Bible in 90 Days
40 They even sent messengers to invite men to come from distant lands. And when they arrived, you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewels. 41 Then you reclined on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it upon which you had placed my incense and my oil. 42 Meanwhile, the shouts of a raucous mob were heard in the city, and they were brought in together with many of the rabble who had arrived from the wilderness in a drunken stupor. They put bracelets on the arms of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 Then I thought: This woman is worn out with endless acts of adultery, but nevertheless they carry on relentlessly their sexual acts with her. 44 For they came to her as men come to a prostitute. Thus, they came to Oholah and Oholibah, those wanton women. 45 However, righteous judges will declare them guilty of adultery and of bloodshed, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.
46 Thus says the Lord God: Convoke an assembly against them and deliver them over to terror and plunder. 47 The assembly shall stone them and slay them with their swords. They shall kill their sons and daughters and set their houses afire. 48 Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, so that all women will be solemnly warned not to commit any lewd acts as you have done. 49 They will inflict upon you the penalty for your lewdness, and you will suffer the consequences for your sins of idolatry. Thus, you will know that I am the Lord God.
Chapter 24[a]
Allegory of the Boiling Pot. 1 In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, this word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, write down the date of this day. For the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 Therefore, propose this parable to this tribe of rebels and say to them: Thus says the Lord God:
Set up the cooking pot on the fire
and pour in some water.
4 Put pieces of meat into it,
all the choice pieces, the leg and the shoulder;
fill it with choice bones.
5 Take the choicest animal from the flock,
and pile the wood beneath it.
Cook it thoroughly
and boil the bones in it.
6 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Woe to the bloody city,
the pot whose rust is in it,
the rust that cannot be removed.
Empty it piece by piece,
and do not bother casting lots.
7 For the blood she shed is in her midst;
she has poured it on a bare rock.
She did not pour it on the ground
where the soil would cover it.[b]
8 To stir up anger and take revenge,
I placed her blood on the bare rock
so that it would not be covered.
9 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Woe to the city running with blood.
I plan to build a great fire.
10 Heap on the wood,
and kindle the fire.
Mix in the spices,
and let the bones be thoroughly burned.
11 Stand the empty pot on the coals
so that it may become red-hot,
until the copper glows
and the filth inside it melts,
and its rust is consumed.
12 Yet not even with fire
will its rust disappear.
13 And when I expended my efforts
to cleanse you of your filthy lewdness,
you did not allow yourself
to be purged of your filth.
Now you shall not again be cleansed
until I have exhausted my anger upon you.
14 I, the Lord, have spoken. The time is coming, and I will take action. I will not refrain, nor will I spare, nor will I relent. You will be judged by your conduct and by what you have done, says the Lord God.
15 Death of Ezekiel’s Wife. This word of the Lord was addressed to me: 16 Son of man, with a single blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. However, you are not to lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan in silence, and do not mourn for the dead. Wrap your turban around your head, and put sandals on your feet. Do not cover your beard or eat the bread of mourners.
18 Therefore, I spoke to the people in the morning; in the evening my wife died. And on the following morning I did as I had been commanded. 19 Thereupon, the people said to me, “Will you not explain to us what all these things you are doing mean for us?”
20 Then I said to them: This is what the Lord God said to me, 21 “Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: I am prepared to desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold in which you take such pride, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.
22 “Then you shall do as I have done. You shall not cover your upper lip or eat the bread of mourners. 23 Your turbans shall remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You shall not mourn or weep. Further, you will waste away because of your iniquities and groan to one another. 24 Thus, Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you shall do just as he has done. When this occurs, then you will know that I am the Lord God.”
25 End of Ezekiel’s Muteness.[c] As for you, son of man, on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their crowning joy, the delight of their eyes, the joy of their hearts, as well as their sons and daughters, 26 on that day, a fugitive will come and report this news to you. 27 On that day, your mouth will be opened and you shall no longer be mute. Thus, you shall be a sign for them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Prophecies against Foreign Nations[d]
Chapter 25
Against Ammon. 1 The following word of the Lord was addressed to me: 2 Son of man, turn toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God: Because you raised shouts of joy over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it suffered devastation, and over the house of Judah when it went into exile, 4 therefore I am handing you over to the people of the East[e] to be their possession. They will establish their camps among you and pitch their tents in your midst. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5 I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and the towns of Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
6 For thus says the Lord: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and taken malicious delight in the fall of the land of Israel, 7 I therefore have stretched out my hand against you, and I will hand you over as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from other peoples and obliterate you as a country. I intend to completely destroy you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
Against Moab. 8 Thus says the Lord God: Because Moab said that the house of Judah is like all other nations, 9 therefore, I will lay open the flank of Moab, beginning with the towns on its frontier—Beth-jesimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim—the jewels of the country. 10 I will give both Moab and Ammon to the people of the East as their possession. As a result, Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. 11 Moreover, I will render judgment upon Moab, so that they will know that I am the Lord.
