~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~1~~~~~ Now it happened in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. (On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, the word of Yahweh came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of Yahweh came upon him.) Then I looked, and behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light all around it, and in its midst something like the gleam of glowing metal in the midst of the fire. And within it there were figures with the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. And each of them had four faces and four wings. And their legs were straight, and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like the gleam of burnished bronze. And under their wings on their four sides were hands of a man. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn as they went; each went straight forward. And as for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. And such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies. And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. And the living creatures ran to and fro with the appearance of lightning. Then I looked at the living creatures, and behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four of them. The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like the gleam of beryl, and all four of them had the same likeness, their appearance and workmanship being as if one wheel were within another. Whenever they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. And as for their rims, they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes all around. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. And when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction, where the spirit was about to go. And the wheels rose alongside of them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Now over the heads of the living creatures there was something with the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads above. And underneath the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters as they went, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. And there came a sound from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something in the likeness of a throne, like sapphire stone in appearance; and upon the likeness of the throne, high up, was the likeness of one with the appearance of a man. Then I saw from the appearance of His loins and upward something like the gleam of glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something with the appearance of fire; and there was a radiance all around Him. As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw this, and I fell on my face and heard a sound of a voice speaking.

~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ ~~~~~~2~~~~~ Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!” And as He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and caused me to stand on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. “I am sending you to them who are stiff-faced and strong-hearted children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh.’ “As for them, whether they listen or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. “Now as for you, son of man, do not fear them and do not fear their words, though thistles and briers are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. “But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. “Now as for you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” Then I looked, and behold, a hand was sent forth to me; and behold, a scroll was in it. Then He spread it out before me, and it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, sighing, and woe.

~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ ~~~~~~3~~~~~ Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. Then He said to me, “Son of man, go now, come to the house of Israel, and you shall speak with My words to them. “For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible lips or a difficult tongue, but to the house of Israel, nor to many peoples of unintelligible lips or a difficult tongue, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you; yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn with a strong forehead and stiff heart. “Behold, I have made your face as strong as their faces and your forehead as strong as their foreheads. “Like diamond stronger than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.” Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen with your ears. “And go now, come to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and you shall speak to them and say to them, whether they listen or whether they refuse, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh.’” Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me, “Blessed be the glory of Yahweh in His place.” And I heard the sound of the wings of the living creatures touching one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound. So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the wrath of my spirit, and the hand of Yahweh was strong on me. Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them. Now it happened at the end of seven days, that the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have given you as a watchman to the house of Israel; so you will hear a word from My mouth, and you shall warn them from Me. “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. “Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. “Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. “However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.” And the hand of Yahweh was on me there, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of Yahweh was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. The Spirit then entered me and caused me to stand on my feet, and He spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself up in your house. “Now as for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them. “Moreover, I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who reproves them, for they are a rebellious house. “But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ ~~~~~~4~~~~~ “Now as for you, son of man, get yourself a brick, set it before you, and inscribe a city on it, Jerusalem. “Then set a siege against it, build a siege wall against it, raise up a ramp against it, set up camps against it, and place battering rams against it all around. “Now as for you, get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city, and establish your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This is a sign to the house of Israel. “Now as for you, lie down on your left side and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; you shall bear their iniquity for the number of days that you lie on it. “Now I have set a number of days for you corresponding to the years of their iniquity, 390 days; thus you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. “And you shall complete these, and you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah; I have set it for you for forty days, a day for each year. “Then you shall establish your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it. “Now behold, I will set ropes upon you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege. “Now as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; set them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, 390 days. “And your food which you eat shall be twenty shekels a day by weight; you shall eat it from time to time. “The water you drink shall be the sixth part of a hin by measure; you shall drink it from time to time. “You shall eat it as a barley cake, having baked it in their sight over human dung.” Then Yahweh said, “Thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will banish them.” But I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has any offensive meat ever entered my mouth.” Then He said to me, “See, I will set for you cow’s dung in place of human dung over which you will prepare your bread.” Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold, I am going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and they will drink water by measure and in desolation because bread and water will be lacking; and they will be in desolation with one another and rot away in their iniquity.

~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ ~~~~~~5~~~~~ “Now as for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barber’s razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair. “One-third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city when the days of the siege are fulfilled. Then you shall take one-third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and one-third you shall scatter to the wind; and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. “You shall also take a few in number from them and bind them in the edges of your robes. “Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the house of Israel. “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her at the center of the nations, with lands all around her. ‘But she has rebelled against My judgments more wickedly than the nations and against My statutes more than the lands which are all around her; for they have rejected My judgments and have not walked in My statutes.’ “Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Because you have more turmoil than the nations which are all around you and have not walked in My statutes, nor done My judgments, nor done the judgments of the nations which are all around you,’ therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I, even I, am against you, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. ‘And I will do among you what I have not done and the like of which I will never do again because of all your abominations. ‘Therefore, fathers will eat their sons among you, and sons will eat their fathers; for I will execute judgments on you and scatter all your remnant to every wind. ‘So as I live,’ declares Lord Yahweh, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity, and I will not spare. ‘One-third of you will die by the plague or be consumed by the famine among you, one-third will fall by the sword around you, and one-third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. ‘Thus My anger will be spent, and I will cause My wrath against them to be at rest, and I will be appeased; then they will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in My zeal when I have spent My wrath upon them. ‘Moreover, I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations which are all around you, in the sight of all who pass by. ‘So it will be a reproach, a reviling, a chastisement, and a desecration to the nations who are all around you when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and wrathful reproofs. I, Yahweh, have spoken. ‘When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine which were for the destruction of those whom I will send to destroy you, then I will also intensify the famine upon you and break the staff of bread. ‘Moreover, I will send on you famine and wild beasts, and they will bereave you of children; plague and bloodshed also will pass through you, and I will bring the sword on you. I, Yahweh, have spoken.’”

~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ ~~~~~~6~~~~~ And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Lord Yahweh! Thus says Lord Yahweh to the mountains, the hills, the ravines, and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places. “So your altars will become desolate, and your incense altars will be broken; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols. “I will also put the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. “In all your places of habitation, cities will become waste, and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and desolate, your idols may be broken and cease, your incense altars may be cut in pieces, and your works may be blotted out. “The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am Yahweh. “However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the lands. “Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been broken over their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will loathe themselves to their own faces for the evils which they have done, for all their abominations. “Then they will know that I am Yahweh; I have not said in vain that I would do this calamitous evil against them.” ’ “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Strike your hands together, stamp your foot and say, “Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague! “He who is far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I spend My wrath on them. “Then you will know that I am Yahweh when their slain are among their idols all around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak—the places where they offered a soothing aroma to all their idols. “So throughout all their habitations I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and desecrated than the wilderness toward Diblah; thus they will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ”

~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ ~~~~~~7~~~~~ Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Now as for you, son of man, thus says Lord Yahweh to the land of Israel, ‘An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the earth. ‘Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and put all your abominations upon you. ‘For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will put your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am Yahweh!’ “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘A calamitous evil, a unique calamitous evil, behold, it is coming! ‘An end has come; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it is coming! ‘Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near—confusion rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. ‘Now it is near when I will pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you and judge you according to your ways and put on you all your abominations. ‘My eye will show no pity, nor will I spare. I will give to you according to your ways, while your abominations are among you; then you will know that I, Yahweh, do the striking. ‘Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your doom has gone forth; the rod has blossomed; arrogance has budded. ‘Violence has grown into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their multitude, none of their moaning, nor anything eminent among them. ‘The time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the buyer be glad nor the seller mourn; for wrath is against all their multitude. ‘Indeed, the seller will not return to himself what he sold as long as they both live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not return empty, nor will any of them strengthen his life by his iniquity. ‘They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all their multitude. ‘The sword is outside, and the plague and the famine are inside. He who is in the field will die by the sword; famine and the plague will also devour those in the city. ‘Even when their survivors escape, they will be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each over his own iniquity. ‘All hands will hang limp, and all knees will become like water. ‘They will gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror will cover them; and shame will be on all faces and baldness on all their heads. ‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an impure thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the fury of Yahweh. They cannot satisfy their soul, nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling. ‘They transformed the beauty of His ornaments into pride, and they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an impure thing to them. ‘I will give it into the hands of the foreigners as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it. ‘I will also turn My face from them, and they will profane My secret place; then robbers will enter and profane it. ‘Make the chain, for the land is full of judgments that promote bloodshed, and the city is full of violence. ‘Therefore, I will bring the most evil of the nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the pride of the strong ones cease, and their holy places will be profaned. ‘Anguish has come, and they will seek peace, but there will be none. ‘Disaster will come upon disaster, and report will be added to report; then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but the law will be lost from the priest and counsel from the elders. ‘The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land will be dismayed. According to their way I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ ~~~~~~8~~~~~ Now it happened in the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of Lord Yahweh fell on me there. Then I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of one on fire; from His loins and downward there was the appearance of fire, and from His loins and upward the appearance of brightness, like the gleam of glowing metal. He sent forth the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the figure of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy, was located. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain. Then He said to me, “Son of man, raise your eyes now toward the north.” So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this figure of jealousy at the entrance. And He said to me, “Son of man, are you seeing what they are doing, the great abominations which the house of Israel is doing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations.” Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. He said to me, “Son of man, now dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. And He said to me, “Go in and see the evil abominations that they are doing here.” So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say, ‘Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.’” And He said to me, “Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are doing.” Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the house of Yahweh which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these.” Then He brought me into the inner court of the house of Yahweh. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of Yahweh and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun. He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to do the abominations which they have done here, that they have filled the land with violence and provoked Me to anger still more? For behold, they are sending forth the twig to their nose. “Therefore, I also will do this in wrath: My eye will have no pity, nor will I spare; and they will cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.”

