Bible in 90 Days
The Condition of Israel
2 How the Lord in his wrath
shamed[a] cherished[b] Zion!
He cast down from heaven to earth
the glory of Israel,
He did not remember his footstool[c]
in the time of his anger.
2 The Lord swallowed up without pity
all of Jacob’s habitations.
In his wrath he tore down
the strongholds of fair Judah.[d]
He cast to the ground in dishonor
both her kingdom and its rulers.
3 In his fierce wrath he cut off
all the strength[e] of Israel.
He withdrew his protection[f]
as the enemy approached.[g]
He burned Jacob like a blazing fire
consumes everything around it.
4 He bent his bow against us[h] as would an enemy,
his right hand cocked as would an adversary.
He has killed everyone in whom we took pride;
in the tent of cherished[i] Zion he poured out
his anger like fire.
5 The Lord has become like an enemy—
he has devoured Israel.
He has devoured all of her palaces,
destroying her fortresses.
He filled cherished Judah[j]
with mourning and lament.
6 He plowed under his Temple[k] like a garden,
spoiling his tent.
The Lord abolished in Zion
both festivals and Sabbaths.
In his fierce wrath he despised
both king and priest.
7 The Lord rejected his altar,
disavowing his sanctuary.
He gave up her palace walls
to the control of the enemy.
They shouted in the Lord’s Temple,
as though they were attending a day of celebration.
8 The Lord planned to destroy
the walls of cherished[l] Zion.
He measured them with his line.
He did not withhold his hand from destruction.
He made both ramparts and defensive walls mourn;
they languish together.
9 Jerusalem’s[m] gates collapsed to the ground;
he destroyed and broke the bars of her gates.[n]
Both king and prince have gone into captivity.[o]
There is no instruction,[p]
and the prophets receive
no vision from the Lord.
10 The leaders of cherished[q] Zion
sit silently on the ground;
they throw dust on their heads
and dress in mourning clothes.
The young women of Jerusalem
bow their heads in sorrow.[r]
11 My eyes are worn out from crying,
my insides are churning,
My emotions pour out in grief[s]
because my people are destroyed—
Children and infants faint
in the streets of the city.
12 They ask their mothers,
“Is there anything to eat or drink?”[t]
They faint in the streets of the city
like wounded men.
Their life ebbs away
while they lie on their mother’s bosom.
13 What can be said about you?
To what should you be compared, fair[u] Jerusalem?
To what may I liken you,
so I may comfort you, fair one[v] of Zion?
Indeed, your wound is as deep as the sea—
who can heal you?
14 Your prophets look on your behalf;
they see false and deceptive visions.
They did not expose your sins
in order to restore what had been captured.[w]
Instead, they crafted oracles for you
that are false and misleading.
15 Everyone who passes by on the road
shake their fists[x] at you.
They hiss and shake their heads
at cherished[y] Jerusalem:
“Is this the city men used to call ‘The Perfection of Beauty,’
and ‘The Joy of the Entire Earth’”?
16 All of your enemies
insult you with gaping mouths.
They hiss and grind their teeth while saying,
“We have devoured her completely.
Yes, this is the day that we anticipated!
We found it at last;[z] we have seen it!”
17 The Lord did what he planned.
He carried out his threat.
Just as he commanded long ago,
he has torn down without pity;
He let the enemy boast about you
and has exalted the power[aa] of your enemies.
18 Cry out from your heart to the Lord,
wall of fair[ab] Zion!
Let your tears run down like a river
day and night.
Allow yourself no rest,
and don’t stop crying.
19 Get up and cry aloud in the night,
at the beginning of every hour.[ac]
Pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord!
Lift up your hands toward him
for the lives of your children,
who are fainting away
at every street corner.
20 Look, Lord, and take note:
To whom have you done this?
Should women eat their offspring,
the children they have cuddled?
Should priests and prophets be slain
in the sanctuary of the Lord?
21 Young men and the aged
lie on the ground in the streets;
my young women and young men
have fallen by the sword.
You killed them in your anger,
slaughtering them without pity.
22 You have invited those who terrorize me to come around,
as if today were a festival.
No one has escaped or survived
the time of the Lord’s anger.
My enemy has finished off
those whom I cuddled and raised.
The Lord’s Purposes for Affliction
3 I am a man familiar with affliction—
under the rod of God’s[ad] anger.
2 He has led me—brought me
into darkness, not into light.
3 He truly turned his hand against me,
again and again, all day long.
4 He made my flesh and skin prematurely old;
he broke my bones.
5 He laid siege against me,
surrounding me with bitterness and suffering.
6 He has forced me to live in darkness,
like those who are long dead.
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
he placed heavy chains on me.
8 Indeed, when I cry out, calling for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
9 He impeded my way with blocks of stone,
making my paths uneven.
10 He is like[ae] a bear that lies in wait for me,
a lion in hiding.
11 He forced me off my path,
tearing me to pieces and making me desolate.
12 He bent his bow,
aiming at me with his arrow.
13 He caused his war arrows[af]
to pierce my vital organs.
14 I have become a laughingstock to all my people,
the object of their taunts throughout the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness,
making me drink wormwood.
16 He broke my teeth on gravel,
covering me with dust.
17 You have removed peace from my life;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.[ag]
18 So I say, “My strength is gone
as is my hope in the Lord.”
19 Remember my affliction and homelessness—
wormwood and gall!
20 My mind keeps reflecting on it,
and I become depressed.[ah]
21 This is what comes to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the Lord’s gracious love we are not consumed,
since his compassions never end.
23 They are new every morning—
great is your faithfulness!
24 “The Lord is all I have,”[ai] says my soul,
“Therefore I will trust in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the person who searches for him.