12 Against Edom. Thus says the Lord God: Since Edom has acted with vengeance against the house of Judah and has committed a grievous offense in taking vengeance upon them, 13 the Lord God has made this decision: I will stretch forth my hand against Edom and remove from it both people and animals. I will lay it waste from Teman as far as Dedan, and they will all fall by the sword. 14 I will wreak my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will treat Edom according to my anger and my fury. Thus they will know my vengeance, declares the Lord God.
15 Against Philistia. Thus says the Lord God: Inasmuch as the Philistines have engaged in endless hostilities with vengeance, and with malice in their hearts took revenge in destruction, 16 therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will stretch forth my hand against the Philistines, cut off the Cherethites, and destroy those remaining along the seacoast. 17 I will execute great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Therefore, they will know that I am the Lord when I exact my vengeance on them.
Chapter 26
Against Tyre.[f][g] 1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, Tyre has said in regard to Jerusalem:
Aha! The gateway to the nations has been shattered;
she has opened her doors to me.
Now that she lies in ruins,
her wealth will be mine.
3 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Behold, I am against you, O Tyre,
and as the sea raises up its waves,
I will raise up many nations against you.
4 They will destroy your walls, O Tyre,
and demolish your towers.
I will scrape away your soil
and reduce you to a bare rock.
5 You shall become a drying ground for nets
in the midst of the sea.
Thus I have decreed, says the Lord God,
you will become the prey of the nations,
6 and your towns on the mainland will be destroyed.
Thus, everyone will know that I am the Lord.
7 For thus says the Lord God: From the north I will bring against Tyre King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a large and powerful army.
8 He will put to the sword
the inhabitants of your neighboring towns.
He will construct siege-works against you,
surround you with a siege-ramp,
and raise his shields against you.
9 He will direct the power of his battering rams
against your walls
and demolish your towers with his axes.
10 His horses shall be so great in number
that you will be covered with their dust.
Your very walls will shake
from the noise of cavalry, wheels, and chariots
when he enters your gates,
like those entering a city
whose walls have been breached.
11 All of your streets will be trampled
by the hoofs of his horses.
He will put your people to the sword
and throw your massive pillars to the ground.
12 Your riches will be plundered,
and your merchandise will be looted.
They will tear down your walls,
and your fine houses will be destroyed.
Your stones and timber and even your rubble,
they will cast into the sea.
13 I will silence the music of your songs;
the sound of your lyres will no longer be heard.
14 I will make Tyre a bare rock,
a place where nets are spread to dry.
You shall never again be rebuilt,
for I, the Lord, have spoken,
says the Lord God.
15 Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Will not the islands quake at the noise of your fall, amid the groaning of your wounded and the slaughter taking place in your midst? 16 Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones, remove their robes, and take off their embroidered garments. Their bodies having been overcome with incessant trembling, they will sit on the ground, totally appalled at you. 17 Then they will raise a lament over you:
How you have perished, swept from the sea,
O greatly renowned city!
You were once mighty on the sea,
you and your inhabitants,
who used to spread terror
on all the mainland.
18 Now the coastlands tremble
on the day of your fall;
the islands of the sea
are appalled at your passing.
19 For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a ruined city, like other deserted cities, when I raise the deep over you and its mighty waters cover you, 20 then I will thrust you down with those who have descended into the pit, to the people of past ages, and I will force you to live in the netherworld, in the ruins of primeval times, with those who have gone down into the pit, so that you will never again be inhabited or take your place in the land of the living. 21 I will bring you to a horrible end, and you will be no more. People will search for you, but you will never be found again.
Chapter 27
Lamentation over Tyre. 1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, raise lament over Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre which is enthroned at the entrance to the sea and serves as the center of trade between the nations and many coastlands: Thus says the Lord God:
O Tyre, you often used to declare,
“I am a ship perfect in beauty.”
