1
In the [a] thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the
fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the
2 On the fifth of
the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin-
3 the word of the LORD came
to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, [b] by the Kebar
River in the land of the Babylonians. [c] There the hand of the LORD was upon him.
4 I looked, and I
saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing
lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like
glowing metal, 5 and in the
fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was
that of a man, 6 but each
of them had four faces and four wings. 7
Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like
burnished bronze. 8 Under
their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them
had faces and wings, 9 and
their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not
turn as they moved.
10 Their faces
looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side
each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had
the face of an eagle. 11
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings,
one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering
its body. 12 Each one went
straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as
they went. 13 The
appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like
torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and
lightning flashed out of it. 14
The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
15 As I looked at
the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its
four faces. 16 This was the
appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite,
and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a
wheel. 17 As they moved,
they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels
did not turn about [d] as the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and
awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living
creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures
rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the
wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures
was in the wheels. 21 When
the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also
stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along
with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Spread out
above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse,
sparkling like ice, and awesome. 23
Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each
had two wings covering its body. 24
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of
rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, [e] like the tumult of an army. When they stood
still, they lowered their wings.
25 Then there came
a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered
wings. 26 Above the expanse
over their heads was what looked like a throne of
sapphire, [f] and high above on the throne was a figure
like that of a man. 27 I
saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as
if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant
light surrounded him. 28
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the
radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of
the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of
one speaking.
1
He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to
you." 2 As he spoke,
the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to
me.
3 He said:
"Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation
that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt
against me to this very day. 4
The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them,
'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' 5
And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they
will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or
their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and
you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by
them, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen
or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not
rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give
you."
9 Then I looked,
and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me.
On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.
1 And he said to
me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and
speak to the house of
3 Then he said to
me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach
with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 He then said to
me: "Son of man, go now to the house of
10 And he said to
me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak
to you. 11 Go now to your
countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign
LORD says,' whether they listen or fail to listen."
12 Then the Spirit
lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound—May the glory of the
LORD be praised in his dwelling place!- 13
the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and
the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. 14 The Spirit then lifted me up
and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with
the strong hand of the LORD upon me. 15
I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the
16
At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: 17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman
for the house of
20 "Again,
when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a
stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will
die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered,
and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and
he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have
saved yourself."
22 The hand of the
LORD was upon me there, and he said to me, "Get up and go out to the
plain, and there I will speak to you." 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory
of the LORD was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the
24 Then the Spirit
came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: "Go, shut
yourself inside your house. 25
And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you
cannot go out among the people. 26
I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be
silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak to you, I
will open your mouth and you shall say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign
LORD says.' Whoever will listen let him listen, and
whoever will refuse let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
1 "Now,
son of man, take a clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw the city of
Jerusalem on it. 2 Then lay
siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps
against it and put battering rams around it. 3 Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall
between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege,
and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of
4 "Then lie
on your left side and put the sin of the house of
6 "After you
have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the
sin of the house of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. 7 Turn your face toward the siege
of
9 "Take wheat
and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and
use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it
during the 390 days you lie on your side. 10 Weigh out twenty shekels [b] of food to eat each day and eat it at set
times. 11 Also measure out
a sixth of a hin [c] of water and drink it at set times. 12 Eat
the food as you would a barley cake; bake it in the sight of the people, using
human excrement for fuel." 13
The LORD said, "In this way the people of
14 Then I said,
"Not so, Sovereign LORD! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until
now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No unclean
meat has ever entered my mouth."
15 "Very
well," he said, "I will let you bake your bread over cow manure
instead of human excrement."
16 He then said to
me: "Son of man, I will cut off the supply of food in
1 "Now, son
of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor to shave your head
and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. 2 When the days of your siege
come to an end, burn a third of the hair with fire inside the city. Take a
third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to
the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword. 3 But take a few strands of hair
and tuck them away in the folds of your garment. 4 Again, take a few of these and throw them into the
fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to the whole house of
5 "This is
what the Sovereign LORD says: This is
7 "Therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: You have been more unruly than the
nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have
not even [a] conformed to the standards of the nations
around you.
8 "Therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself am against you,
13 "Then my
anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged.
And when I have spent my wrath upon them, they will know that I the LORD have
spoken in my zeal.
14
"I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in
the sight of all who pass by. 15
You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the
nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and
with stinging rebuke. I the LORD have spoken. 16 When I shoot at you with my
deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will
bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food. 17 I will send famine and wild
beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed
will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the LORD have spoken."
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, set your face against the mountains of
8 " 'But I
will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered
among the lands and nations. 9
Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will
remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have
turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols.
They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their
detestable practices. 10
And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this
calamity on them.
11 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Strike your hands
together and stamp your feet and cry out "Alas!" because of all the
wicked and detestable practices of the house of
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to the
5 "This is
what the Sovereign LORD says: Disaster! An unheard-of [a] disaster is coming. 6 The end has come! The end has come! It has roused
itself against you. It has come! 7
Doom has come upon you—you who dwell in the land. The time has come, the day is
near; there is panic, not joy, upon the mountains. 8 I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my
anger against you; I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for
all your detestable practices. 9
I will not look on you with pity or spare you; I will repay you in accordance
with your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know
that it is I the LORD who strikes the blow.