26 It is good to hope and wait patiently
for the Lord’s salvation.
27 It is good when a young man carries the yoke
of discipline[aj] in his youth.
28 He is to sit apart and remain silent,
because the Lord[ak] has laid it upon him.
29 Let him fall face down in the dust,
so there may yet be hope.
30 He will endure being slapped in the face,
bringing him public disgrace.
31 Indeed, the Lord will not always
reject us[al]—
32 though he causes grief,
his compassion abounds according to his gracious love.
33 For he does not deliberately hurt
or grieve human beings.
34 When any of the prisoners of the earth
are crushed underfoot,
35 when a person’s rights are perverted
in defiance of the Most High.
36 When a man is thwarted in his appeal,
does the Lord condone[am] it?
37 Who can command, and it happens,
without the Lord having ordered it?
38 Do not both good and evil things proceed
from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Why should anyone living complain,
any mortal, about being punished for sin?
40 Let us examine our lifestyles,
putting them to the test,
and turn back to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts
and our hands
to God in heaven.
42 As for us, we have sinned and rebelled;
but you have not pardoned us.[an]
43 Clothing yourself with anger, you pursued us.
You killed without pity,
44 You covered yourself with a cloud
that prayer cannot pierce.
45 You have reduced us to scum and garbage
among the nations.
46 All our enemies
jeer at us with gaping mouths.
47 Panic and pitfalls beset us,
along with devastation and ruin.
48 My eyes run with rivers of tears
over the destruction of my cherished[ao] people.
49 My tears pour[ap] down ceaselessly;
I am far from relief
50 until the Lord bends down
to see from heaven.
51 What I see[aq] grieves my soul
because of all the young women[ar] of my city.
52 My enemies hunted me like a bird,
viciously and without justification.
53 They dumped me alive into a pit,
sealing me in with stone.[as]
54 Water closed over my head,
and I said, “I’m a dead man.”[at]
55 I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths of the Pit,[au]
56 You heard my voice—
don’t close your ear to my sighs and cries.[av]
57 You drew near when I called out to you.
You said, “Stop being afraid”
58 Lord, you have defended my cause;
you have redeemed my life.
59 Lord, you observed how I have been wronged;
now make your ruling in my case.
60 You examined their plans for vengeance,
all of their plots against me.
61 Lord, you listened to their insults—
all their plots against me,
62 the whisperings of my opponents,
their scheming against me all day long.
63 Watch! Whether they sit down or stand up,
they mock me with their songs.
64 Pay them back, Lord,
according to their actions.
65 Give them an anguished heart;
may your curse be upon them!
66 Pursue them in your anger
and destroy them from under the Lord’s heaven.
Zion’s Punishment
4 How tarnished the gold has become,
the finest gold debased!
Sacred stones[aw] have been scattered
at every street corner.
2 Though the precious people of Zion
were like fine gold,
how they are valued like clay vessels,
the handiwork of a potter!
3 Even wild animals nurse,
suckling their young;
but the women of my people are cruel,
like ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The nursing child’s tongue
cleaves to its palate from thirst.
Young children beg for bread,
but no one gives them any.
5 Those who enjoyed delicacies
lie desolate in the streets.
Those who were reared wearing purple
scavenge in piles of trash.
6 The guilt of my cherished people surpasses the sin of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
without a hand to help her.
7 Her princes[ax] were purer than snow,
whiter than milk.
Their bodies were more ruddy[ay] than rubies,
their beards like the color of precious stones.
8 Now their faces are blacker than coal;
they are unrecognized in the streets.
Their skin clings to their bones;
it has become dry like a stick.
9 Those who die by the sword are better off
than those who die from starvation,
who slowly waste away like those pierced through
for lack of food from the fields.
10 With their own hands, compassionate women
boil their own children—
they become their food—
when my beloved people were[az] destroyed.
11 The Lord has exhausted his wrath,
pouring out his fierce anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion,
consuming its foundations.
12 None of the kings of the earth would have believed,
nor the world’s inhabitants,
that the adversary and the enemy
could have breached the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Due to the sins committed by her prophets,
and the iniquities of her priests
who shed in her midst,
the blood of the righteous,
14 people stagger around in the streets like the blind,
defiled by blood
unclean so that no one is able
to touch their clothing.
15 “Go away! Unclean!”
they shouted at them.
“Go away! Go away! Don’t touch!”
When they fled away and wandered,
those among the nations decreed,
“They cannot live here!”
16 The Lord himself separated them;
he will do nothing more for them.
They did not respect their own priests;
they did not honor their elders.
17 Our eyes failed,
searching in vain for hope;
we kept watching and looking
for a nation that would not help.
18 Our steps were closely stalked,
so we couldn’t travel on our own streets.
Our end is near,
our days are over;
indeed, our end has come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter
than soaring eagles;[ba]
they pursued us over the mountains,
lying in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The Lord’s anointed,
the breath of our life,
was captured in their pits.
About him we had said,
“Under his protection we will survive
among the nations.”
21 Celebrate and rejoice, you women[bb] of Edom,
who live in the land of Uz.
But to you the cup also will pass—
you will become drunk and stripped naked.
22 The punishment for your sin is complete, you women[bc] of Zion,
and God[bd] will no longer exile you.
He will punish your iniquity, you women[be] of Edom,
and he will expose your sins.
A Prayer for Deliverance
5 Lord, remember what has happened to us.
Pay attention, and look at our shame!
2 Our inheritance has[bf] been turned over to strangers,
and our homes to foreigners.
3 We are now orphans—without fathers—
and our mothers are like widows.
4 We pay to drink our own water,
and our own wood is sold to us at high price.
5 Our pursuers breathe down[bg] our necks;
we are weary, but there is no rest for us.
