Bible in 90 Days
The Lord Destroyed Jerusalem
2 Look how the Lord in his anger
has brought Jerusalem to shame.
He has thrown down the greatness of Israel
from the sky to the earth.
He did not remember the Temple, his footstool,
on the day of his anger.
2 The Lord swallowed up without mercy
all the houses of the people of Jacob.
In his anger he pulled down
the strong places of Judah.
He threw her kingdom and its rulers
down to the ground in dishonor.
3 In his anger the Lord has removed
all the strength of Israel.
He took away his power from Israel
when the enemy came.
He burned against the people of Jacob like a flaming fire
that burns up everything around it.
4 Like an enemy, the Lord prepared to shoot his bow.
He took hold of his sword.
Like an enemy, he killed
all the good-looking people.
He poured out his anger like fire
on the tents of Jerusalem.
5 The Lord has become like an enemy.
He has swallowed up Israel.
He has swallowed up all her palaces.
He has destroyed all her strong places.
He has caused more moaning and groaning
for Judah.
6 He has destroyed his Temple as if it were a garden tent.
He has destroyed the place where he met with his people.
The Lord has made Jerusalem forget
the set feasts and Sabbath days.
He has rejected the king and the priest
in his great anger.
7 The Lord has rejected his altar
and abandoned his Temple.
He has given to the enemy
the walls of Jerusalem’s palaces.
The enemy shouted in the Lord’s Temple
as if it were a feast day.
8 The Lord planned to destroy
the wall around Jerusalem.
He marked the wall off with a measuring line.
He did not stop himself from destroying it.
He made the walls and defenses sad.
Together they have fallen.
9 Jerusalem’s gates have fallen to the ground.
He destroyed and smashed the bars of the gates.
Her king and her princes are sent away among the nations.
The teaching of the Lord has stopped.
The prophets have not had
any visions from the Lord.
10 The elders of Jerusalem
sit on the ground and are silent.
They pour dust on their heads
and put on rough cloth to show how sad they are.
The young women of Jerusalem
bow their heads to the ground in sorrow.
11 My eyes are weak from crying.
I am troubled.
I feel as if I have been poured out on the ground
because my people have been destroyed.
Children and babies are fainting
in the streets of the city.
12 They say to their mothers,
“Where is some bread and wine?”
They faint like wounded soldiers
in the streets of the city.
They die in their mothers’ arms.
13 What can I say about you, Jerusalem?
What can I compare you to?
What can I say you are like?
How can I comfort you, Jerusalem?
Your ruin is as big as the sea.
No one can heal you.
14 Your prophets saw visions about you.
But they were false and worth nothing.
They did not expose your sins.
They did not keep you from being captured.
The messages they preached to you were false.
They fooled you.
15 All who pass by on the road
clap their hands at you.
They make fun and shake their heads
at Jerusalem.
They ask, “Is this the city that people called
the most beautiful city,
the happiest city on earth?”
16 All your enemies open their mouths
to say things against you.
They make fun and grind their teeth in anger.
They say, “We have swallowed her up.
This is the day we were waiting for.
We have finally seen it happen.”
17 The Lord has done what he planned.
He has carried out the order
that he commanded long ago.
He has destroyed without mercy.
He has made your enemies happy because of what happened to you.
He has strengthened your enemies.
18 The people
cry out to the Lord.
Wall of Jerusalem,
let your tears flow
like a river day and night.
Do not stop.
Do not let your eyes rest.
19 Get up, cry out in the night.
Cry all through the night.
Pour out your heart like water
in prayer to the Lord.
Lift up your hands in prayer to him.
Pray for the life of your children.
They are fainting with hunger
on every street corner.
20 Jerusalem says: “Look, Lord, and see.
You have never done this to anyone else.
Women eat their own babies,
the children they have cared for.
Priests and prophets
are killed in the Temple of the Lord.
21 “Young men and old men
lie on the ground in the streets of the city.
My young women and young men
have been killed by the sword.
You, Lord, killed them on the day of your anger.
You killed them without mercy.
22 “You invited terrors to come against me on every side.
It was as if you were inviting them to a feast.
No one escaped or remained alive
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
My enemy has killed
those whom I gave birth to and brought up.”
The Meaning of Suffering
3 I am a man who has seen the suffering
that comes from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
2 He led me
into darkness, not light.
3 He turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4 He caused my flesh and skin to wear out.
He broke my bones.
5 He surrounded me and attacked me
with sadness and grief.
6 He made me sit in the dark,
like someone who has been dead a long time.
7 He shut me in so I could not get out.
He put heavy chains on me.
8 I cry out and beg for help.
But he ignores my prayer.
9 He has blocked my way with stones.
He has made my life difficult.
10 The Lord is like a bear ready to attack me.
He is like a lion in hiding.
11 He led me the wrong way and tore me to pieces.
He left me without help.
12 He prepared to shoot his bow.
He made me the target for his arrows.
13 He shot me in the kidneys
with the arrows from his arrow bag.
14 I have become a joke to all my people.
All day long they make fun of me with songs.
