1

1 I was living among the exiles by the Chebar River. On the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year the figurative heaven opened and I saw visions from God.

2 On the fifth day of the month during the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiakin,

3 The word of Jehovah spoke to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi. It was in Babylon by the Chebar River. The power of Jehovah came upon him.

4 I saw a storm coming from the north. There was an immense cloud with flashing lightning surrounded by a bright light. The center of the lightning looked like glowing metal.

5 In the center of the cloud I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were shaped like humans.

6 Each of them had four faces and four wings.

7 Their legs were straight. Their feet were like those of calves and they glittered like polished copper.

8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings.

9 Their wings touched each other. The creatures went straight ahead and they did not turn as they moved.

10 Their faces looked like this: From the front, each creature had the face of a human. From the right side, each one had the face of a lion. From the left, each one had the face of a bull. And from the back, each one had the face of an eagle.

11 That is what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out and pointed upward. Each creature had two wings with which they touched each other. The other two wings covered their bodies.

12 Each of the creatures went straight ahead. They went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn as they moved.

13 The living creatures looked like burning coals and torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures. The fire was bright and lightning came out of the fire.

14 The living creatures ran back and forth like lightning.

15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them, with its four faces.

16 This is how the wheels looked and how they were made: They looked like beryl chrysolite precious stones . All four wheels looked the same. They looked like a wheel within a wheel.

17 When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without turning as they moved.

18 The rims of the wheels were large and frightening. They were covered with eyes.

19 When the living creatures moved the wheels moved with them. When the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose.

20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go the creatures went. The wheels rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

21 When the creatures moved, the wheels moved. When the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. And when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose with them. This is because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22 Something like a dome was spread over the heads of the living creatures. It looked like dazzling crystal.

23 Under the dome, each creature had two wings that were stretched out straight, touching one another. Each creature had two wings that covered its body.

24 When the creatures moved I heard the sound of their wings. The sound was like the noise of rushing water. It was like the thunder voice of the Almighty. It was like the commotion in an army camp. When the creatures stood still, they lowered their wings.

25 A voice came from above the dome over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.

26 Above the dome over their heads was something that looked like a throne made of sapphire. On the throne was a figure that looked like a human.

27 Then I saw what he looked like from the waist up. He looked like glowing copper with fire all around it. From the waist down he looked like fire. A bright light surrounded him.

28 The brightness all around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. It was the likeness of Jehovah’s glory. When I saw it I immediately fell down with my face to the ground. I heard someone speaking.

2

1 He said to me: »Son of man, stand up, and I will speak to you.«

2 The Spirit entered me when he spoke to me. He stood me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

3 He said: »Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are people from a nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this day.

4 »I am sending you to these defiant and stubborn children.« Tell them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:

5 ‘Whether these rebellious people listen or not, they will realize that a prophet has been among them.

6 »Son of man, do not be afraid of them or the things they say. Do not be afraid, even though thorns and thistles are around you and you live among scorpions. Do not let the things they say frighten you. Do not be terrified in their presence even though they are rebellious people.

7 »Speak my words to them whether they listen or not, because they are rebellious.

8 »But you, son of man, listen to what I say. Do not be rebellious like those rebellious people. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.«

9 As I looked, I saw a hand stretched out toward me. In it was a scroll.

10 He slowly spread the scroll in front of me. There was writing on the front and back. There were funeral songs dirges , songs of mourning and horrible things written on it.

3

1 Jehovah said to me: »Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll. Then speak to the people of Israel.«

2 I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

3 He said: »Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you, and fill your stomach with it.« So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 He then said to me: »Son of man, go to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.

5 »I am not sending you to people whose language is hard to understand or difficult to speak. I am sending you to Israel.

6 »I am not sending you to nations whose language is hard to understand, difficult to speak, or whose words you cannot understand. If I send you to those nations they will certainly listen to you.

7 »But the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me. All the people of Israel are very stubborn and hardheaded.

8 »Yet, I will make you as stubborn and as hardheaded as they are.

9 »I will make you as hard as a diamond, harder than flint stone. Do not be afraid of them. Do not be terrified in their presence, even though they are rebellious people.«

10 He also said: »Son of man, take to heart everything I have spoken to you, and listen closely.

11 »Go to the exiles, to your people. Whether they listen or not, tell them: This is what the Lord Jehovah says.«

12 Then the Spirit lifted me, and behind me I heard a loud thundering voice say: »Blessed is Jehovah’s glory from this place.«

13 I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures touching one another and the noise of the wheels beside them as well as a loud rumbling.

14 The Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went away feeling bitter and angry. The strong power of Jehovah came over me.

15 I went to Tel Abib, to the exiles that lived by the Chebar River. I sat there among them for seven days. I was stunned among them.

16 After seven days Jehovah spoke his word to me:

17 »Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the people of Israel. Listen to what I say, and warn them for me.

18 »When I tell a wicked man that he will surely die, but you do not warn him or speak out so that he can change his wicked way in order to save his life; that wicked man will die because of his sin. I will hold you responsible for his death.