6 We made a deal with the Egyptians and the Assyrians
for the price of food.[bh]
7 Our ancestors sinned and no longer exist
yet we continue to bear the consequences of their sin.
8 Slaves rule over us,
and no one delivers us from their control.[bi]
9 We risk our lives to obtain our food,
facing death[bj] in the desert.
10 Our skin blisters[bk] as from an oven,
due to ravaging blasts of the famine.
11 They have raped women in Zion,
young women[bl] in the towns of Judah.
12 Princes they have hung by their hands;
elders[bm] they have disrespected.
13 Our[bn] young men must grind grain with a millstone;
our[bo] youths stumble under the weight of wood.
14 Our[bp] elders have ceased ruling[bq] at the gate;
our[br] young men have abandoned[bs] their music.
15 The joy of our hearts has ceased,
and our dancing has turned into dirges.
16 The crown has fallen from our head—
woe to us, because we have sinned!
17 This is why our hearts faint,
and why our eyes grow dim:
18 Because Mount Zion is desolate;
foxes roam around it.
19 You, Lord, are forever—
your throne endures from generation to generation.
20 So why have you completely forgotten us,
forsaking us for so long?
21 Restore us to yourself, Lord,
so that we may return.
Renew our days as before,
22 unless you have utterly rejected us
and are angry with us without limit.
An Introduction to Ezekiel’s Visions
1 On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year of the exile to Babylon,[bt] while I was among the captives on the bank of[bu] the Chebar River, heaven opened up and I saw visions from God.
The Vision of the Fire Cloud
2 On the fifth day[bv] of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s imprisonment in exile, 3 a message from[bw] the Lord came directly to Buzi’s son Ezekiel,[bx] the priest, by the Chebar River in the land of the Chaldeans.[by] The hand of the Lord rested upon him there.
4 I was amazed to see a wind storm blow[bz] in from the north, consisting of[ca] a massive cloud and fire that was flashing back and forth, surrounded by bright light. From deep within the cloud,[cb] something was shining that appeared to have a color like bronze that had been placed in fire until it glowed.
The Vision of the Four Beings
5 Deep inside it, the likenesses of four living beings were visible. Their appearances were similar to human forms, 6 except that they each had four faces, four pairs of wings,[cc] 7 and straight legs. Their feet resembled calves’ hooves, but they gleamed like polished bronze. 8 From under their wings there were human hands on their four sides.
Now as to their four faces and four pairs of wings, 9 their pairs of wings overlapped each other. They moved in straight directions without turning their faces around as they moved. 10 The form of their faces was human, but each of the four also had the face of a lion to the right, the face of an ox to the left, and the face of an eagle behind them.[cd] 11 That’s what their faces were like. Their wings spread out above and around them, one pair overlapping another, with one pair covering themselves. 12 Each moved in straight directions. Wherever they decided[ce] to go, they went without turning themselves.
13 Now, in the midst of the living beings there was something that[cf] appeared to glow like coals kindled by a fire,[cg] like torches that moved back and forth between the living beings. The fire was dazzling, and lightning flashed from the fire. 14 The living beings moved around, in appearance resembling lightning.
The Vision of the Wheels
15 As I observed the living beings, I noticed one wheel on the earth beside each being—that is, for the four of them.[ch] 16 Their wheels and their construction details looked like gold-colored beryl.[ci] Each wheel was identical in form to the others,[cj] and they appeared to have been constructed and designed as if one wheel were within another. 17 Whenever the four moved, no matter which of four directions, they moved without turning around.
18 Their wheel rims were ornate[ck] and terrifying. They were full of eyes that surrounded the four of them. 19 Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved, too. Whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 20 Whatever direction these spirits went, the wheels would be lifted up along with them, because the wheels were alive.[cl] 21 They moved around whenever they wanted to move around,[cm] and they stood still whenever they wanted to stand still;[cn] and whenever they rose from the earth, the wheels remained close beside them, because the wheels were also alive.[co]
The Vision of the Wings
22 There was spread out over the heads of the living beings what looked like a canopy,[cp] in outward appearance resembling ice, 23 and underneath the canopy, their wings spread out straight over their heads toward each other. They each also had two wings with which they covered themselves, one wing covering its body on one side and one wing covering itself on the other side.
24 I also heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of roaring[cq] water, like the voice of the Almighty, or like a boisterous crowd within an army camp. Whenever they stopped flying, they lowered their wings. 25 A sound came from above the canopy that was spread out over their heads. Whenever they stood still, they lowered their wings. 26 From above the canopy that was spread out over their heads, there appeared to be something reminiscent of a throne, resembling sapphire[cr] in form.
The Vision of the Glory of God
There was the likeness of the appearance of a human being seated on the likeness of the throne high above. 27 I noticed that from what appeared to look like his waist upward there was something that looked like metal that glowed as if it were immersed in fire. Below this there was something resembling fire, with a radiant light surrounding him. 28 The appearance of the radiant light resembled that of a rainbow shining in a cloud on a rainy day. This was what the appearance of the form of the glory of the Lord resembled. When I saw all of this,[cs] I fell flat on my face. Then I heard a voice speaking.
Ezekiel’s Commission to Prophesy
2 “Son of Man,” the Lord said,[ct] “get up on your feet. I want to talk to you.” 2 Even while he was speaking to me, the Spirit entered me, set me on my feet, and I listened to the voice that had been speaking to me.
3 “Son of Man, I’m sending you to that rebellious people, the Israelis, who have rebelled against me the same way their ancestors did. And they’re still rebels[cu] to this very day! 4 They’re stubborn[cv] and strong willed. I’m sending you to them to tell them what the Lord says. 5 Whether this rebellious group[cw] listens to you or not, at least[cx] they’ll realize that a prophet had appeared in their midst!
