Bible in 90 Days

The Visions Will Come True

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

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

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

Ezekiel Speaks Against False Prophets

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

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

¹⁰ “‘It is because they led my people away. They said, “Peace!” but there is no peace. When the people build a weak wall, the prophets cover it with whitewash to make it look strong. ¹¹ So tell those who cover a weak wall with whitewash that it will fall down. Rain will pour down. Hailstones will fall. And a stormy wind will break the wall down. ¹² When the wall has fallen, people will ask you, “Where is the whitewash you used on the wall?”

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

False Women Prophets

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

²⁰ “‘So this is what the Lord God says: I am against your magic charms. You use them to trap people as if they were birds. I will tear these charms off your arms. I will free those people you have trapped like birds. ²¹ I will also tear off your veils. I will save my people from your hands. They will no longer be in your power. You will not trap them. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ²² By your lies you caused the heart of the person who did right to be sad. I did not make him sad. You have encouraged the evil person not to stop being evil. And that would have saved his life. ²³ So you will not see any more false visions. You will not prophesy anymore. And I will save my people from your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Stop Worshiping Idols

14 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. ² Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said: ³ “Human being, these men love to worship idols. They put up evil things that cause people to sin. Should I allow them to ask me for help? ⁴ So speak to them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Any person in Israel might want to worship idols. He might even put up evil things that cause people to sin. Then he might come to the prophet. When he does, I, the Lord, will answer him. I will put him to death because he worshiped idols. ⁵ Then I will win back my people Israel. They have left me because of all their idols.’

⁶ “So say this to the people of Israel: ‘This is what the Lord God says: Change your hearts and lives. Stop worshiping idols. Stop doing all the things I hate. ⁷ Any Israelite or any foreigner in Israel can separate himself from me. He can do this by wanting to worship idols. Or he can put up the things that cause people to sin. Then if he comes to the prophet to ask me questions, I, the Lord, will answer him myself. ⁸ I will reject him. I will make him a sign and an example. I will separate him from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

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

Jerusalem Will Not Be Spared

¹² The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: ¹³ “Human being, sometimes the people of a country will sin against me by not being loyal. When that happens, I will use my power against them. I will cut off their supply of food. I will send them a time of hunger. I will destroy both their people and animals. ¹⁴ Three great men like Noah, Daniel and Job might be in that country. But their goodness could save only themselves, says the Lord God.

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

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

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

²¹ “This is what the Lord God says: I will send my four terrible punishments against Jerusalem. They are war, hunger, wild animals and disease. They will destroy people and animals from Jerusalem. ²² But some people will escape. Some sons and daughters will be led out. They will come out to you. You will see how they live. Then you will be comforted after the disasters I have brought against Jerusalem. You will be comforted after all the things I will bring against it. ²³ You will be comforted when you see how they live. You will know there was a good reason for what I did to Jerusalem, says the Lord God.”

Story of the Vine

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

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

The Lord’s Kindness to Jerusalem

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

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

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

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

Jerusalem Becomes a Prostitute

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

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

²³ “‘How terrible! How terrible it will be for you, says the Lord God. This is what you did after all these evil things. ²⁴ You built yourself a place to worship false gods. You made for yourself a place of worship in every city square. ²⁵ You built a place of worship at the head of every street. You made your beauty hateful. You offered your body for sex to anyone who passed by. Your sexual sins became worse and worse. ²⁶ You also committed shameful acts with the Egyptians. They were your neighbors and partners in sexual sins. Your sexual sins became even worse. And they caused me to be angry. ²⁷ So then, I used my power against you. I took away some of your land. I let those who hated you defeat you. They were the Philistine women. Even they were ashamed of your evil ways. ²⁸ Also, you committed shameful acts with the Assyrians because you could not be satisfied. You sinned sexually with them, but you still were not satisfied. ²⁹ You did even more sexual sins in the land of Babylonia. The Babylonians were traders. But you were not satisfied even with this.

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

³² “‘You are a wife who is guilty of adultery. You desire strangers instead of your husband. ³³ Men pay prostitutes, but you pay all your lovers. You pay them to come to you. And they come from all around and sin sexually. ³⁴ So you are different from other prostitutes. No one acts like a prostitute the same way you do. You give money, and no money is given to you. Yes, you are different.

The Prostitute Is Judged

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

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

⁴⁴ “‘Everyone who uses wise sayings will say this about you: “The daughter is like her mother.” ⁴⁵ You are like your mother. She hated her husband and children. You are also like your sisters. They hated their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite. And your father was an Amorite. ⁴⁶ Now your older sister is Samaria. She lived north of you with her daughters. And your younger sister Sodom lived south of you with her daughters. ⁴⁷ You followed their ways. And you did what they did. But you were even worse than they were in everything you did. ⁴⁸ As surely as I live, says the Lord God, this is true. Your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.