19 »When you warn the wicked man, and he does not turn from his wicked way; he will die because of his sin, but you will save yourself.

20 »If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make them stumble and they will die. If you do not warn them, they will die because of their sin. The right things they did will not be remembered. I will hold you responsible for their deaths.

21 »If you warn righteous people not to sin, and they do not sin, they will certainly live because they listened to the warning and you will save yourself.«

22 The power of Jehovah came over me. He said: »Get up, and go to the plain. I will speak to you there.«

23 I got up and went to the plain. Jehovah’s glory was standing there like the glory I saw by the Chebar River. So I immediately bowed down.

24 The Spirit entered me and stood me on my feet. He talked to me. He said: »Go shut yourself in your home.

25 »People will tie you up with ropes, son of man, so that you cannot go outside.

26 »I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you cannot talk or criticize them, even though they are rebellious people.

27 »But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth. You will tell them: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says.’ Some will listen and some will refuse to listen for they are a rebellious people.

4

1 »Son of man, take a clay tablet and put it in front of you. Draw the city of Jerusalem on it.

2 »Then lay siege to it. Erect siege works against it. Build a ramp up to it. Set up camps against it and put battering rams around it.

3 »Take an iron pan and place it as an iron wall between you and the city. Then turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

4 »Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side.

5 »I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for three hundred and ninety days you will bear the sin of the house of Israel.

6 »After you have finished this lie down again. This time lie on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. I have assigned you forty days, a day for each year.

7 »Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her.

8 »I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.

9 »Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the three hundred and ninety days you lie on your side.

10 »Weigh out eight ounces of food for each day and eat it at set times.

11 »You will also have a limited amount of water to drink, two cups a day.

12 »You are to build a fire out of dried human excrement, bake bread on the fire, and eat it where everyone can see you.«

13 Jehovah said: »This represents the way the Israelites will have to eat food which the Law forbids when I scatter them to foreign countries.«

14 But I replied: »No, O Lord Jehovah! I have never defiled myself. From childhood on I have never eaten meat from any animal that died a natural death or was killed by wild animals. I have never eaten any food considered unclean.«

15 So God said: »Very well. I will let you use cow dung instead. You can bake your bread on that.«

16 And he added: »Mortal man, I am going to cut off the supply of bread for Jerusalem. The people there will be distressed and anxious as they measure out the food they eat and the water they drink.

17 »They will run out of bread and water. They will be in despair. They will waste away because of their sins.

5

1 »As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword. Take and use it as a barber's razor to shave your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair.

2 »You should burn one-third of the hair in the fire at the center of the city when the siege is over. Take one third and strike it with the sword all around the city. The remaining one third you shall scatter to the wind. I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

3 »Take also a few strands of hair from them and bind them in the edges of your robes.

4 »Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire. Fire will spread from there to all the house of Israel.

5 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: This is Jerusalem. I have set her at the center of the nations with countries all around her.

6 »She has rebelled against my ordinances more wickedly than the nations and against my statutes more than the lands that surround her. My people have rejected my ordinances and have not walked in my statutes.

7 »Therefore, Jehovah says: ‘You have more turmoil than the nations that surround you. You have not walked in my statutes, nor observed my ordinances, nor observed the ordinances of the nations that surround you.’

8 »Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Behold, I, even I, am against you! I will execute judgments against you in the sight of the nations.

9 ‘»Because of all your abominations, I will do among you what I have not done before, and the like of which I will never do again.

10 ‘»Fathers will eat their sons among you and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter your entire remnant to every wind.’«

11 ‘»As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah,’ ‘because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations I will withdraw, and my eye will have no pity and I will not spare you.

12 ‘»One third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine! One third will fall by the sword! One third I will scatter to every wind! I will unsheathe a sword behind them war will follow them .

13 ‘»I will unleash my anger. I will use my fury against you, and I will get revenge. When my fury is unleashed against you, you will know that I, Jehovah, spoke to you with all my zeal.

14 ‘»I will turn you into a wasteland and an object of ridicule among the nations around you and in the presence of everyone who passes by you.

15 ‘»The nations that are around you will ridicule you and laugh at you. When I punish you because of my anger, fury, and fierce revenge, you will become something ridiculed and something horrible. I, Jehovah, have spoken.

16 ‘»When I shoot my destructive arrows of famine at you, I will shoot to kill you. I will bring more and more famine into your land. I will cut off your food supply.

17 ‘»I will send famine and wild animals against you. They will rob you of your children. I will send plagues, violence, and wars to kill you. I, Jehovah, have spoken!’«

6

1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

2 »Son of man, look toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.

3 »Say this: ‘You mountains of Israel listen to the word of the Lord Jehovah! This is what the Lord Jehovah says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: »I am going to attack you with a sword and destroy your worship sites.

4 ‘»Your altars will be destroyed! Your incense burners will be smashed. I will kill your people in front of your idols.

5 ‘»I will lay the dead bodies of the people of Israel in front of your idols. I will even scatter their bones around your altars.

