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Bible in 90 Days

An intensive Bible reading plan that walks through the entire Bible in 90 days.
Duration: 88 days
New International Version (NIV)
Version
Ezekiel 12:21-23:39

There Will Be No Delay

21 The word of the Lord came to me: 22 “Son of man, what is this proverb(A) you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?(B) 23 Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near(C) when every vision will be fulfilled.(D) 24 For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations(E) among the people of Israel. 25 But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay.(F) For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill(G) whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.(H)’”

26 The word of the Lord came to me: 27 “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’(I)

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.’”

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets(J) of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination:(K) ‘Hear the word of the Lord!(L) This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish[a] prophets(M) who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!(N) Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair(O) it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.(P) Their visions are false(Q) and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent(R) them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words.(S) Have you not seen false visions(T) and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you,(U) declares the Sovereign Lord. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying(V) divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records(W) of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(X)

10 “‘Because they lead my people astray,(Y) saying, “Peace,”(Z) when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,(AA) 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(AB) hurtling down,(AC) and violent winds will burst forth.(AD) 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(AE) and torrents of rain(AF) will fall with destructive fury.(AG) 14 I will tear down the wall(AH) you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation(AI) will be laid bare. When it[b] falls,(AJ) you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 So I will pour out 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.(AK)”’

17 “Now, son of man, set your face(AL) against the daughters(AM) of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them(AN) 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(AO) me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread.(AP) 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.(AQ)

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.(AR) 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.(AS) 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies,(AT) 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,(AU) 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions(AV) or practice divination.(AW) I will save(AX) my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.(AY)’”

Idolaters Condemned

14 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.(AZ) Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts(BA) and put wicked stumbling blocks(BB) before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?(BC) Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted(BD) me for their idols.’(BE)

“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent!(BF) Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!(BG)

“‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner(BH) residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block(BI) before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire(BJ) of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. I will set my face against(BK) them and make them an example(BL) and a byword.(BM) I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(BN)

“‘And if the prophet(BO) is enticed(BP) 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 Israel.(BQ) 10 They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. 11 Then the people of Israel will no longer stray(BR) from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people,(BS) and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BT)’”

Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable

12 The word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, if a country sins(BU) against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply(BV) and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals,(BW) 14 even if these three men—Noah,(BX) Daniel[c](BY) and Job(BZ)—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness,(CA) declares the Sovereign Lord.

15 “Or if I send wild beasts(CB) through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,(CC) 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.(CD)

17 “Or if I bring a sword(CE) against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals,(CF) 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(CG) on it through bloodshed,(CH) killing its people and their animals,(CI) 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.(CJ)

21 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments(CK)—sword(CL) and famine(CM) and wild beasts and plague(CN)—to kill its men and their animals!(CO) 22 Yet there will be some survivors(CP)—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it.(CQ) They will come to you, and when you see their conduct(CR) and their actions, you will be consoled(CS) regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. 23 You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CT)

Jerusalem as a Useless Vine

15 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine(CU) different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful?(CV) Do they make pegs(CW) from it to hang things on? 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?(CX) 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?

“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 Jerusalem. I will set my face against(CY) them. Although they have come out of the fire(CZ), the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.(DA) I will make the land desolate(DB) because they have been unfaithful,(DC) declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, confront(DD) Jerusalem with her detestable practices(DE) and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry(DF) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father(DG) was an Amorite(DH) and your mother a Hittite.(DI) On the day you were born(DJ) your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

“‘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!”[d](DK) I made you grow(DL) like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.(DM)

“‘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(DN) over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant(DO) with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.(DP)

“‘I bathed you with water and washed(DQ) the blood from you and put ointments on you. 10 I clothed you with an embroidered(DR) dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen(DS) and covered you with costly garments.(DT) 11 I adorned you with jewelry:(DU) I put bracelets(DV) on your arms and a necklace(DW) around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose,(DX) earrings(DY) on your ears and a beautiful crown(DZ) on your head.(EA) 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes(EB) were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil(EC) and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.(ED) 14 And your fame(EE) spread among the nations on account of your beauty,(EF) because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.(EG)

