7 “Theya shall be desolate in the midst of the desolate countries,
And her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are laid waste.
8 Then they will know that I am the LORD,
When I have set a fire in Egypt
And all her helpers are destroyed.
9 On that day amessengers shall go forth from Me in ships
To make the 1careless Ethiopians afraid,
And great anguish shall come upon them,
As on the day of Egypt;
For indeed it is coming!”
a“I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease
By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11He and his people with him, athe most terrible of the nations,
Shall be brought to destroy the land;
They shall draw their swords against Egypt,
And fill the land with the slain.
12 aI will make the rivers dry,
And bsell the land into the hand of the wicked;
I will make the land waste, and all that is in it,
By the hand of aliens.
I, the LORD, have spoken.”
13 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“I will also adestroy the idols,
And cause the images to cease from 1Noph;
bThere shall no longer be princes from the land of Egypt;
cI will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14I will make aPathros desolate,
Set fire to bZoan,
cAnd execute judgments in 1No.
15I will pour My fury on 1Sin, the strength of Egypt;
aI will cut off the multitude of 2No,
16 And aset a fire in Egypt;
Sin shall have great pain,
No shall be split open,
And Noph shall be in distress daily.
17The young men of 1Aven and Pi Beseth shall fall by the sword,
And these cities shall go into captivity.
18 aAt 1Tehaphnehes the day shall also be 2darkened,
When I break the yokes of Egypt there.
And her arrogant strength shall cease in her;
As for her, a cloud shall cover her,
And her daughters shall go into captivity.
19 Thus I will aexecute judgments on Egypt,
Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
Proclamation Against Pharaoh
20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
21 “Son of man, I have abroken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and see, bit has not been bandaged for healing, nor a 1splint put on to bind it, to make it strong enough to hold a sword.
22 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I am aagainst Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will bbreak his arms, both the strong one and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall out of his hand.
23 a‘I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the countries.
24 ‘I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; but I will break Pharaoh’s arms, and he will groan before him with the groanings of a mortally wounded man.
25 ‘Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; athey shall know that I am the LORD, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt.
26 a‘I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’ ”
Egypt Cut Down Like a Great Tree
1 Now it came to pass in the aeleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude:
a‘Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 aIndeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon,
With fine branches that shaded the forest,
And of high stature;
And its top was among the thick boughs.
Underground waters gave it height,
With their rivers running around the place where it was planted,
And sent out 1rivulets to all the trees of the field.
5 ‘Therefore aits height was exalted above all the trees of the field;
Its boughs were multiplied,
And its branches became long because of the abundance of water,
As it sent them out.
6 All the abirds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs;
Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young;
And in its shadow all great nations 1made their home.
7 ‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches,
Because its roots reached to abundant waters.
8 The cedars in the agarden of God could not hide it;
The fir trees were not like its boughs,
And the 1chestnut trees were not like its branches;
No tree in the garden of God was like it in *beauty.
9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches,
So that all the trees of Eden envied it,
That were in the garden of God.’
10 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and aits heart was 1lifted up in its height,
11 ‘therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the amighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness.
12 ‘And aliens, athe most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen bon the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie cbroken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it.
13 ‘On aits ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens,
And all the beasts of the field will come to its branches—
14 ‘So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them.
‘For athey have all been delivered to death,
bTo the depths of the earth,
Among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’
15 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘In the day when it awent down to 1hell,* I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to 2mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it.
16 ‘I made the nations ashake at the sound of its fall, when I bcast it down to 1hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and call the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, dwere comforted in the depths of the earth.
17 ‘They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm adwelt in its shadows among the nations.
18 a‘To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; byou shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.”
Lamentation for Pharaoh and Egypt
1 And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the atwelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, atake up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:
b‘You are like a young lion among the nations,
And cyou are like a monster in the seas,
dBursting forth in your rivers,
Troubling the waters with your feet,
And efouling their rivers.’
3 “Thus says the Lord GOD:
‘I will therefore aspread My net over you with a company of many people,
And they will draw you up in My net.
4 Then aI will leave you on the land;
I will cast you out on the open fields,
bAnd cause to 1settle on you all the birds of the heavens.