4 Your frontiers bordered the high seas,
and your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They used cypress from Senir[h]
to construct all your planks;
they took cedar of Lebanon
to make a mast above you.
6 From oaks of Bashan,
they made your oars;
they constructed your deck with cypress[i]
from the coasts of Kittim.
7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt
was used for your sail
and also for your flag.
Purple and scarlet from the coasts of Elishah[j]
served as your awnings.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
served as your oarsmen.
Skilled men of Zemer were aboard
to act as your sailors.
9 The elders and craftsmen were available
to caulk your seams.
All the ships of the sea with their sailors
came to you to trade for your wares.
10 Men from Persia and Lud and Put[k]
served as warriors in your army.
They proudly displayed on your walls
their shields and helmets to bring you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech
guarded your walls on every side,
while the men of Gamad manned your towers.
They hung their shields all around your walls,
thereby perfecting your beauty.
12 [l]Tarshish[m] traded with you because of the vast abundance of your wealth, exchanging silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares. 13 [n]Javan, Tubal, and Meshech also traded with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your merchandise.
14 Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, steeds, and mules for your wares. 15 The Rhodians dealt with you; many islands engaged in trade with you and paid you with ivory tusks and ebony. 16 Edom traded with you because of the large variety of your products; for your wares they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. 17 Judah and the land of Israel also traded with you, exchanging for your goods wheat, figs, honey, oil, and balm.
18 Damascus traded with you because of your great wealth, offering to you wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar. 19 [o]Danites and Javanites traded wrought iron, cassia, and aromatic cane from Uzal for your wares, 20 while Dedan traded with you for saddle blankets.
21 Arabia and all the sheikhs of Kedar were your customers, paying you with lambs, rams, and goats. 22 Merchants from Sheba and Raamah traded with you, offering in exchange the finest spices, every kind of precious stones, and gold.
23 Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you,[p] 24 offering in return rich garments, embroidered purple cloaks, and materials of many colors bound with cords that were firmly woven.
25 The ships of Tarshish were employed
as carriers for your wares.
Therefore, you were filled and heavily laden
as you sailed the high seas.
26 Your oarsmen rowed through deep waters
on their journey home.
But the east wind[q] wrecked you
when you were far out at sea.
27 Your riches, your goods, your cargo,
your sailors and your crew,
your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
and all their warriors and passengers
sank into the depths of the sea
on the day of your shipwreck.
28 The coasts will begin to quake
upon hearing the cries of your sailors.
29 Then those who handle the oars
will begin to desert their ships.
The sailors and all the seafaring people
will remain ashore.
30 They will mourn aloud over you
and weep bitterly.
They will throw dust on their heads
and roll in ashes.
31 They will shave their heads for you
and put on sackcloth.
For you, they will weep in anguish
and with heartfelt bitterness.
32 In their mourning, they will raise a dirge
and lament over you:
Who was ever destroyed like Tyre
in the midst of the sea?
33 When your goods were unloaded,
you satisfied a multitude of peoples.
You enriched the kings of the earth
with your abundant wealth and merchandise.
34 Now you have been demolished by the sea
in the watery depths.
Your merchandise and all your crew
have gone down with you.
35 All who dwell on the coastlands
are aghast at your fate.
Their kings are horrified;
their faces are convulsed.
36 The merchants among the nations
now hiss at you.
Destruction has overwhelmed you,
and you will be no more.
Chapter 28
The Prince of Tyre. 1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord God:
Your heart has grown proud,
and thus you say, “I am a god;
I sit on a godly throne
in the heart of the seas.”
But in reality you are a man, and not a god,
even though you compare your mind
with that of a god.
3 Are you as wise as Daniel?
Is no secret hidden from you?
4 By your wisdom and your intelligence,
you have amassed great wealth for yourself.
You have deposited gold and silver
into your treasuries.
5 Because of your skill in trading,
your wealth has greatly increased;
and as a result of your riches,
your heart is filled with arrogant pride.
6 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Because you consider your wisdom
to be equal to that of God,
7 I will bring foreigners against you,
the most barbarous of all the nations.
They will draw their swords
against the beauty of your wisdom
and defile your splendor.
8 They will hurl you down to the pit,
and you will die a violent death
in the heart of the seas.
9 Will you then still say, “I am a god,”
when your murderers confront you?
No, you are a man, not a god,
in the hands of those about to slay you.
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners.
I have spoken, declares the Lord God.