6 ‘»Your dwelling places in the cities will be ruined, and the worship sites will be wrecked. Your altars will be ruined and demolished. Your idols will be smashed and completely destroyed. Your incense burners will be cut down. Everything you have done will be wiped out.

7 ‘»Your people will be killed and they will fall among you. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.

8 ‘»However, I will let some people live. Some people will escape the battle among the nations and be scattered throughout the countries.

9 »Then those who escape will remember me among the nations where they are taken captive. I was hurt by their adulterous hearts, which turned away from me, and by their eyes, which lusted after idols. They will hate themselves for the evil and disgusting things that they have done.

10 »Then you will know that I am Jehovah and that the disaster I promised was not an empty threat.« ’

11 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and say, ‘How sad!’ The people of Israel have done evil and disgusting things. So they will die in wars, famines, and plagues.

12 ‘»Plagues will kill those who are far away. Those who are near will die in wars. Anyone who is left and has escaped will die of famine. This is how I will unleash my rage.

13 »Then you will know that I am Jehovah. Those who are killed will lie beside the idols around their altars. They will lie on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every large tree and every leafy oak. These are the places where they made offerings to their disgusting idols.

14 ‘»I will stretch out my hand use my power against them and destroy the land from the desert to Diblah. THEN THEY WILL KNOW THAT I AM JEHOVAH!’«

7

1 The word of Jehovah came to me:

2 »Son of man, the Lord Jehovah says to the land of Israel: ‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.

3 ‘»The end is now upon you and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices.

4 ‘»I will not look on you with pity or spare you. I will repay you for your conduct and the detestable practices among you. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM JEHOVAH.’

5 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Disaster! An unheard-of disaster is coming.

6 ‘»The end has come! The end has come! It has become active against you. It has come!

7 ‘»Doom has come upon you who dwell in the land. The time has come, the day is near. There is panic, not joy, upon the mountains.

8 ‘»I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices.

9 ‘»I will not look on you with pity or spare you my eye will not feel sorry for you . I will repay you in accordance with your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I, Jehovah, who strikes the blow.

10 ‘»The day is here! It has come! Doom has burst forth. The rod has budded, and arrogance has blossomed!

11 ‘»Violence has grown into a weapon for punishing wickedness. None of the people will be left. None of that crowd, none of their wealth, and nothing of value will be left.

12 ‘»The time is coming. The day is near. Buyers will not rejoice, and sellers will not mourn, because my fury will be against the whole crowd.

13 ‘»Sellers will not live long enough to buy back what they have sold. The visions against that crowd will not change. Because of their sins, none of the people will live.

14 ‘»They have blown a ram's horn and everything is ready. But no one will go into battle, because my fury is against their whole crowd.

15 ‘»Outside are swords and inside are plagues and famines. He who is in a field will die in battle. He who is in the city will be devoured by famines and plagues.

16 ‘»Some will escape to the mountains like doves frightened from the valleys. All of them will moan over their sins.

17 ‘»Everyone’s hands will be weak, and their knees will shake and they will drip from sweat.

18 ‘»They will put on sackcloth and they will tremble all over. Their heads will be shaved, and they will all be disgraced.

19 ‘»They will throw their gold and silver away in the streets like garbage like an abhorrent thing , because neither silver nor gold can save them when Jehovah pours out his fury. They cannot use it to satisfy their desires or fill their stomachs. Gold and silver led them into sin.

20 ‘»Once they were proud of their beautiful jewels, but they used them to make disgusting idols. That is why Jehovah has made their wealth repulsive to them.

21 ‘»I will hand it all over as plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth, and they will defile it.

22 ‘»I will turn my face away from them. They will desecrate my treasured place. Robbers will enter it and desecrate it.

23 ‘»Prepare chains for the land is full of bloodshed and the city full of violence.

24 ‘»I will bring the wicked of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated.

25 ‘»When terror comes they will seek peace, but there will be none.

26 ‘»Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor upon rumor. They will try to get a vision from the prophet. The teaching of the law by the priest will be lost, as will the counsel of the elders.

27 ‘»The king will mourn. The prince will be clothed with despair and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct. By their own standards I will judge them. Then they will know that I am Jehovah.’«

8

1 On the fifth day of the sixth month in the sixth year, I was sitting in my home. Judah's older men were sitting in front of me. The power of the Lord Jehovah came over me.

2 As I looked, I saw something that looked like a human. From the waist down its body looked like fire, and from the waist up its body looked like bright glowing metal.

3 It stretched out what looked like a hand and grabbed me by the hair on my head. In these visions from God, the Spirit carried me between heaven and earth. He took me in vision to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy, was located.

4 There I saw the glory of Israel's God as I did in the vision that I saw in the valley.

5 God said to me: »Son of man, look toward the north.« So I looked toward the north. There in the entrance to the north gate beside the altar, I saw the idol that provokes jealousy and stirs up God's anger.

