Bible in 90 Days

The Visions Will Come True

²¹ The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ²² “Human, what is this saying you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’? ²³ So say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will make them stop saying this, and nobody in Israel will use this saying anymore.’ But tell them, ‘The time is near when every vision will come true. ²⁴ There will be no more false visions or pleasing prophecies inside the nation of Israel, ²⁵ but I, the Lord, will speak. What I say will be done, and it will not be delayed. You refuse to obey, but in your time I will say the word and do it, says the Lord God.’”

²⁶ The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ²⁷ “Human, the people of Israel are saying, ‘The vision that Ezekiel sees is for a time many years from now. He is prophesying about times far away.’

²⁸ “So say to them: ‘The Lord God says this: None of my words will be delayed anymore. What I have said will be done, says the Lord God.’”

Ezekiel Speaks Against False Prophets

13 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ² “Human, prophesy against the prophets of Israel. Say to those who make up their own prophecies: ‘Listen to the word of the Lord. ³ This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for the foolish prophets who follow their own ideas and have not seen a vision from me! ⁴ People of Israel, your prophets have been like wild dogs hunting to kill and eat among ruins. ⁵ Israel is like a house in ruins, but you have not gone up into the broken places or repaired the wall. So how can Israel hold back the enemy in the battle on the Lord’s day of judging? ⁶ Your prophets see false visions and prophesy lies. They say, “This is the message of the Lord,” when the Lord has not sent them. But they still hope their words will come true. ⁷ You said, “This is the message of the Lord,” but that is a false vision. Your prophecies are lies, because I have not spoken.

⁸ “‘So this is what the Lord God says: Because you prophets spoke things that are false and saw visions that do not come true, I am against you, says the Lord God. ⁹ I will punish the prophets who see false visions and prophesy lies. They will have no place among my people. Their names will not be written on the list of the people of Israel, and they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.

¹⁰ “‘It is because they lead my people the wrong way by saying, “Peace!” when there is no peace. When the people build a weak wall, the prophets cover it with whitewash to make it look strong. ¹¹ So tell those who cover a weak wall with whitewash that it will fall down. Rain will pour down, hailstones will fall, and a stormy wind will break the wall down. ¹² When the wall has fallen, people will ask you, “Where is the whitewash you used on the wall?”

¹³ “‘So this is what the Lord God says: I will break the wall with a stormy wind. In my anger rain will pour down, and hailstones will destroy the wall. ¹⁴ I will tear down the wall on which you put whitewash. I will level it to the ground so that people will see the wall’s foundation. And when the wall falls, you will be destroyed under it. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ So I will carry out my anger on the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. Then I will tell you, “The wall is gone, and those who covered it with whitewash are gone. ¹⁶ The prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and who see visions of peace for the city, when there is no peace, will be gone, says the Lord God.”’

False Women Prophets

¹⁷ “Now, human, look toward the women among your people who make up their own prophecies. Prophesy against them. ¹⁸ Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils of every length to trap people! You ruin the lives of my people but try to save your own lives. ¹⁹ For handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, you have dishonored me among my people. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed people who should not die, and you have kept alive those who should not live.

²⁰ “‘So this is what the Lord God says: I am against your magic charms, by which you trap people as if they were birds. I will tear those charms off your arms, and I will free those people you have trapped like birds. ²¹ I will also tear off your veils and save my people from your hands. They will no longer be trapped by your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ²² By your lies you have caused those who did right to be sad, when I did not make them sad. And you have encouraged the wicked not to stop being wicked, which would have saved their lives. ²³ So you will not see false visions or prophesy anymore, and I will save my people from your power so you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Stop Worshiping Idols

14 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. ² Then the Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ³ “Human, these people want to worship idols. They put up evil things that cause people to sin. Should I allow them to ask me for help? ⁴ So speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: When any of the people of Israel want to worship idols and put up evil things that cause people to sin and then come to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer them myself for worshiping idols. ⁵ Then I will win back my people Israel, who have left me because of all their idols.’

⁶ “So say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Change your hearts and lives, and stop worshiping idols. Stop doing all the things I hate. ⁷ Any of the Israelites or foreigners in Israel can separate themselves from me by wanting to worship idols or by putting up the things that cause people to sin. Then if they come to the prophet to ask me questions, I, the Lord, will answer them myself. ⁸ I will reject them. I will make them a sign and an example, and I will separate them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

⁹ “‘But if the prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is because I, the Lord, have tricked that prophet to speak. Then I will use my power against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. ¹⁰ The prophet will be as guilty as the one who asks him for help; both will be responsible for their guilt. ¹¹ Then the nation of Israel will not leave me anymore or make themselves unclean anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord God.’”