11 This word of the Lord was then addressed to me: 12 Son of man, raise a lament for the king of Tyre and say to him: Thus says the Lord God:
At one time, you were a model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God,
and adorned with every precious stone:
ruby, topaz, and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise, and jade.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created, they were made.
14 I appointed a cherub as your guardian;
you were on the holy mountain of God,
walking amid the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your behavior
from the day you were created,
until iniquity first appeared in you.
16 As a result of your abundant trade,
you became filled with violence, and you sinned.
Therefore, I cast you down in disgrace
from the mountain of God,
and the guardian cherub drove you out
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart had grown proud
because of your beauty,
and for the sake of your splendor,
you corrupted your wisdom.
I flung you to the earth,
so great was your guilt,
and I made you a spectacle to behold
in the sight of kings.
18 Because of the immense number of your crimes
and your dishonesty in business,
you profaned our sanctuaries.
Therefore, I have brought forth fire from your midst,
and I allowed it to devour you.
I have reduced you to ashes on the ground
for everyone to behold.
19 All of the nations who knew you
were aghast at your fate.
You have come to a hideous end,
and you will be no more.
20 Against Sidon. This word of the Lord came to me: 21 Son of man, turn toward Sidon[r] and prophesy against her, and say: 22 Thus says the Lord God:
I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will show my glory in your midst.
Then people will know that I am the Lord
when I inflict punishments on her
and manifest my holiness in her.
23 For I will send a plague upon her,
and there will be bloodshed in her streets.
And the dead shall fall in her midst
by the sword raised against her from all sides;
then they will know that I am the Lord.
24 No longer will the people of Israel have to endure thorns that wound, or briars that tear from hostile neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
25 Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of all the nations, then they will live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live there in safety, building houses and planting vineyards. They will live there in security while I inflict punishments upon all their neighbors who have despised them. Thus they will know that I am the Lord, their God.
Chapter 29
Against Egypt.[s] 1 In the tenth year, on the twelfth day of the tenth month, this word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man set your face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against the whole of Egypt. 3 Speak to him and say: Thus says the Lord:
Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh,
king of Egypt,
you great crocodile
lurking in the streams of the Nile,
you who claimed, “The Nile is mine;
it is I who made it.”
4 I will put hooks through your jaws
and cause the fish of your Nile
to stick to your scales.
Then I will draw you up
from the midst of its tributaries,
with all the fish of those channels
clinging to your scales.
5 I will fling you into the desert,
you and all the fish of your tributaries.
You will fall upon the open field
and not be taken up or buried.
I will give you as food
to the animals of the earth
and the birds of the air.
6 Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know
that I am the Lord.
The support they gave the Israelites
was no greater than a staff of reed.
7 When they grasped you,
you splintered in their hands.
Whenever they leaned on you, you broke,
causing all their limbs to give way.
8 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will bring a sword against you and cut off from your presence both man and animal. 9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate waste, and the inhabitants will know that I am the Lord.
Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I was the one who made it,” 10 therefore I am against you and your tributaries. I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste, from Migdol[t] to Syene, and even beyond to the frontiers of Ethiopia. 11 No human foot shall pass through it, nor shall any animal foot do so. It shall remain uninhabited for forty years. 12 I shall make Egypt the most desolate of countries, and its cities will be the most deserted of all those that have been laid waste for forty years. Moreover, I intend to scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them over foreign lands.
13 However, thus says the Lord God: After forty years have passed, I will gather the Egyptians back from the peoples among whom they were scattered. 14 I shall restore the fortunes of Egypt and resettle her people in the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they will become a lowly kingdom.
15 Egypt will be the most insignificant of kingdoms and never again will exalt itself above the nations. I will make them few in number so that it will never again rule over the nations. 16 Egypt will no longer be a nation for the house of Israel to trust in, but will rather be for Israel a reminder of its guilt when they turned to Egypt for help. Thus they will know that I am the Lord God.
17 Nebuchadnezzar’s Payment. In the twenty-seventh year, on the first day of the first month, this word of the Lord came to me: 18 Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has led his army in an exhausting campaign against Tyre. Everyone’s head was rubbed bare and the skin of every shoulder was raw, yet neither he nor his army derived any profit from the campaign he led against Tyre.
19 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I now intend to hand over the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He shall carry off its wealth, despoil and plunder it, and amass the wages for his army. 20 As regards payment for his toil, I have given him the land of Egypt because he and his army did it for me, says the Lord God.