~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ ~~~~~~9~~~~~ Then He cried out in my hearing with a loud voice saying, “Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” And behold, six men were coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his shattering weapon in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a scribe’s case at his loins. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the house of Yahweh. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the scribe’s case. Yahweh said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being done in its midst.” But to the others He said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. “Kill to utter destruction old men, chosen men, virgins, little ones, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were before the house. And He said to them, “Defile the house and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” Thus they went out and struck down the people in the city. Now it happened as they were striking the people and I alone remained, that I fell on my face and cried out and said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Are You destroying the whole remnant of Israel by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?” Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is filled with bloodshed, and the city is full of perversion; for they say, ‘Yahweh has forsaken the land, and Yahweh does not see!’ “But as for Me, My eye will have no pity, nor will I spare, but I will put their way upon their heads.” Then behold, the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the scribe’s case responded with a word, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”

~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ ~~~~~~10~~~~~ Then I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a sapphire stone, in appearance in the likeness of a throne, appeared above them. And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And he entered in my sight. Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the house when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of Yahweh rose up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh. Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks. Now it happened that when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he entered and stood beside a wheel. Then the cherub sent forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some up, and put it into the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out. And the cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings. Then I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a Tarshish stone. As for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel. As they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went; but they went in the direction which they faced, without turning as they went. And their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them. The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels. And each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. Then the cherubim rose up. They are the living creatures that I saw by the river Chebar. Now as the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; also when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels would not turn from beside them. When the cherubim stood still, the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, the wheels would rise with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them. Then the glory of Yahweh departed from the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubim. When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the house of Yahweh, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. These are the living creatures that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim. Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the likeness of human hands. As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went straight ahead.

~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ ~~~~~~11~~~~~ Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of Yahweh which faced eastward. And behold, at the entrance of the gate, there were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, officials of the people. He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise wickedness and give evil counsel in this city, who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot, and we are the flesh.’ “Therefore, prophesy against them, son of man, prophesy!” Then the Spirit of Yahweh fell upon me, and He said to me, “Say, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “So you say, house of Israel, for I know what comes up in your spirit. “You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with them.” ‘Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of the city are the flesh, and this city is the pot; but I will bring you out of it. “You have feared a sword; so a sword I will bring upon you,” Lord Yahweh declares. “And I will bring you out of the midst of the city and give you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you. “You will fall by the sword. I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am Yahweh. “This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be flesh in the midst of it, but I will judge you to the border of Israel. “Thus you will know that I am Yahweh; for you have not walked in My statutes, nor have you executed My judgments, but have executed according to the judgments of the nations around you.” ’ ” Now it happened as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to complete destruction?” Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from Yahweh; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ “Therefore say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Though I had removed them far away among the nations, and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.” ’ “Therefore say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ’ “When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it. “And I will give them one heart and give within them a new spirit. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. “But as for those whose hearts walk after their detestable things and abominations, I will give what is due for their way on their heads,” declares Lord Yahweh. Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. The glory of Yahweh went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city. Now the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen went up and away from me. Then I told the exiles all the things that Yahweh had shown me.

~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ ~~~~~~12~~~~~ Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. “Now as for you, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; even go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will see, though they are a rebellious house. “Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you will go out at evening in their sight, as those going into exile. “In their sight, dig a hole through the wall and go out through it. “In their sight, carry the baggage on your shoulder and bring it out in the dark. You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a wondrous sign to the house of Israel.” I did so, as I had been commanded. By day I brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight. And in the morning the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ “Say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are in it.” ’ “Say, ‘I am a wondrous sign to you. As I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity.’ “The prince who is among them will carry his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. “I will also spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there. “And I will scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them. “So they will know that I am Yahweh when I scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries. “But I will spare a few of them from sword, famine, and pestilence that they may recount all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am Yahweh.” Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, you shall eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. “Then you will say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, “They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with desolation because their very soil will be made desolate of its fullness on account of the violence of all who inhabit it. “The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ” Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are long, and every vision fails’? “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But speak to them, “The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision. “For there will no longer be any worthless vision or flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel. “For I, Yahweh, will speak, and whatever word I speak will be done. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and do it,” declares Lord Yahweh.’” Furthermore, the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he beholds is for many years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be done,” ’ ” declares Lord Yahweh.

~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ ~~~~~~13~~~~~ Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh! ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the wickedly foolish prophets who are walking after their own spirit and have seen nothing. “O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among waste places. “You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of Yahweh. “They behold worthlessness and lying divination who are saying, ‘Yahweh declares,’ when Yahweh has not sent them; yet they wait for the establishing of their word. “Did you not see a worthless vision and speak a lying divination when you said, ‘Yahweh declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?” ’ ” Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you have spoken worthlessness and beheld a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,” declares Lord Yahweh. “So My hand will be against the prophets who see worthless visions and utter lying divinations. They will not be in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am Lord Yahweh. “It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a stormy wind will break out. “Now behold, the wall will fall. Will it then not be said to you, ‘Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’” Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will make a stormy wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume it in wrath. “So I will pull down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and it will fall, and you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am Yahweh. “Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is gone, and its plasterers are gone— the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ declares Lord Yahweh. “Now as for you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own heart. Prophesy against them and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to hunt down souls! Will you hunt down My people’s souls, but preserve your own souls? “For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death souls who should not die and to keep other souls alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.” ’ ” Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt souls there as birds, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let their souls go, the very souls whom you hunt as birds. “I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am Yahweh. “Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have strengthened the hands of the wicked not to turn from his evil way and preserve his life, therefore, you women will no longer see worthless visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.”

~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ ~~~~~~14~~~~~ Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be inquired by them at all? “Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I Yahweh will be brought to give him an answer in light of it, in light of the multitude of his idols, in order to seize the house of Israel by their heart, those who are estranged from Me through all their idols.” ’ “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Turn back and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations. “For anyone of the house of Israel or of the sojourners who sojourn in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I, Yahweh, will be brought to answer him in My own person. “I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will know that I am Yahweh. “But if the prophet is enticed to speak a word, it is I, Yahweh, who have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. “They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be, in order that the house of Israel may no longer wander from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My people, and I shall be their God,” ’ declares Lord Yahweh.” Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, break its staff of bread, send famine against it, and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,” declares Lord Yahweh. “If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they bereaved it of children and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would become desolate. “Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,’ even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered. “Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.” For thus says Lord Yahweh, “How much more when I send My four calamitous judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague to cut off man and beast from it! “Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you, and you will see their way and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. “Then they will comfort you when you see their way and actions, so you will know that I have not done in vain all that I did to it,” declares Lord Yahweh.

~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ ~~~~~~15~~~~~ Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest? “Can wood be taken from it to make anything, or can men take a peg from it on which to hang any vessel? “If it has been put into the fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its ends, and its middle part has been charred, is it then useful for anything? “Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything! “Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will give My face to be against them. Though they have come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I set My face against them. ‘Thus I will give over the land to desolation because they have acted unfaithfully,’” declares Lord Yahweh.
		
~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ ~~~~~~16~~~~~ Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. “As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. “No eye had pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for your soul was abhorred on the day you were born. “Then I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood. So I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Indeed I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ “I made you numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall, and came into the age for fine ornaments; your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare. “Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Then I washed you with water, rinsed your blood off from you, and anointed you with oil. “I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. “I also adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. “I also put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a splendid crown on your head. “Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. “Then your name went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My majesty which I set on you,” declares Lord Yahweh. “But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your name, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing. “You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors, and played the harlot on them, which should never come about nor happen. “You also took your splendid jewelry made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them. “Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them and gave My oil and My incense before them. “Also My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey with which I had you eat, you gave before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Moreover, you took your sons and daughters, whom you had borne to Me, and sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? “You slaughtered My children and gave them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire. “Besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare—you were squirming in your blood! “Now it happened after all your evil—‘Woe, woe to you!’ declares Lord Yahweh— that you built yourself a shrine and made yourself a high place in every square. “You built yourself a high place at the head of every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry. “You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and you multiplied your harlotry to provoke Me to anger. “Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and cut off your rations. And I gave you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way. “Moreover, you played the harlot with the Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. “You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet even with this you were not satisfied.” ’ ” “How languishing is your heart,” declares Lord Yahweh, “while you do all these things, the actions of a bold-faced harlot. “When you built your shrine at the head of every way and made your high place in every square, in disdaining your earnings, you were not like a harlot. “You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! “Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from all around for your harlotries. “Thus you are the opposite of those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot as you do, because you give away your earnings and no earnings are given to you; thus you are the opposite.” Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of Yahweh. Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to idols, therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, even all those whom you loved and all those whom you hated. So I will gather them against you from all around and uncover your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness. “Thus I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy. “I will also give you into the hands of your lovers, and they will pull down your shrines, tear down your high places, strip you of your clothing, take away your splendid jewelry, and will leave you naked and bare. “They will bring up an assembly against you, and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. “They will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. Then I will make you cease from playing the harlot, and you will also no longer give your earnings to your lovers. “So I will cause My wrath against you to be at rest, and My jealousy will depart from you, and I will be quiet, and I will not be provoked anymore. “Because you have not remembered the days of your youth but have enraged Me by all these things, behold, I in turn will bring your way down on your own head,” declares Lord Yahweh, “so that you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your other abominations. “Behold, everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ “You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. “Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. “Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your ways than they. “As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “Sodom your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. “Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had lofty pride, abundant food, and quiet ease, but she did not strengthen the hand of the afflicted and needy. “Then they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. So I removed them when I saw it. “Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have done. “Also bear your dishonor in that you have made judgment favorable for your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your dishonor, in that you made your sisters appear righteous. “Nevertheless, I will return their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and along with them your own captivity, in order that you may bear your dishonor and feel dishonor for all that you have done when you become a comfort to them. “Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to their former state, and you with your daughters will also return to your former state. “As the name of your sister Sodom was not heard in your mouth in your day of lofty pride, before your wickedness was uncovered, so now you have become the reproach of the daughters of Edom and of all who are around her, of the daughters of the Philistines—those all around you who despise you. “You have borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations,” declares Yahweh. For thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also do with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant. “Nevertheless, I Myself will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. “Then you will remember your ways and feel dishonor when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. “Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am Yahweh, so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your dishonor, when I have atoned for you for all that you have done,” declares Lord Yahweh.