6 He asked me: »Son of man, do you see what the people of Israel are doing? The people of Israel are doing very disgusting things here, things that will force me to go far away from my holy place. But you will see even more disgusting things.«

7 Then he took me to the entrance of the courtyard. As I looked, I saw a hole in the wall.

8 He said to me: »Son of man, dig through the wall. So I dug through the wall, and I saw a door.«

9 He said: »Go in and see the wicked abominations abhorrences that they are committing here.«

10 So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things. There were all the idols of the house of Israel. They were carved on the wall all around.

11 Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel. Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan stood among them. Each man had his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense was rising.

12 Then he said: »Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say: ‘Jehovah does not see us! Jehovah has forsaken the land!’«

13 He said: »Yet you will see still greater abominations that they are committing.«

14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the gate of Jehovah’s house toward the north; and I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz the god .

15 He said to me: »Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these.«

16 So he took me to the inner courtyard of the Temple. There near the entrance of the sanctuary, between the altar and the porch, were about twenty-five men. They turned their backs to the sanctuary and were bowing low toward the east, worshiping the rising sun.

17 Jehovah said to me: »Mortal man, do you see that? These people of Judah are not satisfied with merely doing all the disgusting things you have seen here and with spreading violence throughout the country. No, they must come and do them right here in the Temple and make me even angrier. Look how they insult me in the most offensive way possible by thrusting the shoot to my nose! an obsene reference or jesture to Jehovah

18 »They will feel all the force of my anger. I will not spare them or show them any mercy my eye will not feel sorry . They will shout prayers to me as loud as they can. But I will not listen to them«

9

1 God shouted with a loud voice: »Come here, you men who are going to punish the city. Bring your weapons with you!«

2 Six men came from the direction of the upper gate that faces north. Each had his shattering weapon in his hand. Among them was a certain man clothed in linen with a writing case secretary’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the copper altar.

3 Then the dazzling light of the presence of the God of Israel rose up from the winged creatures where it had been. It moved to the entrance of the Temple. Jehovah called to the man dressed in linen:

4 »Go through the whole city of Jerusalem and put a mark signature on the forehead of everyone who is distressed and troubled because of all the disgusting things being done in the city.«

5 I heard God say to the other men: »Follow him through the city and kill. Spare no one! Have mercy on no one.

6 »Kill the old men, young men, young women, mothers, and children. But do not touch anyone who has the mark on his forehead. Start here at my Temple.« So they began with the elders who were standing there at the Temple.

7 He said to them: »Dishonor the Temple! Fill its courtyards with dead people, and then leave.« So they went out and killed the people in the city.

8 While they were killing people, I was left alone. So I immediately bowed down. I cried: »Help me O Lord Jehovah. Will you destroy everyone who is left in Israel while you pour out your anger on Jerusalem?«

9 He answered me: »The wickedness of the nations of Israel and Judah is terrible! The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with wrongdoing. They think that Jehovah has abandoned the land and that he does not see.

10 »But my eye will not feel sorry I will not have compassion or feel sorry. I will do to them what they have done to others.«

11 Then the person dressed in linen who was carrying the writing case inkhorn reported: »I did everything you commanded.«

10

1 I looked at the dome over the heads of the angels. And I saw something that looked like a throne made of sapphire.

2 Jehovah said to the person dressed in linen: »Go between the wheels under the angels and fill your hands with burning coals. Then scatter them over the city.« So he went between the wheels as I watched.

3 The angels cherubs were standing on the south side of the Temple as the person went. A cloud filled the inner courtyard.

4 Jehovah’s glory rose from the angels to the entrance of the Temple. The cloud filled the Temple, and the brightness of Jehovah’s glory filled the courtyard.

5 The sound of the angels' wings was heard as far as the outer courtyard. It was like the sound of the Almighty God when he speaks.

6 After Jehovah had commanded the person dressed in linen to take burning coals from between the wheels beside the angels, the person went in and stood beside one of the wheels.

7 One of the angels reached into the fire that was between the angels and took out some coals. This angel put them in the hands of the person dressed in linen. The person took them and left.

8 I saw that each creature had what looked like a human hand under each of its wings.

9 Then I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the angels. There was one wheel beside each angel. The appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a chrysolite stone.

10 All four of them had the same likeness in appearance, as if one wheel was within another wheel.

11 When they moved, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. They followed in the direction that they faced, without turning as they went.

12 Their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels were full of eyes all around. The wheels belonged to all four of them.

13 The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels.

14 Each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub angel, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 The angels rose. These were the living creatures that I saw at the Chebar River.

16 When the angels moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the angels lifted their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side.

17 When the angels stood still, the wheels stood still. When the angels rose, the wheels rose with them. The spirit of the living creatures was in them the wheels .

18 Then the glory of Jehovah left the Temple's entrance and stood over the angels.

19 The angels lifted their wings and rose from the ground. I was watching them as they left with the wheels beside them. The angels stood at the door to the east gate of Jehovah’s Temple, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

20 These are the living creatures that I saw under the God of Israel at the Chebar River. I realized that they were angels cherubs .

21 Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings were what looked like human hands.