21 On that day, I will make a horn sprout up for the house of Israel, and I will empower you to speak out in their midst. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
Chapter 30
The Lord’s Vengeance on Egypt.1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God:
Cry out, “Alas for the day!”
3 For near is the day.
The day of the Lord is near.
It will be a day of clouds,
a day of reckoning for the nations.
4 The sword will fall on Egypt,
and there will be anguish in Ethiopia
when the slain fall in Egypt,
when her riches are seized
and her foundations are destroyed.
5 Ethiopia and Put and Lud,
and all Arabia and Lybia,
and the people of the covenant land
will fall with them by the sword.
6 Thus says the Lord:
Those who support Egypt shall fall,
and her proud strength will be brought low.
From Migdol to Syene,
they shall fall by the sword,
says the Lord God.
7 They will be the most desolate of desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
in the midst of ruined cities.
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord
when I set fire to Egypt
and all her helpers are crushed.
9 On that day, I will commission messengers to hasten forth by ship at my command to strike terror into the hearts of the complacent Ethiopians, and anguish will afflict them on the day of Egypt’s destruction, which is near at hand.
10 Thus says the Lord God:
I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
11 He and his armed forces,
the most ruthless of the nations,
will be brought in to ravage the land.
They shall draw their swords against Egypt,
and the land will be covered with corpses.
12 I will dry up the channels of the Nile
and sell the land to wicked men.
By the hand of foreigners
the entire land and everything in it
will be laid waste.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 Thus says the Lord God:
I will destroy the idols
and put an end to the false gods in Memphis.
There will no longer be a prince in Egypt,
and I will instill terror in that land.
14 I will make Pathros a place of desolation;
I will set fire to Zoan
and inflict my punishments on Thebes.
15 I will pour forth my wrath upon Pelusium,[u]
the stronghold of Egypt,
and destroy the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt;
Syene shall writhe in agony.
Thebes shall be breached,
and its walls shall be demolished.
17 The young men of On and Pi-beseth
shall fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves
shall be taken into captivity.
18 At Tahpanhes, the day will turn into darkness
when I shatter the scepter of Egypt there,
and its proud might shall come to an end.
Egypt will be covered with a cloud,
and her villages will go into captivity.
19 These will be the punishments I inflict upon Egypt.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
20 Pharaoh’s Broken Arm. In the eleventh year, on the seventh day of the first month, this word of the Lord came to me: 21 Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. As you can see, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage to make it strong enough to wield a sword.
22 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I am prepared to move against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the uninjured one and the one that was broken, and make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand. However, I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will lie wounded and groaning before him like a dying man.
25 I will strengthen even more the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon for him to wield against the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them in foreign countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
Chapter 31
Allegory of the Great Cypress. 1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, this word of the Lord was addressed to me: 2 Son of man, say to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to his hordes:
What can compare in greatness with you?
3 Consider Assyria, formerly a cypress in Lebanon,
with beautiful branches and lofty in stature,
and its top above the thick foliage.
4 The waters nourished it;
deep springs caused it to grow tall;
those springs also made its rivers flow
around the place it was planted,
sending forth streams of water
to all the trees of the field.[v]
5 Therefore, it towered in height
above all other trees of the field.
Its branches grew long
because of the abundant water.
6 All the birds of the air
rested in its boughs.
Under its branches, all the wild animals of the field
gave birth to their young,
and numerous people of every race
dwelt in its shade.
7 It was beautiful and stately
in the length of its branches,
for its roots sank down
to a source of abundant water.
8 The cedars in the garden of God
could not compare with it,
nor could the fir trees equal its boughs.
No plane tree had such branches;
no tree in the garden of God
could equal its beauty.
9 I made it beautiful
with its mass of foliage;
it was the envy of all the trees in Eden
that were in the garden of God.
10 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because it grew to a towering stature, with its top reaching the clouds, and then became arrogant with pride about its height, 11 I handed it over to the prince of the nations.[w] I empowered him to deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have rejected it.
12 Foreigners from the most barbarous nations cut it down and abandoned it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys, and its boughs lie broken in every ravine throughout the land. All the peoples of the land fled from its shade and abandoned it.
13 On its fallen trunk
all the birds of the air rested,
and all the wild animals
sought shelter among its branches.
14 Thus, never again will any tree by the waters grow to a lofty height and stretch its top to the clouds, nor will any well-watered tree ever attain such a height.