15 The Lord filled me with misery.
He filled me with suffering.
16 The Lord broke my teeth with gravel.
He crushed me into the dirt.
17 I have no more peace.
I have forgotten what happiness is.
18 I said, “My strength is gone.
I have no more hope that the Lord will help me.”
19 Lord, remember my suffering and how I have no home.
Remember the misery and suffering.
20 I remember them well.
And I am very sad.
21 But I have hope
when I think of this:
22 The Lord’s love never ends.
His mercies never stop.
23 They are new every morning.
Lord, your loyalty is great.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is what I have left.
So I have hope.”
25 The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him.
He is good to those who look to him for help.
26 It is good to wait quietly
for the Lord to save.
27 It is good for a man to work hard
while he is young.
28 He should sit alone and be quiet
because the Lord has given him hard work to do.
29 He should bow to the Lord with his face to the ground.
Maybe there is still hope.
30 He should offer his cheek if someone wants to hit him.
He should be filled with shame.
31 The Lord will not reject
his people forever.
32 Although the Lord brings sorrow, he also has mercy.
His love is great.
33 The Lord does not like to punish people
or make them sad.
34 The Lord sees if any prisoner of the earth
is crushed under his feet.
35 He sees if someone is treated unfairly
before the Most High God.
36 The Lord sees
if someone is cheated in his case in court.
37 Nobody can speak and have it happen
unless the Lord commands it.
38 Both bad and good things
come by the command of the Most High God.
39 No man should complain
when he is punished for his sins.
40 Let us examine and look at what we have done.
Then let us return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hands and pray from our hearts.
Let us say to God in heaven,
42 “We have sinned and turned against you.
And you have not forgiven us.
43 “You wrapped yourself in anger and chased us.
You killed us without mercy.
44 You wrapped yourself in a cloud.
No prayer could get through.
45 You made us like scum and trash
among the other nations.
46 “All of our enemies
open their mouths and say things against us.
47 We have been frightened and fearful.
We have been ruined and destroyed.”
48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.
49 My tears flow continually,
without stopping,
50 until the Lord looks down
and sees from heaven.
51 I am sad when I see
what has happened to all the women of my city.
52 Those who are my enemies for no reason
hunted me like a bird.
53 They threw me alive into a pit.
They threw stones at me.
54 Water came up over my head.
I said to myself, “I am going to die.”
55 I called out to you, Lord,
from the bottom of the pit.
56 You heard me calling, “Do not close your ears.
Do not ignore my cry for help.”
57 You came close when I called out to you.
You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
58 Lord, you have taken my case.
You have given me back my life.
59 Lord, you have seen how I have been wronged.
Now judge my case for me.
60 You have seen how my enemies took revenge on me.
You have seen all their evil plans against me.
61 Lord, you have heard their insults
and all their evil plans against me.
62 The words and thoughts of my enemies
are against me all the time.
63 Look! In everything they do
they make fun of me with songs.
64 Punish them as they should be punished, Lord.
Pay them back for what they have done.
65 Make them stubborn.
Put your curse on them.
66 Chase them in anger.
Destroy them from the Lord’s earth.
The Attack on Jerusalem
4 See how the gold has lost its shine!
See how the good gold has changed!
The stones of the Temple are scattered
at every street corner.
2 The precious people of Jerusalem
were more valuable than gold.
But now they are thought of as clay jars
made by the hands of a potter.
3 Even wild dogs give their milk
to feed their young.
But my people are cruel
like ostriches in the desert.
4 The baby is so thirsty
that his tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth.
Children beg for bread.
But no one breaks off a piece to share with them.
5 Those who once ate fine foods
are now starving in the streets.
The people who grew up wearing nice clothes
now pick through trash piles.
6 My people have been punished
more than Sodom was.
Sodom was destroyed suddenly.
No hands reached out to help her.
7 Our princes were purer than snow.
They were whiter than milk.
Their bodies were redder than rubies.
Their faces shined like sapphires.
8 But now they are blacker than coal.
No one even recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin is stretched over their bones.
It is as dry as wood.
9 Those people who were killed by the sword had it better
than those killed by hunger.
They starved in pain and died
because there was no food from the field.
10 With their own hands kind women
cooked their own children.
The children became food for their parents.
This happened when my people were destroyed.
11 The Lord turned loose all of his anger.
He poured out his strong anger.
He set fire to Jerusalem.
It burned down to the foundations.
12 Kings of the earth and people of the world
could not believe it.
They could not believe that enemies
could come through the gates of Jerusalem.
13 But it happened because her prophets had sinned.
And her priests had done evil.
They killed in the city
the people who did what was right.
14 They wandered in the streets
like blind men.
They became dirty with blood.
So no one could touch their clothes.
15 “Go away! You are unclean,” people shouted at them.
“Get away! Get away! Do not touch us!”
So they left and wandered around.
The other nations said, “Don’t stay here.”
16 The Lord himself scattered them.
He did not look after them anymore.
He did not respect the priests.
He showed no mercy to the elders.