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

⁵³ “‘But I will give Sodom and her daughters their riches back. I will give Samaria and her daughters their riches back. And with them I will also give you back your riches. ⁵⁴ But you will have to suffer disgrace. You will feel ashamed for all the things you have done. You even gave comfort to your sisters in their sins. ⁵⁵ Your sisters are Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters. They will return to what they were before. You and your daughters will also return to what you were before. ⁵⁶ You would not even mention your sister Samaria when you were proud. ⁵⁷ Nor would you mention her before your evil was uncovered. And now the Edomite women and their neighbors say bad things about you. Even the Philistine women say bad things about you. Those around you hate you. ⁵⁸ You will be punished for your sexual sins and actions that I hate, says the Lord.

God Keeps His Promises

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

The Eagle and the Vine

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

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

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

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

Zedekiah Against Nebuchadnezzar

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

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

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

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

God Is Fair

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

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

⁵ “There may be a good person. This person does what is fair and right. ⁶ He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor’s wife. He does not have physical relations with a woman during her time of monthly bleeding. ⁷ He does not mistreat anyone. But he returns what was given as a promise for a loan. He does not rob other people. He gives bread to hungry people. He gives clothes to those who have no clothes. ⁸ He does not lend money to get too much interest or profit. He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He judges fairly between men. ⁹ He lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully. The person who does all these things is good. He will surely live, says the Lord God.

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

¹⁴ “But this son might have a son who has seen the sins his father did. But after seeing them, he does not do those things. ¹⁵ He does not eat at the mountain places of worship. He does not look to the idols of Israel for help. He does not commit adultery with his neighbor’s wife. ¹⁶ He does not mistreat anyone. He does not keep something promised for a loan. He does not steal. But he gives bread to the hungry people. He gives clothes to people without clothes. ¹⁷ He keeps his hand from doing wrong. He does not take too much interest or profit when he lends money. He obeys my laws and lives by my rules. He will not die for his father’s sin. He will surely live. ¹⁸ But his father took other people’s money unfairly. He robbed his brother. He did what was wrong among his people. So he will die for his own sin.

¹⁹ “But you ask, ‘Why is the son not punished for the father’s sin?’ The son has done what is fair and right. He obeys all my rules. So he will surely live. ²⁰ It is the person who sins that will die. The son will not be punished for the father’s sin. The father will not be punished for the son’s sin. The person who does right is responsible for his own goodness. The evil person is responsible for his own evil.

²¹ “But the evil person might stop doing all the sins he has done. And he might obey all my rules and do what is fair and right. Then he will surely live. He will not die. ²² His sins will be forgotten. Now he does what is right. So he will live. ²³ I do not really want the evil person to die, says the Lord God. I want him to stop his bad ways and live.

²⁴ “But a person who does right might stop doing good and do wrong. And he might do the same hated things an evil person does. Will he live? All his good acts will be forgotten. This is because he became unfaithful. He has sinned. So he will die because of his sins.

²⁵ “But you say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ Hear now, people of Israel. I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair! ²⁶ A good person might stop doing good. He might do wrong and die because of it. He will die because he did wrong. ²⁷ An evil person might stop doing the evil things he has done. And he might do what is fair and right. He will save his life. ²⁸ He thought about it and stopped doing all the sins he had done. He will surely live. He will not die. ²⁹ But the people of Israel still say, ‘What the Lord does isn’t fair.’ People of Israel, I am fair. It is what you do that is not fair.

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

A Sad Song for Israel

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

This is a funeral song. It is to be used as a funeral song.”

Israel Has Refused God

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

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

⁴ “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, human being? Let them know the hated things their fathers did. ⁵ Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord God says: I chose Israel and made a promise to the descendants of Jacob. At that time I made myself known to them in Egypt. I promised them, “I am the Lord your God.” ⁶ At that time I promised them I would bring them out of Egypt. I promised to bring them into a land I had chosen for them. This is a land where much food grows. It is the best of all lands. ⁷ I said to them, “Each one of you must throw away the hateful idols you have set your eyes on. Don’t make yourselves unclean with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

⁸ “‘But they turned against me and refused to listen to me. They did not throw away the hated idols which they saw and liked. They did not leave the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out my anger against them in the land of Egypt. ⁹ But I acted to show who I am. I did not allow myself to be dishonored before the nations where the Israelites lived. I made myself known to the Israelites. I did this by bringing them out of Egypt while the nations were watching. ¹⁰ So I took them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert. ¹¹ I gave them my rules. I told them about my laws. If a person obeys them, he will live. ¹² I also gave them my Sabbaths. They were to be a sign between us. Then they would know that I am the Lord. I make them holy.