10
"The day is here! It has come! Doom has burst forth, the rod has
budded, arrogance has blossomed! 11 Violence has grown into [b] a rod to punish wickedness; none of the
people will be left, none of that crowd—no wealth, nothing of value. 12 The time has come, the day has
arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller
grieve, for wrath is upon the whole crowd. 13 The seller will not recover the land he has sold as
long as both of them live, for the vision concerning the whole crowd will not
be reversed. Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve his life. 14 Though they blow the trumpet
and get everything ready, no one will go into battle, for my wrath is upon the
whole crowd.
15 "Outside
is the sword, inside are plague and famine; those in the country will die by
the sword, and those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague. 16 All who survive and escape
will be in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valleys, each because of
his sins. 17 Every hand
will go limp, and every knee will become as weak as water. 18 They will put on sackcloth and
be clothed with terror. Their faces will be covered with shame and their heads
will be shaved. 19 They
will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be an unclean
thing. Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the day of the LORD's wrath. They will not satisfy their hunger or fill
their stomachs with it, for it has made them stumble into sin. 20 They were proud of their
beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols and vile images.
Therefore I will turn these into an unclean thing for them. 21 I will hand it all over as
plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth, and they will
defile it. 22 I will turn
my face away from them, and they will desecrate my treasured place; robbers
will enter it and desecrate it.
23 "Prepare
chains, because the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of violence.
24 I will bring the most wicked of the nations to take possession of their
houses; I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries
will be desecrated. 25 When
terror comes, they will seek peace, but there will be none. 26 Calamity upon calamity will
come, and rumor upon rumor. They will try to get a vision from the prophet; the
teaching of the law by the priest will be lost, as will the counsel of the
elders. 27 The king will
mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of
the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by
their own standards I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
1
In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in
my house and the elders of
5 Then he said to
me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked, and in the
entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy.
6 And he said to
me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable
things the house of
7 Then he brought
me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, "Son of
man, now dig into the wall." So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway
there.
9 And he said to
me, "Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing
here." 10 So I went in
and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things
and detestable animals and all the idols of the house of
12 He said to me,
"Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of
14 Then he brought
me to the entrance to the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women
sitting there, mourning for Tammuz. 15
He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are
even more detestable than this."
16 He then brought
me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to
the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With
their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they
were bowing down to the sun in the east.
17 He said to me,
"Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the house of
1
Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, "Bring the guards of the city
here, each with a weapon in his hand." 2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of
the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With
them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in
and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory of
the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved
to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in
linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, "Go
throughout the city of
5 As I listened,
he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without
showing pity or compassion. 6
Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch
anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the
elders who were in front of the temple.
7 Then he said to
them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!" So
they went out and began killing throughout the city. 8 While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell
facedown, crying out, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! Are you going to destroy the
entire remnant of
9 He answered me,
"The sin of the house of
11 Then the man in
linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, "I have
done as you commanded."
1
I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of sapphire [a] above the expanse that was over the heads
of the cherubim. 2 The LORD
said to the man clothed in linen, "Go in among the wheels beneath the
cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and
scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in.
3 Now the cherubim
were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud
filled the inner court. 4
Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the
threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of
the radiance of the glory of the LORD. 5
The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer
court, like the voice of God Almighty [b] when he speaks.
6 When the LORD
commanded the man in linen, "Take fire from among the wheels, from among
the cherubim," the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then one of the cherubim
reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and
put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. 8 (Under the wings of the
cherubim could be seen what looked like the hands of a man.)
9 I looked, and I
saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the
wheels sparkled like chrysolite. 10 As for their appearance, the
four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 11 As they moved, they would go
in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn
about [c] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in
whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. 12 Their entire bodies, including
their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were
their four wheels. 13 I heard
the wheels being called "the whirling wheels." 14 Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was
that of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion,
and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 Then the
cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the
18 Then the glory
of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above
the cherubim. 19 While I
watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they
went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance to the east gate
of the LORD's house, and the glory of the God of
Israel was above them.
20 These were the
living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the
1
Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the
LORD that faces east. There at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men,
and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 The LORD said to me, "Son of man, these
are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city. 3 They say, 'Will it not soon be
time to build houses? [a] This city is a
cooking pot, and we are the meat.' 4
Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of
man."
5 Then the Spirit
of the LORD came upon me, and he told me to say: "This is what the LORD
says: That is what you are saying, O house of
7 "Therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: The bodies you have thrown there are the
meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. 8 You fear the sword, and the
sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. 9 I will drive you out of the
city and hand you over to foreigners and inflict punishment on you. 10 You will fall by the sword,
and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of
13 Now as I was
prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah
died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, "Ah, Sovereign
LORD! Will you completely destroy the remnant of
14 The word of the
LORD came to me: 15
"Son of man, your brothers—your brothers who are your blood relatives [b] and the whole house of Israel—are those of
whom the people of Jerusalem have said, 'They are [c] far away from the LORD; this land was given
to us as our possession.'
16
"Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Although I sent
them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for
a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they
have gone.'