15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by(EH) and your beauty became his.(EI) 16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,(EJ) where you carried on your prostitution.(EK) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.[e] 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.(EL) 18 And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense(EM) before them. 19 Also the food I provided for you—the 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.(EN)

20 “‘And you took your sons and daughters(EO) whom you bore to me(EP) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?(EQ) 21 You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.(ER) 22 In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,(ES) when you were naked and bare,(ET) kicking about in your blood.(EU)

23 “‘Woe!(EV) 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(EW) in every public square.(EX) 25 At every street corner(EY) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.(EZ) 26 You engaged in prostitution(FA) with the Egyptians,(FB) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger(FC) with your increasing promiscuity.(FD) 27 So I stretched out my hand(FE) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over(FF) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,(FG) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians(FH) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.(FI) 29 Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,[f](FJ) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.(FK)

30 “‘I am filled with fury against you,[g] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!(FL) 31 When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines(FM) 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 All prostitutes receive gifts,(FN) but you give gifts(FO) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.(FP) 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 lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,(FQ) 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(FR) you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.(FS) 38 I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood;(FT) I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.(FU) 39 Then I will deliver you into the hands(FV) of 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 stark naked.(FW) 40 They will bring a mob against you, who will stone(FX) you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn down(FY) your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women.(FZ) I will put a stop(GA) 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.(GB)

43 “‘Because you did not remember(GC) the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down(GD) on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?(GE)

44 “‘Everyone who quotes proverbs(GF) will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” 45 You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised(GG) her husband(GH) 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.(GI) 46 Your older sister(GJ) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.(GK) 47 You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.(GL) 48 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign(GM) Lord, your sister Sodom(GN) and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.(GO)

49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:(GP) She and her daughters were arrogant,(GQ) overfed and unconcerned;(GR) they did not help the poor and needy.(GS) 50 They were haughty(GT) and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.(GU) 51 Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.(GV) 52 Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous(GW) than you. So then, be ashamed and bear(GX) your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

53 “‘However, I will restore(GY) the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,(GZ) 54 so that you may bear your disgrace(HA) and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. 55 And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.(HB) 56 You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned(HC) by the daughters of Edom[h](HD) and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. 58 You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.(HE)

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.(HF) 60 Yet I will remember the covenant(HG) I made with you in the days of your youth,(HH) and I will establish an everlasting covenant(HI) with you. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed(HJ) 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,(HK) but not on the basis of my covenant with you. 62 So I will establish my covenant(HL) with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(HM) 63 Then, when I make atonement(HN) for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed(HO) and never again open your mouth(HP) because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.(HQ)’”

Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.(HR) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle(HS) with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon.(HT) Taking hold of the top of a cedar, he broke off(HU) its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.

“‘He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,(HV) and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches(HW) turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.(HX)

“‘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.(HY) It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches,(HZ) bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

“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.(IA) 10 It has been planted,(IB) but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?(IC)’”

11 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?(ID)’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles,(IE) bringing them back with him to Babylon.(IF) 13 Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty(IG) with him, putting him under oath.(IH) He also carried away the leading men(II) of the land, 14 so that the kingdom would be brought low,(IJ) unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. 15 But the king rebelled(IK) against him by sending his envoys to Egypt(IL) to get horses and a large army.(IM) Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?(IN)

16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die(IO) in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.(IP) 17 Pharaoh(IQ) with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps(IR) are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.(IS) 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge(IT) 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 repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.(IU) 20 I will spread my net(IV) for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment(IW) on him there because he was unfaithful(IX) to me. 21 All his choice troops will fall by the sword,(IY) and the survivors(IZ) will be scattered to the winds.(JA) Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.(JB)

22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot(JC) 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.(JD) 23 On the mountain heights(JE) of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit(JF) and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.(JG) 24 All the trees of the forest(JH) will know that I the Lord bring down(JI) the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.(JJ)

“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.(JK)’”

The One Who Sins Will Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
    and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?(JL)

“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb(JM) in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins(JN) is the one who will die.(JO)

“Suppose there is a righteous man
    who does what is just and right.
He does not eat at the mountain(JP) shrines
    or look to the idols(JQ) of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
    or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.(JR)
He does not oppress(JS) anyone,
    but returns what he took in pledge(JT) for a loan.
He does not commit robbery(JU)
    but gives his food to the hungry(JV)
    and provides clothing for the naked.(JW)
He does not lend to them at interest
    or take a profit from them.(JX)
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
    and judges fairly(JY) between two parties.
He follows my decrees(JZ)
    and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;(KA)
    he will surely live,(KB)
declares the Sovereign Lord.