17 Also, our eyes grew tired
looking for help that never came.
We kept watch from our towers
for a nation to save us.
18 Our enemies hunted us
so we could not even walk in the streets.
Our end came near. Our time was up.
Our end came.
19 The men who chased us
were faster than eagles in the sky.
They ran us into the mountains.
They ambushed us in the desert.
20 The Lord’s appointed king, who was our very breath,
was caught in their traps.
We had said about him, “We will be protected by him
among the nations.”
21 Be happy and glad, people of Edom,
you who live in the land of Uz.
But the Lord’s anger is like a cup of wine that you also will have to drink.
Then you will get drunk on it and make yourselves naked.
22 Your punishment is complete, Jerusalem.
He will not keep you in captivity any longer.
But the Lord will punish your wrongs, people of Edom.
He will uncover your sins.
A Prayer to the Lord
5 Remember, Lord, what happened to us.
Look and see our disgrace.
2 Our land has been turned over to strangers.
Our houses have been given to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans with no father.
Our mothers have become like widows.
4 We have to buy the water we drink.
We must pay for the wood for our fires.
5 They work us hard as if we were animals with a yoke on our necks.
We get tired and have no rest.
6 We made an agreement with Egypt
and with Assyria to get enough food.
7 Our ancestors sinned against you. But they are gone.
Now we must suffer because of their sins.
8 Slaves have become our rulers.
There is no one who can save us from them.
9 We risk our lives to get our food
because there are men with swords in the desert.
10 Our skin is hot like an oven.
We burn with fever because of the terrible hunger.
11 The enemy raped the women of Jerusalem
and the girls in the cities of Judah.
12 The enemy hung our princes by the hands.
They do not honor our elders.
13 The young men grind grain at the mill.
Boys stumble while carrying loads of wood.
14 The elders no longer sit at the city gates.
The young men no longer make music.
15 We have no more joy in our hearts.
Our dancing has turned into sadness.
16 The glory has gone from Jerusalem.
How terrible it is for us because we have sinned.
17 Because of this we are afraid.
Because of these things our eyes are dim.
18 Mount Zion is empty.
Now wild dogs wander around it.
19 But you rule forever, Lord.
You will be King from now on.
20 Why have you forgotten us for so long?
Why have you left us for so long?
21 Bring us back to you, Lord. We will return.
Make our days as they were before.
22 Or have you completely rejected us?
Will your anger never end?
Ezekiel’s Vision of Living Things
1 It was the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month of our captivity. I, Ezekiel, was by the Kebar River in Babylon. I was among the people who had been carried away as captives from the land of Judah. The sky opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 It was the fifth year that King Jehoiachin had been a prisoner. It was on the fifth day of the month. 3 The Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel son of Buzi. This was in the land of the Babylonians by the Kebar River. There he felt the power of the Lord.
4 When I looked, I saw a stormy wind coming from the north. There was a great cloud with a bright light around it. Fire was flashing out of it. And there was something that looked like glowing metal in the center of the fire. 5 Inside the cloud were what looked like four living creatures. They were shaped like men. 6 Each of them had four faces. And each of them had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight. Their feet were like a calf’s hooves. And they sparkled like polished bronze. 8 The living creatures had men’s hands. They were under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. 9 And their wings touched each other. The living creatures did not turn when they moved. Each went straight ahead.
10 Their faces looked like this: In front each living creature had the face of a man. Each one had the face of a lion on the right side. Each one had the face of an ox on the left side. And in back each one had the face of an eagle. 11 This was what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out above. Each had two wings that touched one of the other living creatures. Each living creature had two wings that covered its body. 12 Each went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would also go. When they went, they did not turn. 13 The living creatures looked like burning coals of fire. They were like torches. Fire went back and forth among the living creatures. It was bright, and lightning flashed from it. 14 The living creatures ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.
15 Now I looked at the living creatures. And I saw a wheel on the ground by each of the living creatures with its four faces. 16 The wheels and the way they were made were like this: They looked like sparkling chrysolite. All four of them looked the same. The wheels looked like one wheel crossways inside another wheel. 17 When they moved, they went in any one of the four directions. They did not turn as they went. 18 I saw the rims of the wheels. The rims were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the ground, the wheels also were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would go. And the wheels were lifted up beside them. This is because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved. When the living creatures stopped, the wheels stopped. And when the living creatures were lifted from the ground, the wheels were lifted beside them. This is because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Now there was something like a dome over the heads of the living creatures. It sparkled like ice and was frightening. 23 And under the dome the wings of the living creatures were stretched out straight toward one another. Each living creature also had two wings covering its body. 24 I heard the sound of their wings as they moved. It was like the roaring sound of the sea. It was like the voice of God All-Powerful. It was a roaring sound like a noisy army. When the living creatures stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 And a voice came from above the dome over the heads of the living creatures. When the living creatures stood still, they lowered their wings. 26 Now above the dome there was something that looked like a throne. It looked like a sapphire gem. And on the throne was a shape like a man. 27 Then I noticed what he looked like from the waist up. He looked like glowing metal with fire inside it. And from his waist down he looked like fire. I saw a bright light all around him. 28 The glow around him looked like the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. It seemed to look like the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I bowed facedown on the ground. And I heard a voice speaking.