Jerusalem Will Not Be Spared

¹² The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ¹³ “Human, if the people of a country sin against me by not being loyal, I will use my power against them. I will cut off their supply of food and send a time of hunger, destroying both people and animals. ¹⁴ Even if three great men like Noah, Daniel, and Job were in that country, their goodness could save only themselves, says the Lord God.

¹⁵ “Or I might send wild animals into that land, leaving the land empty and without children. Then no one would pass through it because of the animals. ¹⁶ As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They could save only themselves, but that country would become empty.

¹⁷ “Or I might bring a war against that country. I might say, ‘Let a war be fought in that land,’ in this way destroying its people and its animals. ¹⁸ As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if those three men were in the land, they could not save their sons or daughters. They could save only themselves.

¹⁹ “Or I might cause a disease to spread in that country. I might pour out my anger against it, destroying and killing people and animals. ²⁰ As surely as I live, says the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they could not save their son or daughter. They could save only themselves because they did what was right.

²¹ “This is what the Lord God says: My plans for Jerusalem are much worse! I will send my four terrible punishments against it—war, hunger, wild animals, and disease—to destroy its people and animals. ²² But some people will escape; some sons and daughters will be led out. They will come out to you, and you will see what happens to people who live as they did. Then you will be comforted after the disasters I have brought against Jerusalem, after all the things I have brought against it. ²³ You will be comforted when you see what happens to them for living as they did, because you will know there was a good reason for what I did to Jerusalem, says the Lord God.”

Story of the Vine

15 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ² “Human, is the wood of the vine better than the wood of any tree in the forest? ³ Can wood be taken from the vine to make anything? Can you use it to make a peg on which to hang something? ⁴ If the vine is thrown into the fire for fuel, and the fire burns up both ends and starts to burn the middle, is it useful for anything? ⁵ When the vine was whole, it couldn’t be made into anything. When the fire has burned it completely, it certainly cannot be made into anything.”

⁶ So this is what the Lord God says: “Out of all the trees in the forest, I have given the wood of the vine as fuel for fire. In the same way I have given up the people who live in Jerusalem ⁷ and will turn against them. Although they came through one fire, fire will still destroy them. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord. ⁸ So I will make the land empty, because the people have not been loyal, says the Lord God.”

The Lord’s Kindness to Jerusalem

16 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ² “Human, tell Jerusalem about her hateful actions. ³ Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says to Jerusalem: Your beginnings and your ancestors were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite. ⁴ On the day you were born, your cord^[a] was not cut. You were not washed with water to clean you. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ⁵ No one felt sorry enough for you to do any of these things for you. No, you were thrown out into the open field, because you were hated on the day you were born.

⁶ “‘When I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, I said to you, “Live!” ⁷ I made you grow like a plant in the field. You grew up and became tall and became like a beautiful jewel. Your breasts formed, and your hair grew, but you were naked and without clothes.

⁸ “‘Later when I passed by you and looked at you, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I spread my robe over you and covered your nakedness. I also made a promise to you and entered into an agreement with you so that you became mine, says the Lord God.

⁹ “‘Then I bathed you with water, washed all the blood off of you, and put oil on you. ¹⁰ I put beautiful clothes made with needlework on you and put sandals of fine leather on your feet. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. ¹¹ I put jewelry on you: bracelets on your arms, a necklace around your neck, ¹² a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. ¹³ So you wore gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen, silk, and beautiful needlework. You ate fine flour, honey, and olive oil. You were very beautiful and became a queen. ¹⁴ Then you became famous among the nations, because you were so beautiful. Your beauty was perfect, because of the glory I gave you, says the Lord God.

Jerusalem Becomes a Prostitute

¹⁵ “‘But you trusted in your beauty. You became a prostitute, because you were so famous. You had sexual relations with anyone who passed by. ¹⁶ You took some of your clothes and made your places of worship colorful. There you carried on your prostitution. These things should not happen; they should never occur. ¹⁷ You also took your beautiful jewelry, made from my gold and silver I had given you, and you made for yourselves male idols so you could be a prostitute with them. ¹⁸ Then you took your clothes with beautiful needlework and covered the idols. You gave my oil and incense as an offering to them. ¹⁹ Also, you took the bread I gave you, the fine flour, oil, and honey I gave you to eat, and you offered them before the gods as a pleasing smell. This is what happened, says the Lord God.