6 “Now as for you, Son of Man, never be afraid of them or of anything they have to say, because being with them will be like settling down to live among briers, thorn bushes, and scorpions! Don’t be afraid of anything they have to say, and don’t be awed by their appearance, since they are a rebellious group.[cy] 7 You are to tell them whatever I have to say to them, whether they listen or not, since they are rebellious.”
The Vision of the Edible Scroll
8 “Son of Man, you are to listen to what I tell you. You are never to be rebellious like they are: a rebellious group.[cz] Now, open your mouth and eat what I’m giving you…”
9 As I watched, all of a sudden there was a hand being stretched out in my direction! And there was a scroll 10 being unrolled right in front of me! Written on both sides were lamentations, mourning, and cries of grief.[da]
Ezekiel’s Commission to Prophesy
3 Then he told me, “Son of Man, eat! Eat what you see[db]—this scroll—and then go talk to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth and he fed me[dc] the scroll.
3 Then he told me, “Son of Man, fill your stomach and digest this scroll that I’m giving you.” So I ate it, and it was like sweet honey in my mouth.
4 Then he told me, “Son of Man, go to the house of Israel and tell them what I have to say to them, 5 because you’re not going to a people whose speech you cannot understand or whose language is difficult to speak. Instead, you’re going to the house of Israel. 6 This isn’t a large group of people whose speech is unintelligible to you or whose language is difficult for you to comprehend. Frankly, if I had sent you to that kind of people,[dd] they would certainly have listened to you! 7 But the house of Israel won’t listen to you, since they weren’t willing to listen to me. That’s because the entire house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. 8 So pay attention! I’m going to make you just as obstinate[de] and unyielding as they are.[df] 9 I’m making you harder than flint—like diamond! So you are not to fear them or be intimidated by how they look at you,[dg] since they’re a rebellious group.”
Ezekiel is Commissioned to Speak
10 Next, he told me, “Son of Man, take to heart every word that I’m telling you. Listen carefully, 11 then go immediately[dh] to the exiles; that is, to your people’s descendants, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says…’ whether they listen or not.”[di]
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up and I heard a great earthquake behind me and the glory of the Lord arose from his place, 13 accompanied by the sound of the wings of the living creatures gently touching each other and with the sound of the wheels emanating from the front, accompanied by a great earthquake.
Ezekiel Addresses the Israelis
14 Then the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. I went bitterly with an angry attitude as the hand of the Lord rested on me. 15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib by the Chebar River and sat down among them for seven days, appalled. 16 At the end of the seven days, this message from the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of Man,” he said,[dj] “I’ve appointed you to be a watchman[dk] over the house of Israel. Therefore when you hear a message that comes from me, you are to warn them for me.
18 “So when I say to a wicked person, ‘You’re about to die,’ if you don’t warn or instruct that wicked person that his behavior[dl] is wicked so he can live, that wicked person will die in his sin, but I’ll hold you responsible for his death.[dm] 19 If you warn the wicked person, and he doesn’t repent of his wickedness or of his wicked behavior,[dn] he’ll die in his sin, but you will have saved your own life.
20 “When a righteous man abandons his righteousness to practice unrighteousness, I’ll set a stumbling block before him. He’ll die. If you don’t warn him, he’ll die in his sin and the righteous deeds that he had practiced won’t be remembered, but you’ll be held responsible for his death.[do] 21 If you warn the righteous person, so that he[dp] doesn’t commit sin, then he’ll live, since he had been warned. And you will have saved your life.”
Ezekiel Sees God in the Valley
22 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he told me, “Get up! Go to the valley, and I’ll speak with you there.” 23 So I got up, went to the valley, and there was the glory of the Lord, standing there just like[dq] I had seen at the Chebar River. So I fell on my face.
24 The Spirit entered me, rested on me, caused me to stand on my feet, and then he spoke to me. This is what he had to say: “Go barricade yourself in your house. 25 Now pay attention! They’re going to bind you with ropes, tying you up right in their midst, so you won’t be able to circulate freely among them. 26 Meanwhile, I’ll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you’ll be mute and unable to reprove them, since they’re a rebellious group.[dr] 27 But when I speak with you, I’ll open your mouth so you can say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“As for those who will listen,
‘Let them listen,’
but as for those who refuse,
‘Let them refuse,’
since they’re a rebellious group.”’”[ds]
The Vision of the Brick
4 “And now Son of Man, you are to take a brick,[dt] set it in front of you, and inscribe on it the outline of[du] the city—that is, Jerusalem.[dv] 2 You are to lay siege against it, build a rampart around it, set a bulwark against it, encircle it with a berm, set up camps against it, and place battering rams around it. 3 Then you are to take a flat, iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city.
“Next, you are to turn toward it, oppose[dw] it, and place it under siege, because you are to lay siege to it. All of this will serve as a sign to the house of Israel.
4 “Now as for you, you are to sleep[dx] on your left side, symbolically[dy] bearing the punishment[dz] of the house of Israel while you’re counting the days you’ll be sleeping on your left side[ea] to bear symbolically[eb] the punishment for[ec] their sin. 5 I’ve assigned you to sleep this way for 390 days, representing the years they’ve been sinning,[ed] as you bear symbolically[ee] the punishment of the house of Israel. 6 When you have completed this, you are to sleep[ef] on your right side, symbolically[eg] bearing the iniquity of Judah for 40 days. Each day that I’ve assigned to you represents one year. 7 After this, you are to turn toward the rampart of Jerusalem and oppose[eh] it with your bare arms, because I’m going to prophesy about it. 8 Look! I’ll tie you up[ei] so that you’re unable to turn from one side to the other until you’ve completed your siege.”