17 "Therefore
say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will
gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you
have been scattered, and I will give you back the
18 "They will
return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19 I will give them an undivided
heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of
stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20
Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be
my people, and I will be their God. 21
But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable
idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the
Sovereign LORD."
22 Then the
cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the
God of Israel was above them. 23
The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the
mountain east of it. 24 The
Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in
Then the vision I had seen went up from me,
25 and I told the exiles
everything the LORD had shown me.
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to
see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious
people.
3 "Therefore,
son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch,
set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will
understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4 During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your
belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go
out like those who go into exile. 5
While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it.
6 Put them on your shoulder
as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you
cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of
7 So I did as I
was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in
the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at
dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.
8 In the morning
the word of the LORD came to me: 9
"Son of man, did not that rebellious house of
10 "Say to
them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This
oracle concerns the prince in
"As I have done, so it will be done to
them. They will go into exile as captives.
12 "The
prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a
hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so
that he cannot see the land. 13
I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring
him to
15
"They will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations
and scatter them through the countries. 16 But I will spare a few of them from the sword,
famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge
all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
17 The word of the
LORD came to me: 18
"Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you
drink your water. 19 Say to
the people of the land: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about those
living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in
anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of
everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. 20 The inhabited towns will be
laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the
LORD.' "
21 The word of the
LORD came to me: 22
"Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the
26 The word of the
LORD came to me: 27
"Son of man, the house of
28 "Therefore
say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled,
declares the Sovereign LORD.' "
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of
8 "
'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words
and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. 9 My hand will be against the
prophets who see false visions and utter lying
divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in
the records of the house of
10 " 'Because
they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace,
and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover
it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will
send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will
people not ask you, "Where is the whitewash you covered it with?"
13 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath
I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain
will fall with destructive fury. 14
I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to
the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it [b] falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you
will know that I am the LORD. 15
So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with
whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who
whitewashed it, 16 those
prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her
when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD." '
17
"Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who
prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say, 'This is what the
Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists
and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people.
Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19 You have profaned me among my
people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people,
who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have
spared those who should not live.
20 "
'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms
with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I
will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from
your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know
that I am the LORD. 22
Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them
no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil
ways and so save their lives, 23
therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will
save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD.' "
1
Some of the elders of
6 "Therefore
say to the house of
7 " 'When any
Israelite or any alien living in Israel separates himself from me and sets up
idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then
goes to a prophet to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer him myself. 8 I will set my face against that
man and make him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from my people.
Then you will know that I am the LORD.
9 " 'And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD
have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and
destroy him from among my people
12
The word of the LORD came to me: 13
"Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I
stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon
it and kill its men and their animals, 14
even if these three men—Noah, Daniel [a] and Job—were in it, they could save only
themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.
15 "Or if I
send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it
becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, 16 as surely as I live, declares
the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save
their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be
desolate.
17 "Or if I
bring a sword against that country and say, 'Let the sword pass throughout the
land,' and I kill its men and their animals, 18 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD,
even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or
daughters. They alone would be saved.
19 "Or if I
send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath upon it through bloodshed,
killing its men and their animals, 20
as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job
were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only
themselves by their righteousness.
21 "For this
is what the Sovereign LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send against
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better
than that of a branch on any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from it to make anything
useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? 4 And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and
the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? 5 If it was not useful for
anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful
when the fire has burned it and it is charred?
6 "Therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As I have given the wood of the vine
among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people
living in
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, confront
6 " 'Then I
passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your
blood I said to you, "Live!" [a] 7 I made you grow like a plant of
the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels. [b] Your breasts were formed and your hair
grew, you who were naked and bare.
8 " 'Later I
passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love,
I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave
you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign
LORD, and you became mine.
9
" 'I bathed [c] you with water and washed the blood from
you and put ointments on you. 10
I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I
dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. 11 I adorned you with jewelry: I
put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose,
earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with gold
and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered
cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful
and rose to be a queen. 14
And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the
splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD.
15
" 'But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a
prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your
beauty became his. [d] 16
You took some of your garments to make gaudy high
places, where you carried on your prostitution. Such things should not happen,
nor should they ever occur. 17
You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and
silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with
them. 18 And you took your
embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before
them. 19 Also the food I
provided for you—the fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you
offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the
Sovereign LORD.
20 " 'And you
took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to
the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? 21 You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them [e] to the idols. 22 In all your detestable practices and your
prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked
and bare, kicking about in your blood.
23
" 'Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all
your other wickedness, 24
you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. 25 At the head of every street
you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, offering your body with
increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. 26 You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your
lustful neighbors, and provoked me to anger with your increasing promiscuity. 27 So I stretched out my hand
against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your
enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd
conduct. 28 You engaged in
prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even
after that, you still were not satisfied. 29 Then you increased your promiscuity to include
30 " 'How weak-willed you are, declares the Sovereign
LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! 31 When you built your mounds at
the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square,
you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
32 " 'You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own
husband! 33 Every
prostitute receives a fee, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them
to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. 34 So in your prostitution you are the opposite of
others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for
you give payment and none is given to you.
