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
5They 1made all your planks of fir trees from aSenir;
They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast.
6Of aoaks from Bashan they made your oars;
The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks
With ivory from bthe coasts of 1Cyprus.
7Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail;
Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you.
8 “Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;
Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you;
They became your pilots.
9 *Elders of aGebal and its wise men
Were in you to caulk your seams;
All the ships of the sea
And their oarsmen were in you
To market your merchandise.
10 “Those from Persia, 1Lydia, and 2Libya
Were in your army as men of war;
They hung shield and helmet in you;
They gave splendor to you.
11Men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around,
And the men of Gammad were in your towers;
They hung their shields on your walls all around;
They made ayour beauty perfect.
12 a“Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods.
13 a“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered bhuman lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.
14 “Those from the house of aTogarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules.
15 “The men of aDedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment.
16 “Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies.
17 “Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of aMinnith, millet, honey, oil, and bbalm.
18 “Damascus was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool.
19 “Dan and Javan paid for your wares, 1traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise.
20 a“Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding.
21 “Arabia and all the princes of aKedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats.
22 “The merchants of aSheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold.
23 a“Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of bSheba, Assyria, and Chilmad were your merchants.
24 “These were your merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace.
25 “The aships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise.
You were filled and very glorious bin the midst of the seas.
26Your oarsmen brought you into many waters,
But athe east wind broke you in the midst of the seas.
27 “Your ariches, wares, and merchandise,
Your mariners and pilots,
Your caulkers and merchandisers,
All your men of war who are in you,
And the entire company which is in your midst,
Will fall into the midst of the seas on the day of your ruin.
28 The acommon-land1 will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots.
29 “All awho handle the oar,
The mariners,
All the pilots of the sea
Will come down from their ships and stand on the 1shore.
30 They will make their voice heard because of you;
They will cry bitterly and acast dust on their heads;
They bwill roll about in ashes;
31 They will ashave themselves completely bald because of you,
Gird themselves with sackcloth,
And weep for you
With bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
They will atake up a lamentation,
And lament for you:
b‘What city is like Tyre,
Destroyed in the midst of the sea?
33 ‘Whena your wares went out by sea,
You satisfied many people;
You enriched the kings of the earth
With your many luxury goods and your merchandise.
34 But ayou are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters;
bYour merchandise and the entire company will fall in your midst.
35 aAll the inhabitants of the isles will be astonished at you;
Their kings will be greatly afraid,
And their countenance will be troubled.
36 The merchants among the peoples awill hiss at you;
Proclamation Against the King of Tyre
1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,
2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“Because your heart is alifted1 up,
And byou say, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of gods,
cIn the midst of the seas,’
dYet you are a man, and not a god,
Though you set your heart as the heart of a god
3(Behold, ayou are wiser than Daniel!
There is no secret that can be hidden from you!
4 With your wisdom and your understanding
You have gained ariches for yourself,
And gathered gold and silver into your treasuries;
5 aBy your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches,
And your heart is lifted up because of your riches),”
6 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
“Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god,
7Behold, therefore, I will bring astrangers against you,
bThe most terrible of the nations;
And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom,
And defile your splendor.
8 They shall throw you down into the aPit,
And you shall die the death of the slain
In the midst of the seas.
9 “Will you still asay before him who slays you,
‘I am a god’?
But you shall be a man, and not a god,
In the hand of him who slays you.
10 You shall die the death of athe uncircumcised
By the hand of aliens;
For I have spoken,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
Lamentation for the King of Tyre
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
12 “Son of man, atake up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
b“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in aEden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of byour timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were *created.
14 “You were the anointed acherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on bthe holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till ainiquity was found in you.
16 “By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, aO covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones.
17 “Your aheart was 1lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
18 “You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;
aYou have become a horror,
And shall be no bmore forever.” ’ ”
Proclamation Against Sidon
20 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
21 “Son of man, aset your face btoward Sidon, and prophesy against her,
22 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
a“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon;
I will be glorified in your midst;
And bthey shall know that I am the LORD,
When I execute judgments in her and am challowed in her.
23 aFor I will send pestilence upon her,
And blood in her streets;
The wounded shall be judged in her midst
By the sword against her on every side;
Then they shall know that I am the LORD.
24 “And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or aa painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who bdespise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.”
Israel’s Future Blessing
25 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “When I have agathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am bhallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob.
26 “And they will adwell 1safely* there, bbuild houses, and cplant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God.” ’ ”
Proclamation Against Egypt
1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, aset your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and bagainst all Egypt.
3 “Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
a“Behold, I am against you,
O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great bmonster who lies in the midst of his rivers,
cWho has said, ‘My 1River is my own;
I have made it for myself.’
4But aI will put hooks in your jaws,
And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales;
I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.
5 I will leave you in the wilderness,
You and all the fish of your rivers;
You shall fall on the 1open afield;
bYou shall not be picked up or 2gathered.
cI have given you as food
To the beasts of the field
And to the birds of the heavens.
6 “Then all the inhabitants of Egypt
Shall know that I am the LORD,
Because they have been a astaff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 aWhen they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their 1shoulders;
When they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their backs quiver.”
8 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will bring aa sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast.
9 “And the land of Egypt shall become adesolate and waste; then they will know that I am the LORD, because he said, ‘The River is mine, and I have made it.’
10 “Indeed, therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, aand I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, bfrom 1Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia.
11 a“Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years.
12 a“I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I will bscatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”
13 ‘Yet, thus says the Lord GOD: “At the aend of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered.
14 “I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a alowly kingdom.
15 “It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore.
16 “No longer shall it be athe confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.” ’ ”
Babylonia Will Plunder Egypt
17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, aNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made bbald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it.
19 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will give the land of Egypt to aNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army.
20 ‘I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they aworked for Me,’ says the Lord GOD.
21 ‘In that day aI will cause the 1horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will bopen your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
Egypt and Her Allies Will Fall
1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
a“Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’
Even the day of the LORD is near;
It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.
4 The sword shall come upon Egypt,
And great anguish shall be in 1Ethiopia,
When the slain fall in Egypt,
And they atake away her wealth,
And bher foundations are broken down.
5 “Ethiopia, 1Libya, 2Lydia, aall the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.”
6 ‘Thus says the LORD:
“Those who uphold Egypt shall fall,
And the pride of her power shall come down.
Those within her shall fall by the sword,”
Says the Lord GOD.