Ezekiel’s Menu
9 “Furthermore, you are to take some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and mix them together in one container. Then you are to make bread from these grains sufficient to supply you through the time during which you’ll be sleeping on your side. You are to eat it for 390 days. 10 The food that you’ll be eating is to consist of portions weighing 20 shekels,[ej] to be consumed daily at regular intervals.[ek] 11 You are to measure one sixth of one hin[el] of water each time you drink it. 12 You are to eat it as barley cakes and bake it right in front of them, using dried human dung for cooking fuel.”[em]
13 Then the Lord said, “This is how the Israelis will be eating unclean food among the nations, where I’ll be sending them.”
14 “Now, Lord God,” I replied, “I’ve never been defiled, ever since I was young until now. I haven’t eaten an animal that died on its own or was torn by beasts, and no unclean meat has ever entered my mouth!”
15 “Very well,” he responded. “I’ll allow you to substitute cow’s dung for human dung. Cook your food[en] over that.”
16 He also told me, “Son of Man, look! I’m about to disrupt the source[eo] of bread in Jerusalem. As a result, they’ll ration bread by weight while their terror continues to grow and they’ll ration drinking water while their horror continues to mount! 17 Indeed, they’ll need bread and water, but everyone will be panic-stricken as they waste away in their iniquity.”
Ezekiel Shaves with a Sword
5 “Now as for you, Son of Man, you are to go find a sharp sword and use it like a barber’s razor. You are to cut your hair and beard. Then you are to take a weighing scale and divide your shaved hair into three parts.[ep] 2 You are to burn a third of it in the middle of the city when you’ve finished your siege. Next, you are to take another third of it and beat it with your sword. Last, you are to scatter the remaining third to the wind, after which I’ll unsheathe my sword and pursue them. 3 You are to preserve a few strands of hair and hide them in the folds[eq] of your garment. 4 Then you are to take a few strands, throw them in the fire, and incinerate them. A fire will proceed to the house of Israel from there.”
Jerusalem’s Desolation Predicted
5 “This is what the Lord God says, ‘This is Jerusalem. I placed her in the center of nations, with many[er] nations surrounding her. 6 But she rebelled against my ordinances and my statutes. She practiced more evil than all the nations and territories around her. They rejected my ordinances and didn’t live by[es] my statutes.’
7 “Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because you’re more disrespectful than the nations that surround you, you didn’t follow my statutes or follow my ordinances. You didn’t even follow the ordinances of the surrounding nations!’
8 “Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Watch out! I—that’s right, even I—am against you. I’ll carry out my sentence among you right in front of the nations. 9 In fact, I’m going to do what I’ve never done before and what I’ll never again do, because of all of your loathsome behavior: 10 Fathers will eat their children in your midst. After this, your sons will eat their fathers as I carry out my sentence against you and scatter your survivors to the winds!’
11 “Therefore, as sure as I live,” declares the Lord God, “because you’ve defiled my sanctuary with every loathsome thing and every abomination, I’ll restrain myself, and I’ll show neither pity nor compassion.[et] 12 A third of you will die by pestilence, starving because of the famine in your midst. Another third will die violently by the violence of war[eu] around you. The final third I’ll scatter to the wind as I unsheathe my sword to pursue them.
13 “Only then will I stop being angry—my burning in anger. Then they’ll know that I’ve spoken out in my arduous anger. Only then will my burning anger[ev] against them be exhausted. 14 I’m also going to turn you into a waste and an object of insult among the nations that surround you and in front of every person who passes by. 15 As a result, Jerusalem[ew] will become an insult, an object of taunt, an example of chastisement, and a useless waste to all the nations that surround you when I carry out my sentence against you in my anger, my burning rage, and my burning rebukes. I, the Lord, have spoken it. 16 I’ll send arrows of severe famine in their direction, meant for destruction, which I’ll shoot, intending to destroy them. I’ll make you have more and more famines that will attack you, and I’ll disrupt your source of food.[ex]
17 “I’ll send famine and wild beasts against you that will rob you of your children.[ey] Pestilence and bloodshed will devastate you when[ez] I’ll declare war on[fa] you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Prophecy against the Mountains of Israel
6 The Lord continued with his message to me. 2 “Son of Man,” he said, “turn your face to oppose the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. 3 Tell the mountains of Israel to listen as the Lord God speaks. This is what the Lord God has to say to the mountains, hills, streams, and the valleys: ‘Look! I’m about to bring my sword against you. I’m going to destroy your high places. 4 Your altars will become desolate and your sun pillars will be shattered. I’ll throw your slain down right in front of your idols. 5 I’ll place the corpses of the Israelis in front of their idols. I’ll scatter your bones around your altar. 6 In all the places where you live, the cities will be desolate. The high places will also be desolate so that your altars will be laid waste, bearing the punishment appropriate to them.[fb] Your idols will be shattered, your sun pillars will be hewn down, and your works will be obliterated. 7 The fatally wounded among you will fall, and at that time you’ll know that I am the Lord. 8 I’ll leave a remnant among you—those who will escape the sword when I’ll have scattered you throughout the earth. 9 Your survivors will remember me among the nations where they’ll be taken captives. I’ve been crushed by their unfaithful[fc] hearts that have turned against me. 10 Then they’ll know that I am the Lord. I didn’t declare this evil that’s intended for them[fd] without a reason.’”
11 This is what the Lord God says: “Clap your hands and stamp your feet! Say, ‘Oh, no!’ Because of all the detestable evil that has come from Israel’s house, they’ll fall by the sword, famine, and pestilence. 12 The one who lives far away will die by pestilence and the one who is near will die violently.[fe] The survivors and their surveillance details will die by famine as I exhaust my rage against them.