22 Their faces looked exactly like the faces that I saw by the Chebar River. Each one went straight ahead.

11

1 The Spirit lifted me and took me to the east gate of Jehovah’s Temple. It is the gate that faces east. Twenty-five men were at the entrance of the gate. I saw among them Azzur's son Jaazaniah and Benaiah's son Pelatiah. They were leaders of the people.

2 Jehovah said to me: »Son of man, these are the men who plan evil and give bad advice in this city Jerusalem .

3 »They say: ‘It is almost time to rebuild houses. This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.’

4 »So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.«

5 Jehovah’s Spirit came to me and told me to say: »This is what Jehovah says: ‘You are saying these things, nation of Israel. But I know what is going through your mind.

6 ‘»You have killed many people in this city and have filled its streets with corpses.« ’

7 »I, the Lord Jehovah, say to you: ‘This city is a cooking pot all right, but what is the meat? The corpses of those you have killed! You will not be here. I will throw you out of the city!’«

8 ‘»Are you afraid of swords? I will bring soldiers with swords to attack you,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.

9 ‘I will take you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners. I will execute judgments against you.

10 ‘»You will be killed in battle in your own country. I will judge you on the border of Israel. Then everyone will know that I am Jehovah.

11 ‘»This city will not protect you the way a cooking pot protects the meat in it. I will punish you wherever you may be in the land of Israel.

12 ‘»You will know that I am Jehovah! While you were keeping the laws of the neighboring nations, you were breaking my laws and disobeying my commands.’«

13 »It happened while I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said: Alas, O Lord Jehovah! Will you bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?«

14 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, He said:

15 »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 Jehovah. This land has been given us as a possession.’

16 »Therefore say: ‘Thus says the Lord Jehovah: »Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary holy place shelter protection for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.« ’

17 »Therefore say, ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered. I will give you the land of Israel.

18 ‘»When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it.

19 ‘»I will give them one united heart, and put a new spirit within them. I will take the heart of stone unkind attitude out of them and give them a heart of flesh loving disposition .

20 ‘»In this way they may walk in my statutes and obey my ordinances. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.

21 ‘»Concerning those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads, declares the Lord Jehovah.’«

22 Then the cherubim angels lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.

23 The glory of Jehovah went up from within the city and stood over the mountain that is east of the city.

24 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 left me.

25 Then I told the exiles all the things that Jehovah had shown me.

12

1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me, He said:

2 »Son of man, you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear because they are rebellious people.

3 »Son of man, pack your bags as if you were going into exile. Let the people see you leave in the daylight. March like a captive from your place to another place as they watch. Maybe they will understand, even though they are a rebellious people house .

4 »Bring out your bags as if you were going into exile. Let them see this in the daylight. In the evening let them see you leave like a captive going into exile.

5 »Dig a hole through the wall of your house, as they watch, and leave through it.

6 »Let them see you put your bags on your shoulders and carry them out in the dark. Cover your face so that you won't see the land. I have made you a sign to warn the nation of Israel.«

7 I did what I was ordered to do. During the day I brought out bags as if I were going into exile. In the evening I dug a hole through the wall. I brought out my bags in the dark. I let the people see me as I carried my bags on my shoulders.

8 The next morning Jehovah spoke his word to me, He said:

9 »Son of man, did the rebellious nation of Israel ask you what you were doing?

10 »Tell them: This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘This is the divine revelation about the prince from Jerusalem and about all the people of Israel who live there.’«

11 »Tell them: ‘I am your warning sign. What I have done will happen to you. You will go into exile and into captivity.

12 ‘»The prince who is among you will put his bags on his shoulders in the dark and leave. People will dig holes in the wall to go through. The prince will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.’«

13 »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.

14 »I will scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops. I will draw out a sword after them.

15 »So they will know that I am Jehovah when I scatter them among the nations and spread them among the countries.

16 »I will spare a few of them from the sword, the famine and the pestilence that they may tell all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am Jehovah.«

17 Moreover, the word of Jehovah came to me, He said:

18 »Son of man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

19 »Then say to the people of the land: ‘The Lord Jehovah says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel, They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because their land will be stripped of its fullness on account of the violence of all who live in it.

20 ‘»The inhabited cities will be laid waste and the land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am Jehovah.« ’

21 Then the word of Jehovah came to me:

22 »Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel. You say: ‘The days are long and every vision fails?’

23 »Therefore say to them: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel. Tell them: ‘The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision.’

24 »There will no longer be any false visions or flattering fortune telling to the people.

25 »I Jehovah will speak. Everything that I say will happen without any more delay. I will say something, and it will happen during your rebellious lifetime,« declares the Almighty God Jehovah.

26 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

27 »Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘The vision that Ezekiel sees will not happen for a long time. What he prophecies will happen in the distant future.’

28 »Tell them: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says:’ »Everything that I say will no longer be delayed. Whatever I say will happen, declares the Lord Jehovah.« ’«

13

1 The word of Jehovah continued to come to me:

2 »Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart inspiration : ‘Listen to the word of Jehovah!

3 ‘The Lord Jehovah said: »Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.

4 ‘»O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins.