10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood(KC) or does any of these other things[i] 11 (though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines.(KD)
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
12 He oppresses the poor(KE) and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.(KF)
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.(KG)
13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.(KH)

Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.(KI)

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:(KJ)

15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines(KK)
    or look to the idols(KL) of Israel.
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(KM)
    and provides clothing for the naked.(KN)
17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
    and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws(KO) 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.(KP) 20 The one who sins is the one who will die.(KQ) The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.(KR)

21 “But if(KS) a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees(KT) and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.(KU) 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.(KV) 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased(KW) when they turn from their ways and live?(KX)

24 “But if a righteous person turns(KY) from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness(KZ) they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.(LA)

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’(LB) Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust?(LC) Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life.(LD) 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.(LE) 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent!(LF) Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.(LG) 31 Rid(LH) yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart(LI) and a new spirit. Why(LJ) will you die, people of Israel?(LK) 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent(LL) and live!(LM)

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament(LN) concerning the princes(LO) of Israel and say:

“‘What a lioness(LP) was your mother
    among the lions!
She lay down among them
    and reared her cubs.(LQ)
She brought up one of her cubs,
    and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
The nations heard about him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(LR)
    to the land of Egypt.(LS)

“‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
    her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(LT)
    and made him a strong lion.(LU)
He prowled among the lions,
    for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.(LV)
He broke down[j] their strongholds
    and devastated(LW) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
    were terrified by his roaring.
Then the nations(LX) came against him,
    those from regions round about.
They spread their net(LY) for him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.(LZ)
With hooks(MA) they pulled him into a cage
    and brought him to the king of Babylon.(MB)
They put him in prison,
    so his roar(MC) was heard no longer
    on the mountains of Israel.(MD)

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[k](ME)
    planted by the water;(MF)
it was fruitful and full of branches
    because of abundant water.(MG)
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.(MH)
12 But it was uprooted(MI) in fury
    and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(MJ) made it shrivel,
    it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
    and fire consumed them.(MK)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(ML)
    in a dry and thirsty land.(MM)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[l] branches
    and consumed(MN) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(MO)

“This is a lament(MP) and is to be used as a lament.”

Rebellious Israel Purged

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire(MQ) of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.(MR)

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to the elders(MS) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire(MT) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(MU)

“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors(MV) and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose(MW) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand(MX) to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.(MY) On that day I swore(MZ) to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,(NA) the most beautiful of all lands.(NB) And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images(NC) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols(ND) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.(NE)

“‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;(NF) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.(NG) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.(NH) But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.(NI) I did it to keep my name from being profaned(NJ) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. 10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.(NK) 11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.(NL) 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths(NM) as a sign(NN) between us,(NO) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.(NP)

13 “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled(NQ) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws(NR)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.(NS) So I said I would pour out my wrath(NT) on them and destroy(NU) them in the wilderness.(NV) 14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned(NW) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.(NX) 15 Also with uplifted hand I swore(NY) to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands(NZ) 16 because they rejected my laws(OA) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts(OB) were devoted to their idols.(OC) 17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy(OD) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. 18 I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents(OE) or keep their laws or defile yourselves(OF) with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God;(OG) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(OH) 20 Keep my Sabbaths(OI) holy, that they may be a sign(OJ) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.(OK)

21 “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,(OL) of which I said, “The person 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(OM) against them in the wilderness.(ON) 22 But I withheld(OO) my hand, and for the sake of my name(OP) 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 wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter(OQ) them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees(OR) and desecrated my Sabbaths,(OS) and their eyes lusted after(OT) their parents’ idols.(OU) 25 So I gave(OV) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;(OW) 26 I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice(OX) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.(OY)

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 ancestors(OZ) blasphemed(PA) me by being unfaithful to me:(PB) 28 When I brought them into the land(PC) I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.(PD) 29 Then I said to them: What is this high place(PE) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah[m] to this day.)