The Lord Speaks to Ezekiel
2 He said to me, “Human being, stand up on your feet. Then I will speak with you.” 2 While he spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and put me on my feet. Then I heard the Lord speaking to me.
3 He said, “Human being, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are a nation of people who turned against me. They broke away from me. They and their ancestors have sinned against me until this very day. 4 And I am sending you to people who are stubborn. They do not obey. You will say this to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’ 5 The people may listen, or they may not. They are a people who turn against me. But whatever they do, they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 You, human being, don’t be afraid of the people or their words. Thorny branches and thorns may be all around you. And you may live with insects that sting with poison. Don’t be afraid of their words. Don’t be afraid of their looks. They are a people who turn against me. 7 But speak my words to them. They may listen, or they may not, because they turn against me. 8 But you, human being, listen to what I say to you. Don’t turn against me as those people do. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”
9 I looked and saw a hand stretched out to me. A scroll was in the hand. 10 The Lord opened the scroll in front of me. The scroll was written on the front and back. Funeral songs, sad writings and troubles were written on the scroll.
3 Then the Lord said to me, “Human being, eat what you find. Eat this scroll. Then go and speak to the people of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and the Lord gave me the scroll.
3 The Lord said to me, “Human being, eat this scroll which I am giving you. Fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it. And it was sweet like honey in my mouth.
4 Then the Lord said to me, “Human being, go to the people of Israel. Speak my words to them. 5 You are not being sent to people whose speech you can’t understand. Their language is not difficult. You are being sent to Israel. 6 You are not being sent to many nations whose speech you can’t understand. The language of Israel is not difficult. You are not being sent to people whose words you cannot understand. If I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7 But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you. This is because they are not willing to listen to me. Yes, all the people of Israel are stubborn and will not obey. 8 See, I have made you as stubborn as they are. You will be as hard as they are. 9 I have made you as hard as a diamond, harder than stone. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be frightened by them. They are a people who turn against me.”
10 Also, the Lord said to me, “Human being, believe all the words that I will speak to you. And listen carefully. 11 Go to the captives, your people. And speak to them, whether they listen or not. Tell them, ‘The Lord God says this.’”
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up. And I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. A voice said, “Praise God in heaven.” 13 I heard the wings of the living creatures touching each other. And I heard the sound of the wheels by them. It was a loud rumbling sound. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I was unhappy and angry. I felt the great power of the Lord. 15 I came to the captives from Judah. They lived by the Kebar River at Tel Abib. I sat there seven days where these people lived. I was shocked.
Israel’s Warning
16 After seven days the Lord spoke his word to me again. He said, 17 “Human being, I have made you a watchman for Israel. Any time you hear a word from my mouth, warn them for me. 18 When I say to an evil person, ‘You will surely die,’ you must warn him. If you don’t speak out to warn the evil person to leave his evil way, he will die in his sin. But I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 You must warn the evil person. Then if he does not turn from his wickedness or his evil ways, he will die because of his sin. But you will have saved yourself.
20 “Again, a person who does right may turn away from his goodness. He may do evil. If I caused him to sin, he will die. Because you have not warned him, he will die because of his sin. And the good he did will not be remembered. But I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 But if you do warn that good person not to sin, he may not sin. Then he will surely live. This is because he was warned. And you will save yourself.”
22 Then I felt the power of the Lord there. He said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain. There I will speak to you.” 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. I saw the glory of the Lord standing there. It was like the glory I saw by the Kebar River. And I bowed facedown on the ground.
24 Then the Spirit entered me and made me stand on my feet. He spoke to me and said, “Go, shut yourself up in your house. 25 As for you, human being, the people will tie you up with ropes. They will tie you up, and you will not be able to go out among them. 26 Also, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth. Then you will be silent. And you will not be able to argue with the people, even though they turn against me. 27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth. And you will say, ‘The Lord God says this.’ Whoever will listen, let him listen. Whoever refuses, let him refuse. They are a people who turn against me.
The Map of Jerusalem
4 “Now, human being, get yourself a brick. Put it in front of you and draw a map of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then surround it with an army. Build battle works against the city. Build a road of earth to the top of the city walls. Set up camps around it. Put heavy logs in place to break down the walls. 3 Then get yourself an iron plate. Put it up like an iron wall between you and the city. Turn your face toward the city as if to attack it. Then surround it and attack it. This is a sign to Israel.
4 “Then lie down on your left side. Take the guilt of Israel on yourself. Their guilt will be on you for the number of days you lie on your left side. 5 I have given you the same number of days as the years of the people’s sin. So you will have the guilt of Israel’s sin on you for 390 days.
6 “When you have finished these 390 days, lie down a second time. This time lie on your right side. You will then have the guilt of Judah on you. I have given it to you for 40 days. This is a day for each year of their sin. 7 Then you will turn your face toward the army attacking Jerusalem. With your arm bare, you will prophesy against Jerusalem. 8 I will put ropes on you so you cannot turn from one side to the other. This will last until you have finished the days of your attack on Jerusalem.