And with you I will fill the beasts of the whole earth.
5 I will lay your flesh aon the mountains,
And fill the valleys with your carcass.
6 ‘I will also water the land with the flow of your blood,
Even to the mountains;
And the riverbeds will be full of you.
aI will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
And the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the 1bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you,
And bring darkness upon your land,’
Says the Lord GOD.
9 ‘I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known.
10 ‘Yes, I will make many peoples astonished at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and athey shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.’
11 a“For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you.
12 ‘By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them athe most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall.
b‘They shall plunder the pomp of Egypt,
And all its multitude shall be destroyed.
13 Also I will destroy all its animals
From beside its great waters;
aThe foot of man shall muddy them no more,
Nor shall the hooves of animals muddy them.
14 Then I will make their waters 1clear,
And make their rivers run like oil,’
Says the Lord GOD.
15 ‘When I make the land of Egypt desolate,
And the country is destitute of all that once filled it,
When I strike all who dwell in it,
aThen they shall know that I am the LORD.
16 ‘This is the alamentation
With which they shall lament her;
The daughters of the nations shall lament her;
They shall lament for her, for Egypt,
And for all her multitude,’
Says the Lord GOD.”
Egypt and Others Consigned to the Pit
17 It came to pass also in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, athat the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
18 “Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt,
And acast them down to the depths of the earth,
Her and the daughters of the famous nations,
With those who go down to the Pit:
19 ‘Whom ado you surpass in beauty?
bGo down, be placed with the uncircumcised.’
20 “They shall fall in the midst of those slain by the sword;
She is delivered to the sword,
aDrawing her and all her multitudes.
21 aThe strong among the mighty
Shall speak to him out of the midst of hell
With those who help him:
‘They have bgone down,
They lie with the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’
22 “Assyriaa is there, and all her company,
With their graves all around her,
All of them slain, fallen by the sword.
23 aHer graves are set in the recesses of the Pit,
And her company is all around her grave,
All of them slain, fallen by the sword,
Who bcaused terror in the land of the living.
24 “There is aElam and all her multitude,
All around her grave,
All of them slain, fallen by the sword,
Who have bgone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth,
cWho caused their terror in the land of the living;
Now they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.
25 They have set her abed in the midst of the slain,
With all her multitude,
With her graves all around it,
All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword;
Though their terror was caused
In the land of the living,
Yet they bear their shame
With those who go down to the Pit;
It was put in the midst of the slain.
26 “There are aMeshech and Tubal and all their multitudes,
With all their graves around it,
All of them buncircumcised, slain by the sword,
Though they caused their terror in the land of the living.
27 aThey do not lie with the mighty
Who are fallen of the uncircumcised,
Who have gone down to hell with their weapons of war;
They have laid their swords under their heads,
But their iniquities will be on their bones,
Because of the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
28 Yes, you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised,
And lie with those slain by the sword.
29 “There is aEdom,
Her kings and all her princes,
Who despite their might
Are laid beside those slain by the sword;
They shall lie with the uncircumcised,
And with those who go down to the Pit.
30 aThere are the princes of the north,
All of them, and all the bSidonians,
Who have gone down with the slain
In shame at the terror which they caused by their might;
They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword,
And bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.
And be acomforted over all his multitude,
Pharaoh and all his army,
Slain by the sword,”
Says the Lord GOD.
32 “For I have caused My terror in the land of the living;
And he shall be placed in the midst of the uncircumcised
With those slain by the sword,
Pharaoh and all his multitude,”
Says the Lord GOD.
The Watchman and His Message
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, speak to athe children of your people, and say to them: b‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their cwatchman,*
3 ‘when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he *blows the trumpet and warns the people,
4 ‘then whoever hears the sound of the *trumpet and does anot take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, bhis blood shall be on his own head.
5 ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will 1save his life.
6 ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, ahe is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 a“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.
8 “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
9 “Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have 1delivered your soul.
10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we apine1 away in them, bhow can we then live?” ’
11 “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, a‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked bturn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For cwhy should you die, O house of Israel?’