For all of them are destined for death,
for the depths below,
along with all mortal beings
who go down to the abyss.
15 Thus says the Lord God: On the day it went down to Sheol, I closed the deep over it. I stopped its streams, and its mighty waters were held back. I cast gloom over Lebanon because of it, and all the trees of the countryside began to wither. 16 I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I hurled it down to Sheol with those who go down to the abyss. All the trees of Eden, the loveliest and the best of Lebanon, were consoled, all that were well watered. 17 Those who dwelt in its shade, its allies among the nations, went down with it to Sheol, to those killed by the sword.
18 Which among the trees of Eden was your equal in glory and greatness? Yet you have been hurled down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie in the company of the uncircumcised who have been slain by the sword. Thus, it will be for Pharaoh and all his hordes, says the Lord God.
Chapter 32
Lamentation over Pharaoh.[x] 1 In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, this word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, raise a lament for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt:
Lion of the nations, your end has come.
You are like a monster in the seas,
thrashing about in your streams,
churning up the water with your feet
and fouling the streams.
3 Thus says the Lord God:
When many nations are assembled,
I will throw my net over you
and haul you up in my seine.
4 I will throw you on the ground
and fling you onto an open field.
I will let all the birds of the air settle on you,
and I will urge all the beasts of the earth
to eat their fill of you.
5 I will strew your flesh on the mountains
and fill the valleys with your carcass.
6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood
all the way to the mountains,
and the riverbeds will be filled with your blood.
7 [y]When I blot you out,
I will cover the heavens,
and all their stars I will darken.
I will cover the sun with clouds,
and the moon shall not give its light.
8 All the shining lights in the heavens
I will dim because of you,
and I will spread darkness over your land,
says the Lord God.
9 I will grieve the hearts of many peoples
when I lead you as captives among the nations,
into countries unknown to you.
10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you,
and their kings will shudder in horror at your fate
when I brandish my sword in their presence.
On the day of your downfall,
each one will tremble for his life.
11 For thus says the Lord God:
The sword of the king of Babylon
will come against you.
12 I will demolish your hordes
with the swords of my warriors,
the most ruthless among the nations.
They shall cause the pride of Egypt to be shattered,
and all its hordes will be destroyed.
13 I will destroy all its livestock
on the shores of abundant waters.
No human foot will cause them further trouble,
nor shall the hooves of cattle disturb them.
14 Then I will make their waters crystal clear
and cause her streams to flow like oil,
says the Lord God.
15 When I have turned the land of Egypt
into a wasteland,
and when the land is stripped
of everything that was in it,
and when I strike down all its inhabitants,
then they shall know that I am the Lord.
16 This is a lamentation and it will be chanted;
the daughters of the nations[z] will chant it.
They shall raise the lamentation
over Egypt and all its hordes,
says the Lord God.
17 Lamentation over Egypt. On the fifteenth day of the first month in the twelfth year, this word of the Lord came to me:
18 Son of man, raise a cry of lament
over the hordes of Egypt
and the daughters of mighty nations
and consign them to the world below
with those who go down to the pit.
19 Say to them, “Whom do you surpass in beauty?
Go down and lie with the uncircumcised.”
20 They shall fall in the midst of those slain by the sword, and room will be made to accommodate them and their hordes. 21 From the depths of Sheol, the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and its allies, “They have come down, they and their allies; they lie there, the uncircumcised dead, slain by the sword.”
22 Assyria is there with all her hordes. Their graves surround her on all sides, all of them slaughtered, victims of the sword. 23 Their graves are located in the farthest depths of the pit, and her army lies around Egypt’s grave, all of them slain by the sword, after spreading terror in the land of the living.
24 Elam is there with all her hordes around Egypt’s grave, all of them slain by the sword. Having spread terror in the land of the living, they descended uncircumcised into the world below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. 25 A bed has been made for Elam among the slain with all her hordes’ graves surrounding it. All of them were uncircumcised, and they were slain by the sword for having spread terror in the land of the living. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit, and they have been placed among the slain.
26 Meshech and Tubal[aa] are there with the graves of their followers all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for they spread terror in the land of the living. 27 They do not lie with the fallen warriors of ages past who went down to the netherworld with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads and whose shields were placed over their bones, since they filled the land of the living with terror. 28 Therefore, you will lie broken among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword.
29 Edom is there, with her kings and all her princes; who, despite their might, have been placed with those slain by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.