9 “Take wheat, barley, beans, small peas and millet seeds. And put them in one bowl. Make them into bread for yourself. You will eat it the 390 days you lie on your side. 10 You will eat eight ounces of food every day. You will eat it at set times. 11 You will drink about two-thirds of a quart of water every day. Drink it at set times. 12 Eat your food as you would eat a barley cake. Bake it over human dung where the people can see.” 13 Then the Lord said, “In the same way Israel will eat unclean food. They will eat it among the nations where I force them to go.”
14 But I said, “No, Lord God! I have never been made unclean. From the time I was young until now I’ve never eaten anything that died by itself. And I’ve never eaten anything torn by animals. Unclean meat has never entered my mouth.”
15 “Very well,” he said. “Then I will give you cow’s dung instead of human dung. You may use it for your fire to bake your bread.”
16 Then the Lord said to me, “Human being, look! I am going to cut off the supply of bread to Jerusalem. They will eat the bread that is measured out to them. And they will worry as they eat it. They will drink water that is measured out to them. And they will be in shock as they drink it. 17 This is because bread and water will be hard to find. And the people will be shocked at the sight of each other. They will become weak because of their sin.
Ezekiel Cuts His Hair
5 “Now, human being, take a sharp sword. Use it like a barber’s razor to shave your head and beard. Then take scales and weigh and divide the hair. 2 Burn one-third with fire when the days of the attack on Jerusalem are over. Burn it in the middle of the city. Then take one-third and cut it up with the knife all around the city. And scatter one-third to the wind. This is how I will chase them with a sword. 3 Also take a few of these hairs and tie them in the folds of your clothes. 4 Take a few more and throw them into the fire and burn them up. From there a fire will spread to all the people of Israel.
5 “This is what the Lord says: This is Jerusalem. I have put her at the center of the nations with countries all around her. 6 But she has refused to obey my laws. She has been more evil than the nations. She has refused to obey my rules even more than those around her. The people of Jerusalem have rejected my laws and have not lived by my rules.
7 “So this is what the Lord God says: You caused more confusion than the nations around you. You did not follow my rules or obey my laws. You have not even obeyed the laws of the nations around you.
8 “So this is what the Lord God says: I myself am against you. I will punish you and the nations will watch. 9 I will do things among you that I have not done before. I will never do anything like them again. I will do them because you do the things I hate. 10 So fathers among you will eat their children. And children will eat their fathers. I will punish you. I will scatter to the winds all who are left alive. 11 So the Lord God says: As surely as I live, you have made my Temple unclean. You have done it with all your evil idols and the hated things you do. Because of this I will cut you off. I will have no pity. I will show no mercy. 12 A third of you will die by disease or be destroyed by hunger inside your walls. A third will fall dead by the sword outside your walls. And a third I will scatter in every direction. I will chase them with a sword. 13 Then my anger will come to an end. I will use it up against them. Then I will be satisfied. Then they will know that I, the Lord God, have spoken. After I have carried out my anger against them, they will know how strongly I felt.
14 “I will make you a ruin. And I will make you a shame among the nations around you. All who pass by will see this. 15 Then you will be shamed by the nations around you. They will make fun of you. You will be a warning to them. They will be terrified. This will happen when I punish you in my great anger. I, the Lord, have spoken. 16 I will send a time of hunger to destroy you. Then I will make your hunger get even worse. I will cut off your supply of food. 17 I will send a time of hunger and wild animals against you. They will kill your children. Disease and death will sweep through your people. I will bring the sword against you to kill you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Prophecies Against the Mountains
6 Again the Lord spoke his word to me. The Lord said, 2 “Human being, look toward the mountains of Israel. Prophesy against them. 3 Say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord God. The Lord God says this to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: I will bring a sword against you. I will destroy your places of idol worship. 4 Your altars will be destroyed. Your incense altars will be broken down. Your people will be killed in front of your idols. 5 I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites before their idols. And I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6 In all the places you live, cities will become empty. And the places of idol worship will be ruined. Your altars will become lonely ruins. Your idols will be broken and brought to an end. Your incense altars will be cut down. And the things you made will be wiped out. 7 Your people will be killed and fall among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord God.
8 “‘But I will leave some people alive. Some will not be killed by the nations when you are scattered among the foreign lands. 9 Then those who have escaped will remember me. They will be living among the nations where they have been taken as captives. They will remember how I was hurt because they were unfaithful to me. They had turned away from me. They will remember how I was hurt because they desired to worship their idols. They will hate themselves because of the evil things they did that I hate. 10 Then they will know that I am the Lord. I did not bring this terrible thing on them for no reason.