²⁰ “‘But your sexual sins were not enough for you. You also took your sons and daughters who were my children, and you sacrificed them to the idols as food. ²¹ You killed my children and offered them up in fire to the idols. ²² While you did all your hateful acts and sexual sins, you did not remember when you were young, when you were naked and had no clothes and were left in your blood.

²³ “‘How terrible! How terrible it will be for you, says the Lord God. After you did all these evil things, ²⁴ you built yourself a place to worship gods. You made for yourself a place of worship in every city square. ²⁵ You built a place of worship at the beginning of every street. You made your beauty hateful, offering your body for sex to anyone who passed by, so your sexual sins became worse and worse. ²⁶ You also had sexual relations with the Egyptians, who were your neighbors and partners in sexual sin. Your sexual sins became even worse, and they caused me to be angry. ²⁷ So then, I used my power against you and took away some of your land. I let you be defeated by those who hate you, the Philistine women, who were ashamed of your evil ways. ²⁸ Also, you had sexual relations with the Assyrians, because you could not be satisfied. Even though you had sexual relations with them, you still were not satisfied. ²⁹ You did many more sexual sins in Babylonia, the land of traders, but even this did not satisfy you.

³⁰ “‘Truly your will is weak, says the Lord God. You do all the things a stubborn prostitute does. ³¹ You built your place to worship gods at the beginning of every street, and you made places of worship in every city square. But you were not like a prostitute when you refused to accept payment.

³² “‘You are a wife who is guilty of adultery. You desire strangers instead of your husband. ³³ Men pay prostitutes, but you pay all your lovers to come to you. And they come from all around for sexual relations. ³⁴ So you are different from other prostitutes. No man asks you to be a prostitute, and you pay money instead of having money paid to you. Yes, you are different.

The Prostitute Is Judged

³⁵ “‘So, prostitute, hear the word of the Lord. ³⁶ This is what the Lord God says: You showed your nakedness to other countries. You uncovered your body in your sexual sins with them as your lovers and with all your hateful idols. You killed your children and offered their blood to your idols. ³⁷ So I will gather all your lovers with whom you found pleasure. Yes, I will gather all those you loved and those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around, and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can see your nakedness. ³⁸ I will punish you as women guilty of adultery or as murderers are punished. I will put you to death because I am angry and jealous. ³⁹ I will also hand you over to your lovers. They will tear down your places of worship and destroy other places where you worship gods. They will tear off your clothes and take away your jewelry, leaving you naked and bare. ⁴⁰ They will bring a crowd against you to throw stones at you and to cut you into pieces with their swords. ⁴¹ They will burn down your houses and will punish you in front of many women. I will put an end to your sexual sins, and you will no longer pay your lovers. ⁴² Then I will rest from my anger against you, and I will stop being jealous. I will be quiet and not angry anymore.

⁴³ “‘Because you didn’t remember when you were young, but have made me angry in all these ways, I will repay you for what you have done, says the Lord God. Didn’t you add sexual sins to all your other acts which I hate?

⁴⁴ “‘Everyone who uses wise sayings will say this about you: “The daughter is like her mother.” ⁴⁵ You are like your mother, who hated her husband and children. You are also like your sisters, who hated their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father was an Amorite. ⁴⁶ Your older sister is Samaria, who lived north of you with her daughters; your younger sister is Sodom, who lived south of you with her daughters. ⁴⁷ You not only followed their ways and did the hateful things they did, but you were soon worse than they were in all your ways. ⁴⁸ As surely as I live, says the Lord God, this is true. Your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.

⁴⁹ “‘This was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were proud and had plenty of food and lived in great comfort, but she did not help the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ So Sodom and her daughters were proud and did things I hate in front of me. So I got rid of them when I saw what they did. ⁵¹ Also, Samaria did not do half the sins you do; you have done more hateful things than they did. So you make your sisters look good because of all the hateful things you have done. ⁵² You will suffer disgrace, because you have provided an excuse for your sisters. They are better than you are. Your sins were even more terrible than theirs. Feel ashamed and suffer disgrace, because you made your sisters look good.

⁵³ “‘But I will give back to Sodom and her daughters the good things they once had. I will give back to Samaria and her daughters the good things they once had. And with them I will also give back the good things you once had ⁵⁴ so you may suffer disgrace and feel ashamed for all the things you have done. You even gave comfort to your sisters in their sins. ⁵⁵ Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before. You and your daughters will also return to what you were before. ⁵⁶ You humiliated your sister Sodom when you were proud, ⁵⁷ before your evil was uncovered. And now the Edomite women and their neighbors humiliate you. Even the Philistine women humiliate you. Those around you hate you. ⁵⁸ This is your punishment for your terrible sins and for actions that I hate, says the Lord.