35 "
'Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the LORD! 36 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you
poured out your wealth [g] and exposed your nakedness in your
promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because
you gave them your children's blood, 37
therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure,
those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from
all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see all your
nakedness. 38 I will
sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood;
I will bring upon you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. 39 Then I will hand you over to
your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty
shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and
leave you naked and bare. 40
They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces
with their swords. 41 They
will burn down your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many
women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your
lovers. 42 Then my wrath
against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will
be calm and no longer angry.
43 " 'Because you did not remember the days of your youth
but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head
what you have done, declares the Sovereign LORD. Did you not add lewdness to
all your other detestable practices?
44 " 'Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about
you: "Like mother, like daughter." 45 You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised
her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who
despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your
father an Amorite. 46 Your
older sister was
49 " 'Now this was the sin of your sister
53 "
'However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria
and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, 54 so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of
all you have done in giving them comfort. 55 And your sisters,
59 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will deal with you
as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. 60 Yet I will remember the
covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an
everlasting covenant with you. 61
Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters,
both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them
to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. 62 So I will establish my
covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD. 63 Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have
done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because
of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of
5
" 'He took some of the seed of your land and put it in fertile soil.
He planted it like a willow by abundant water, 6 and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its
branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a
vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.
7
" 'But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage.
The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted
and stretched out its branches to him for water. 8 It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so
that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.'
9 "Say to
them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will it
thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers?
All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to
pull it up by the roots. 10
Even if it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when
the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?' "
11 Then the word
of the LORD came to me: 12
"Say to this rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean?'
Say to them: 'The king of
16 " 'As
surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, he shall die in Babylon, in the
land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose
treaty he broke. 17 Pharaoh
with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when
ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives. 18 He despised the oath by
breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all
these things, he shall not escape.
19 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as
I live, I will bring down on his head my oath that he despised and my covenant
that he broke. 20 I will
spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to
22 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a
shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender
sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain heights of
" 'I the LORD
have spoken, and I will do it.' "
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the
" 'The fathers eat sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
3 "As surely
as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb
in Israel. 4 For every
living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the
son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
5 "Suppose
there is a righteous man
who does what is just and right.
6 He does not eat
at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of the house of
He does not defile his neighbor's wife
or lie with a woman during her period.
7 He does not
oppress anyone,
but returns what he took in pledge for a
loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
8 He does not lend
at usury
or take excessive interest. [a]
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
and judges fairly between man and man.
9 He follows my
decrees
and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;
he will surely live,
declares the Sovereign LORD.
10 "Suppose
he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things [b] 11
(though the father has done none of them):
"He eats at the mountain shrines.
He defiles his neighbor's wife.
12 He oppresses
the poor and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.
13 He lends at
usury and takes excessive interest.
Will such a man live? He will not! Because
he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his
blood will be on his own head.
14 "But
suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though
he sees them, he does not do such things:
15 "He does
not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of the house of
He does not defile his neighbor's wife.
16 He does not
oppress anyone
or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.
17 He withholds
his hand from sin [c]
and takes no usury or excessive interest.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.
He will not die for his father's sin; he
will surely live. 18 But
his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his
brother and did what was wrong among his people.
19 "Yet you
ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has
done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he
will surely live. 20 The
soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the
father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of
the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked
will be charged against him.
21 "But if a
wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my
decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. 22 None of the offenses he has
committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he
has done, he will live. 23 Do
I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares
the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and
live?
24 "But if a
righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same
detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous
things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is
guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.
25 "Yet you
say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of
30
"Therefore, O house of
1
"Take up a lament concerning the princes of
" 'What a lioness was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among the young lions
and reared her cubs.
3 She brought up one
of her cubs,
and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he devoured men.
4 The nations
heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
to the
5 " 'When she
saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a strong lion.
6 He prowled among
the lions,
for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he devoured men.
7 He broke down [a] their strongholds
and devastated their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.
8 Then the nations
came against him,
those from regions round about.
They spread their net for him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
9 With hooks they
pulled him into a cage
and brought him to the king of
They put him in prison,
so his roar was heard no longer
on the mountains of
10 " 'Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard [b]
planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.
11 Its branches
were strong,
fit for a ruler's scepter.
It towered high
above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
and for its many branches.
12 But it was
uprooted in fury
and thrown to the ground.
The east wind made it shrivel,
it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
and fire consumed them.
13 Now it is
planted in the desert,
in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire spread
from one of its main [c] branches
and consumed its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
fit for a ruler's scepter.'
This is a lament and is to be used as a
lament."
1
In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of
2 Then the word of
the LORD came to me: 3
"Son of man, speak to the elders of
4
"Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then
confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers 5 and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose
8 " 'But they
rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the
vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of
13 " 'Yet the
people of
21 " 'But the
children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not
careful to keep my laws—although the man who obeys them will live by them—and
they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and
spend my anger against them in the desert. 22 But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name
I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in
whose sight I had brought them out. 23
Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would disperse
them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my
laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes
lusted after their fathers' idols. 25
I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not
live by; 26 I let them
become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn [a] —that I might fill them with horror so they
would know that I am the LORD.'