~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ ~~~~~~17~~~~~ Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel, and you will say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “A great eagle with great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. “He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders. “He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a field fit for seed. He placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow. “Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its foliage turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches. “But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its foliage toward him from the beds where it was planted, that he might water it. “It was planted in a good field beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a majestic vine.” ’ “Say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Will it succeed? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it dries up—so that all its sprouting leaves dry up? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. “And behold, though it is planted, will it succeed? Will it not completely dry up as soon as the east wind strikes it—dry up on the beds where it sprouted?” ’ ” Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes, and brought them to him in Babylon. ‘He took one of the royal seed and cut a covenant with him and brought him under oath. He also took away the dominant one of the land, that the kingdom might become lowly, not lifting itself up, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. ‘But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? ‘As I live,’ declares Lord Yahweh, ‘Surely in the country of the king who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall die. ‘And Pharaoh with his mighty military force and great assembly will not help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives. ‘Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’” Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will put on his head. “I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me. “All the choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the remnant will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken.” Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on an exalted and lofty mountain. “On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may lift up boughs and yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. And birds of every kind will dwell under it; they will dwell in the shade of its branches. “And all the trees of the field will know that I am Yahweh; I bring down the exalted tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am Yahweh; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ ~~~~~~18~~~~~ Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children’s teeth are set on edge’? “As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die. “But if a man is righteous and does justice and righteousness, and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period— if a man does not mistreat anyone, but returns to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he turns his hand from injustice and does true justice between man and man, if he walks in My statutes and My judgments and is careful to do the truth—he is righteous and will surely live,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Then he may have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any of these things to a brother (though he himself did not do any of these things), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines and defiles his neighbor’s wife; he mistreats the afflicted and needy, commits robbery, does not return a pledge, but lifts up his eyes to the idols and does abominations; he lends money on interest and takes increase; will he live? He will not live! He has done all these abominations; he will surely be put to death; his blood will be on himself. “Now behold, he has a son who has seen all his father’s sins which he has done. And he saw this but does not do likewise. “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor’s wife or mistreat anyone, or retain a pledge or commit robbery, but he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing; he turns his hand away from the afflicted, does not take interest or increase, but does My judgments and walks in My statutes; he will not die for his father’s iniquity; he will surely live. “As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity. “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity?’ But the son has done justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them. He shall surely live. “The soul who sins will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. “But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has done and keeps all My statutes and does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. “All his transgressions which he has done will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has done, he will live. “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares Lord Yahweh, “is it not that he should turn from his ways and live? “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his unfaithfulness which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and dies because of it, for his injustice which he has done he will die. “Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has done and does justice and righteousness, he will preserve his life. “Again, he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had done; he shall surely live; he shall not die. “But the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right? “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his way,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Turn back and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. “Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Now why will you die, O house of Israel? “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Therefore, turn back and live.”

~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ ~~~~~~19~~~~~ “As for you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among young lions; She reared her cubs. ‘So she brought up one of her cubs; He became a lion, And he learned to tear his prey; He devoured men. ‘Then nations heard about him; He was captured in their pit, And they brought him with hooks To the land of Egypt. ‘Then she saw, as she waited, That her hope was lost, So she took another of her cubs And made him a young lion. ‘And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion; He learned to tear his prey; He devoured men. ‘He knew how to destroy their fortified towers And laid waste their cities; And the land was in desolation, as well as its fullness Because of the sound of his roaring. ‘Then nations put themselves against him All around from their provinces, And they spread their net over him; He was captured in their pit. ‘They put him in a cage with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would be heard no more On the mountains of Israel. ‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and full of branches Because of abundant waters. ‘And it had strong thick branches fit for scepters of rulers, And its height was exalted above the clouds So that it was seen in its exaltedness with the mass of its foliage. ‘But it was uprooted in wrath; It was cast down to the ground; And the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong thick branch was torn off So that it dried up; The fire consumed it. ‘So now it is planted in the wilderness, In a dry and thirsty land. ‘And fire has gone out from its thick branch; It has consumed its shoots and fruit, So that there is not in it a strong thick branch, A scepter to rule.’” This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.

~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ ~~~~~~20~~~~~ Now it happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, that some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh and sat before me. And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.” ’ “Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Make them know the abominations of their fathers and say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the seed of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am Yahweh your God, on that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. “I said to them, ‘Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.’ “But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; each one did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out My wrath on them, to spend My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. “But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. “So I took them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. “I gave them My statutes and made them know My judgments, which, if a man does them, he will live by them. “And I also gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them. “But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My statutes, and they rejected My judgments, which, if a man does them, he will live by them; and My sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to completely destroy them. “But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, before whose sight I had brought them out. “Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands, because they rejected My judgments, and as for My statutes, they did not walk in them; they even profaned My sabbaths, for their heart continually walked after their idols. “Yet My eye had pity on them rather than bringing them to ruin, and I did not make of them a complete destruction in the wilderness. “I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers and do not keep their judgments and do not defile yourselves with their idols. ‘I am Yahweh your God; walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them. ‘Keep My sabbaths holy; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.’ “But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to do My judgments, which, if a man does them, he will live by them; they profaned My sabbaths. So I said I would pour out My wrath on them, to spend My anger against them in the wilderness. “But I turned back My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. “Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands because they had not done My judgments, but had rejected My statutes and had profaned My sabbaths, and their eyes were going after the idols of their fathers. “And I also gave them statutes that were not good and judgments by which they could not live; and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am Yahweh.” ’ “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me by acting unfaithfully against Me. “Indeed, I brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, and they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they gave the provocation of their offering. There also they made their soothing aroma, and there they poured out their drink offerings. “Then I said to them, ‘What is the high place to which you are going?’ So its name is called Bamah to this day.” ’ “Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Will you defile yourselves in the way of your fathers and play the harlot after their detestable things? “And when you offer your gifts, when you cause your sons to pass through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you. “And what comes upon your spirit will not happen, when you say: ‘We will be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to minister to wood and stone.’ “As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “surely with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be king over you. “And I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. “As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares Lord Yahweh. “And I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh. “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says Lord Yahweh, “Go, serve everyone his idols; but after this you will surely listen to Me, and My holy name you will profane no longer with your gifts and with your idols. “For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh, “there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will accept them, and there I will seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things. “As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations. “And you will know that I am Yahweh, when I bring you onto the ground of Israel, into the land which I swore to give to your fathers. “And there you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves to your own faces for all the evil things that you have done. “Then you will know that I am Yahweh when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your evil ways or according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh.’” Now the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Teman and speak, dripping out words, against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negev and say to the forest of the Negev, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh: thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree; the blazing flame will not be quenched, and the whole surface from south to north will be scorched by it. “And all flesh will see that I, Yahweh, have made it burn; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ” Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just speaking parables?’”

~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ ~~~~~~21~~~~~ And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and speak, dripping out words against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am against you; and I will bring out My sword from its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. “Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go out from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. “Thus all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, have brought out My sword from its sheath. It will not return to its sheath again.” ’ “Now as for you, son of man, groan with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan in their sight. “And it will be that when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the report that is coming; and every heart will melt, all hands will fall limp, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will happen,’ declares Lord Yahweh.” Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished! ‘Sharpened to make a slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning!’ Or shall we rejoice in the scepter of My son? The sword despises every tree. “It is given to be polished, that it may be seized by the hand; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the one who kills. “Cry out and wail, son of man; for it is against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with My people; therefore slap your thigh. “For there is a testing; and what if even the scepter which the sword despises will be no more?” declares Lord Yahweh. “You therefore, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them, that their hearts may melt, and many will be stumbling blocks at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter. “Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed. “And I will also strike My hands together, and I will cause My wrath to be at rest; I, Yahweh, have spoken.” And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Now as for you, son of man, make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to the city. “You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem. “For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows; he asks the household idols; he looks at the liver. “Into his right hand came the divination, ‘Jerusalem,’ to set battering rams, to open the mouth for killing, to lift up the voice with a shout of war, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall. “And it will be to them like a worthless divination in their eyes; they have sworn solemn oaths. But he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized. “Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you will be seized with the hand. ‘And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,’ thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Remove the turban and take off the crown; this will no longer be the same. Make high that which is low and make low that which is high. ‘A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will make it. This also will be no more until He comes to whom the legal judgment belongs, and I will give it to Him.’ “Now as for you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach,’ and say: ‘A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, to cause it to consume, that it may be like lightning— while they behold for you worthless visions, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end. ‘Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. ‘And I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow on you with the fire of My fury, and I will give you into the hand of brutal men, craftsmen of destruction. ‘You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land. You will not be remembered, for I, Yahweh, have spoken.’”

~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ ~~~~~~22~~~~~ Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Now as for you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the city of blood? Then you shall cause her to know all her abominations. “And you shall say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “A city shedding blood in her midst, so that her time will come; and she makes idols against herself for defilement! “You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and defiled by your idols which you have made. Thus you have brought your day near and have come to your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mocking to all the lands. “Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you of unclean name, full of turmoil. “Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood. “They have treated father and mother with contempt within you. The sojourner they have oppressed in your midst; the fatherless and the widow they have mistreated in you. “You have despised My holy things and profaned My sabbaths. “Slanderous men have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood, and in you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have done acts of lewdness. “In you they have uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; in you they have humbled her who was unclean in her menstrual impurity. “One has also done what is an abomination with his neighbor’s wife, and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. And another in you has violated his sister, his father’s daughter. “In you they have taken bribes for the purpose of shedding blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Now behold, I have struck My hand at your greedy gain which you have acquired and at the bloodshed which is among you. “Can your heart stand, or can your hands be strong in the days that I will act against you? I, Yahweh, have spoken and will act. “I will scatter you among the nations, and I will disperse you through the lands, and I will put an end to your uncleanness from you. “You will profane yourself in the sight of the nations, and you will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ” And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are the dross of silver. “Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. ‘As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath, and I will lay you there and melt you. ‘And I will collect you together and blow on you with the fire of My fury, and you will be melted in the midst of it. ‘As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have poured out My wrath on you.’” And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. “Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no separation between the holy and the profane, and they have not made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. “Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get greedy gain. “And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, beholding worthless visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh,’ when Yahweh has not spoken. “The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have mistreated the afflicted and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice. “And I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the breach before Me for the land, so that I would not bring it to ruin; but I found no one. “Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My fury; their way I have brought upon their heads,” declares Lord Yahweh.