30 All of the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there. They descended in shame with the slain because of all the terror that they caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those who were killed by the sword, and they bear their shame with those who descend into the pit.
31 When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his hordes slain by the sword—Pharaoh and all his army, says the Lord God. 32 Since he spread terror throughout the land of the living, he will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword—Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God.
Israel’s Restoration[ab]
Chapter 33
Ezekiel as Sentry. 1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, speak to your fellow countrymen and say to them: When I bring the sword upon a country, and the people of that country designate one of their number to be their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming against that country and blows his trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if any who hear the sound of the trumpet pay no attention to the warning, and the sword comes against them and destroys them, they shall bear the responsibility for their own death.
5 Since they had heard the sound of the trumpet and nevertheless ignored the warning, their blood will be on their own heads. But if they had heeded the warning, they would have saved their lives. 6 However, if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the trumpet to warn the people, and the sword then comes and slays anyone, I will hold the watchman responsible for that person’s death.
7 I have appointed you, son of man, as a watchman for the house of Israel. Therefore, whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must pass along my warning to them. 8 If I say to the wicked person, “You shall surely die,” and you do not speak up to warn that person to renounce his evil ways, he will die because of his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. 9 However, if you warn a wicked person to renounce his ways and repent, and he fails to do so, then he will die for his guilt, but you will have saved your life.
10 Message of Conversion.[ac] Son of man, say to the house of Israel: You continually complain, “Our crimes and our sins weigh heavily upon us, and we are wasting away because of them. How are we to go on living?” 11 Say to them: As I live, says the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather in their decision to turn from their evil ways and live. Repent and turn from your evil ways. Why should you die, O house of Israel?
12 As for you, son of man, say to your countrymen: The virtue of a righteous man will not save him when he transgresses. Nor will the evil deeds of a wicked man cause his downfall once he renounces his wickedness, any more than the righteous will be able to live by their righteousness when they sin.
13 If I say to the righteous that they will surely live, but then they presume on their righteousness and commit iniquity, none of their righteous deeds will be remembered. Because of the wrong they have done, they will die.
14 Again, if I say to the wicked that they will surely die, and then they turn away from sin and do what is lawful and upright, 15 give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, adhere to the practices that ensure life, and commit no wrongful acts, they shall surely live; they shall not die. 16 None of the previous sins they committed will be remembered against them. Because they have done what is lawful and upright, they shall surely live.
17 Yet your countrymen say, “The way of the Lord is not just,” when it is their own way that is not just. 18 When a virtuous man turns away from his righteous ways and does wrong, he shall die for it. 19 And when a wicked man turns from his wicked ways and does what is lawful and right, he shall live. 20 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” I will judge each one of you according to your ways, O house of Israel.
21 The Fugitive from Jerusalem.[ad] In the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth day of the tenth month, a fugitive arrived from Jerusalem and said to me, “The city has fallen.” 22 The evening before the fugitive had arrived, the hand of the Lord had come on me, but he had opened my mouth by the time the fugitive had come to me in the morning. Therefore, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer unable to speak.
23 Desolation in Judah. This word of the Lord then came to me: 24 Son of man, those people who live in the ruins of the land of Israel say repeatedly, “Even though he was merely one person, Abraham received possession of this country. But we are many in number. Surely the land has been given to us as our possession.”
25 Tell them this in response: Thus says the Lord God: You consume meat with the blood still in it, you raise your eyes to worship idols, and you shed blood. Should you then be permitted to possess the land? 26 You rely on your swords, you engage in abominable practices, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then be permitted to possess the land?
27 Give them this message: Thus says the Lord God: As I live, I swear that those who dwell in the ruins shall fall by the sword, those who live in the countryside I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those who inhabit dens and caves will die of the plague. 28 I will make the land a desolate waste, and its proud strength will come to an end. Furthermore, the mountains of Israel will be so desolate that no one will cross them. 29 Then they will know that I am the Lord when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the abominable deeds that they have committed.
30 Ezekiel’s False Popularity. As for you, son of man, your fellow countrymen gossip incessantly about you along the walls and in the doorways of houses, saying to one another, “Let us go to hear what message the Lord has to give us.” 31 My people come to you, as they are accustomed to do. They sit down in front of you and listen to your words, but they refuse to obey them. They flatter you with their lips, but their hearts are only interested in dishonest gain.
32 To them you are like a singer of lovely songs with a beautiful voice and skill in playing a musical instrument. They listen to your words, but they refuse to obey them. 33 But when all this comes to pass—and that moment is soon approaching—they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.