¹³ “‘But in the desert Israel turned against me. They did not follow my rules. They rejected my laws. But if a person obeys them, he will live. They dishonored my Sabbaths. Then I decided to pour out my anger against them and destroy them in the desert. ¹⁴ But I acted for the sake of my name. I did not allow it to be dishonored before the nations. As the nations watched, I had brought the Israelites out of Egypt. ¹⁵ But in the desert I had to make another promise to the Israelites. I had to promise I would not bring them into the land I had given them. It is a land where much food grows. It is the best of all the lands. ¹⁶ This is because they rejected my laws. They did not follow my rules. They dishonored my Sabbaths. They would rather worship their idols. ¹⁷ But I had pity on them. I did not destroy them. I did not put an end to them in the desert. ¹⁸ I said to their children in the desert, “Don’t live by the rules of your fathers. Don’t obey their laws. Don’t make yourselves unclean with their idols. ¹⁹ I am the Lord your God. Live by my rules. Obey my laws and do them. ²⁰ Keep my Sabbaths holy. They will be a sign between me and you. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

²¹ “‘But the people turned against me. If a person obeys my laws, he will live. But they did not live by my rules. They were not careful to obey my laws. They dishonored my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out my anger against them. I decided to carry out my anger against them in the desert. ²² But I held back my anger. I acted for the sake of my name. Then my name would not be dishonored with the nations watching. As the nations watched, I had brought the Israelites out from Egypt. ²³ Also in the desert I had to make a promise to the Israelites. I had to promise to scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries. ²⁴ This is because they did not obey my laws. They had rejected my rules and dishonored my Sabbaths. And they worshiped the idols of their ancestors. ²⁵ I also allowed them to follow rules that were not good. And they followed laws by which they could not live. ²⁶ I let the Israelites make themselves unclean by the gifts they brought to their false gods. They sacrificed their oldest children in the fire. This is how I shocked them so they would know that I am the Lord.’

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

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

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

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

⁴⁵ Now the Lord spoke his word to me. He said: ⁴⁶ “Human being, look toward the south. Prophesy against the south. Prophesy against the forest of the southern area. ⁴⁷ Say to that forest: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord God says: I am ready to start a fire in you. The fire will destroy all your green trees and all your dry trees. The flame that burns will not be put out. All the land from south to north will be burned by the fire. ⁴⁸ Then all the people will see that I, the Lord, have started the fire. It will not be put out.’”

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

Babylon, the Lord’s Sword

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

⁶ “So, human being, groan with breaking heart and great sadness. Make these sad sounds in front of the people. ⁷ They will ask you, ‘Why do you make these sad sounds?’ Then you will say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear. All hands will become weak. Everyone will be afraid. All knees will become weak as water. Look, it is coming. It will happen, says the Lord God.’”

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

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

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

Jerusalem to Be Destroyed

¹⁸ The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: ¹⁹ “Human being, mark two roads that the king of Babylon and his sword can follow. Both of these roads will start from the same country. And make signs where the road divides and one way goes toward the city. ²⁰ One sign shows the road he can take with his sword to Rabbah. It is in the land of the Ammonites. And the other sign shows the road he can take to Judah and Jerusalem. Jerusalem is protected with strong walls. ²¹ The king of Babylon will come to where the road divides into two. He will use magic. He will throw lots with arrows. He will ask questions of his family idols. He will look at the liver of a sacrificed animal to learn where he should go. ²² The lots will tell him to go toward his right to Jerusalem. They will tell him these things: Use logs to break down the city gates. Shout the battle cry and give the order to kill. Build a dirt road to the top of the walls and devices to attack the walls. ²³ The people of Jerusalem have made agreements with other nations to help them fight Babylon. So they will think this prediction is wrong. But the king of Babylon will remind them of their sin. And he will capture them.

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

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

The Punishment of Ammon

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

The Sins of Jerusalem

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

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

¹³ “‘So with my fists I will hit you who have stolen money and you who have murdered people. ¹⁴ Will you still be brave and strong when I punish you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will act. ¹⁵ I will scatter you among the nations. I will spread you through the countries. I will get rid of your uncleanness. ¹⁶ But you, yourself, will be dishonored in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Israel Is Worthless

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

Sins of the People

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

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

Samaria and Jerusalem

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

⁵ “Samaria left me. She went to her lover, Assyria. The Assyrians were warriors. ⁶ They wore blue uniforms. And all of them—governors, commanders and horsemen—were handsome. ⁷ Samaria became a prostitute for all the important men in Assyria. And she made herself unclean with all the idols of everyone she desired. ⁸ She continued the prostitution she began in Egypt. When she was young, she slept with men. They touched her breasts and sinned sexually with her.

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

¹¹ “Her sister Jerusalem saw what happened to Samaria. And so Jerusalem became worse than her sister in her sexual desire and prostitution. ¹² She also desired the Assyrians. All of them—governors, commanders, warriors dressed in uniform, and horsemen—were handsome. ¹³ I saw that both girls were alike. Both of them were prostitutes.

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

God’s Judgment on Jerusalem

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

²⁸ “This is what the Lord God says: You became sick of your lovers. But I am giving you to those men you now hate. ²⁹ They will treat you with hate and take away everything you worked for. They will leave you empty and naked. Everyone will know about the sinful things you did. Your sexual sins ³⁰ have brought this on you. You have made yourselves unclean by worshiping their idols. ³¹ You did the same things your sister did. So you will get the same punishment.

³² “This is what the Lord God says:

I have spoken, says the Lord God.

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

Judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem

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