God Keeps His Promises

⁵⁹ “‘This is what the Lord God says: I will do to you what you have done. You hated and broke the agreement you promised to keep. ⁶⁰ But I will remember my agreement I made with you when you were young, and I will make an agreement that will continue forever with you. ⁶¹ Then you will remember what you have done and feel ashamed when you receive your sisters—both your older and your younger sisters. I will give them to you like daughters, but not because they share in my agreement with you. ⁶² I will set up my agreement with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. ⁶³ You will remember what you did and feel ashamed. You will not open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you for all the things you have done, says the Lord God.’”

The Eagle and the Vine

17 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ² “Human, give a riddle and tell a story to the people of Israel. ³ Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A giant eagle with big wings and long feathers of many different colors came to Lebanon and took hold of the top of a cedar tree. ⁴ He pulled off the top branch and brought it to a land of traders, where he planted it in a city of traders.

⁵ “‘The eagle took some seed from the land and planted it in a good field near plenty of water. He planted it to grow like a willow tree. ⁶ It sprouted and became a low vine that spread over the ground. The branches turned toward the eagle, but the roots were under the eagle. So the seed became a vine, and its branches grew, sending out leaves.

⁷ “‘But there was another giant eagle with big wings and many feathers. The vine then bent its roots toward this eagle. It sent out its branches from the area where it was planted toward the eagle so he could water it. ⁸ It had been planted in a good field by plenty of water so it could grow branches and give fruit. It could have become a fine vine.’

⁹ “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: The vine will not continue to grow. The first eagle will pull up the vine’s roots and strip off its fruit. Then the vine and all its new leaves will dry up and die. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull the vine up by its roots. ¹⁰ Even if it is planted again, it will not continue to grow. It will completely dry up and die when the east wind hits it in the area where it grew.’”

Zedekiah Against Nebuchadnezzar

¹¹ Then the Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ¹² “Say now to the people who refuse to obey: ‘Do you know what these things mean?’ Say: ‘The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took the king and important men of Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon. ¹³ Then he took a member of the family of the king of Judah and made an agreement with him, forcing him to take an oath. The king also took away the leaders of Judah ¹⁴ to make the kingdom weak so it would not be strong again. Then the kingdom of Judah could continue only by keeping its agreement with the king of Babylon. ¹⁵ But the king of Judah turned against the king of Babylon by sending his messengers to Egypt and asking them for horses and many soldiers. Will the king of Judah succeed? Will the one who does such things escape? He cannot break the agreement and escape.

¹⁶ “‘As surely as I live, says the Lord God, he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who made him king of Judah. The king of Judah hated his promise to the king of Babylon and broke his agreement with him. ¹⁷ The king of Egypt with his mighty army and many people will not help the king of Judah in the war. The Babylonians will build devices to attack the cities and to kill many people. ¹⁸ The king of Judah showed that he hated the promise by breaking the agreement. He promised to support Babylon, but he did all these things. So he will not escape.

¹⁹ “‘So this is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, this is true: I will pay back the king of Judah for hating my promise and breaking my agreement. ²⁰ I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon, where I will punish him for the unfaithful acts he did against me. ²¹ All the best of his soldiers who escape will die by the sword, and those who live will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.

²² “‘This is what the Lord God says: I myself will also take a young branch from the top of a cedar tree, and I will plant it. I will cut off a small twig from the top of the tree’s young branches, and I will plant it on a very high mountain. ²³ I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel. Then it will grow branches and give fruit and become a great cedar tree. Birds of every kind will build nests in it and live in the shelter of the tree’s branches. ²⁴ Then all the trees in the countryside will know that I am the Lord. I bring down the high tree and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree grow. I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will do it.’”

God Is Fair

18 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ² “What do you mean by using this saying about the land of Israel:

³ “As surely as I live, says the Lord God, this is true: You will not use this saying in Israel anymore. ⁴ Every living thing belongs to me. The life of the parent is mine, and the life of the child is mine. The person who sins is the one who will die.

⁵ “Suppose a person is good and does what is fair and right. ⁶ He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not have sexual relations with his neighbor’s wife or with a woman during her time of monthly bleeding. ⁷ He does not mistreat anyone but returns what was given as a promise for a loan. He does not rob other people. He gives bread to the hungry and clothes to those who have none. ⁸ He does not lend money to get too much interest or profit. He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He judges fairly between one person and another. ⁹ He lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully. Whoever does these things is good and will surely live, says the Lord God.