~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ ~~~~~~23~~~~~ The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying, “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed, and there their virgin bosom was handled. “Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah. “Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors, who were clothed in purple, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. “She gave her harlotries to them, all of them the choicest men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she defiled herself. “She did not forsake her harlotries from the time in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her, and they handled her virgin bosom and poured out their harlotry on her. “Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. “They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, but they killed her with the sword. Thus she became a despised name among women, and they executed judgments on her. “Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and her harlotries were more than the harlotries of her sister. “She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and officials, the ones near, magnificently dressed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable choice men. “And I saw that she had defiled herself; they both took the same way. “So she increased her harlotries. And she saw men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded with belts on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, in the likeness of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth. “And she saw them and lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. “So the Babylonians came to her to the bed of love and defiled her with their harlotry. Then she became defiled by them, and her soul became disgusted with them. “And she uncovered her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness; then My soul became disgusted with her, as My soul had become disgusted with her sister. “Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt. “She lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose issue is like the issue of horses. “Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth. “Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I will arouse your lovers against you, those with whom your soul was disgusted, and I will bring them against you from every side: the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; desirable choice men, governors and officials, all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. ‘They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons, and with an assembly of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with large shield and shield and helmet; and I will give the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their judgments. ‘And I will set My jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears; and your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and your survivors will be consumed by the fire. ‘They will also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewelry. ‘Thus I will make your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt to cease from you, so that you will not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’ “For thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those with whom your soul was disgusted. ‘They will deal with you in hatred, take all the fruit of your labor, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your harlotries will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotries. ‘These things will be done to you because you have played the harlot with the nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols. ‘You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.’ “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, Which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; It contains much. ‘You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, The cup of horror and desolation, The cup of your sister Samaria. ‘You will drink it and drain it. Then you will gnaw its fragments And tear your breasts; for I have spoken,’ declares Lord Yahweh. “Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, bear now the punishment of your lewdness and your harlotries.’” Moreover, Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. “For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to them as food. “Again, they have done this to Me: they have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and have profaned My sabbaths. “For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and behold, thus they did within My house. “Furthermore, they have even sent for men who come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came—for whom you bathed, painted your eyes, and decorated yourselves with ornaments; and you sat on a splendid couch with a table arranged before it on which you had set My incense and My oil. “The sound of a multitude at ease was with her; and drunkards were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort. And they put bracelets on the hands of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads. “Then I said concerning her who was worn out by adulteries, ‘Will they now commit harlotry with her when she is thus?’ “But they went in to her as they would go in to a harlot. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women. “But they, righteous men, will judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands. “For thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Bring up an assembly against them and give them over to terror and plunder. ‘The assembly will stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and their daughters and burn their houses with fire. ‘Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land, that all women may be chastised and not commit lewdness as you have done. ‘Your lewdness will be requited upon you, and you will bear the sin of worshiping your idols; thus you will know that I am Lord Yahweh.’”

~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ ~~~~~~24~~~~~ And the word of Yahweh came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, “Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. “Speak a parable to the rebellious house, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Put on the pot, put it on and also pour water in it; Put in it the pieces, Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder; Fill it with choice bones. “Take the choicest of the flock, And also pile wood under the pot. Make it seethe vigorously. Also boil its bones in it.” ‘Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the city of blood, To the pot in which there is rust And whose rust has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, Without making a choice. “For her blood is in her midst; She placed it on the bare rock; She did not pour it on the ground To cover it with dust. “That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have put her blood on the bare rock, That it may not be covered.” ‘Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the city of blood! I also will make the pile great. “Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, Completely cook the flesh And mix in the spices And let the bones be burned. “Then stand it empty on its coals So that it may be hot And its bronze may glow And its uncleanness may be melted in it, Its rust brought to a complete end. “She has wearied Me with toil, Yet her great rust has not gone from her; Let her rust be in the fire! “In your uncleanness is lewdness. Because I would have cleansed you, Yet you are not clean; You will not be cleansed from your uncleanness again Until I have caused My wrath against you to be at rest. “I, Yahweh, have spoken; it is coming, and I will act. I will not regret, and I will not pity, and I will not relent; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you,” declares Lord Yahweh.’” And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn, and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. “Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your headdress and put your shoes on your feet and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. The people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?” Then I said to them, “The word of Yahweh came to me saying, ‘Say to the house of Israel, “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. ‘And you will do as I have done; you will not cover your mustache, and you will not eat the bread of men. ‘And your headdresses will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet. You will not mourn, and you will not weep, but you will rot away in your iniquities, and you will groan to one another. ‘Thus Ezekiel will be a wondrous sign to you; according to all that he has done you will do; when it comes, then you will know that I am Lord Yahweh.’” ‘Now as for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their strong defense, the joy of their beauty, the desire of their eyes, and what lifts up their soul, their sons and their daughters, that on that day he who escapes will come to you with a report for your ears? ‘On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and be mute no longer. Thus you will be a wondrous sign to them, and they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

~~~~~~25~~~~~ ~~~~~~25~~~~~ ~~~~~~25~~~~~ ~~~~~~25~~~~~ ~~~~~~25~~~~~ And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them and say to the sons of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of Lord Yahweh! Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile, therefore, behold, I am going to give you to the sons of the east for a possession, and they will set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. “I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and the sons of Ammon a resting place for flocks. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.” ‘For thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and were glad with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you, and I will give you for plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,’ therefore, behold, I am going to open the flank of Moab by its cities, by its cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim, and I will give it for a possession along with the sons of Ammon to the sons of the east, so that the sons of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. “Thus I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am Yahweh.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance and has incurred grievous guilt and avenged themselves upon them,” therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. “I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath; thus they will know My vengeance,” declares Lord Yahweh. ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to bring ruin with everlasting enmity,” therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines and cut off the Cherethites and cause the remnant of the seacoast to perish. “So I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful reproofs; and they will know that I am Yahweh when I lay My vengeance on them.” ’ ”

~~~~~~26~~~~~ ~~~~~~26~~~~~ ~~~~~~26~~~~~ ~~~~~~26~~~~~ ~~~~~~26~~~~~ Now it happened in the eleventh year, on the first of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,’ therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. ‘They will make the walls of Tyre a ruin and pull down her towers; and I will scrape her dust from her and make her a bare rock. ‘She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ declares Lord Yahweh, ‘and she will become plunder for the nations. ‘Also her daughters who are on the mainland will be killed by the sword, and they will know that I am Yahweh.’” For thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, horsemen, and an assembly, a great number of people. “He will kill your daughters on the mainland with the sword; and he will make siege walls against you, cast up a ramp against you, and raise up a large shield against you. “The blow of his battering rams he will direct against your walls, and with his swords he will tear down your towers. “Because of the abundance of his horses, the fine dust raised by them will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of horsemen and wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city that is breached. “With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword; and your strong pillars will come down to the ground. “Also they will make a spoil of your wealth and a plunder of your merchandise, and pull down your walls and tear down your desirable houses, and throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water. “So I will cause the tumult of your songs to cease, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more. “I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more, for I Yahweh have spoken,” declares Lord Yahweh. Thus says Lord Yahweh to Tyre, “Shall not the coastlands shake at the sound of your downfall when the wounded groan, when the killing occurs in your midst? “Then all the princes of the sea will go down from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment, and be appalled at you. “They will take up a lamentation over you and say to you, ‘How you have perished, O inhabited one, From the seas, O city that was praised, Which was strong on the sea, She and her inhabitants, Who imposed her terror On all her inhabitants! ‘Now the coastlands will tremble On the day of your downfall; Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea Will be dismayed at your departure.’” For thus says Lord Yahweh, “When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you inhabit the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living. “I will bring terrors on you, and you will be no more; though you will be sought, you will never be found again,” declares Lord Yahweh.

~~~~~~27~~~~~ ~~~~~~27~~~~~ ~~~~~~27~~~~~ ~~~~~~27~~~~~ ~~~~~~27~~~~~ Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Now as for you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre and say to Tyre, who inhabits the entrance to the sea, a trader of the peoples to many coastlands, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’ “Your borders are in the heart of the seas; Your builders have perfected your beauty. “They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. “Of oaks from Bashan they have made your oars; With ivory they have inlaid your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of Cyprus. “Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt So that it became your standard; Your awning was blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah. “The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; Your wise men, O Tyre, were aboard; they were your pilots. “The elders of Gebal and her wise men were with you repairing your seams; All the ships of the sea and their sailors were with you in order to deal in your merchandise. “Persia and Lud and Put were in your military force, your men of war. They hung shield and helmet in you; they set forth your majesty. “The sons of Arvad and your military force were on your walls, all around, and the Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their small shields on your walls all around; they perfected your beauty. “Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; with silver, iron, tin, and lead they paid for your wares. “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders; with the lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise. “Those from Beth-togarmah gave horses and war horses and mules for your wares. “The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were customers at your hand; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment. “Aram was your customer because of the abundance of your goods; they paid for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. “Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil, and balm they paid for your merchandise. “Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool. “Also Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were among your merchandise. “Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. “Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were customers at your hand for lambs, rams, and goats; for these, they were your customers. “The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they traded with you; they paid for your wares with the best of all kinds of spices and with all kinds of precious stones and gold. “Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. “They traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors and tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise. “The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise. And you were filled and were very glorious In the heart of the seas. “Your rowers have brought you Into great waters; The east wind has broken you In the heart of the seas. “Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, Your sailors and your pilots, Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise, And all your men of war who are in you, With all your assembly that is in your midst, Will fall into the heart of the seas On the day of your downfall. “At the sound of the cry of your pilots The pasture lands will shake. “All who handle the oar, The sailors and all the pilots of the sea, Will come down from their ships; They will stand on the land, And they will make their voice heard over you And will cry bitterly. They will cast dust on their heads; They will wallow in ashes. “Also they will make themselves bald for you And gird themselves with sackcloth; And they will weep for you in bitterness of soul With bitter mourning. “Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you And lament over you: ‘Who is like Tyre, Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea? ‘When your wares went out from the seas, You satisfied a great number of peoples; With the greatness of your wealth and your merchandise You enriched the kings of earth. ‘Now that you are broken by the seas In the depths of the waters, Your merchandise and all your assembly Have fallen in the midst of you. ‘All the inhabitants of the coastlands Are appalled at you, And their kings are horribly horrified; They are troubled in countenance. ‘The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; You have become terrified, And you will cease to be forever.’”