The Fairness of God’s Judgment
12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The arighteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, bhe shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’
13 “When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, abut he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.
14 “Again, awhen I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does 1what is lawful and 2right,
15 “if the wicked arestores the pledge, bgives back what he has stolen, and walks in cthe statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
16 a“None of his sins which he has committed shall be *remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 a“Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not 1fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair!
18 a“When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it.
19 “But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it.
20 “Yet you say, a‘The way of the Lord is not 1fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”
The Fall of Jerusalem
21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year aof our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, bthat one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, c“The city has been 1captured!”
22 Now athe hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had bopened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
The Cause of Judah’s Ruin
23 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
24 “Son of man, athey who inhabit those bruins in the land of Israel are saying, c‘Abraham was only one, and he *inherited the land. dBut we are many; the land has been given to us as a epossession.’
25 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“You eat meat with blood, you blift up your eyes toward your idols, and cshed blood. Should you then possess the dland?
26 “You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you adefile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?” ’
27 “Say thus to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “As I live, surely athose who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and the one who is in the open field bI will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and ccaves shall die of the pestilence.
28 a“For I will make the land most desolate, 1her barrogant strength shall cease, and cthe mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through.
29 “Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.” ’
Hearing and Not Doing
30 “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they aspeak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’
31 “So athey come to you as people do, they bsit before you as My people, and they chear your words, but they do not do them; dfor with their mouth they show much love, but etheir hearts pursue their own gain.
32 “Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do anot do them.
33 a“And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then bthey will know that a prophet has been among them.”
Irresponsible Shepherds
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: a“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 a“You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you bslaughter the fatlings, but you do not *feed the flock.
4 a“The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you *healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor bsought what was lost; but with cforce and 1cruelty you have ruled them.
5 a“So they were bscattered because there was no shepherd; cand they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
6 “My sheep awandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”
7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
8 “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock abecame food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, bbut the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”—
9 ‘therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD!
10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am aagainst the shepherds, and bI will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall cfeed themselves no more; for I will ddeliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”
God, the True Shepherd
11 ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.
12 “As a ashepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on ba cloudy and dark day.
13 “And aI will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, 1in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 a“I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. bThere they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
15 “I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord GOD.
16 a“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy bthe fat and the strong, and feed them cin judgment.”
17 ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: a“Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.
18 “Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the 1residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet?
19 “And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”
20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: a“Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep.
21 “Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad,
22 “therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 “I will establish one ashepherd over them, and he shall feed them—bMy servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.
24 “And aI, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David ba prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
25 a“I will make a covenant of peace with them, and bcause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they cwill dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
26 “I will make them and the places all around aMy hill ba blessing; and I will ccause showers to come down in their season; there shall be dshowers of blessing.
27 “Then athe trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have bbroken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who censlaved them.
28 “And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but athey shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid.
29 “I will raise up for them a agarden1 of renown, and they shall bno longer be consumed with hunger in the land, cnor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore.
30 “Thus they shall know that aI, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are bMy people,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
31 “You are My aflock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord GOD.
Judgment on Mount Seir
1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against aMount Seir and bprophesy against it,
3 “and say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you;
aI will stretch out My hand against you,
And make you 1most desolate;
4 I shall lay your cities waste,
And you shall be desolate.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
5 a“Because you have had an 1ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, bwhen their iniquity came to an end,
6 “therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will prepare you for ablood, and blood shall pursue you; bsince you have not hated 1blood, therefore blood shall pursue you.
7 “Thus I will make Mount Seir 1most desolate, and cut off from it the aone who leaves and the one who returns.
8 “And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall.
9 a“I will make you 1perpetually desolate, and your cities shall be uninhabited; bthen you shall know that I am the LORD.
10 “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will apossess them,’ although bthe LORD was there,
11 “therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will do aaccording to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.
12 a“Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have bheard all your cblasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’
13 “Thus awith your mouth you have 1boasted against Me and multiplied your bwords against Me; I have heard them.”
14 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate.
15 a“As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, bso I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom—all of it! Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ’
Blessing on Israel
1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the amountains of Israel, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD!