¹⁰ “But suppose this person has a wild son who murders people and who does any of these other things. ¹¹ (But the father himself has not done any of these things.) This son eats at the mountain places of worship. He has sexual relations with his neighbor’s wife. ¹² He mistreats the poor and needy. He steals and refuses to return what was promised for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does things which I hate. ¹³ He lends money for too much interest and profit. Will this son live? No, he will not live! He has done all these hateful things, so he will surely be put to death. He will be responsible for his own death.

¹⁴ “Now suppose this son has a son who has seen all his father’s sins, but after seeing them does not do those things. ¹⁵ He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not have sexual relations with his neighbor’s wife. ¹⁶ He does not mistreat anyone or keep something promised for a loan or steal. He gives bread to the hungry and clothes to those who have none. ¹⁷ He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He does not take too much interest or profit when he lends money. He obeys my laws and lives by my rules. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. ¹⁸ But his father took other people’s money unfairly and robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. So he will die for his own sin.

¹⁹ “But you ask, ‘Why is the son not punished for the father’s sin?’ The son has done what is fair and right. He obeys all my rules, so he will surely live. ²⁰ The person who sins is the one who will die. A child will not be punished for a parent’s sin, and a parent will not be punished for a child’s sin. Those who do right will enjoy the results of their own goodness; evil people will suffer the results of their own evil.

²¹ “But suppose the wicked stop doing all the sins they have done and obey all my rules and do what is fair and right. Then they will surely live; they will not die. ²² Their sins will be forgotten. Because they have done what is right, they will live. ²³ I do not really want the wicked to die, says the Lord God. I want them to stop their bad ways and live.

²⁴ “But suppose good people stop doing good and do wrong and do the same hateful things the wicked do. Will they live? All their good acts will be forgotten, because they became unfaithful. They have sinned, so they will die because of their sins.

²⁵ “But you say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ Listen, people of Israel. I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair! ²⁶ When good people stop doing good and do wrong, they will die because of it. They will die, because they did wrong. ²⁷ When the wicked stop being wicked and do what is fair and right, they will save their lives. ²⁸ Because they thought about it and stopped doing all the sins they had done, they will surely live; they will not die. ²⁹ But the people of Israel still say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ People of Israel, I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair.

³⁰ “So I will judge you, people of Israel; I will judge each of you by what you do, says the Lord God. Change your hearts and stop all your sinning so sin will not bring your ruin. ³¹ Get rid of all the sins you have done, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new way of thinking. Why do you want to die, people of Israel? ³² I do not want anyone to die, says the Lord God, so change your hearts and lives so you may live.

A Sad Song for Israel

19 “Sing a funeral song for the leaders of Israel. ² Say:

This is a funeral song; it is to be used as a funeral song.”

Israel Has Refused God

20 It was the seventh year of our captivity, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month. Some of the elders of Israel came to ask about the Lord and sat down in front of me.

² The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ³ “Human, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: Did you come to ask me questions? As surely as I live, I will not let you ask me questions.’

⁴ “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, human? Let them know the hateful things their ancestors did. ⁵ Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: When I chose Israel, I made a promise to the descendants of Jacob. I made myself known to them in Egypt, and I promised them, “I am the Lord your God.” ⁶ At that time I promised them I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had found for them, a fertile land, the best land in the world. ⁷ I said to them, “Each one of you must throw away the hateful idols you have seen and liked. Don’t make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

⁸ “‘But they turned against me and refused to listen to me. They did not throw away the hateful idols which they saw and liked; they did not give up the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out my anger against them while they were still in Egypt. ⁹ But I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations where the Israelites lived. I made myself known to the Israelites with a promise to bring them out of Egypt while the nations were watching. ¹⁰ So I took them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert. ¹¹ I gave them my rules and told them about my laws, by which people will live if they obey them. ¹² I also gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between us so they would know that I am the Lord who made them holy.