~~~~~~28~~~~~ ~~~~~~28~~~~~ ~~~~~~28~~~~~ ~~~~~~28~~~~~ ~~~~~~28~~~~~ The word of Yahweh came again to me, saying, “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because your heart is lofty And you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit enthroned in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas’; Yet you are a man and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God— Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; There is no secret that is a match for you. “By your wisdom and understanding You have acquired wealth for yourself And have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries. “By your great wisdom, by your trade You have increased your wealth, And your heart is lofty because of your wealth— Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Because you have made your heart Like the heart of God, Therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, The most ruthless of the nations. And they will draw their swords Against the beauty of your wisdom And defile your splendor. ‘They will bring you down to the pit, And you will die the death of those who are slain In the heart of the seas. ‘Will you still say, “I am a god,” In the presence of the one who kills you, Though you are a man and not God, In the hands of those who slay you? ‘You will die the death of the uncircumcised By the hand of strangers, For I have spoken!’ declares Lord Yahweh!” ’ ” Again the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. “By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. “Your heart was lofty because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. “By the abundance of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought out fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. “All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified, And you will cease to be forever.” ’ ” And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, prophesy against her and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against you, O Sidon, And I will be glorified in your midst. Then they will know that I am Yahweh when I execute judgments in her, And I will manifest My holiness in her. “For I will send pestilence to her And blood to her streets, And the wounded will fall in her midst By the sword upon her on every side; Then they will know that I am Yahweh. “And there will be no more for the house of Israel a prickling brier or a painful thorn from any round about them who scorned them; then they will know that I am Lord Yahweh.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples, among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob. “They will live in it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards, and live securely when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them all around them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh their God.” ’ ”

~~~~~~29~~~~~ ~~~~~~29~~~~~ ~~~~~~29~~~~~ ~~~~~~29~~~~~ ~~~~~~29~~~~~ In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. “Speak and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, The great monster that lies in the midst of his canals of the Nile, That has said, ‘My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it.’ “I will put hooks in your jaws And make the fish of your canals of the Nile cling to your scales. And I will bring you up out of the midst of your canals of the Nile, And all the fish of your canals of the Nile will cling to your scales. “I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your canals of the Nile; You will fall on the open field; you will not be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the sky. “Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Yahweh Because they have been only a staff made of reed to the house of Israel. “When they seized you with the hand, You tore and split open all their shoulders; And when they leaned on you, You broke and made all their loins quake.” ‘Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will bring upon you a sword, and I will cut off from you man and beast. “The land of Egypt will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am Yahweh. Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I have made it,’ therefore, behold, I am against you and against your canals of the Nile, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and even to the border of Ethiopia. “A man’s foot will not pass through it, and the foot of a beast will not pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. “So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.” ‘For thus says Lord Yahweh, “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. “I will return the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. “It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not have dominion over the nations. “And it will never again be the security of the house of Israel, bringing to remembrance the iniquity of their having turned to go after Egypt. Then they will know that I am Lord Yahweh.” ’ ” Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his military force labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his military force had no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had labored against it.” Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her abundance and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his military force. “I have given him the land of Egypt for his work which he labored because they acted for Me,” declares Lord Yahweh. “On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth in their midst. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”

~~~~~~30~~~~~ ~~~~~~30~~~~~ ~~~~~~30~~~~~ ~~~~~~30~~~~~ ~~~~~~30~~~~~ The word of Yahweh came again to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’ “For the day is near, Even the day of Yahweh is near; It will be a day of clouds, A time of doom for the nations. “A sword will come upon Egypt, And anguish will be in Ethiopia; When the slain fall in Egypt, They take away her multitude, And her foundations are pulled down. “Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya, and the people of the land that is in covenant will fall with them by the sword.” ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Indeed, those who support Egypt will fall, And the pride of her strength will come down; From Migdol to Syene They will fall within her by the sword,” Declares Lord Yahweh. “They will be desolate In the midst of the desolated lands; And her cities will be In the midst of the cities laid waste. “And they will know that I am Yahweh, When I set a fire in Egypt And all her helpers are broken. “On that day messengers will go forth from Me in ships to frighten secure Ethiopia; and anguish will be on them as on the day of Egypt; for behold, it is coming!” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also make the multitude of Egypt cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. “He and his people with him, The most ruthless of the nations, Will be brought in to make the land a ruin; And they will draw their swords against Egypt And fill the land with the slain. “Moreover, I will make the canals of the Nile dry And sell the land into the hands of evil men. And I will make the land desolate, As well as its fullness, By the hand of strangers; I, Yahweh, have spoken.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt. “I will make Pathros desolate, Set a fire in Zoan, And execute judgments on Thebes. “I will pour out My wrath on Sin, The strong defense of Egypt; I will also cut off the multitude of Thebes. “I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin will writhe in anguish; Thebes will be breached, And Memphis will have distresses daily. “The choice men of On and of Pi-beseth Will fall by the sword, And the women will go into captivity. “In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark When I break there the bars of the yoke of Egypt. Then the pride of her strength will cease in her; A cloud will cover her, And her daughters will go into captivity. “Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt, And they will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ” In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and behold, it has not been bound up to be given healing or wrapped with a bandage, that it may be strong to seize the sword. “Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. ‘I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands. ‘For I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh so that he will groan before him with the groanings of a wounded man. ‘Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. ‘When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

~~~~~~31~~~~~ ~~~~~~31~~~~~ ~~~~~~31~~~~~ ~~~~~~31~~~~~ ~~~~~~31~~~~~ Now it happened in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude, ‘To whom do you liken yourself in your greatness? ‘Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade And lofty in height, And its top was among the clouds. ‘The waters made it grow; the deep made it high. With its rivers it was going all around its planting place And sent out its conduits to all the trees of the field. ‘Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field, And its boughs became many and its branches long Because of many waters as it spread them out. ‘All the birds of the sky nested in its boughs, And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth, And all great nations lived under its shade. ‘So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its foliage; For its roots extended to many waters. ‘The cedars in God’s garden could not match it; The cypresses could not liken themselves with its boughs, And the plane trees were not like its branches. No tree in God’s garden could liken itself with it in its beauty. ‘I made it beautiful with the multitude of its foliage, And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, were jealous of it. ‘Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because it is lofty in height and has put its top among the clouds, and its heart is high up in its loftiness, therefore I will give it into the hand of a dominant one of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it. According to its wickedness I have driven it away. “Strangers—ruthless ones of the nations have cut it down and abandoned it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its foliage have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land. And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and abandoned it. “On its downfall all the birds of the sky will dwell, and all the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches so that all the trees by the waters may not be lofty in their height, nor put their top among the clouds, nor their dominant ones—all the well-watered ones—stand in their loftiness. For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “On the day when it went down to Sheol I caused mourning; I covered it with the deep over it and held back its rivers. And its many waters were stopped up, and I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away on account of it. “I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall when I made it go down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered ones, were comforted in the earth beneath. “They also went down with it to Sheol to those who were slain by the sword; and those who were its strength lived under its shade among the nations. “To which among the trees of Eden do you thus liken yourself in glory and greatness? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath; you will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who were slain by the sword. So is Pharaoh and all his multitude!” ’ declares Lord Yahweh.”
				
~~~~~~32~~~~~ ~~~~~~32~~~~~ ~~~~~~32~~~~~ ~~~~~~32~~~~~ ~~~~~~32~~~~~ And it happened in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him, ‘You liken yourself to a young lion of the nations, Yet you are like the monster in the seas; And you burst forth in your rivers And muddied the waters with your feet And fouled their rivers.’” Thus says Lord Yahweh, “So I will spread My net over you With an assembly of many peoples, And they shall bring you up in My net. “I will abandon you on the land; I will hurl you on the open field. And I will cause all the birds of the sky to dwell on you, And I will satisfy the beasts of the whole earth with you. “I will put your flesh on the mountains And fill the valleys with your refuse. “I will also make the land drink the discharge of your blood As far as the mountains, And the ravines will be full of you. “And when I extinguish you, 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. “All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you And will give darkness on your land,” Declares Lord Yahweh. “I will also vex the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction among the nations, into lands which you have not known. “I will make many peoples appalled at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they will tremble every moment, every man for his own life, on the day of your downfall.” For thus says Lord Yahweh, “The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. “By the swords of the mighty ones I will cause your multitude to fall; all of them are ruthless ones of the nations, And they will devastate the lofty pride of Egypt, And all its multitude will be destroyed. “I will also make all its cattle perish from beside many waters; And the foot of man will not muddy them anymore, And the hoofs of beasts will not muddy them. “Then I will make their waters settle And will cause their rivers to run like oil,” Declares Lord Yahweh. “When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, And the land is desolate of its fullness, When I strike all those who inhabit it, Then they shall know that I am Yahweh. “This is a lamentation, and they shall lament over it. The daughters of the nations shall lament over it. Over Egypt and over all her multitude they shall lament over it,” declares Lord Yahweh. Now it happened in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, that the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and bring it down, her and the daughters of the powerful nations, to the nether world, with those who go down to the pit; ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and make your bed with the uncircumcised.’ “They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword. She is given over to the sword; they have drawn her and all her multitude away. “The dominant among the mighty ones shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol, ‘They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’ “Assyria is there and all her assembly; her graves are round about her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, whose graves are put in the remotest parts of the pit, and her assembly is all round about her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, who put terror in the land of the living. “Elam is there and all her multitude all around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, who put their terror in the land of the living and bore their dishonor with those who went down to the pit. “They have put a bed for her among the slain with all her multitude. Her graves are all around it; all of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword (although their terror was put in the land of the living), and they bore their dishonor with those who go down to the pit; they were put in the midst of the slain. “Meshech, Tubal, and all their multitude are there; their graves are all around them. All of them were slain by the sword uncircumcised, though they put their terror in the land of the living. “Nor do they lie beside the fallen mighty ones of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war and whose swords were put under their heads; but the punishment for their iniquity rested on their bones, though the terror of these mighty ones was once in the land of the living. “But as for you, in the midst of the uncircumcised you will be broken and lie with those slain by the sword. “There also is Edom, its kings, and all its princes, who for all their might are put with those slain by the sword; they will lie with the uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit. “There also are the chiefs of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who in spite of the terror resulting from their might, in shame went down with the slain. So they lay down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bore their dishonor with those who go down to the pit. “These Pharaoh will see, and he will be comforted for all his multitude slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his military force,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Though I put a terror of him in the land of the living, yet he will be made to lie down among the uncircumcised along with those slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his hordes,” declares Lord Yahweh.

~~~~~~33~~~~~ ~~~~~~33~~~~~ ~~~~~~33~~~~~ ~~~~~~33~~~~~ ~~~~~~33~~~~~ 	And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have escaped with his life. ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’ “Now as for you, son of man, I have given you as a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a word from My mouth and give them warning from Me. “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. “But as for you, if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life. “Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus you have spoken, saying, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we live?” ’ “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares Lord Yahweh, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’ “Now as for you, son of man, say to the sons of your people, ‘The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.’ “When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he does iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has done he will die. “But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and he turns from his sin and does justice and righteousness, if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. “None of his sins that he has done will be remembered against him. He has done justice and righteousness; he shall surely live. “Yet the sons of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their own way that is not right. “When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does iniquity, then he shall die in it. “But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does justice and righteousness, he will live by them. “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.” Now it happened in the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth of the tenth month, that those who escaped from Jerusalem came to me, saying, “The city has been struck down.” Now the hand of Yahweh had been upon me in the evening, before those who escaped came. And He opened my mouth at the time they came to me in the morning; so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute. Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, they who inhabit these waste places in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, yet he possessed the land; so to us who are many the land has been given as a possession.’ “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “You eat meat with the blood in it and lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? “You stand on account of your sword, you do abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?” ’ “Thus you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of pestilence. “I will make the land a desolation and a desecration, and the lofty pride of her strength will cease; and the mountains of Israel will be desolate so that no one will pass through. “Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I make the land a desolation and a desecration because of all their abominations which they have done.” ’ “But as for you, son of man, the sons of your people who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, ‘Come now and hear what the word is which comes forth from Yahweh.’ “They come to you as people come and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their greedy gain. “Behold, you are to them like a lustful song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not do them. “So when it comes to pass—behold, it is coming—then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.”
		