5 ‘»You have not gone up into the gaps broken places of the wall around the house of Israel. You did not build the wall to stand in the battle on the day of Jehovah.«

6 »They see falsehood and lying divination. They are saying: ‘Jehovah declares,’ when Jehovah has not sent them. Yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word.

7 ‘»Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said ‘Jehovah declares,’ but it is not I who has spoken?« ’

8 ‘»Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘»Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

9 ‘»My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in the council of my people. They will not be written down in the register of the house of Israel. And they will not enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord Jehovah.

10 ‘»It is definitely because they have misled my people by saying, »Peace!« When there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall they plaster it over with whitewash.’

11 »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 violent wind will break out.

12 »When the wall has fallen, will you not be asked: Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’

13 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘In my fury I will cause a storm to break out. In my anger rain will pour down, and hailstones will destroy the wall.

14 ‘»I will tear down the wall that the prophets covered up with whitewash. I will level it and expose its foundation. When the wall falls, they will be destroyed by it. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.’

15 ‘»I will unleash my rage on the wall and on those who covered it up with paint. Then I will say to you: The wall is gone, and so are those who painted it.

16 ‘»The prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem are gone. Those who said that everything was all right, when it was not all right, are gone, declares the Lord Jehovah.

17 »Son of man, look at the women among your people who make up prophesies, and prophesy against them.

18 »Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »How horrible it will be for women who sew magic charms for people's wrists and make magic veils of every size for people's heads. You want to trap people. You want to control the lives of my people for your own profit.

19 ‘»You dishonor me in front of my people for a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You kill people who should not die. You spare the lives of people who should not live. You lie to my people who are willing to listen.« ’

20 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I am against the magic charms that you use to trap people like birds. I will tear them from your arms and free the people that you have trapped.

21 ‘»I will tear off your magic veils and rescue my people from your power so that they will no longer be under your control. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.

22 ‘»You have discouraged righteous people with your lies, even though I had not brought them any grief. You encouraged wicked people not to turn from their wicked ways to save their lives.

23 ‘»That is why you will no longer see false visions or make predictions. I will rescue my people from your power. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.’«

14

1 Some of Israel's elders came to me and sat down in front of me.

2 Jehovah then spoke his word to me:

3 »Son of man, these people are devoted to their idols. They allow themselves to sin. Should they be allowed to ask me for anything?

4 »Speak to them. Tell them, ‘This is what Jehovah says: Suppose an Israelite is devoted to idols and allows himself to sin. Suppose he goes to a prophet to ask for my help. I, Jehovah, will give that Israelite an answer, the answer that his many idolaters deserve.

5 »‘I will do this to recapture the hearts of the nation of Israel. They have deserted me because of their disgusting idols.’«

6 »Therefore tell the nation of Israel: This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »Change the way you think and act! Repent! Turn away from your idols, and do not return to any of your disgusting things.

7 ‘»Suppose an Israelite or a foreigner who lives in Israel deserts me by devoting himself to idols and by allowing himself to sin. If he goes to a prophet to ask for my help, I, Jehovah, will give him an answer.

8 ‘»I will set my face against him reject him , and I will make an example of him. I will exclude him from my people. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.’«

9 »‘If a prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is I, Jehovah, who tricked the prophet. I will use my power against you and destroy you from among my people Israel.

10 ‘»Both of you will suffer for your sins. The prophet will be as guilty as you are when you ask for his help.

11 ‘»The people of Israel will no longer wander away from me. They will no longer dishonor me with all their sins. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Lord Jehovah.«

12 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me, He said:

13 »Son of man, suppose a country sins against me by being unfaithful to me. I will stretch out my hand use my power against it, cut off its food supply, send a famine to it, and destroy its people and animals.«

14 ‘»Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in that country, they would, by their righteousness, rescue only themselves,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

15 ‘»If I send wild animals through that country and they make it childless and turn it into such a wasteland that no one travels through it because of the animals.

16 ‘»As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah, ‘not even Noah, Daniel, and Job could rescue their own sons or daughters. They could rescue only themselves and the country would become a wasteland.’«

17 ‘»What if I bring a war against that country by saying I will let a war go throughout this country. And then I destroy the people and the animals in it.

18 ‘»As I am alive, declares the Lord Jehovah, not even Noah, Daniel, and Job could rescue their sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.’«

19 ‘»Let us say I send a plague into that country or pour out my fury on it by killing people and destroying animals.

20 As I am alive, declares the Lord Jehovah, not even Noah, Daniel, and Job could, by their righteousness, rescue their sons or daughters. They could rescue only themselves.« ’

21 ‘»This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will surely send four terrible punishments against Jerusalem. I will send wars, famines, wild animals, and plagues. They will destroy people and animals.

22 ‘»And yet some people will survive. Some of your sons and daughters will be brought out. When they come out to you, you will see how they live. Then you will be comforted after the disasters that I will bring on Jerusalem, after every disaster that I will bring against it.’«

23 ‘»You will be comforted when you see how they live. Then you will know that everything I have done was done for a reason,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.’«

15

1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

2 »Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch among the trees of the forest?