11 “‘This is what the Lord God says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet. Say, “Oh!” because the people of Israel have done terrible things. So they will die by war, hunger and disease. 12 The person who is far away will die by disease. The one who is nearby will die in war. The person who is still alive and has escaped these will die from hunger. So I will carry out my anger on them. 13 Their people will lie dead among their idols around the altars. They will be on every high hill, on all the mountain tops and under every green tree and leafy oak. These are the places where they offered sweet-smelling incense to their idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will use my power against them. I will make the land empty and wasted from the desert to Diblah, wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Ezekiel Tells of the End
7 Again the Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, the Lord says this to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come on the four corners of the land. 3 Now the end has come for you. I will send my anger against you. I will judge you for the way you have lived. I will make you pay for your terrible actions. 4 I will have no pity on you. I will not hold back punishment from you. I will make you pay for your ways and for your terrible actions. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5 “This is what the Lord God says: Disaster on top of disaster is coming. 6 The end has come! The end has come! It has stirred itself up against you! Look! It has come! 7 The end has come for you who live in the land! The time has come. The day of confusion is near. There will be no happy shouting on the mountains. 8 Soon I will pour out my anger against you. I will carry out my anger against you. I will judge you for the way you have lived. I will make you pay for all the things you have done that I hate. 9 I will show no pity. I will not hold back punishment. I will pay you back for the way you have lived and the terrible things you have done. Then you will know that I am the Lord who punishes.
10 “Look, the day is here. It has come. Destruction has come. Violence has grown. There is more pride than ever. 11 Violence has grown into a weapon for punishing wickedness. None of the people will be left. None of that crowd, none of their wealth, and nothing of value will be left among them. 12 The time has come. The day has arrived. Don’t let the buyer be happy or the seller be sad. My burning anger is against the whole crowd. 13 Sellers will not return to the land they have sold as long as they live. This is because the vision against all that crowd will not be changed. Because of their sins, no one will save his life. 14 They have blown the trumpet, and everything is ready. But no one is going to the battle. My anger is against all that crowd.
15 “The sword is outside. Disease and hunger are inside. The person who is in the field will die by the sword. Hunger and disease will destroy those in the city. 16 Those who are left alive and who escape will be on the mountains. They will moan like doves of the valleys. Each person will groan about his own sin. 17 All hands will hang weakly. All knees will become as weak as water. 18 They will put on rough cloth to show how sad they are. They will tremble all over with fear. Their faces will show their shame. And all their heads will be shaved. 19 The people will throw their silver into the streets. Their gold will be like trash. Their silver and gold will not save them from the Lord’s anger. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs. It was what caused them to fall into sin. 20 They were proud of their beautiful jewelry. They used it to make their idols, which I hate, and their evil statues. So I will turn their wealth into something they hate. 21 And I will give it to the foreigners as treasures from war. I will give it to the evil people of the earth as treasure. These foreigners and evil people will dishonor the people’s jewelry. 22 I will also turn away from the people of Israel. They will dishonor my treasured place. Then robbers will enter and dishonor it.
23 “Make chains for captives. The land is full of bloody crimes. And the city is full of violence. 24 So I will bring the worst of the nations to take over the people’s houses. I will also end the pride of the rich. And their holy places will be dishonored. 25 When the people are suffering greatly, they will look for peace. But there will be none. 26 Disaster will come on top of disaster. Rumor will be added to rumor. Then they will try to get a vision from a prophet. Even the teachings of God from the priest will be lost. And advice from the elders will also be lost. 27 The king will cry greatly. The prince will give up hope. The hands of the people who owned land will shake with fear. I will punish them for the way they have lived. The way they have judged others is the way I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel’s Vision of Jerusalem
8 It was the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month of our captivity. I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah before me. There I felt the power of the Lord God. 2 I looked and saw something that looked like a man. From his waist down he looked like fire. From his waist up he looked like bright glowing metal. 3 He stretched out the shape of a hand. And he caught me by the hair on my head. The Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the sky. He took me in the visions of God to Jerusalem. He took me to the entrance to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple. The courtyard was where the idol was that caused God to be jealous. 4 The glory of the God of Israel was there. It was like what I had seen on the plain.
5 Then God said to me, “Human being, now look toward the north.” So I looked up toward the north. I saw an altar to the north of the gate. The idol that caused God to be jealous was in the entrance.
6 The Lord said to me, “Human being, do you see what they are doing? Do you see how many hated things the people of Israel are doing here? This will drive me far away from my Temple. But you will see things more hated than these.”
7 Then the Lord brought me to the entry of the courtyard. When I looked, I saw a hole in the wall. 8 The Lord said to me, “Human being, dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall and saw an entrance.
9 Then the Lord said to me, “Go in and see the terrible, evil things they are doing here.” 10 So I entered and looked. And I saw pictures of every kind of crawling thing. I saw awful beasts and all the idols of the people of Israel. They were carved on the wall all around. 11 Seventy of the elders of Israel were standing there. They were in front of these carvings and idols. Jaazaniah son of Shaphan stood with them. Each man had his pan for burning incense in his hand. A sweet-smelling cloud of incense was rising.
12 Then the Lord said to me, “Human being, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the dark? Have you seen each man in the room of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us. The Lord has left the land.’” 13 And he said to me, “You will see even more terrible things that they are doing.”