~~~~~~34~~~~~ ~~~~~~34~~~~~ ~~~~~~34~~~~~ ~~~~~~34~~~~~ ~~~~~~34~~~~~ Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been shepherding themselves! Should not the shepherds shepherd the flock? “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you sacrifice the fat sheep without shepherding the flock. “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, and the diseased you have not healed, and the broken you have not bound up, and the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you searched for the lost; but with strength and with severity you have dominated them. “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. “My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to seek or search for them.” ’ ” Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh: “As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “surely because My flock has become plunder, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not seek for My flock, but rather the shepherds shepherded themselves and did not shepherd My flock; therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh: ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will seek My flock from their hand and make them cease from shepherding the flock. So the shepherds will not shepherd themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth so that they will not be food for them.” ’ ” For thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I Myself will seek My sheep and care for them. “As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his sheep which are spread out, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will shepherd them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. “I will shepherd them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and be shepherded in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. “I will shepherd My flock, and I will make them lie down,” declares Lord Yahweh. “I will search for the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with judgment. “As for you, My flock, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. ‘Is it too slight a thing for you that you should be shepherded in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet? ‘As for My flock, they must be shepherded on what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!’” Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh to them, “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. “Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the sickly with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, therefore, I will save My flock, and they will no longer be plunder; and I will judge between one sheep and another. “Then I will establish over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will shepherd them; he will shepherd them himself and be their shepherd. “And I, Yahweh, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I, Yahweh, have spoken. “I will cut a covenant of peace with them and cause harmful beasts to cease from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. “I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. “Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its produce, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. “They will no longer be plunder to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them tremble. “I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not bear the dishonor of the nations anymore. “Then they will know that I, Yahweh their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares Lord Yahweh. “As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares Lord Yahweh.
		
~~~~~~35~~~~~ ~~~~~~35~~~~~ ~~~~~~35~~~~~ ~~~~~~35~~~~~ ~~~~~~35~~~~~ Moreover, the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it and say to it, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, And I will stretch out My hand against you And make you a desolation and a desecration. “I will lay waste your cities, And you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. “Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their disaster, at the time of the punishment of the end, therefore as I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will prepare you for bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you; you surely have not hated bloodshed, so bloodshed will pursue you. “I will make Mount Seir a waste and a desolation, and I will cut off from it the one who passes through and returns. “I will fill its mountains with its slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those slain by the sword will fall. “I will make you an everlasting desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two lands will be mine, and we will possess them,’ although Yahweh was there, therefore as I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your jealousy which you dealt with them because of your hatred against them; so I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. “Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have heard all your contempt which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel saying, ‘They are laid desolate; they are given to us for food.’ “And you have magnified yourselves with your mouth against Me and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard it.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “As all the earth delights, I will make you a desolation. “As you delighted over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You will be a desolation, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” ’
	
~~~~~~36~~~~~ ~~~~~~36~~~~~ ~~~~~~36~~~~~ ~~~~~~36~~~~~ ~~~~~~36~~~~~ “Now as for you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh. ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The everlasting heights have become our possession,’ therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “For good reason they have made you desolate and bruised you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations, and you have been taken up in the speech of their tongue and the rumors of the people.” ’ ” ‘Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of Lord Yahweh. Thus says Lord Yahweh to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become plunder and objects of scoffing to the rest of the nations which are round about, therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession with wholehearted gladness and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for plunder.” ‘Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have borne the dishonor of the nations.’ “Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘I have sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves bear their dishonor. ‘But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. ‘For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown. ‘I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. ‘I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will multiply and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh. ‘And I will cause men—My people Israel—to walk on you and possess you so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.’ “Thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Because they say to you, “You are a devourer of men and have bereaved your nation of children,” therefore you will no longer devour men and no longer bereave your nation of children,’ declares Lord Yahweh. “I will not let you hear dishonor from the nations anymore, nor will you bear reproach from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to stumble any longer,” declares Lord Yahweh.’” Then the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. “Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. “Also I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. “Then they came to the nations to which they came. And they profaned My holy name because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of Yahweh; yet they have come out of His land.’ “But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, to which you have come. “I will prove the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh,” declares Lord Yahweh, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. “And I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to do My judgments. “And you will inhabit the land that I gave to your fathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. “Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. “I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field so that you will not receive again the reproach of famine among the nations. “Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves to your own faces for your iniquities and your abominations. “I am not doing this for your sake,” declares Lord Yahweh, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and feel dishonor for your ways, O house of Israel!” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. “The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. “And they will say, ‘This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate, and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ “Then the nations that remain all around you will know that I, Yahweh, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, Yahweh, have spoken and will do it.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “This also I will let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. “Like the flock for holy offerings, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed times, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” ’ ”
		
~~~~~~37~~~~~ ~~~~~~37~~~~~ ~~~~~~37~~~~~ ~~~~~~37~~~~~ ~~~~~~37~~~~~ The hand of Yahweh was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of Yahweh and caused me to rest in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them all around, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and behold, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord Yahweh, You know.” Then He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh.’ “Thus says Lord Yahweh to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh come up upon you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am Yahweh.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rumbling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh came up upon them, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these who were killed, that they may come to life.” ’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great military force. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. “Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. “And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken and done it,” declares Yahweh.’” The word of Yahweh came again to me saying, “Now as for you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ “Then draw them together for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. “And when the sons of your people speak to you saying, ‘Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?’ say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ “And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. “And speak to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. “They also will no longer defile themselves with their idols or with their detestable things or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all their places of habitation in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God. “And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My judgments and keep My statutes and do them. “They will inhabit the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, which your fathers inhabited; and they will inhabit it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. “And I will cut a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will give them the land and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. “My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. “And the nations will know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.” ’ ”

~~~~~~38~~~~~ ~~~~~~38~~~~~ ~~~~~~38~~~~~ ~~~~~~38~~~~~ ~~~~~~38~~~~~ And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. “I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your military force, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently dressed, a great assembly with large shield and shield, all of them wielding swords; Persia, Ethiopia, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops—many peoples with you. “Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your assembly that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. “After many days you will be mustered; in the last years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many peoples to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the peoples, and they are living securely, all of them. “And you will go up; you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “It will be in that day, that thoughts will come into your heart, and you will devise an evil plan, and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who dwell quietly, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places, which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and property, who live at the center of the world.’ “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your assembly to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’”’ “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it? “You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and numerous peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a numerous military force; and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It will be in the last days that I will bring you against My land so that the nations may know Me when I prove Myself holy through you before their eyes, O Gog.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days by the hand of My slaves the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them? “And it will be in that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh, “that My wrath will mount up in My anger. “In My zeal and in My blazing fury I have spoken that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. “And the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will quake at My presence; the mountains also will be pulled down, the steep pathways will fall, and every wall will fall to the earth. “And I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. “With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the numerous peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire, and brimstone. “And I will magnify Myself, I will manifest Myself as holy, and I will make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am Yahweh.” ’
	
~~~~~~39~~~~~ ~~~~~~39~~~~~ ~~~~~~39~~~~~ ~~~~~~39~~~~~ ~~~~~~39~~~~~ “Now as for you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. “And I will strike your bow from your left hand and cause your arrows from your right hand to fall. “You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. “You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,” declares Lord Yahweh. “And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands securely; and they will know that I am Yahweh. “And My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am Yahweh, the Holy One in Israel. “Behold, it is coming, and it shall be done,” declares Lord Yahweh. “That is the day of which I have spoken. “Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and large shields, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears; and for seven years they will make fires of them. “They will not carry wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil of those who made them into spoil and seize the plunder of those who plundered them,” declares Lord Yahweh. “And it will be in that day, that I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his multitude, and they will call it the valley of Hamon-gog. “And for seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. “Even all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be unto their name on the day that I glorify Myself,” declares Lord Yahweh. “Now they will set apart men who will continually pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. “And those who pass through the land will pass through, and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. “And even the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land.” ’ “Now as for you, son of man, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Say to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field, “Gather and come, assemble from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. “You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. “So you will eat fat until you are satisfied and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. “And you will be satisfied at My table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all the men of war,” declares Lord Yahweh. “And I will put My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have placed on them. “And the house of Israel will know that I am Yahweh their God from that day onward. “And the nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted unfaithfully against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. “According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them.” ’ ” Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Now I will return the fortunes of Jacob and have compassion on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. “So they will forget their dishonor and all their unfaithfulness which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them tremble. “When I return them from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall prove Myself holy through them in the sight of the many nations. “Then they will know that I am Yahweh their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then collected them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. “And I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares Lord Yahweh.