27
"Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them,
'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your fathers blasphemed me
by forsaking me: 28 When I
brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill
or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that
provoked me to anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their
drink offerings. 29 Then I
said to them: What is this high place you go to?' " (It
is called Bamah [b] to this day.)
30
"Therefore say to the house of
32 " 'You
say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who
serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen. 33 As surely as I live, declares
the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched
arm and with outpoured wrath. 34
I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you
have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with
outpoured wrath. 35 I will
bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will
execute judgment upon you. 36
As I judged your fathers in the desert of the
39 " 'As for you, O house of
45
The word of the LORD came to me: 46
"Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and
prophesy against the forest of the southland. 47 Say to the southern forest: 'Hear the word of
the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to set fire to you,
and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will
not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. 48 Everyone will see that I the
LORD have kindled it; it will not be quenched.' "
49 Then I said,
"Ah, Sovereign LORD! They are saying of me, 'Isn't he just telling
parables?' "
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, set your face against
6 "Therefore
groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. 7 And when they ask you, 'Why are
you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart
will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will
become faint and every knee become as weak as water.' It is coming! It will
surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD."
8 The word of the
LORD came to me: 9
"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord says:
" 'A sword,
a sword,
sharpened and polished-
10 sharpened for
the slaughter,
polished to flash like lightning!
" 'Shall we
rejoice in the scepter of my son Judah ? The sword despises every such stick.
11 " 'The
sword is appointed to be polished,
to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
made ready for the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry out and wail, son of man,
for it is against my people;
it is against all the princes of
They are thrown to the sword
along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.
13 " 'Testing
will surely come. And what if the scepter of
14 "So then,
son of man, prophesy
and strike your hands together.
Let the sword strike twice,
even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter—
a sword for great slaughter,
closing in on them from every side.
15 So that hearts
may melt
and the fallen be
many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter [a]
at all their gates.
Oh! It is made to flash like lightning,
it is grasped for slaughter.
16 O sword, slash
to the right,
then to the left,
wherever your blade is turned.
17 I too will
strike my hands together,
and my wrath will subside.
I the LORD have
spoken."
18 The word of the
LORD came to me: 19
"Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of
24 "Therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you people have brought to mind
your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you
do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.
25 " 'O
profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of
punishment has reached its climax, 26
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It
will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be
brought low. 27 A ruin! A
ruin! I will make it a ruin! It will not be restored until he comes to whom it
rightfully belongs; to him I will give it.'
28 "And you,
son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about the
Ammonites and their insults:
" 'A sword,
a sword,
drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
and to flash like lightning!
29 Despite false
visions concerning you
and lying divinations about you,
it will be laid on the necks
of the wicked who
are to be slain,
whose day has come,
whose time of punishment has reached its
climax.
30 Return the
sword to its scabbard.
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,
I will judge you.
31 I will pour out
my wrath upon you
and breathe out my fiery anger against
you;
I will hand you over to brutal men,
men skilled in destruction.
32 You will be
fuel for the fire,
your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered no more;
for I the LORD have spoken.' "
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed?
Then confront her with all her detestable practices 3 and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
O city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles
herself by making idols, 4
you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled
by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end
of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the
nations and a laughingstock to all the countries. 5 Those who are near and those who are far away
will mock you, O infamous city, full of turmoil.
6 " 'See how
each of the princes of
13 " 'I will
surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the
blood you have shed in your midst. 14
Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in
the day I deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I
will do it. 15 I will
disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries; and I
will put an end to your uncleanness. 16
When you have been defiled [b] in the eyes of the nations, you will know
that I am the LORD.' "
17 Then the word
of the LORD came to me: 18
"Son of man, the house of
23 Again the word of
the LORD came to me: 24
"Son of man, say to the land, 'You are a land that has had no rain or
showers [c] in the day of wrath.' 25 There is a conspiracy of her
princes [d] within her like a roaring lion tearing its
prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many
widows within her. 26 Her
priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not
distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no
difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the
keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her officials within her are
like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust
gain. 28 Her prophets
whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They
say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says'-when the LORD has not spoken. 29 The people of the land
practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and
mistreat the alien, denying them justice.
30 "I looked
for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap
on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. 31 So I will pour out my wrath on
them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all
they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. 3 They became prostitutes in
5 "Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine;
and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians-warriors 6 clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of
them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 7 She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of
the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted
after. 8 She did not give
up the prostitution she began in
9 "Therefore
I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. 10 They stripped her naked, took
away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword
among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
11 "Her
sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and
prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. 12 She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and
commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. 13 I saw that she too defiled
herself; both of them went the same way.
14 "But she
carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,
figures of Chaldeans [a] portrayed in red, 15 with belts around their waists and flowing turbans
on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of
22
"Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign
LORD says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from
in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side- 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome
young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of
high rank, all mounted on horses. 24
They will come against you with weapons, [d] chariots and wagons and with a throng of
people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and
small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment,
and they will punish you according to their standards. 25 I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they
will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and
those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons
and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. 26 They will also strip you of
your clothes and take your fine jewelry. 27
So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in
28 "For this
is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to hand you over to those you hate,
to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will deal with you in hatred and take away
everything you have worked for. They will leave you naked and bare, and the
shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity 30 have brought this upon you,
because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You have gone the way of your
sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.