Rebellious Israel Renewed

30 “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves(PF) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?(PG) 31 When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children(PH) in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.(PI)

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 reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm(PJ) and with outpoured wrath.(PK) 34 I will bring you from the nations(PL) and gather(PM) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand(PN) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.(PO) 35 I will bring you into the wilderness(PP) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment(PQ) upon you. 36 As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.(PR) 37 I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,(PS) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.(PT) 38 I will purge(PU) you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(PV)

39 “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,(PW) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name(PX) with your gifts and idols.(PY) 40 For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,(PZ) declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings(QA) and your choice gifts,[n] along with all your holy sacrifices.(QB) 41 I will accept you as fragrant incense(QC) when I bring you out from the nations and gather(QD) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy(QE) through you in the sight of the nations.(QF) 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord,(QG) when I bring you into the land of Israel,(QH) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.(QI) 43 There you will remember your conduct(QJ) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves(QK) for all the evil you have done.(QL) 44 You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake(QM) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(QN)’”

Prophecy Against the South

45 The word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, set your face toward(QO) the south; preach against the south and prophesy against(QP) the forest of the southland.(QQ) 47 Say to the southern forest:(QR) ‘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(QS) all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north(QT) will be scorched by it.(QU) 48 Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.(QV)’”

49 Then I said, “Sovereign Lord,(QW) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?(QX)’”[o]

Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment

21 [p]The word of the Lord came to me:(QY) “Son of man, set your face against(QZ) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.(RA) Prophesy against(RB) the land of Israel and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.(RC) I will draw my sword(RD) from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.(RE) Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword(RF) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.(RG) Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword(RH) from its sheath; it will not return(RI) again.’(RJ)

“Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.(RK) And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?(RL)’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear(RM) and every hand go limp;(RN) every spirit will become faint(RO) and every leg will be wet with urine.’(RP) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword,
    sharpened and polished—
10 sharpened for the slaughter,(RQ)
    polished to flash like lightning!

“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.(RR)

11 “‘The sword is appointed to be polished,(RS)
    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 Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
    along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.(RT)

13 “‘Testing will surely come. And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.’

14 “So then, son of man, prophesy
    and strike your hands(RU) 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.(RV)
15 So that hearts may melt with fear(RW)
    and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter[q]
    at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
    it is grasped for slaughter.(RX)
16 Slash to the right, you sword,
    then to the left,
    wherever your blade is turned.
17 I too will strike my hands(RY) together,
    and my wrath(RZ) will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.(SA)

18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword(SB) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost(SC) where the road branches off to the city. 20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites(SD) and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots(SE) with arrows, he will consult his idols,(SF) he will examine the liver.(SG) 22 Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry,(SH) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp(SI) and to erect siege works.(SJ) 23 It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind(SK) them of their guilt(SL) and take them captive.

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 “‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come,(SM) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,(SN) 26 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.(SO) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.(SP) 27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come;(SQ) to him I will give it.’(SR)

28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites(SS) and their insults:

“‘A sword,(ST) a sword,
    drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
    and to flash like lightning!
29 Despite false visions concerning you
    and lying divinations(SU) 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.(SV)

30 “‘Let the sword return to its sheath.(SW)
    In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,(SX)
    I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my wrath on you
    and breathe(SY) out my fiery anger(SZ) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
    men skilled in destruction.(TA)
32 You will be fuel for the fire,(TB)
    your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered(TC) no more;
    for I the Lord have spoken.’”