2 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because athe enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! bThe 1ancient heights chave become our possession,’ ” ’
3 “therefore prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, aand you are taken up by the lips of btalkers and slandered by the people”—
4 ‘therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains, the hills, the 1rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which abecame plunder and bmockery to the rest of the nations all around—
5 ‘therefore thus says the Lord GOD: a“Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, bwho gave My land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joy and 1spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country.” ’
6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have aborne the shame of the nations.”
7 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I have araised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bbear their own shame.
8 “But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come.
9 “For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown.
10 “I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and athe ruins rebuilt.
11 a“I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and 1bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do bbetter for you than at your beginnings. cThen you shall know that I am the LORD.
12 “Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; athey shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you bbereave them of children.”
13 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because they say to you, a‘You devour men and bereave your nation of children,’
14 “therefore you shall devour men no more, nor bereave your nation anymore,” says the Lord GOD.
15 a“Nor will I let you hear the taunts of the nations anymore, nor bear the reproach of the peoples anymore, nor shall you cause your nation to stumble anymore,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
The Renewal of Israel
16 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
17 “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, athey defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like bthe uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity.
18 “Therefore I poured out My fury on them afor the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it.
19 “So I ascattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them baccording to their ways and their deeds.
20 “When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they aprofaned My holy name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have gone out of His land.’
21 “But I had concern afor My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, abut for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.
23 “And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am ahallowed in you before their eyes.
24 “For aI will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.
25 a“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will *cleanse you bfrom all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 “I will give you a anew heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 “I will put My aSpirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
28 a“Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; byou shall be My people, and I will be your God.
29 “I will adeliver you from all your uncleannesses. bI will call for the grain and multiply it, and cbring no famine upon you.
30 a“And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations.
31 “Then ayou will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you bwill 1loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
32 a“Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”
33 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, aand the ruins shall be rebuilt.
34 “The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by.
35 “So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of aEden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’
36 “Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. aI, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
37 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will bincrease their men like a flock.
38 “Like a 1flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its 2feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
The Dry Bones Live
1 The ahand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out bin the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, aYou know.”
4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, *hear the word of the LORD!
5 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will acause *breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
6 “I will put sinews on you and bring *flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. aThen you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.
8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the 1breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”
10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, aand 1breath* came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the awhole house of Israel. They indeed say, b‘Our bones are dry, our *hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’
12 “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, aO My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bbring you into the land of Israel.
13 “Then you shall *know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
14 “I awill put My Spirit in you, and you *shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’ ”
One Kingdom, One King
15 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
16 “As for you, son of man, atake a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for bthe children of Israel, his *companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’
17 “Then ajoin them *one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.
18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, a‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’—
19 a“say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take bthe stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’
20 “And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand abefore their eyes.
21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely aI will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;
22 “and aI will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and bone king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.
23 a“They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but bI will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
24 a“David My servant shall be king over them, and bthey shall all have one shepherd; cthey shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.
25 a“Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, bforever; and cMy servant David shall be their prince *forever.
26 “Moreover I will 1make aa *covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and bmultiply them, and I will set My csanctuary in their midst forevermore.
27 a“My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be btheir God, and they shall be My people.
28 a“The nations also will know that I, the LORD, bsanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”
Gog and Allies Attack Israel
1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 a“Son of man, bset your face against cGog, of the land of dMagog, 1the prince of Rosh, eMeshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3 “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
4 a“I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and blead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, call splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
5 “Persia, 1Ethiopia, and 2Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
6 a“Gomer and all its troops; the house of bTogarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.
7 a“Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.
8 a“After many days byou will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword cand gathered from many people on dthe mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them edwell safely.
9 “You will ascend, coming alike a storm, covering the bland like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”
10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan:
11 “You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of aunwalled villages; I will bgo to a peaceful people, cwho dwell 1safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’—
12 “to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, aand against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.
13 a“Sheba, bDedan, the merchants cof Tarshish, and all dtheir young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’ ” ’
14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: a“On that day when My people Israel bdwell safely, will you not know it?
15 a“Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.
16 “You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may aknow Me, when I am bhallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”
17 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?