32 "This is
what the Sovereign LORD says:
"You will drink your sister's cup,
a cup large and deep;
it will bring scorn and derision,
for it holds so much.
33 You will be
filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
the cup of ruin and desolation,
the cup of your sister
34 You will drink
it and drain it dry;
you will dash it to pieces
and tear your breasts.
I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.
35 "Therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and thrust me
behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and
prostitution."
36 The LORD said
to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable
practices, 37 for they have
committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with
their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, [e] as food for them. 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time
they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to
their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated
it. That is what they did in my house.
40 "They even
sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you
bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewelry. 41 You sat on an elegant couch,
with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that
belonged to me.
42 "The noise
of a carefree crowd was around her; Sabeans [f] were brought from the desert along with men
from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the arms of the woman and her sister
and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43
Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, 'Now let them use her as a
prostitute, for that is all she is.' 44
And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with
those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah.
45 But righteous men will
sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood,
because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.
46 "This is
what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to
terror and plunder. 47 The
mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their
sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
48 "So I will
put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not
imitate you. 49 You will
suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of
idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."
1
In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the LORD
came to me: 2 "Son of
man, record this date, this very date, because the king of
" 'Put on
the cooking pot; put it on
and pour water into it.
4 Put into it the
pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces—the leg and the
shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;
5 take the pick of
the flock.
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.
6 " 'For this
is what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'Woe to
the city of bloodshed,
to the pot now encrusted,
whose deposit will not go away!
Empty it piece by piece
without casting lots for them.
7 " 'For the blood she shed is in her midst:
She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
where the dust would cover it.
8 To stir up wrath
and take revenge
I put her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.
9 "
'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'Woe to
the city of bloodshed!
I, too, will pile the wood high.
10 So heap on the
wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.
11 Then set the
empty pot on the coals
till it becomes hot and its copper glows
so its impurities may be melted
and its deposit burned away.
12 It has
frustrated all efforts;
its heavy deposit has not been removed,
not even by fire.
13 " 'Now
your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be
cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against
you has subsided.
14 " 'I the
LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will
not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct
and your actions, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "
15
The word of the LORD came to me: 16
"Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of
your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep
your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part
of your face or eat the customary food of mourners ."
18 So I spoke to
the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I
did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people
asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?"
20 So I said to
them, "The word of the LORD came to me: 21 Say to the house of
25 "And you,
son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the
delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as
well- 26 on that day a
fugitive will come to tell you the news. 27
At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no
longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am
the LORD."
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against
them. 3 Say to them, 'Hear
the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because
you said "Aha!" over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the
8
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because
12
"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because
15 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. 17 I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on them.' "
1
In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came
to me: 2 "Son of man,
because
7 "For this
is what the Sovereign LORD says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar [a] king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses
and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. 8 He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with
the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your
walls and raise his shields against you. 9
He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish
your towers with his weapons. 10
His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will
tremble at the noise of the war horses, wagons and chariots when he enters your
gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. 11 The hoofs of his horses will
trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong
pillars will fall to the ground. 12
They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down
your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and
rubble into the sea. 13 I
will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard
no more. 14 I will make you
a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be
rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, declares the
Sovereign LORD.
15 "This is
what the Sovereign LORD says to
" 'How you
are destroyed, O city of renown,
peopled by men of the sea!
You were a power on the seas,
you and your citizens;
you put your terror
on all who lived there.
18 Now the
coastlands tremble
on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea
are terrified at your collapse.'
19 "This is
what the Sovereign LORD says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no
longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths over you and its vast
waters cover you, 20 then I
will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of long
ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those
who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place [b] in the land of the living. 21 I will bring you to a horrible
end and you will be no more. You will be sought, but you will never again be
found, declares the Sovereign LORD."
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, take up a lament concerning
" 'You say,
O Tyre,
"I am perfect in beauty."
4 Your domain was
on the high seas;
your builders brought your beauty to
perfection.
5 They made all
your timbers
of pine trees from Senir
[a] ;
they took a cedar from
to make a mast for you.
6 Of oaks from
Bashan
they made your oars;
of cypress wood [b] from the coasts of
they made your deck, inlaid with ivory.
7
Fine embroidered linen from
and served as your banner;
your awnings were of blue and purple
from the coasts of Elishah.
8 Men of Sidon and
Arvad were your oarsmen;
your skilled men, O Tyre,
were aboard as your seamen.
9 Veteran
craftsmen of Gebal [d] were on board
as shipwrights to caulk your seams.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came alongside to trade for your wares.
10 " 'Men of
served as soldiers in your army.
They hung their shields and helmets on
your walls,
bringing you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech
manned your walls on every side;
men of Gammad
were in your towers.
They hung their shields around your walls;
they brought your beauty to perfection.
12 " 'Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth
of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.
13 " '
14 " 'Men of Beth Togarmah
exchanged work horses, war horses and mules for your merchandise.
15 " 'The men
of
16 " 'Aram [f] did business with you because of your many
products; they exchanged turquoise, purple fabric, embroidered work, fine
linen, coral and rubies for your merchandise.