Chapter 34[ae]
The Shepherds of Israel.[af] 1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to you shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves. Should not shepherds rather feed their flock?
3 You have fed on their milk, you have clothed yourselves with their wool, and you have slaughtered the fatlings, but you have not fed the sheep. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, and you have not bandaged those who were injured. Nor have you bothered to bring back those who strayed or searched for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them with cruelty and harshness.
5 Therefore, they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and thus they became the prey of all the wild beasts. 6 My sheep were scattered, wandering aimlessly over all the mountains and on every high hill. My flock has been scattered over the entire world, with no one to inquire about them or search for them.
7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, says the Lord God, because my sheep are without a shepherd and thus have been ravaged and have become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds have not gone forth in search of my sheep, but have fed themselves and not been concerned about feeding my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.
10 Thus says the Lord God: I intend to punish the shepherds. I will remove the sheep from their charge and not allow them to feed the flock. As a result, the shepherds will no longer be able to feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths so that they will no longer use them for their food.
11 [ag]For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd goes forth in search of his flocks when they are scattered from him in every direction, so I will go forth in search of my sheep. I will retrieve them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
13 I will bring them back from among the peoples and gather them from foreign lands, I will lead them back to their own land and pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the inhabited areas of the country. 14 I will feed them in fertile pastures, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing grounds. There they will lie down on good grazing land and feed in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel.
15 I, myself, will pasture my sheep, and I, myself, will give them rest, says the Lord God. 16 I will search for those who are lost; I will bring back those who have strayed away. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong, I will destroy. I will shepherd my flock with justice.
17 Judgment of the Sheep.[ah]As for you, my flock, the Lord God says this: I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. 18 Is it not sufficient for you to graze on the best pasture land? Must you also trample with your feet on the rest of the pastures? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also foul the rest with your feet? 19 As a result, my sheep must graze on what you have trampled underfoot and drink what you have befouled with your feet.
20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have shoved with flank and shoulder and butted all the weak sheep with your horns until you have scattered them in every direction, 22 I will save my flock, and they will never again be treated unfairly. I will judge between one sheep and another.
23 [ai]I will raise up one shepherd, my servant David, to care for them. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince in their midst. I, the Lord, have spoken.
25 I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild animals so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the woods free from danger. 26 I will make them and the region surrounding my hill a blessing, and I will send them rain in due season that will be showers of blessing.
27 The trees of the field shall bear their fruit, and the soil will yield its crops. My people will be secure on their own soil and they will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the power of those who enslaved them.
28 They will no longer be plundered by the nations or devoured by the wild animals of the land. They will live in safety, and no one ever again will terrify them. 29 I will make their land bring forth abundant crops so that they will never again be the victims of famine or have to suffer the insults of the nations.
30 Thus, they will be assured that I, the Lord, their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord God. 31 You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord God.
Chapter 35[aj]
Against Edom. 1 This word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it. 3 Say to it: Thus says the Lord God:
Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir
I will stretch out my hand against you
and reduce you to a desolate waste.
4 I will lay your towns in ruins,
and you will become a wasteland.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5 Because you refused to cease an ancient feud,
you handed over the people of Israel
to the power of the sword
on the day of their distress,
the hour of their final punishment.
6 Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God,
blood shall be your destiny,
and it will pursue you.
Since by shedding blood you incurred guilt,
bloodshed will pursue you.
7 I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste
and prevent anyone from going there or departing.
8 I will fill its mountains with the slain;
those slain by the sword will fall
on your hills and in your valleys and ravines.
9 I will make you desolate forever,
and your towns will never again be inhabited.
Thus, you shall know that I am the Lord.
10 Because you said, “These two nations and the two lands will be mine, and we will take possession of them,” even though I, the Lord, was there, 11 therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, I will act with the same anger and jealousy that you showed in your hatred for them, and I will make myself known among you when I judge you.
12 You will know that I, the Lord, have heard of all the contemptible things you have uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They have been laid waste and have been given to us to devour.” 13 You made insolent remarks about me and showed no restraint in your insults, and I have heard them.
14 Thus says the Lord God: I will make you a desolate wasteland, and the entire earth will rejoice. 15 As you were unable to conceal your joy over the devastation of the heritage of the house of Israel, so will I treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Thus, they shall know that I am the Lord.
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