~~~~~~40~~~~~ ~~~~~~40~~~~~ ~~~~~~40~~~~~ ~~~~~~40~~~~~ ~~~~~~40~~~~~ In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that same day the hand of Yahweh was upon me, and He brought me there. In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and caused me to rest on a very high mountain, and on it to the south there was a structure like a city. So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. And the man spoke to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you are seeing.” And behold, there was a wall on the outside of the house of Yahweh all around, and in the man’s hand was a measuring rod of six cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one rod; and the height, one rod. Then he went to the gate which faced east, went up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one rod in width; and the other threshold was one rod in width. The guardroom was one rod long and one rod wide; and there were five cubits between the guardrooms. And the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate facing inward was one rod. Then he measured the porch of the gate facing inward, one rod. He measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its side pillars, two cubits. And the porch of the gate was faced inward. The guardrooms of the gate toward the east numbered three on each side; the three of them had the same measurement. The side pillars also had the same measurement on each side. And he measured the width of the entrance of the gate, ten cubits, and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. There was a barrier wall one cubit wide in front of the guardrooms on each side; and the guardrooms were six cubits square on each side. He measured the gate from the roof of the one guardroom to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits from one door to the door opposite. He made the side pillars sixty cubits high; the gate extended round about to the side pillar of the courtyard. From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner porch of the gate was fifty cubits. There were shuttered windows looking toward the guardrooms and toward their side pillars within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. And there were windows all around inside; and on each side pillar were palm tree ornaments. Then he brought me into the outer court, and behold, there were chambers and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. The pavement (that is, the lower pavement) was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. Then he measured the width from the front of the lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner court, one hundred cubits on the east and on the north. As for the gate of the outer court which faced the north, he measured its length and its width. It had three guardrooms on each side; and its side pillars and its porches had the same measurement as the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. Its windows and its porches and its palm tree ornaments had the same measurements as the gate which faced toward the east; and it was reached by seven steps, and its porch was in front of them. The inner court had a gate opposite the gate on the north as well as the gate on the east; and he measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate. Then he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate toward the south; and he measured its side pillars and its porches according to those same measurements. The gate and its porches had windows all around like those other windows; the length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. There were seven steps going up to it, and its porches were in front of them; and it had palm tree ornaments on its side pillars, one on each side. The inner court had a gate toward the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, one hundred cubits. Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate according to those same measurements. Its guardrooms also, its side pillars, and its porches were according to those same measurements. And the gate and its porches had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. There were porches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. Its porches were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars, and its stairway had eight steps. Then he brought me into the inner court toward the east. And he measured the gate according to those same measurements. Its guardrooms also, its side pillars, and its porches were according to those same measurements. And the gate and its porches had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its porches were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars, on each side, and its stairway had eight steps. Then he brought me to the north gate; and he measured it according to those same measurements, with its guardrooms, its side pillars, and its porches. And the gate had windows all around; the length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. Its side pillars were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars on each side, and its stairway had eight steps. A chamber with its doorway was by the side pillars at the gates; there they rinse the burnt offering. In the porch of the gate were two tables on each side, on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering. On the outer side, as one went up to the entrance of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side of the porch of the gate were two tables. Four tables were on each side next to the gate; or, eight tables on which they slaughter sacrifices. For the burnt offering there were four tables of cut stone, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high, on which they lay the instruments with which they slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice. The double hooks, one handbreadth in length, were installed in the house all around; and on the tables was the flesh of the offering. From the outside to the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner court, one of which was at the side of the north gate, with its front toward the south, and one at the side of the south gate facing toward the north. Then he said to me, “This is the chamber which faces toward the south, intended for the priests who keep the responsibility of the house; but the chamber which faces toward the north is for the priests who keep the responsibility of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who from the sons of Levi come near to Yahweh to minister to Him.” He measured the court, a perfect square, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide; and the altar was in front of the house. Then he brought me to the porch of the house and measured each side pillar of the porch, five cubits on each side; and the width of the gate was three cubits on each side. The length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits; and at the stairway by which it was ascended were columns belonging to the side pillars, one on each side.

~~~~~~41~~~~~ ~~~~~~41~~~~~ ~~~~~~41~~~~~ ~~~~~~41~~~~~ ~~~~~~41~~~~~ Then he brought me to the nave and measured the side pillars; six cubits wide on each side was the width of the side pillar. The width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on each side. And he measured the length of the nave, forty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits. Then he went inside and measured each side pillar of the doorway, two cubits, and the doorway, six cubits high; and the width of the doorway, seven cubits. He measured its length, twenty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, before the nave; and he said to me, “This is the Holy of Holies.” Then he measured the wall of the house of Yahweh, six cubits; and the width of the side chambers, four cubits, all around about the house on every side. The side chambers were in three stories, one above another, and thirty in each story; and the side chambers extended to the wall which stood on their inward side all around, that they might be fastened, and not be fastened into the wall of the house itself. The side chambers surrounding the house were wider at each successive story. Because the structure surrounding the house went upward by stages on all sides of the house, therefore the width of the house increased as it went higher; and thus one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the second story. I saw also that the house had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers were a full rod of six long cubits in height. The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. But the free space between the side chambers belonging to the house and the outer chambers was twenty cubits in width all around the house on every side. The doorways of the side chambers toward the free space consisted of one doorway toward the north and another doorway toward the south; and the width of the place of the free space was five cubits all around. The building that was in front of the separate area at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits. Then he measured the house, one hundred cubits long; the separate area with the building and its walls were also one hundred cubits long. Also the width of the front of the house and that of the separate areas along the east side totaled one hundred cubits. He measured the length of the building along the front of the separate area behind it, with a gallery on each side, one hundred cubits, along with the inner nave and the porches of the court. The thresholds, the latticed windows, and the galleries round about their three stories, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, and from the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), over the entrance, and to the inner house, and on the outside, and on all the wall all around inside and outside, by measurement. It was carved with cherubim and palm trees; and a palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces, a man’s face toward the palm tree on one side and a young lion’s face toward the palm tree on the other side; they were carved on all the house all around. From the ground to above the entrance cherubim and palm trees were carved, as well as on the wall of the nave. The doorposts of the nave were square; as for the front of the sanctuary, the appearance of one doorpost was like that of the other. The altar was of wood, three cubits high and its length two cubits; its corners, its base, and its sides were of wood. And he said to me, “This is the table that is before Yahweh.” The nave and the sanctuary each had a double door. Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging leaves; two leaves for one door and two leaves for the other. Also there were carved on them, on the doors of the nave, cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls; and there was a canopy of wood over the front of the porch outside. There were latticed windows and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the porch; thus were the side chambers of the house and the canopies.

~~~~~~42~~~~~ ~~~~~~42~~~~~ ~~~~~~42~~~~~ ~~~~~~42~~~~~ ~~~~~~42~~~~~ Then he brought me out into the outer court, the way toward the north; and he brought me to the chamber which was opposite the separate area and opposite the building toward the north. Along the length, which was one hundred cubits, was the north door; the width was fifty cubits. Opposite the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery corresponding to gallery in three stories. Before the chambers was an inner walk ten cubits wide, a way of one hundred cubits; and their openings were on the north. Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers were set back from the ground upward, more than the lower and middle ones. As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, its length was fifty cubits. For the length of the chambers which were in the outer court was fifty cubits; and behold, the length of those facing the temple was one hundred cubits. Below these chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court. In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, facing the separate area and facing the building, there were chambers. The way in front of them was like the appearance of the chambers which were on the north, according to their length so was their width, and all their exits were both according to their arrangements and openings. Corresponding to the openings of the chambers which were toward the south was an opening at the head of the way, the way in front of the wall toward the east, as one enters them. Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separate area, they are the holy chambers where the priests who are near to Yahweh shall eat the most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering; for the place is holy. “When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without laying there their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall come near to that which is for the people.” Then he had finished measuring the inner house; he brought me out by the way of the gate which faced toward the east and measured it all around. He measured on the east side with the measuring reed 500 reeds by the measuring reed. He measured on the north side 500 reeds by the measuring reed. On the south side he measured 500 reeds with the measuring reed. He turned to the west side and measured 500 reeds with the measuring reed. He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, the length 500 and the width 500, to divide between the holy and the profane.

~~~~~~43~~~~~ ~~~~~~43~~~~~ ~~~~~~43~~~~~ ~~~~~~43~~~~~ ~~~~~~43~~~~~ Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to bring the city to ruin. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of Yahweh came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house. Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me. He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die, by putting their threshold by My threshold and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have done. So I have consumed them in My anger. “Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever. “As for you, son of man, describe the house of Yahweh to the house of Israel, that they may feel dishonor for their iniquities; and let them measure the plan. “If they feel dishonor for all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight so that they may keep its whole design and all its statutes and do them. “This is the law of the house: within its entire boundary, on the top of the mountain all around, shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. “And these are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): the base shall be a cubit and the width a cubit, and its border on its edge round about one span; and this shall be the height of the base of the altar. “And from the base on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits and the width one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits and the width one cubit. “And the altar hearth shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth shall extend upwards four horns. “Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides. “The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides; the border around it shall be half a cubit, and its base shall be a cubit round about; and its steps shall face the east.” And He said to me, “Son of man, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is made, to offer burnt offerings on it and to splash blood on it. ‘And you shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the seed of Zadok, who draw near to Me to minister to Me,’ declares Lord Yahweh, ‘a bull from the herd for a sin offering. ‘You shall also take some of its blood and put it on its four horns and on the four corners of the ledge and on the border round about; thus you shall purify it and make atonement for it. ‘And you shall take the bull for the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary. ‘Now on the second day you shall bring near a male goat without blemish for a sin offering, and they shall purify the altar as they purified it with the bull. ‘When you have finished purifying it, you shall present a bull from the herd without blemish and a ram without blemish from the flock. ‘And you shall bring them near before Yahweh, and the priests shall throw salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to Yahweh. ‘For seven days you shall offer daily a goat for a sin offering; also a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be offered. ‘For seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they ordain it. ‘So they will complete the days. And it shall be that on the eighth day and onward, the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings; and I will accept you,’ declares Lord Yahweh.”