Judgment on Jerusalem’s Sins

22 The word of the Lord came to me:

“Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed?(TD) Then confront her with all her detestable practices(TE) and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood(TF) in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed(TG) 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.(TH) Therefore I will make you an object of scorn(TI) to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.(TJ) Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.(TK)

“‘See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.(TL) In you they have treated father and mother with contempt;(TM) in you they have oppressed the foreigner(TN) and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.(TO) You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.(TP) In you are slanderers(TQ) who are bent on shedding blood;(TR) in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines(TS) and commit lewd acts.(TT) 10 In you are those who dishonor their father’s bed;(TU) in you are those who violate women during their period,(TV) when they are ceremonially unclean.(TW) 11 In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife,(TX) another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law,(TY) and another violates his sister,(TZ) his own father’s daughter.(UA) 12 In you are people who accept bribes(UB) to shed blood; you take interest(UC) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.(UD) And you have forgotten(UE) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(UF)

13 “‘I will surely strike my hands(UG) together at the unjust gain(UH) you have made and at the blood(UI) you have shed in your midst.(UJ) 14 Will your courage endure(UK) or your hands(UL) be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken,(UM) and I will do it.(UN) 15 I will disperse you among the nations and scatter(UO) you through the countries; and I will put an end to(UP) your uncleanness.(UQ) 16 When you have been defiled[r] 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 people of Israel have become dross(UR) to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace.(US) They are but the dross of silver.(UT) 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross,(UU) I will gather you into Jerusalem. 20 As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.(UV) 21 I will gather you and I will blow(UW) on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.(UX) 22 As silver is melted(UY) in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath(UZ) on you.’”(VA)

23 Again the word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’(VB) 25 There is a conspiracy(VC) of her princes[s] within her like a roaring lion(VD) tearing its prey; they devour people,(VE) take treasures and precious things and make many widows(VF) within her. 26 Her priests do violence to my law(VG) and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;(VH) they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean;(VI) and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned(VJ) among them.(VK) 27 Her officials(VL) within her are like wolves(VM) tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people(VN) to make unjust gain.(VO) 28 Her prophets whitewash(VP) these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations.(VQ) They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.(VR) 29 The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery;(VS) they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner,(VT) denying them justice.(VU)

30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall(VV) and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.(VW) 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger,(VX) bringing down(VY) on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(VZ)

Two Adulterous Sisters

23 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.(WA) They became prostitutes in Egypt,(WB) engaging in prostitution(WC) from their youth.(WD) In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.(WE) The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.(WF)

“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians(WG)—warriors(WH) clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. 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.(WI) She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt,(WJ) when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.(WK)

“Therefore I delivered her into the hands(WL) of her lovers,(WM) the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.(WN) 10 They stripped(WO) her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women,(WP) and punishment was inflicted(WQ) on her.(WR)

11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this,(WS) yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.(WT) 12 She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.(WU) 13 I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.(WV)

14 “But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall,(WW) figures of Chaldeans[t] portrayed in red,(WX) 15 with belts(WY) around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.[u] 16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers(WZ) to them in Chaldea.(XA) 17 Then the Babylonians(XB) came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.(XC) 18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body,(XD) I turned away(XE) from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.(XF) 19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. 21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.[v](XG)

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers(XH) against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side(XI) 23 the Babylonians(XJ) and all the Chaldeans,(XK) the men of Pekod(XL) 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.(XM) 24 They will come against you with weapons,[w] chariots and wagons(XN) 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,(XO) and they will punish you according to their standards. 25 I will direct my jealous anger(XP) 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,(XQ) and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.(XR) 26 They will also strip(XS) you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.(XT) 27 So I will put a stop(XU) to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

28 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands(XV) of 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 stark naked,(XW) and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed.(XX) Your lewdness(XY) and promiscuity(XZ) 30 have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.(YA) 31 You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup(YB) into your hand.(YC)

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,(YD)
    for it holds so much.(YE)
33 You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
    the cup of ruin and desolation,
    the cup of your sister Samaria.(YF)
34 You will drink it(YG) and drain it dry
    and chew on its pieces—
    and you will tear your breasts.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.(YH)

35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten(YI) me and turned your back on me,(YJ) you must bear(YK) the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”

36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront(YL) them with their detestable practices,(YM) 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, as food for them.(YN) 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary(YO) and desecrated my Sabbaths.(YP) 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated(YQ) it. That is what they did in my house.(YR)

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