17 " '
18 " '
19 " 'Danites and Greeks from Uzal bought your merchandise; they exchanged wrought iron,
cassia and calamus for your wares.
20 " 'Dedan traded in saddle
blankets with you.
21 " '
22 " 'The merchants of
23 " '
25 " 'The
ships of Tarshish serve
as carriers for your wares.
You are filled with heavy cargo
in the heart of the sea.
26 Your oarsmen
take you
out to the high seas.
But the east wind will break you to pieces
in the heart of the sea.
27 Your wealth,
merchandise and wares,
your mariners, seamen and shipwrights,
your merchants and all your soldiers,
and everyone else on board
will sink into the heart of the sea
on the day of your shipwreck.
28 The shorelands will quake
when your seamen cry out.
29 All who handle
the oars
will abandon their ships;
the mariners and all the seamen
will stand on the shore.
30 They will raise
their voice
and cry bitterly over you;
they will sprinkle dust on their heads
and roll in ashes.
31 They will shave
their heads because of you
and will put on sackcloth.
They will weep over you with anguish of
soul
and with bitter mourning.
32 As they wail
and mourn over you,
they will take up a lament concerning you:
"Who was ever silenced like
surrounded by the sea?"
33 When your
merchandise went out on the seas,
you satisfied many nations;
with your great wealth and your wares
you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are
shattered by the sea
in the depths of the waters;
your wares and all your company
have gone down with you.
35 All who live in the coastlands
are appalled at you;
their kings shudder with horror
and their faces are distorted with fear.
36 The merchants
among the nations hiss at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.' "
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, say to the ruler of
" 'In the
pride of your heart
you say, "I am a god;
I sit on the throne of a god
in the heart of the seas."
But you are a man and not a god,
though you think you are as wise as a god.
3 Are you wiser
than Daniel [a] ?
Is no secret hidden from you?
4 By your wisdom
and understanding
you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
in your treasuries.
5 By your great
skill in trading
you have increased your wealth,
and because of your wealth
your heart has grown proud.
6 "
'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'Because
you think you are wise,
as wise as a god,
7 I am going to
bring foreigners against you,
the most ruthless of nations;
they will draw their swords against your
beauty and wisdom
and pierce your shining splendor.
8 They will bring
you down to the pit,
and you will die a violent death
in the heart of the seas.
9 Will you then
say, "I am a god,"
in the presence of those who kill you?
You will be but a man, not a god,
in the hands of those who slay you.
10 You will die
the death of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners.
I have spoken, declares the Sovereign
LORD.' "
11 The word of the
LORD came to me: 12
"Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of
" 'You were
the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in
the
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx
and jasper,
sapphire, [b] turquoise and beryl. [c]
Your settings and mountings [d] were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were
prepared.
14 You were
anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were
blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
16 Through your
widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount
of God,
and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart
became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.
18 By your many
sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.
19 All the nations
who knew you
are appalled at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.' "
20
The word of the LORD came to me: 21
"Son of man, set your face against
" 'I am
against you, O Sidon,
and I will gain glory within you.
They will know that I am the LORD,
when I inflict punishment on her
and show myself holy within her.
23 I will send a
plague upon her
and make blood flow in her streets.
The slain will fall within her,
with the sword against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the LORD.
24 " 'No longer will the people of
25 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the
people of
1
In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD
came to me: 2 "Son of
man, set your face against Pharaoh king of
" 'I am against you, Pharaoh king of
you great monster lying among your
streams.
You say, "The Nile is mine;
I made it for myself."
4 But I will put
hooks in your jaws
and make the fish of your streams stick to
your scales.
I will pull you out from among your
streams,
with all the fish sticking to your scales.
5 I will leave you
in the desert,
you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open field
and not be gathered or picked up.
I will give you as food
to the beasts of the earth and the birds
of the air.
6 Then all who
live in
" 'You have
been a staff of reed for the house of
8 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will bring
a sword against you and kill your men and their animals. 9
" 'Because you said, "The Nile is
mine; I made it," 10
therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land
of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to
Aswan, as far as the border of Cush. [b] 11
No foot of man or animal will pass through it; no one will live there for forty
years. 12 I will make the
13 " 'Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: At the end of
forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were
scattered. 14 I will bring
them back from captivity and return them to
17 In the
twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the LORD
came to me: 18 "Son of
man, Nebuchadnezzar king of
21 "On that
day I will make a horn [d] grow for the house of
fire to
and all her helpers are crushed.
9 " 'On that day messengers will go out from me in ships
to frighten
10 " 'This is
what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'I will
put an end to the hordes of
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of
11 He and his
army—the most ruthless of nations—
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against
and fill the land with the slain.
12 I will dry up
the streams of the
and sell the land to evil men;
by the hand of foreigners
I will lay waste the land and everything
in it.
I the LORD have
spoken.
13 " 'This is
what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'I will
destroy the idols
and put an end to the images in
No longer will there be a prince in
and I will spread fear throughout the
land.
14 I will lay
waste Upper Egypt, [d]
set fire to Zoan
and inflict punishment on
15 I will pour out
my wrath on Pelusium, [f]
the stronghold of
and cut off the hordes of
16 I will set fire
to
Pelusium will
writhe in agony.