3 »Can wood be taken from it to make anything? Can men take a peg from it on which to hang any vessel?

4 »After 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?

5 »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?«

6 »Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Just like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given as fuel for the fire, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 I will set my face against them turn against them . Though they have come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am Jehovah, when I set my face against them.’«

8 ‘»I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

16

1 The word of Jehovah came to me:

2 »Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices.

3 »Say this, ‘The Lord Jehovah says this to Jerusalem: »Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

4 »‘»On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.

5 »‘»No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Instead, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

6 »‘»When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’

7 »‘I made you numerous like plants of the field. You grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine ornaments. Your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare.« ’

8 »‘Then I passed by you and saw that 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 the Lord Jehovah.

9 »‘Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil.

10 »‘I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet. I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk.

11 »‘I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck.’«

12 »‘I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

13 »‘You were adorned with gold and silver. Your dress was of fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty.

14 »‘You became famous in every nation because of your beauty. Your beauty was perfect because I gave you my glory,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

15 »‘But you trusted your beauty. You used your fame to become a prostitute. You had sex with everyone who walked by.

16 »‘You took some of your clothes and made your worship sites colorful. This is where you acted like a prostitute. Such things should not happen. They should not occur.

17 »‘You took your beautiful gold and silver jewelry that I had given you and made male idols for yourself. Then you committed adultery with them.

18 »‘You took off your embroidered clothes and covered the idols with them. You offered my olive oil and incense in their presence.

19 »‘You also offered them sweet and fragrant sacrifices. You gave flour, olive oil, and honey-all the food that I gave you to eat. This is what happened,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

20 »‘You took your sons and daughters, who belonged to me, and you sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough?

21 »‘You slaughtered my children and presented them as burnt offerings to idols.

22 »‘During your disgusting life as a prostitute you never once remembered your childhood, when you were naked, squirming in your own blood.’«

23 The Lord Jehovah said: »You are doomed! Doomed! You did all that evil, and then

24 by the side of every road you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution.

25 »You dragged your beauty through the mud. You offered yourself to everyone who came by, and you were more of a prostitute every day.

26 »You let your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, go to bed with you, and you used your prostitution to make me angry.

27 »Now I have raised my hand to punish you and to take away your share of my blessing. I have handed you over to the Philistines, who hate you. They are also disgusted with your immoral actions.

28 »The others did not satisfy you so you ran after the Assyrians. You were their prostitute, but they did not satisfy you either.

29 »You were also a prostitute for the Babylonians, that nation of merchants, but they did not satisfy you either.

30 »I, the Lord Jehovah am furious with you. You were so disgusting that you would have done anything to get what you wanted.

31 »You had sex on every street corner, and when you finished, you refused to accept money. That is worse than being a prostitute!

32 »You are an unfaithful wife who would rather have sex with strangers than with your own husband.

33 »Prostitutes accept money for having sex, but you bribe men from everywhere to have sex with you.

34 »You are not like other prostitutes. Men do not ask you for sex. You offer to pay them!

35 »Jerusalem, you prostitute, listen to the word of Jehovah.

36 »You chased after lovers, then took off your clothes and had sex. You even worshiped disgusting idols and sacrificed your own children as offerings to them.

37 »So I, the Lord Jehovah, will gather every one of your lovers, those you liked and those you hated. They will stand around you, and I will rip off your clothes and let all of those lovers stare at your nakedness.

38 »I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged. I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.

39 »I will also give you into the hands of your lovers. They will tear down your shrines, demolish your high places, strip you of your clothing, take away your jewels, and will leave you naked and bare.

40 »They will incite a crowd against you and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords.

41 »They will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. Then I will stop you from playing the harlot. You will also no longer pay your lovers.

42 »I will calm my fury against you and my indignation will depart from you. I will be pacified and angry no more.

43 ‘»You have not remembered the days of your youth but have enraged me by all these things. I will therefore bring your conduct down on your own head,’ declares the Lord Jehovah. ‘That way you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your other abominations.

44 ‘»Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you: »Like mother, like daughter.«

45 ‘»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.

46 ‘»Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters. Your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters.

47 ‘»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 conduct than they.

48 ‘»As I am alive,’ declares the Lord Jehovah, ‘Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.

49 ‘»This was the guilt of your sister Sodom. She and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.

50 ‘»They were arrogant and did disgusting things in front of me. So I did away with them when I saw this.

51 ‘»Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done many more disgusting things than they ever did. Because of all the disgusting things that you have done, you make your sisters look innocent.

52 ‘»You will have to suffer disgrace because you accused your sisters. Yet, your sins are more disgusting than theirs. They look like they are innocent compared to you. Be ashamed of yourself and suffer disgrace, because you have made your sisters look like they are innocent.’

53 ‘»I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and Samaria and her daughters. I will also restore your fortune along with theirs.

54 ‘»You will have to suffer disgrace and be ashamed of everything you have done, including comforting them.

55 ‘»When Sodom and her daughters and Samaria and her daughters return to what they once were, you and your daughters will return to what you once were.