13 “You’ll learn[ff] that I am the Lord, when the fatally wounded will be among their idols, around their altars, on every hill, on top of the mountains, under every luxuriant tree, and under all the full-grown[fg] foliage—every place where they’ve offered fragrant aromas to all their idols. 14 I’ll stretch out my hands to strike[fh] them and send devastation to the land, from the wilderness of Diblah, throughout all their dwelling places. Then they’ll know that I am the Lord.”
The End has Come
7 This message from the Lord arrived for me: 2 “Son of Man, this is what Lord God says to the land of Israel: ‘It’s over! All four corners of the land are out of time! 3 Your time is up! I’m sending my anger against you to judge you according to how you live your lives,[fi] and I’m going to pay you back with the consequences of all your detestable practices. 4 I won’t be showing pity on you and I won’t be showing compassion. I’m going to turn your own lifestyles against you while your detestable practices remain among you. Then you’ll learn[fj] that I am the Lord.’”
One Bad Thing after Another
5 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘It’s one evil event after another!
“‘Look out! It’s coming!
6 “‘The end is coming!
“‘The end is here!
“‘And it’s looking in your direction![fk]
“‘Look out! It’s arrived!
7 “‘Your doom has come to you, you who live in the land. The time has arrived, and the day of confusion is near. There will be no shouts of joy on the mountains. 8 Very soon now, I’ll pour out my burning anger on you. I’ll complete expressing my anger at you, judge you according to your behavior, and repay you for all your detestable practices. 9 I won’t be showing pity or compassion. I’ll repay you according to your behavior while your detestable practices remain among you. And you’ll know that I, the Lord, have been attacking you.’”[fl]
The Harvest Approaches
10 “Look out! The day!
“Look out! It’s coming!
“Doom has blossomed.
“Arrogance has sprouted!
11 “Violence has matured into a branch that is wicked. No one will survive from that vast crowd, from their wealthy people, or from the famous among them.
12 “The time has come!
“The day has arrived.[fm] Don’t let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller lament, because wrath is coming to attack the entire multitude. 13 The seller won’t regain what he has sold while the crowd remains[fn] alive, because the vision concerning the entire multitude won’t be annulled. No person will be able to survive because of the sin in his life.
14 “They’ve sounded the alarm,[fo] and everyone is prepared, but no one is marching for battle, since I’m angry at the entire multitude. 15 The sword lurks outside, but pestilence and famine are on the prowl inside the house. Whoever is in the field will die by violence,[fp] while famine and pestilence will devour those in the city. 16 Fugitives will escape to the mountains like doves fleeing through the valleys, all of them moaning because of their own iniquity. 17 Every hand will be limp. Every knee will glisten with sweat.”[fq]
The Coming Terror
18 “They’ll clothe themselves with sackcloth, terror will overcome them, shame will cover their faces, and baldness will spread over their entire heads. 19 They’ll fling their silver into the streets, and their gold will be cast away as impure. Their silver and gold won’t be able to deliver them during the time[fr] of the Lord’s wrath. They won’t be able to satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs, because their iniquity has tripped them up.”
The Temple Defiled
20 “As for his beautiful ornament,[fs] he set it up in majesty, but they made detestable images and loathsome idols. Therefore, I’ll give them something loathsome— 21 I’ll give it as plunder into the control of strangers and as the spoils of war to the wicked who will invade the land to profane it. 22 I’ll turn my face away from them so that they’ll defile my treasured place. Robbers will enter and profane it!
23 “Forge a chain, because the land is full of bloody judgment and the city is filled with violence. 24 Therefore, I’m bringing the worst of the nations, who will take possession of their houses. I’ll cause the pride of the mighty to cease, and their sanctuaries will be profaned.
25 “When destruction comes, they’ll seek peace, but there will be none to be found. 26 Disaster upon disaster will come, followed by rumor after rumor. They’ll seek an oracle from the prophet, but the Law will be gone from the priests, and counsel from the elders.
27 “The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with desolation,[ft] and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I’ll deal with them according to their behavior and I will judge them by how they’ve judged. Then they’ll learn[fu] that I am the Lord.”
The Vision of Jerusalem
8 In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I had just sat down in my house, with the elders of Judah seated in front of me. All of a sudden, the hand of the Lord God touched me 2 and I saw a likeness comparable to the appearance of a man. From his thighs downward there was the appearance of fire, and from his waist upward, there was the appearance of brightness that looked like brass.
3 The form of a hand reached out and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and sky, brought me toward Jerusalem, and in visions that came from God took me through the doors of the inner gate that faced north, where an image that provoked God’s jealous anger had been erected.
4 All of a sudden, the glory of the God of Israel was there! It looked like what I had seen back in the valley. 5 Then he told me, “Son of Man, look up toward the north.”
So I looked off toward the north. Suddenly, off toward the north, facing the gate that led to the altar, the image that provoked God’s jealousy was standing near the entrance.
6 Then the Spirit[fv] told me, “Son of Man, don’t you see what they’re doing? The house of Israel practices awful, detestable things here, so I’m going far away from my sanctuary. But you’re about to see things even more detestable than these.”
Idol Worship in the Temple
7 Then the Spirit[fw] brought me to the entrance of the court. As I watched, all of a sudden, there was a[fx] hole in the wall! 8 Then he told me, “Son of Man, dig through the wall!” So I dug into the wall. That’s when I uncovered an entrance!
9 Then he told me, “Go on through that entrance, so you may see the wicked, detestable things that they’re committing here.”