14 Then the Lord brought me to the opening of the north gate of the Temple. And I saw women sitting there crying for Tammuz.[a] 15 The Lord said to me, “Do you see, human being? You will see things even more terrible than these.”
16 Then the Lord brought me into the inner courtyard of the Temple. And I saw about 25 men. They were at the entrance to the Temple, between the porch and the altar. Their backs were turned to the Temple of the Lord. They faced east. They were worshiping the sun in the east.
17 The Lord said to me, “Do you see, human being? Is it unimportant that the people of Judah are doing the terrible things they have done here? They have filled the land with violence. They continually make me angry. Look, they are insulting me every way they can. 18 So I will act in anger. I will have no pity. I will not show mercy. Even if they shout in my ears, I won’t listen to them.”
Vision of the Angels
9 The Lord shouted with a loud voice in my ears. He said, “You who are chosen to punish this city, come near. Bring your weapon in your hand.” 2 Then six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north. Each had his powerful weapon in his hand. Among them was a man dressed in linen. At his side he had things to write with. The men went in and stood by the bronze altar.
3 Then the glory of the God of Israel went up. It had been above the creatures with wings. It moved to the place in the Temple where the door opened. Then the Lord called the man dressed in linen. He had the things to write with at his side. 4 The Lord said to him, “Go through Jerusalem. Put a mark on the foreheads of the people who groan and cry about all the terrible things being done among them.”
5 As I listened, the Lord spoke to the other men. He said, “Go through the city behind the man dressed in linen and kill. Don’t pity anyone. Don’t show mercy. 6 Kill and destroy old men, young men and women, little children and older women. But don’t touch anyone who has the mark on him. Start at my Temple.” So they started with the elders who were in front of the Temple.
7 And the Lord said to the men, “Make the Temple unclean. Fill the courtyards with those who have been killed. Go out!” Then the men went out and killed the people in the city. 8 While the men were killing the people, I was left alone. I bowed facedown on the ground. I cried out, “Oh, Lord God! Will you destroy everyone left alive in Israel when you turn loose your anger on Jerusalem?”
9 Then the Lord said to me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is very great. The land is filled with people who murder. And the city is full of people who are not fair. The people say, ‘The Lord has left the land. And the Lord does not see.’ 10 But I will have no pity. I will show no mercy. But I will bring their evil acts back on their heads.”
11 Then the man dressed in linen reported to the Lord. He was the man who had things to write with at his side. He said, “I have done just as you have commanded me.”
The Coals of Fire
10 Then I looked and saw the sky above the heads of the living creatures. I saw something like a sapphire gem. It looked like a throne. 2 The Lord said to the man dressed in linen, “Go in between the wheels under the living creatures. And fill your hands with coals of fire from between the living creatures. Scatter the coals over the city.”
As I watched, the man with linen clothes went in. 3 Now the living creatures were standing on the south side of the Temple when the man went in. And the cloud from the Lord filled the inner courtyard. 4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the living creatures. And it stood over the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled with the cloud. And the courtyard was full of the brightness from the glory of the Lord. 5 The sound of the wings of the living creatures was heard all the way to the outer courtyard. It was like the voice of God All-Powerful when he speaks.
6 The Lord commanded the man dressed in linen, “Take fire from between the wheels, from between the living creatures.” Then the man went in and stood by a wheel. 7 One living creature put out his hand to the fire that was among them. The living creature took some of the fire. And he put it in the hands of the man dressed in linen. The man took the fire and went out.
The Wheels and the Creatures
8 Something that looked like a man’s hand appeared under the wings of the living creatures. 9 I saw the four wheels by the living creatures. One wheel was by each living creature. The wheels looked like shining chrysolite. 10 All four wheels looked alike. Each looked like a wheel crossways inside another wheel. 11 When the wheels moved, they went in any of the directions that the four living creatures faced. The wheels did not turn about. The living creatures did not turn their bodies as they went. But they followed wherever their faces pointed. 12 All their bodies, their backs, hands, wings and the wheels were full of eyes all over. Now each of the four living creatures had a wheel. 13 I heard the wheels being called “whirling wheels.” 14 Each living creature had four faces. The first face was the face of a creature with wings. The second face was the face of a man. The third was the face of a lion. And the fourth was the face of an eagle.
15 The living creatures flew up. They were the same living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. 16 And when the living creatures moved, the wheels moved by their sides. The living creatures lifted their wings to fly up from the ground. And the wheels did not leave their sides. 17 When the living creatures stopped, the wheels stopped. When the creatures went up, the wheels went up also. This was because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
18 Then the glory of the Lord left the door of the Temple and stood over the living creatures. 19 The living creatures spread their wings. And they flew up from the ground while I watched. As they went up, the wheels stayed by their sides. They stood where the east gate of the Temple of the Lord opened. The glory of the God of Israel was over them.
20 These are the living creatures I had seen under the God of Israel. This was by the Kebar River. I knew they were called cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces. Each one had four wings. Things that looked like a man’s hands were under their wings. 22 Their faces looked the same as the ones I had seen by the Kebar River. They each went straight ahead.