Judgment on Gog
18 “And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord GOD, “that My fury will show in My face.
19 “For ain My jealousy band in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: c‘Surely in that day there shall be a great 1earthquake in the land of Israel,
20 ‘so that athe fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. bThe mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’
21 “I will acall for ba sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord GOD. c“Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
22 “And I will abring him to judgment with bpestilence and bloodshed; cI will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, dgreat hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
23 “Thus I will magnify Myself and asanctify Myself, band I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ’
Gog’s Armies Destroyed
1 “And ayou, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, 1the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal;
2 “and I will aturn you around and lead you on, bbringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.
3 “Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand.
4 a“You shall 1fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; bI will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 “You shall 1fall on 2the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord GOD.
6 a“And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live 1in security in bthe coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 a“So I will make My holy *name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them bprofane My holy name anymore. cThen the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 a“Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord GOD. “This is the day bof which I have spoken.
9 “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the 1javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years.
10 “They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; aand they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,” says the Lord GOD.
The Burial of Gog
11 “It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of 1Hamon Gog.
12 “For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, ain order to cleanse the land.
13 “Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain arenown for it on the day that bI am glorified,” says the Lord GOD.
14 “They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of 1a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order ato cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search.
15 “The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall 1set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog.
16 “The name of the city will also be 1Hamonah. Thus they shall acleanse the land.” ’
A Triumphant Festival
17 “And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, a‘Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field:
b“Assemble yourselves and come;
Gather together from all sides to My csacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you,
A great sacrificial meal don the mountains of Israel,
That you may eat flesh and drink blood.
18 aYou shall eat the flesh of the mighty,
Drink the blood of the princes of the earth,
Of rams and lambs,
Of goats and bulls,
All of them bfatlings of Bashan.
19 You shall eat fat till you are full,
And drink blood till you are drunk,
At My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you.
20 aYou shall be filled at My table
With horses and riders,
bWith mighty men
And with all the men of war,” says the Lord GOD.
Israel Restored to the Land
21 a“I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and bMy hand which I have laid on them.
22 a“So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward.
23 a“The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore bI hid My face from them. I cgave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.
24 a“According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’
25 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: a‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the bwhole house of Israel; and I will be *jealous for My holy name—
26 a‘after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they bdwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid.
27 a‘When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I bam hallowed in them in the sight of many nations,
28 a‘then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them 1captive any longer.
29 a‘And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have bpoured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”
A New City, a New Temple
1 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after athe city was 1captured, on the very same day bthe hand of the LORD was upon me; and He took me there.
2 aIn the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and bset me on a very high mountain; on it toward the south was something like the structure of a city.
3 He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was alike the appearance of bronze. bHe had a line of flax cand a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.
4 And the man said to me, a“Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and 1fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. bDeclare to the house of Israel everything you see.”
5 Now there was aa wall all around the outside of the 1temple. In the man’s hand was a measuring rod six 2cubits long, each being a cubit and a handbreadth; and he measured the width of the wall structure, one rod; and the height, one rod.
The Eastern Gateway of the Temple
6 Then he went to the gateway which faced aeast; and he *went up its *stairs and measured the threshold of the gateway, which was one rod wide, and the other threshold was one rod wide.
7 Each gate chamber was one rod long and one rod wide; between the gate chambers was a space of five cubits; and the threshold of the gateway by the vestibule of the inside gate was one rod.
8 He also measured the vestibule of the inside gate, one rod.
9 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and the gateposts, two cubits. The vestibule of the gate was on the inside.
10 In the eastern gateway were three gate chambers on one side and three on the other; the three were all the same size; also the gateposts were of the same size on this side and that side.
11 He measured the width of the entrance to the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.
12 There was a 1space in front of the gate chambers, one cubit on this side and one cubit on that side; the gate chambers were six cubits on this side and six cubits on that side.
13 Then he measured the gateway from the roof of one gate chamber to the roof of the other; the width was twenty-five cubits, as door faces door.