10 So I entered, looked around, and there was every form of crawling thing, loathsome animals, and all kinds of idols from the house of Israel carved all around the wall. 11 I saw 70 men from the elders of the house of Israel standing among them, including Shaphan’s son Jaazaniah. Each man held a censer in his hand. As the scent of the cloud of incense ascended, 12 the Spirit[fy] asked me, “Do you see, Son of Man, what the elders of Israel’s house are doing in secret, each in the chamber of his own carved idol? They keep saying, ‘God doesn’t see us. The Lord has abandoned the land.’”
13 Then the Spirit[fz] told me, “You’re about to see even more detestable practices that they’re doing!”
Women Weeping for Tammuz
14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the gate to the Lord’s Temple, which faced the north. That’s where I saw women seated, weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then he asked me, “Do you see this, Son of Man? You’re about to see even more detestable practices than these.”
Sun Worship in the Temple
16 Then he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s Temple. There, at the entrance to the Lord’s Temple, between the porch and the altar, were 25 men, with their backs toward the Lord’s Temple and facing the east, prostrating themselves to the sun.
17 “Do you see this, Son of Man?” he asked me. “Is it an insignificant thing for Judah’s house to commit the detestable things that they’re doing here? They’ve filled the land with violence and turned away from me, causing me to become angry again. Look how they’re sniffing with their noses![ga] 18 I’m going to deal with them in rage and anger. I’ll show neither pity nor compassion. They’ll cry loudly directly in my ears, but I won’t listen to them.”
The Vision of the Executioners
9 Then the Spirit[gb] shouted right in my ears with a loud voice! “Come forward,” he said, “you executioners of the city, and bring your weapon of destruction in your[gc] hand!”
2 All of a sudden, I noticed six men approaching from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north. Each of them held a destructive weapon in his hand. Among them there was one man, clothed in linen, who was equipped with a writing set[gd] at his side. They went in and presented themselves beside the bronze altar. 3 Then the glory that is Israel’s God arose from the cherubim on which he had been seated and settled on the threshold of the Temple. He called out to the man dressed in linen who wore the writing case at his side.
4 The Lord told him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of everyone who sighs and moans over all of the loathsome things that are happening in it.”
5 As I continued to listen, he also told the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing. Don’t spare anyone you see, and don’t show pity of any kind. 6 You are to execute old men, young men, young women, little children, and women. But don’t touch anyone who has been marked. Begin at my Holy Place!” And so they started with the elders who were in standing in front of the Temple.
7 “Desecrate my Temple,” he told them, “and fill its courtyard with the dead!” So they went out and began striking down people throughout the city.
Ezekiel Intercedes for Israel
8 While they were out carrying out the executions, I was left alone. So I fell on my face and cried out, “O Lord God, are you going to destroy all of the survivors of Israel when you pour out your anger on Jerusalem?”
9 “The house of Israel and Judah is guilty—and theirs is a stubborn guilt, at that!” he replied to me. “The land is filled with blood, and the city overflows with injustice, because they keep saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land,’ and ‘The Lord isn’t watching.’ 10 So as for me, I’m not going to show pity, and I won’t look in their direction with mercy. I’m repaying them for what they have done.”
11 Then I noticed the man dressed in linen who wore the writing case by his side as he brought back this message: “I’ve done as you have commanded me.”
The Vision of God’s Throne
10 As I continued to watch, there on the expanse above the heads of the cherubim was a massive[ge] sapphire stone that resembled a throne in form and appearance. 2 The Lord[gf] spoke to the man who was clothed in white linen, telling him, “Go between the whirling wheels, under the cherubim, and fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim. Then scatter them[gg] over the city.” So he entered as I watched.[gh]
3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south[gi] side of the entrance to the Temple, when the man entered and a cloud filled the inner court. 4 The glory of the Lord rose above the cherub and moved to the threshold of the Temple. A cloud filled the Temple and the court was filled with the brilliance of the Lord’s glory. 5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim, reminiscent of the voice of the Sovereign God when he speaks, could be heard as far as the outer court.
6 He issued this order to the man who was clothed in white linen: “Take fire from within the whirling wheels, among the cherubim.” So he went and stood beside the wheels.
Ezekiel’s Vision of the Cherubim
7 Then a cherub stretched out his hand to the fire, which was among the cherubim, took some of the fire, and placed it in the hands of the one clothed in white linen, who took it and left. 8 There appeared to be human hands under the wings of the cherubim.
9 As I continued to watch, I observed four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub.[gj] The wheels resembled beryl stone. 10 In appearance, the four wheels looked like they consisted of a wheel within a wheel. 11 Whenever they moved, they proceeded without turning around as they moved, but they followed in the direction where their head was facing, without looking around as they moved.
12 Their entire bodies, backs, hands, and wings were filled with eyes around, including each of their four wheels. 13 The wheels whose sound I was hearing were called “the whirling wheels”. 14 Each had four faces. The first one was the face of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 The cherubim arose. These were the same beings that I had seen at the Chebar River. 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels went alongside them. But when the cherubim started to ascend, beating their wings to rise above the earth, the wheels beside them didn’t turn. 17 When they stood still, the wheels stood still. When they rose up, the wheels rose up, too, because they were alive.[gk]
18 Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the Temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 The cherubim lifted their wings and rose above the earth while I watched. They went out, along with their wheels, and stood at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple as the glory of Israel’s God remained above, covering them.
20 These were the living beings that I had seen under the God of Israel on the bank of the Chebar River. I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces. Each one had four wings, and the form of human hands could be seen under their wings. 22 As to the likeness of their faces, they were like what I had seen on the bank of the Chebar River. They each moved straight ahead.
The Vision of the Eastern Gate
11 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east facing gate of the Lord’s Temple. At the entrance of the gate I saw 25 men. Included among them were Azzur’s son Jaazaniah and Benaiah’s son Pelatiah, who were princes of the people.