17 The young men
of
will fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves will go into
captivity.
18 Dark will be
the day at Tahpanhes
when I break the yoke of
there her proud strength will come to an
end.
She will be covered with clouds,
and her villages will go into captivity.
19 So I will
inflict punishment on
and they will know that I am the LORD.'
"
20 In the eleventh
year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to me: 21 "Son of man, I have
broken the arm of Pharaoh king of
1
In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of the LORD
came to me: 2 "Son of
man, say to Pharaoh king of
" 'Who can be compared with you in
majesty?
3 Consider Assyria,
once a cedar in
with beautiful branches overshadowing the
forest;
it towered on high,
its top above the thick foliage.
4 The waters
nourished it,
deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed
all around its base
and sent their channels
to all the trees of the field.
5 So it towered
higher
than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased
and its branches grew long,
spreading because of abundant waters.
6 All the birds of
the air
nested in its boughs,
all the beasts of the field
1
In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the
LORD came to me: 2 "Son
of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
" 'You are like a lion among the
nations;
you are like a monster in the seas
thrashing about in your streams,
churning the water with your feet
and muddying the streams.
3 " 'This is
what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'With a
great throng of people
I will cast my net over you,
and they will haul you up in my net.
4 I will throw you
on the land
and hurl you on the open field.
I will let all the birds of the air settle
on you
and all the beasts of the earth gorge
themselves on you.
5 I will spread
your flesh on the mountains
and fill the valleys with your remains.
6 I will drench
the land with your flowing blood
all the way to the mountains,
and the ravines will be filled with your
flesh.
7 When I snuff you
out, I will cover the heavens
and darken their stars;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon will not give its light.
8 All the shining
lights in the heavens
I will darken over you;
I will bring darkness over your land,
declares the Sovereign LORD.
9 I will trouble
the hearts of many peoples
when I bring about your destruction among
the nations,
among [a] lands you have not known.
10 I will cause
many peoples to be appalled at you,
and their kings will shudder with horror
because of you
when I brandish my sword before them.
On the day of your downfall
each of them will tremble
every moment for his life.
11 " 'For
this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'The sword
of the king of
will come against you.
12 I will cause
your hordes to fall
by the swords of mighty men—
the most ruthless of all nations.
They will shatter the pride of
and all her hordes will be overthrown.
13 I will destroy
all her cattle
from beside abundant waters
no longer to be stirred by the foot of man
or muddied by the hoofs of cattle.
14 Then I will let
her waters settle
and make her streams flow like oil,
declares the Sovereign LORD.
15 When I make
and strip the land of everything in it,
when I strike down all who
live there,
then they will know that I am the LORD.'
16 "This is
the lament they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it;
for
17 In the twelfth
year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 18 "Son of man, wail for the
hordes of
22 "
24
"
26
"Meshech and Tubal are
there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are
uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land
of the living. 27 Do they
not lie with the other uncircumcised warriors who have fallen, who went down to
the grave with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their
heads? The punishment for their sins rested on their bones, though the terror
of these warriors had stalked through the land of the living.
28 "You too,
O Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those
killed by the sword.
29 "
30 "All the
princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there;
they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their
power. They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword and bear their
shame with those who go down to the pit.
31
"Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled for all
his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign LORD. 32 Although I had him spread
terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid among
the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign LORD."
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the
sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and
make him their watchman, 3
and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the
people, 4 then if anyone
hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his
life, his blood will be on his own head. 5
Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood
will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. 6 But if the watchman sees the
sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword
comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of
his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.'
7 "Son of man,
I have made you a watchman for the house of
10 "Son of
man, say to the house of
12
"Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the
righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the
wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man,
if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' 13 If I tell the righteous man
that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does
evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die
for the evil he has done. 14
And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away
from his sin and does what is just and right- 15 if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan,
returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no
evil, he will surely live; he will not die. 16 None of the sins he has committed will be remembered
against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.
17 "Yet your
countrymen say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is
not just. 18 If a righteous
man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. 19 And if a wicked man turns away
from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. 20 Yet, O house of
21
In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man
who had escaped from
23 Then the word
of the LORD came to me: 24
"Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the
27 "Say this
to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, those who
are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will
give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves
will die of a plague. 28 I
will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an
end, and the mountains of
30 "As for
you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls
and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the
message that has come from the LORD.' 31
My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your
words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express
devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who
sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they
hear your words but do not put them into practice.
33
"When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a
prophet has been among them."
1
The word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of
7 "
'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD : 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD,
because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food
for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock
but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD : 10 This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my
flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no
longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will
no longer be food for them.
11 " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will
search for my sheep and look after them. 12
As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I
look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the
places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the
nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their
own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of
17 " 'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to
feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with
your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy
the rest with your feet? 19
Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied
with your feet?
20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See,
I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank
and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven
them away, 22 I will save
my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep
and another. 23 I will
place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will
tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David
will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.
25
" 'I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild
beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety.
26 I will bless them and
the places surrounding my hill. [a] I will send down
showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. 27 The trees of the field will yield their fruit and
the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They
will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue
them from the hands of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor
will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make
them afraid. 29 I will
provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be
victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. 30 Then they will know that I,
the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the
house of