¹³ “‘But in the desert Israel turned against me. They did not follow my rules, and they rejected my laws, by which people will live if they obey them. They dishonored my Sabbaths. Then I decided to pour out my anger against them and destroy them in the desert. ¹⁴ But I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations who watched as I had brought the Israelites out of Egypt. ¹⁵ And in the desert I swore to the Israelites that I would not bring them into the land I had given them. It is a fertile land, the best land in the world. ¹⁶ This was because they rejected my laws and did not follow my rules. They dishonored my Sabbaths and wanted to worship their idols. ¹⁷ But I had pity on them. I did not destroy them or put an end to them in the desert. ¹⁸ I said to their children in the desert, “Don’t live by the rules of your parents, or obey their laws. Don’t make yourselves unclean with their idols. ¹⁹ I am the Lord your God. Live by my rules, obey my laws, and follow them. ²⁰ Keep my Sabbaths holy, and they will be a sign between me and you. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

²¹ “‘But the children turned against me. They did not live by my rules, nor were they careful to obey my laws, by which people will live if they obey them. They dishonored my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out my anger against them in the desert. ²² But I held back my anger. I acted for the sake of my name so it would not be dishonored in full view of the nations who watched as I brought the Israelites out. ²³ And in the desert I swore to the Israelites that I would scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries, ²⁴ because they had not obeyed my laws. They had rejected my rules and dishonored my Sabbaths and worshiped the idols of their parents. ²⁵ I also allowed them to follow rules that were not good and laws by which they could not live. ²⁶ I let the Israelites make themselves unclean by the gifts they brought to their gods when they sacrificed their first children in the fire. I wanted to terrify them so they would know that I am the Lord.’

²⁷ “So, human, speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Your ancestors spoke against me by being unfaithful to me in another way. ²⁸ When I had brought them into the land I promised to give them, they saw every high hill and every leafy tree. There they offered their sacrifices to gods. They brought offerings that made me angry and burned their incense and poured out their drink offerings. ²⁹ Then I said to them: What is this high place where you go to worship?’” (It is still called High Place today.)

³⁰ “So say to the people of Israel: ‘This is what the Lord God says: Are you going to make yourselves unclean as your ancestors did? Are you going to be unfaithful and desire their hateful idols? ³¹ When you offer your children as gifts and sacrifice them in the fire, you are making yourselves unclean with all your idols even today. So, people of Israel, should I let you ask me questions? As surely as I live, says the Lord God, I will not accept questions from you.

³² “‘What you want will not come true. You say, “We want to be like the other nations, like the people in other lands. We want to worship idols made of wood and stone.” ³³ As surely as I live, says the Lord God, I will use my great power and strength and anger to rule over you. ³⁴ I will bring you out from the foreign nations. With my great power and strength and anger I will gather you from the lands where you are scattered. ³⁵ I will bring you among the nations as I brought your ancestors into the desert with Moses. There I will judge you face to face. ³⁶ I will judge you the same way I judged your ancestors in the desert of the land of Egypt, says the Lord God. ³⁷ I will count you like sheep and will bring you into line with my agreement. ³⁸ I will get rid of those who refuse to obey me and who turn against me. I will bring them out of the land where they are now living, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

³⁹ “‘This is what the Lord God says: People of Israel, go serve your idols for now. But later you will listen to me; you will not continue to dishonor my holy name with your gifts and gods. ⁴⁰ On my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, all Israel will serve me in the land, says the Lord God. There I will accept you. There I will expect your offerings, the first harvest of your offerings, and all your holy gifts. ⁴¹ I will accept you like the pleasing smell of sacrifices when I bring you out from the foreign nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered. Then through you I will show how holy I am so the nations will see. ⁴² When I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I promised your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord. ⁴³ There you will remember everything you did that made you unclean, and then you will hate yourselves for all the evil things you have done. ⁴⁴ I will deal with you for the sake of my name, not because of your evil ways or unclean actions. Then you will know I am the Lord, people of Israel, says the Lord God.’”

Babylon, the Lord’s Sword

⁴⁵ Now the Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ⁴⁶ “Human, look toward the south. Prophesy against the south and against the forest of the southern area. ⁴⁷ Say to that forest: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says: I am ready to start a fire in you that will destroy all your green trees and all your dry trees. The flames that burn will not be put out. Every face from south to north will feel their heat. ⁴⁸ Then all the people will see that I, the Lord, have started the fire. It will not be put out.’”

⁴⁹ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! The people are saying about me, ‘He is only telling stories.’”

21 Then the Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ² “Human, look toward Jerusalem and speak against the holy place. Prophesy against the land of Israel. ³ Say to Israel: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will pull my sword out of its holder, and I will cut off from you both the wicked and those who do right. ⁴ Because I am going to cut off the wicked and those who do right, my sword will come out from its holder and attack all people from south to north. ⁵ Then all people will know that I, the Lord, have pulled my sword out from its holder. My sword will not go back in again.’

⁶ “So, human, groan with breaking heart and great sadness. Groan in front of the people. ⁷ When they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you will say, ‘Because of what I have heard is going to happen. When it happens, every heart will melt with fear, and all hands will become weak. Everyone will be afraid; all knees will become weak as water. Look, it is coming, and it will happen, says the Lord God.’”