2 Then he told me, “Son of Man, these men are plotting evil and are giving wicked advice in this city. 3 They keep saying, ‘The right time to build families[gl] hasn’t yet arrived. The city is the pot and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore you are to prophesy against them. Prophesy, Son of Man!”
God Rebukes those who Plot Evil
5 Just then the Spirit of the Lord took control of[gm] me and told me, “You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You’ve said, O house of Israel, that I know what goes through your mind.[gn] 6 You’ve increased the number of fatally wounded in this city and you’ve filled your streets with the dead.”
7 ‘Therefore this is what the Lord God says, “The corpses that you’ve laid out in your midst are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. But you’ll be taken out from the middle of it. 8 You’ve feared the sword,[go] but I’m bringing violent death in your direction,”[gp] declares the Lord God. 9 “I’m bringing you out from the middle of it and I’m going to deliver you into the hands of strangers, because I’m going to carry out my sentence against you. 10 You’re going to die violently,[gq] and I’ll judge you as far as the borders of Israel. Then you’ll learn[gr] that I am the Lord. 11 This city won’t be your cooking pot and neither will you be the meat in it, because I’m going to judge you as far as the borders of Israel. 12 Then you’ll learn[gs] that I am the Lord, because you didn’t live by my statues or obey my ordinances. Instead, you obeyed the ordinances of the nations around you.”’”
Ezekiel Reacts to Pelatiah’s Death
13 While I was prophesying, Benaiah’s son Pelatiah died, so I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice. “Ah, Lord God,” I said, “are you going to put an end to the survivors within Israel?”
14 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 15 “Son of Man, your brothers, your other relatives, your fellow exiles,[gt] and the entire house of Israel are the people to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They’ve abandoned the Lord. This land was given to us for an inheritance.’”
The Future Hope of Israel
16 “Therefore you are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “Although I’ve removed them far away to live among the nations, and although I’ve scattered them throughout the earth, yet I’ve continued to be their sanctuary, even for the short time that they will be living in the lands to which they’ve gone.”’
17 “Therefore you are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “I’m going to gather you from among the nations, assembling you from the lands among which you have been dispersed. I’ll give you the land of Israel. 18 When they return from there and cast away all of their loathsome things and detestable practices, 19 then I’ll give them a united heart, placing a new spirit within them.[gu] I’ll remove their stubborn heart[gv] and give them a heart that’s sensitive to me.[gw] 20 When they live by my statutes and keep my ordinances by observing them, then they’ll be my people and I will be their God. 21 But to those whose hearts delight in loathsome things and detestable practices, I’ll bring the consequences of their behavior crashing down on their own heads,” declares the Lord God.’”
The Cherubim Leave
22 Then the cherubim arose, with their wheels alongside, and the glory of Israel’s God remained above and over them. 23 The glory of the Lord went up from the middle of the city and stood on the mountain, east of the city. 24 Then in a vision from the Spirit of God, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Chaldea. At that point, the vision that I had been observing ended. 25 Later, I spoke to the exiles concerning everything the Lord had spoken that I had witnessed.
Ezekiel Packs for Exile
12 This message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of Man, you live in a rebellious house that has eyes to see, but they can’t see, and ears to hear, but they can’t hear, since they’re a rebellious house.
3 “So now, Son of Man, you are to prepare your luggage for a trip into exile, and then you are to leave during the daytime so they see you leaving. Leave from your place to another while they’re watching. Then perhaps they’ll realize that they’re a rebellious house.
4 “Bring out your luggage, like you’re packing to go into exile, and do this during the daytime while they’re watching you.[gx] Later that evening, leave while they’re watching you like someone heading into exile. 5 While they continue to watch, dig a hole for yourself in the wall and enter through it.
6 “While they’re watching, carry your luggage[gy] on your shoulder and go out in total[gz] darkness. Cover your face so that you won’t see the land, because I’m using you as a sign to Israel’s house.”
7 I did just as I was commanded. I brought out the luggage as if it were luggage for exile. I did this during the day. Then in the evening I dug a hole in the wall with my hand and brought the luggage out in total[ha] darkness and carried it out on my shoulder while they were watching.
The Meaning of the Message
8 The next morning, this message came to me from the Lord: 9 “Son of Man, didn’t the house of Israel, that rebellious house, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10 Answer them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “This oracle concerns the prince of Jerusalem and the whole of Israel’s house that is in their midst. 11 Tell them, ‘I’m a sign for you. Just as I enacted it,[hb] it’s going to happen to them. They’ll go into exile and captivity. 12 Then the prince, who will be one of them, will carry his luggage[hc] on his shoulder in the dark and will go out. They’ll dig a hole in the wall for him to go through. His face will be covered so that he won’t be able to see the land with his eyes. 13 But I’ll throw my net over him. As a result, he’ll be captured with my net, and with it I’ll bring him to Babel, the land of the Chaldeans. He won’t see it, though he’ll die there. 14 I’ll scatter every attendant who surrounds him, along with his entire army, to every wind. When I unsheathe my sword to pursue them, 15 they’ll learn[hd] that I am the Lord, when I’ve dispersed them among the nations and scattered them throughout the earth.”’”
The Purpose of the Surviving Remnant
16 “But I’ll preserve[he] a few people out of the violent death,[hf] famine, and pestilence, so they can recount their detestable practices among the nations when they’ll go there. Then they’ll know that I am the Lord.”
The Coming Devastation
17 This message came to me from the Lord: 18 “Son of Man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. 19 Then tell the people of the land, ‘This is what the Lord says to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to Israel’s land: “They’ll eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in trepidation, because their land will be desolate in its entirety due to all the violence committed by all who live in it. 20 The towns that are inhabited will lie in ruins, because the land will be devastated. Then they’ll learn[hg] that I am the Lord.”’”
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