Prophecies Against Evil Leaders
11 The Spirit lifted me up. And he brought me to the front gate of the Temple of the Lord. This gate faces east. I saw 25 men where the gate opens. I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. They were leaders of the people. They were among these 25 men. 2 Then the Lord said to me, “Human being, these are the men who plan evil. And they give wicked advice in this city of Jerusalem. 3 They say, ‘It is almost time for us to build houses. This city is like a cooking pot. And we are like the best meat.’ 4 So prophesy against them. Prophesy, human being.”
5 Then the Spirit of the Lord entered me. He told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: You have said these things, people of Israel. But I know what is going through your mind. 6 You have killed many people in this city. You have filled its streets with their bodies.
7 “So this is what the Lord God says: Those people you have killed and left in the middle of the city are like the best meat. And this city is like the cooking pot. But I will force you out of the city. 8 You have feared the sword. But I will bring a sword against you, says the Lord God. 9 I will force you out of the city. I will hand you over to strangers. I will surely punish you. 10 You will die by the sword. I will punish you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11 This city will not be your cooking pot. You will not be the best meat in the middle of the city. I will punish you at the border of Israel. 12 Then you will know that I am the Lord. You did not live by my rules. You did not obey my laws. You did the same things that the nations around you do.”
13 As I prophesied, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I bowed facedown on the ground. I shouted with a loud voice and said, “Oh no, Lord God! Will you completely destroy the Israelites who are left alive?”
Promise to Those Remaining
14 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 15 “Human being, the people still in Jerusalem have spoken about your relatives. And they have spoken about all the people of Israel who are captives with you. The people still in Jerusalem have said, ‘They are far from the Lord. This land was given to us as our property.’
16 “So say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I sent the people far away among the nations. I scattered them among the countries. But for a little while I have become a Temple to them in the countries where they have gone.’
17 “So say: ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the nations. And I will bring you together from the countries where you have been scattered. Then I will give you back the land of Israel.’
18 “They will come to this land. Then they will take away all the hated idols from the land. They will take all the terrible images from there. 19 I will give them a desire to respect me completely. I will put a new way to think inside them. I will take out the stubborn heart like stone from their bodies. Then I will give them an obedient heart of flesh. 20 Then they will live by my rules. They will obey my laws and keep them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But some people will want to serve their evil statues and hated idols. And I will pay them back for their evil ways, says the Lord God.”
Ezekiel’s Vision Ends
22 Then the living creatures lifted their wings. The wheels went beside them. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The glory of the Lord went up from inside Jerusalem. And it stopped on the mountain on the east side of the city. 24 The Spirit lifted me up. And he brought me to the captives who had been taken from Judah to Babylonia. He did this in a vision given by the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen ended. 25 And I told the things that the Lord had shown me. I told it to the captives from Judah.
Ezekiel Moves Out
12 Again the Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 2 “Human being, you are living among a people who refuse to obey. They have eyes to see, but they do not see. They have ears to hear, but they do not hear. This is because they are a family that refuses to obey.
3 “So, human being, pack your things as if you will be taken away captive. And walk away like a captive. Do this in the daytime with the people watching. Move from your place to another with the people watching. Maybe they will understand, even though they are a people who refuse to obey. 4 Bring out the things you would pack as a captive. Do it during the day when the people are watching. At evening go out with the people watching. Go like those who are taken away as captives from their country. 5 Dig a hole through the wall while they watch. Bring your things out through the hole. 6 Lift them onto your shoulders with the people watching. Carry them out in the dark. Cover your face so you cannot see the ground. I have made you a sign to the people of Israel.”
7 I did these things as I was commanded. In the daytime I brought out my things. I was packed, ready to go away as a captive. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I brought my things out in the dark. I carried them on my shoulders. And the people saw all this.
8 Then in the morning the Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 9 “Human being, Israel refuses to obey. Didn’t those people ask you, ‘What are you doing?’
10 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: This message is about the king in Jerusalem. And it is about all the people of Israel who live there.’ 11 Say, ‘I am a sign to you.’
“The same things I have done will be done to the people in Jerusalem. They will be taken away from their country as captives. 12 The king among them will put his things on his shoulder in the dark. And he will leave. The people will dig a hole through the wall to bring him out. He will cover his face so he cannot see the ground. 13 But I will spread my net over him. He will be caught in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Babylonians. He will not see that land, but he will die there. 14 All who are around the king I will scatter in every direction. I will scatter his helpers and all his army. I will chase them with a sword.
15 “Then they will know that I am the Lord. I will scatter them among the nations. And I will spread them among the countries. 16 But I will save a few of them from the sword. I will save a few from hunger and disease. Then they can tell about their hated actions among the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
The Lesson of Ezekiel’s Shaking
17 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 18 “Human being, shake as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water. 19 Then say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Lord God says about the people who live in Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their food with fear. And they will drink their water in shock. This is because their land will be made empty. This is because of the violence of the people who live in it. 20 And the cities where people live will become ruins. The land will become empty. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.