⁸ The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ⁹ “Human, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:

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

¹³ “‘The test will come. And Judah, who is hated by the armies of Babylon, will not last, says the Lord God.’

Jerusalem to Be Destroyed

¹⁸ The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ¹⁹ “Human, mark two roads that the king of Babylon and his sword can follow. Both of these roads will start from the same country. And make signs where the road divides and one way goes toward the city. ²⁰ Mark one sign to show the road he can take with his sword to Rabbah in the land of the Ammonites. Mark the other sign to show the road to Judah and Jerusalem, which is protected with strong walls. ²¹ The king of Babylon has come to where the road divides, and he is using magic. He throws lots with arrows and asks questions of his family idols. He looks at the liver of a sacrificed animal to learn where he should go. ²² The lot in his right hand tells him to go to Jerusalem. It tells him to use logs to break down the city gates, to shout the battle cry and give the order to kill, and to build a dirt road to the top of the walls and devices to attack the walls. ²³ The people of Jerusalem have made agreements with other nations to help them fight Babylon. So they will think this prediction is wrong, but it is really proof of their sin, and they will be captured.

²⁴ “So this is what the Lord God says: ‘You have shown how sinful you are by turning against the Lord. Your sins are seen in all the things you do. Because of this proof against you, you will be taken captive by the enemy.

²⁵ “‘You unclean and evil leader of Israel, you will be killed! The time of your final punishment has come. ²⁶ This is what the Lord God says: Take off the royal turban, and remove the crown. Things will change. Those who are important now will be made unimportant, and those who are unimportant now will be made important. ²⁷ A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! This place will not be rebuilt until the one comes who has a right to be king. Then I will give him that right.’

The Punishment of Ammon

²⁸ “And you, human, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord God says about the people of Ammon and their insults:

The Sins of Jerusalem

22 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ² “And you, human, will you judge? Will you judge the city of murderers? Then tell her about all her hateful acts. ³ You are to say: ‘This is what the Lord God says: You are a city that kills those who come to live there. You make yourself unclean by making idols. ⁴ You have become guilty of murder and have become unclean by your idols which you have made. So you have brought your time of punishment near; you have come to the end of your years. That is why I have made you a shame to the nations and why all lands laugh at you. ⁵ Those near and those far away laugh at you with your bad name, you city full of confusion.

⁶ “‘Jerusalem, see how each ruler of Israel in you has been trying to kill people. ⁷ The people in you hate their fathers and mothers. They mistreat the foreigners in you and wrong the orphans and widows in you. ⁸ You hate my holy things and dishonor my Sabbaths. ⁹ The men in you tell lies to cause the death of others. The people in you eat food offered to idols at the mountain places of worship, and they take part in sexual sins. ¹⁰ The men in you have sexual relations with their fathers’ wives and with women who are unclean, during their time of monthly bleeding. ¹¹ One man in you does a hateful act with his neighbor’s wife, while another has shamefully made his daughter-in-law unclean sexually. And another forces his half sister to have sexual relations with him. ¹² The people in you take money to kill others. You take unfair interest and profits and make profits by mistreating your neighbor. And you have forgotten me, says the Lord God.

¹³ “‘So, Jerusalem, I will shake my fist at you for stealing money and for murdering people. ¹⁴ Will you still be brave and strong when I punish you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will act. ¹⁵ I will scatter you among the nations and spread you through the countries. That is how I will get rid of your uncleanness. ¹⁶ But you, yourself, will be dishonored in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Israel Is Worthless

¹⁷ The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ¹⁸ “Human, the people of Israel have become useless like scum to me. They are like the copper, tin, iron, and lead left in the furnace when silver is purified. ¹⁹ So this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because you have become useless like scum, I am going to put you together inside Jerusalem. ²⁰ People put silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin together inside a furnace to melt them down in a blazing fire. In the same way I will gather you in my hot anger and put you together in Jerusalem and melt you down. ²¹ I will put you together and make you feel the heat of my anger. You will be melted down inside Jerusalem. ²² As silver is melted in a furnace, you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my anger on you.’”

Sins of the People

²³ The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ²⁴ “Human, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not had rain or showers when God is angry.’ ²⁵ Like a roaring lion that tears the animal it has caught, Israel’s rulers make evil plans. They have destroyed lives and have taken treasure and valuable things. They have caused many women to become widows. ²⁶ Israel’s priests do cruel things to my teachings and do not honor my holy things. They make no difference between holy and unholy things, and they teach there is no difference between clean and unclean things. They do not remember my Sabbaths, so I am dishonored by them. ²⁷ Like wolves tearing a dead animal, Jerusalem’s leaders have killed people for profit. ²⁸ And the prophets try to cover this up by false visions and by lying messages. They say, ‘This is what the Lord God says’ when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹ The people cheat others and steal. They hurt people who are poor and needy. They cheat foreigners and do not treat them fairly.