14 He measured the gateposts, sixty cubits high, and the court all around the gateway extended to the gatepost.
15 From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the vestibule of the inner gate was fifty cubits.
16 There were abeveled window frames in the gate chambers and in their intervening archways on the inside of the gateway all around, and likewise in the vestibules. There were windows all around on the inside. And on each gatepost were bpalm trees.
The Outer Court
17 Then he brought me into athe outer court; and there were bchambers and a pavement made all around the court; cthirty chambers faced the pavement.
Ezekiel’s Temple (40:5)
Ezekiel’s restored temple is not a blueprint, but a vision that stresses the purity and spiritual vitality of the ideal place of worship and those who will worship there. It is not intended for an earthly, physical fulfillment, but expresses the truth found in the name of the new city: THE LORD IS THERE (Ezek. 48:35). God will dwell in the new temple and among His people.)
The Temple Complex
18 The pavement was by the side of the gateways, corresponding to the length of the gateways; this was the lower pavement.
19 Then he measured the width from the front of the lower gateway to the front of the inner court exterior, one hundred cubits toward the east and the north.
The Northern Gateway
20 On the outer court was also a gateway facing north, and he measured its length and its width.
21 Its gate chambers, three on this side and three on that side, its gateposts and its archways, had the same measurements as the first gate; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits.
22 Its windows and those of its archways, and also its palm trees, had the same measurements as the gateway facing east; it was ascended by seven *steps, and its archway was in front of it.
23 A gate of the inner court was opposite the northern gateway, just as the eastern gateway; and he measured from gateway to gateway, one hundred cubits.
The Southern Gateway
24 After that he brought me toward the south, and there a gateway was facing south; and he measured its gateposts and archways according to these same measurements.
25 There were windows in it and in its archways all around like those windows; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits.
26 Seven steps led up to it, and its archway was in front of them; and it had palm trees on its gateposts, one on this side and one on that side.
27 There was also a gateway on the inner court, facing south; and he measured from gateway to gateway toward the south, one hundred cubits.
Gateways of the Inner Court
28 Then he brought me to the inner court through the southern gateway; he measured the southern gateway according to these same measurements.
29 Also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways were according to these same measurements; there were windows in it and in its archways all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
30 There were archways all around, atwenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide.
31 Its archways faced the outer court, palm trees were on its gateposts, and going up to it were eight steps.
32 And he brought me into the inner court facing east; he measured the gateway according to these same measurements.
33 Also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways were according to these same measurements; and there were windows in it and in its archways all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
34 Its archways faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its gateposts on this side and on that side; and going up to it were eight steps.
35 Then he brought me to the north gateway and measured it according to these same measurements—
36 also its gate chambers, its gateposts, and its archways. It had windows all around; its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits.
37 Its gateposts faced the outer court, palm trees were on its gateposts on this side and on that side, and going up to it were eight steps.
Where Sacrifices Were Prepared
38 There was a chamber and its entrance by the gateposts of the gateway, where they awashed the burnt offering.
39 In the vestibule of the gateway were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to slay the burnt offering, athe sin offering, and bthe trespass offering.
40 At the outer side of the vestibule, as one goes up to the entrance of the northern gateway, were two tables; and on the other side of the vestibule of the gateway were two tables.
41 Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side, by the side of the gateway, eight tables on which they slaughtered the sacrifices.
42 There were also four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, one cubit and a half long, one cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high; on these they laid the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice.
43 Inside were hooks, a handbreadth wide, fastened all around; and the flesh of the sacrifices was on the tables.
Chambers for Singers and Priests
44 Outside the inner gate were the chambers for athe singers in the inner court, one facing south at the side of the northern gateway, and the other facing north at the side of the southern gateway.
45 Then he said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for athe priests who have charge of the temple.
46 “The chamber which faces north is for the priests awho have charge of the altar; these are the sons of bZadok, from the sons of Levi, who come near the LORD to minister to Him.”
Dimensions of the Inner Court and Vestibule
47 And he measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, foursquare. The altar was in front of the temple.
48 Then he brought me to the avestibule of the temple and measured the doorposts of the vestibule, five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side; and the width of the gateway was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.
49 aThe length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits; and by the steps which led up to it there were bpillars by the doorposts, one on this side and another on that side.