~~~~~~44~~~~~ ~~~~~~44~~~~~ ~~~~~~44~~~~~ ~~~~~~44~~~~~ ~~~~~~44~~~~~ Then He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut. Yahweh said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. “As for the prince, he shall sit in it as prince to eat bread before Yahweh; he shall enter by way of the porch of the gate and shall go out by the same way.” Then He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh, and I fell on my face. Then Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, set your heart on and see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the statutes of the house of Yahweh and concerning all its laws; and set your heart on the entrance of the house, with all exits of the sanctuary. “And you shall say to the rebellious ones, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel, when you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to profane it, even My house, when you brought near My food, the fat and the blood. So they made My covenant void—this in addition to all your abominations. “And you have not kept the responsibility of My holy things yourselves, but you have set foreigners as keepers of the responsibility given by Me for My sanctuary.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter My sanctuary. “But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. “Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house and ministering in the house; they shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. “Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn against them,” declares Lord Yahweh, “that they shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. “And they shall not approach Me to minister as a priest to Me, nor approach any of My holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they will bear their dishonor and their abominations which they have done. “Yet I will appoint them as keepers of the responsibility for the house, of all its service and of all that shall be done in it. “But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the responsibility of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to bring near to Me the fat and the blood,” declares Lord Yahweh. “They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and keep the responsibility given by Me. “And it will be that when they enter at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and wool shall not be on them while they are ministering in the gates of the inner court and in the house. “Linen headdresses shall be on their heads, and linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything which makes them sweat. “And when they go out into the outer court, into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other garments so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their garments. “Also they shall not shave their heads, yet they shall not let their locks grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads. “Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner court. “And they shall not take a widow or a divorced woman as a wife but shall take virgins from the seed of the house of Israel or a widow who is the widow of a priest. “Moreover, they shall instruct My people about the difference between the holy and the profane, and make them know the difference between the unclean and the clean. “And in a dispute, they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My judgments. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed times and keep My sabbaths holy. “But they shall not go to a dead person to make themselves unclean; however, for father, for mother, for son, for daughter, for brother, or for a sister who has not had a husband, they may make themselves unclean. “And after he is cleansed, seven days shall be counted for him. “And on the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court to minister in the sanctuary, he shall bring near his sin offering,” declares Lord Yahweh. “And it shall be with regard to an inheritance for them, that I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel—I am their possession. “They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. “And the first of all the first fruits of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house. “The priests shall not eat any bird or beast that has died of itself or has been torn to pieces.

~~~~~~45~~~~~ ~~~~~~45~~~~~ ~~~~~~45~~~~~ ~~~~~~45~~~~~ ~~~~~~45~~~~~ “And when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer a contribution to Yahweh, a holy portion of the land; the length shall be the length of 25,000 cubits, and the width shall be 20,000. It shall be holy within all its boundary round about. “Out of this there shall be for the holy place a square round about five hundred by five hundred cubits, and fifty cubits for its open space round about. “And from this area you shall measure a length of 25,000 cubits and a width of 10,000 cubits; and in it shall be the sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. “It shall be the holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to Yahweh, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. “And an area 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in width shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, and for their possession as cities to dwell in. “And you shall give the city possession of an area 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, alongside the contribution of the holy portion; it shall be for the whole house of Israel. “Now the prince shall have land on either side of the holy contribution and the city’s possession of land, adjacent to the holy contribution and the city’s possession of land, on the west side toward the west and on the east side toward the east, and in length comparable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. “This shall be his land for a possession in Israel; so My princes shall no longer mistreat My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Enough, you princes of Israel; put away violence and devastation, and do justice and righteousness. Stop your eviction of My people,” declares Lord Yahweh. “You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath. “The ephah and the bath shall be the same quantity so that the bath will contain a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer; their standard shall be according to the homer. “And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall be your maneh. “This is the contribution that you shall offer: a sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat, a sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley, and the statute for the oil (namely, the bath of oil), a tenth of a bath from each kor (which is ten baths or a homer, for ten baths are a homer), and one sheep from each flock of two hundred from the watering places of Israel—for a grain offering, for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make atonement for them,” declares Lord Yahweh. “All the people of the land shall give to this contribution for the prince in Israel. “And it shall be the prince’s part to provide the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the drink offerings, at the feasts, on the new moons, and on the sabbaths, at all the appointed times of the house of Israel; he shall provide the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “In the first month, on the first of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish and purify the sanctuary. “The priest shall take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the door posts of the house, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate of the inner court. “And thus you shall do on the seventh day of the month for everyone who errs or is simpleminded; so you shall make atonement for the house. “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. “And on that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. “And during the seven days of the feast he shall provide as a burnt offering to Yahweh seven bulls and seven rams without blemish on every day of the seven days, and a male goat daily for a sin offering. “And he shall provide as a grain offering an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and a hin of oil with an ephah. “In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, at the feast, he shall provide like this, seven days for the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the oil.”

~~~~~~46~~~~~ ~~~~~~46~~~~~ ~~~~~~46~~~~~ ~~~~~~46~~~~~ ~~~~~~46~~~~~ ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “The gate of the inner court facing east shall be shut the six working days; but it shall be opened on the sabbath day and opened on the day of the new moon. “Then the prince shall enter by way of the porch of the gate from outside and stand by the post of the gate. Then the priests shall provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate and then go out; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. “And the people of the land shall also worship at the entrance of that gate before Yahweh on the sabbaths and on the new moons. “Now the burnt offering which the prince shall bring near to Yahweh on the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish; and the grain offering shall be an ephah with the ram, and the grain offering with the lambs shall be a gift from his hand, as well as a hin of oil with an ephah. “And on the day of the new moon he shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, also six lambs and a ram, which shall be without blemish. “And he shall provide a grain offering, an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he is able, and a hin of oil with an ephah. “And when the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the porch of the gate and go out by the same way. “But when the people of the land come before Yahweh at the appointed times, he who enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate. And he who enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. No one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered but shall go straight out. “So when they go in, the prince shall go in among them; and when they go out, he shall go out. “Now at the feasts and the appointed times the grain offering shall be an ephah with a bull and an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs shall be a gift from his hand, as well as a hin of oil with an ephah. “And when the prince provides a freewill offering, a burnt offering, or peace offerings as a freewill offering to Yahweh, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he does on the sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and the gate shall be shut after he goes out. “And you shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to Yahweh daily; morning by morning you shall provide it. “Also you shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning—a sixth of an ephah as well as a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour—a grain offering to Yahweh continually by a perpetual statute. “Thus they shall provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt offering.” ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “If the prince gives a gift out of his inheritance to any of his sons, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. “But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince. His inheritance shall be only his sons’; it shall belong to them. “Now the prince shall not take from the people’s inheritance, mistreating them out of their possession; he shall give his sons inheritance from his own possession so that My people will not be scattered, anyone from his possession.” ’ ” Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers for the priests, which faced north; and behold, there was a place at the extreme rear toward the west. Then he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and where they shall bake the grain offering, in order that they may not bring them out into the outer court to transmit holiness to the people.” Then he brought me out into the outer court and had me pass through to the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court there was a small court. In the four corners of the court there were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty wide; these four in the corners were the same size. Now there was a row of masonry round about in them, around the four of them, and boiling places were made under the rows round about. Then he said to me, “These are the boiling places where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifices of the people.”

~~~~~~47~~~~~ ~~~~~~47~~~~~ ~~~~~~47~~~~~ ~~~~~~47~~~~~ ~~~~~~47~~~~~ Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around by way of the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he had me pass through the water, water reaching the ankles. Again he measured one thousand and had me pass through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured one thousand and had me pass through the water, water reaching the loins. Again he measured one thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had become high—enough water to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led and returned me back to the bank of the river. When I had returned, now behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow out to the sea, and the waters of the sea will be healed. “And it will be that every living creature, which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the other waters are healed; so everything will live where the river goes. “And it will be that fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many. “But its marshes and swamps will not be healed; they will be left for salt. “And by the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows out from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” Thus says Lord Yahweh, “This shall be the boundary by which you shall apportion the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall have two portions. “You shall then apportion it for an inheritance, each one equally with the other; for I swore to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as an inheritance. “This shall be the boundary of the land: on the north side, from the Great Sea by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad; Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. “And the boundary shall be from the sea to Hazar-enan at the border of Damascus, and on the north toward the north is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. “And the east side, from between Hauran, Damascus, Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border to the eastern sea you shall measure. This is the east side. “And the south side toward the south shall extend from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt and to the Great Sea. This is the south side toward the south. “And the west side shall be the Great Sea, from the south border to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the west side. “So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. “And it will be that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the sojourners who sojourn in your midst, who bring forth sons in your midst. And they shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel. They shall be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. “And it will be that in the tribe with which the sojourner sojourns, there you shall give him his inheritance,” declares Lord Yahweh.

~~~~~~48~~~~~ ~~~~~~48~~~~~ ~~~~~~48~~~~~ ~~~~~~48~~~~~ ~~~~~~48~~~~~ “Now these are the names of the tribes: from the northern extremity, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan at the border of Damascus, toward the north beside Hamath, running from east to west, Dan, one portion. “And beside the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one portion. “And beside the border of Asher, from the east side to the west side, Naphtali, one portion. “And beside the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, Manasseh, one portion. “And beside the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim, one portion. “And beside the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west side, Reuben, one portion. “And beside the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, Judah, one portion. “And beside the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the contribution which you shall contribute, 25,000 cubits in width, and in length like one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it. “The contribution that you shall contribute to Yahweh shall be 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in width. “And the holy contribution shall be for these, namely for the priests, toward the north 25,000 cubits in length, toward the west 10,000 in width, toward the east 10,000 in width, and toward the south 25,000 in length; and the sanctuary of Yahweh shall be in its midst. “It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept the responsibility given by Me, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray as the Levites went astray. “And it shall be a contribution to them from the contribution of the land, a Holy of Holies, by the border of the Levites. “Now alongside the border of the priests, the Levites shall have 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in width. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the width 10,000. “Moreover, they shall not sell or exchange any of it, or let this choice portion of land pass over to another; for it is holy to Yahweh. “And the remainder, 5,000 cubits in width and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for places of habitation, and for open spaces; and the city shall be in its midst. “And these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side 4,500 cubits. “And the city shall have open spaces: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250 cubits, on the east 250 cubits, and on the west 250 cubits. “And the remainder of the length alongside the holy contribution shall be 10,000 cubits toward the east and 10,000 toward the west; and it shall be alongside the holy contribution. And its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. “The workers of the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it. “The whole contribution shall be 25,000 by 25,000 cubits; you shall contribute the holy contribution, a square, with the city’s possession of land. “And the remainder shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy contribution and of the city’s possession of land; in front of the 25,000 cubits of the contribution toward the east border and westward in front of the 25,000 toward the west border, alongside the portions, it shall be for the prince. And the holy contribution and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it. “And apart from the Levites’ possession and the city’s possession, which are in the middle of that which belongs to the prince, everything between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall be for the prince. “Now as for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one portion. “And beside the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon, one portion. “And beside the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one portion. “And beside the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one portion. “And beside the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one portion. “And beside the border of Gad, at the south side toward the south, the border shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, to the Great Sea. “This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for an inheritance, and these are their several portions,” declares Lord Yahweh. “And these are the exits of the city: on the north side, 4,500 cubits by measurement. “And the gates of the city shall be named for the tribes of Israel, three gates toward the north: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. “And on the east side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. “And on the south side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, shall be three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. “On the west side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. “The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘Yahweh is there.’”