³⁰ “I looked for someone to build up the walls and to stand before me where the walls are broken to defend these people so I would not have to destroy them. But I could not find anyone. ³¹ So I let them see my anger. I destroyed them with an anger that was like fire because of all the things they have done, says the Lord God.”

Samaria and Jerusalem

23 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: ² “Human, a woman had two daughters. ³ While they were young, they went to Egypt and became prostitutes. They let men touch and hold their breasts. ⁴ The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was named Oholibah. They became my wives and had sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.^[b]

⁵ “While still my wife, Samaria had sexual relations with other men. She had great sexual desire for her lovers, men from Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors and ⁶ wore blue uniforms. They were all handsome young captains and lieutenants riding on horseback. ⁷ Samaria became a prostitute for all the important men in Assyria and made herself unclean with all the idols of everyone she desired. ⁸ She continued the prostitution she began in Egypt. When she was young, she had slept with men, and they touched her breasts and had sexual relations with her.

⁹ “So I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, that she wanted so badly. ¹⁰ They stripped her naked and took away her sons and daughters. Then they killed her with a sword. Women everywhere began talking about how she had been punished.

¹¹ “Her sister Jerusalem saw what happened, but she became worse than her sister in her sexual desire and prostitution. ¹² She also desired the Assyrians, who were all soldiers in beautiful uniforms—handsome young captains and lieutenants riding horses. ¹³ I saw that both girls were alike; both were prostitutes.

¹⁴ “But Jerusalem went even further. She saw carvings of Babylonian men on a wall. They wore red ¹⁵ and had belts around their waists and turbans on their heads. They all looked like chariot officers born in Babylonia. ¹⁶ When she saw them, she wanted to have sexual relations with them and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. ¹⁷ So these Babylonian men came and had sexual relations with her and made her unclean. After that, she became sick of them. ¹⁸ But she continued her prostitution so openly that everyone knew about it. And I finally became sick of her, as I had her sister. ¹⁹ But she remembered how she was a young prostitute in Egypt, so she took part in even more prostitution. ²⁰ She wanted men who behaved like animals in their sexual desire. ²¹ In the same way you desired to do the sinful things you had done in Egypt. There men touched and held your young breasts.

God’s Judgment on Jerusalem

²² “So, Jerusalem, this is what the Lord God says: You are tired of your lovers. So now I will make them angry with you and have them attack you from all sides. ²³ Men from Babylon and all Babylonia and men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa will attack you. All the Assyrians will attack you: handsome young captains and lieutenants, all of them important men and all riding horses. ²⁴ Those men will attack with great armies and with their weapons, chariots, and wagons. They will surround you with large and small shields and with helmets. And I will give them the right to punish you, and they will give you their own kind of punishment. ²⁵ Then you will see how strong my anger can be when they punish you in their anger. They will cut off your noses and ears. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those who are left will be burned. ²⁶ They will take off your clothes and steal your jewelry. ²⁷ I will put a stop to the sinful life you began when you were in Egypt so that you will not desire it or remember Egypt anymore.

²⁸ “This is what the Lord God says: You became tired of your lovers, but I am going to hand you over to those men you now hate. ²⁹ They will treat you with hate and take away everything you worked for, leaving you empty and naked. Everyone will know about the sinful things you did. Your sexual sins ³⁰ have brought this on you. You have had sexual relations with the nations and made yourselves unclean by worshiping their idols. ³¹ You did the same things your sister did, so you will get the same punishment, like a bitter cup to drink.

³² “This is what the Lord God says:

I have spoken, says the Lord God.

³⁵ “So this is what the Lord God says: You have forgotten me and turned your back on me. So you will be punished for your sexual sins.”

Judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem

³⁶ The Lord said to me: “Human, will you judge Samaria and Jerusalem, showing them their hateful acts? ³⁷ They are guilty of adultery and murder. They have taken part in adultery with their idols. They even offered our children as sacrifices in the fire to be food for these idols. ³⁸ They have also done this to me: They made my Temple unclean at the same time they dishonored my Sabbaths. ³⁹ They sacrificed their children to their idols. Then they entered my Temple at that very time to dishonor it. That is what they did inside my Temple!