56 ‘»You did not mention your sister Sodom when you were arrogant.

57 ‘»You did not mention her before your wickedness was revealed. Now the daughters of Aram and their neighbors despise you. The daughters of the Philistines also despise you. Those around you hate you.

58 ‘»You must suffer because of all the crude and disgusting things you have done,’ declares Jehovah.«

59 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will treat you the way you deserve, because you ignored your promises and broke the covenant.

60 ‘»I will honor the covenant I made with you when you were young. I will make a covenant with you that will last forever.

61 ‘»You will remember how you have acted, and be ashamed of it when you get your older sister and your younger sister back. I will let them be like daughters to you, even though this was not part of my covenant with you.’

62 ‘»I will renew my covenant with you, and you will know that I am Jehovah.

63 ‘»I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth.’ The Lord Jehovah has spoken.«

17

1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

2 »Son of man, tell this riddle. Give this illustration to the nation of Israel.

3 ‘Say The Lord Jehovah says: »A large eagle came to Lebanon. It had large wings with long, colorful feathers. It took hold of the top of a cedar tree.

4 »‘»It broke off the highest twig and carried it to a country of merchants. It planted the twig in a city of merchants.

5 »‘»Then it took a seedling from that country and planted the seedling in fertile soil. The eagle planted the seedling like a willow where there was plenty of water.

6 »‘»The plant sprouted and grew into a low vine that spread over the ground. Its branches turned upward toward the eagle. Its roots grew downward. Thus it became a vine, producing branches and growing shoots.

7 »‘»There was another large eagle with large wings and many feathers. Now, the vine stretched its roots toward this eagle and sent its branches toward the eagle so that the eagle could water it. The vine turned away from the garden where it was planted.

8 »‘»It was planted in good soil beside plenty of water so that it could grow branches, bear fruit, and become a wonderful vine.« ’

9 »Say, ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it and all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

10 »‘»Though it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it, wither on the beds where it grew?« ’«

11 Moreover, the word of Jehovah came to me:

12 »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.

13 »He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land,

14 that the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue.

15 »But he rebelled against him! He sent his envoys 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?’

16 »‘»As I am alive,’ says the Lord Jehovah, ‘this king will die in Babylon because he broke his oath and the treaty with the one who put him on the throne the king of Babylon.

17 ‘»Even the powerful army of the king of Egypt will not be able to help him fight when the Babylonians build earthworks and dig trenches in order to kill many people.

18 ‘»He broke his oath and the treaty he had made. He did all these things, and now he will not escape.« ’

19 ‘»The Lord Jehovah says: »As surely as I am the living God, I will punish him for breaking the treaty that he swore in my name to keep.

20 ‘»I will spread out a hunter's net and catch him in it. I will take him to Babylon and punish him there, because he was unfaithful to me.

21 ‘»His best troops will be killed in battle, and the survivors will be scattered in every direction. I Jehovah have spoken.« ’

22 »‘Someday, I, Jehovah, will cut a tender twig from the top of a cedar tree. I will then plant it on the peak of Israel's tallest mountain, where it will grow strong branches and produce large fruit.

23 »‘All kinds of birds will find shelter under the tree, and they will rest in the shade of its branches.

24 ‘»Every tree in the forest will know that I, Jehovah, can bring down tall trees and help short ones grow. I dry up green trees and make dry ones green. I, Jehovah, have spoken, and I will keep my word.« ’«

18

1 Jehovah’s word continued to come to me:

2 »What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, but the children's teeth are set on edge?’

3 ‘»As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah: ‘You are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore.

4 ‘»The life of every person belongs to me. The life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The person who sins will die.

5 ‘»If a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,

6 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;

7 ‘»if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

8 ‘»If he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man,

9 ‘»if he lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully this person is righteous. He will certainly live,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

10 ‘»Suppose this person has a son who robs and murders. The son does all these other things

11 that his father never did. He eats at the illegal mountain worship sites. He dishonors his neighbor's wife.

12 ‘»He oppresses the poor and needy. He robs. He does not return the security for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does disgusting things.

13 ‘»He lends money for interest and makes excessive profits. Will this person live? He will not live. He has done all these disgusting things. So he must die, and he will be responsible for his own death.

14 ‘»Now suppose this son has a son. The son sees all the sins that his father does. He is afraid, so he does not do such things.

15 ‘»He does not eat at the illegal mountain worship sites or look for help from the idols of the nation of Israel. He does not dishonor his neighbor's wife.

16 ‘»He does not oppress anyone. He does not keep the security for a loan. He does not rob anyone. He gives food to people who are hungry, and he gives clothes to those who are naked.

17 ‘»He keeps his hand from the poor and does not take interest or increase, but executes my ordinances, and walks in my statutes. He will not die for his father's iniquity. He will surely live.

18 ‘»As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity.

19 ‘»Yet you say: »Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?« When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all my statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

20 ‘»The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself. And the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

21 ‘»If the wicked man turns from all his sins and observes all my statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall live; he shall not die.

22 ‘»All his transgressions he has committed will not be remembered against him. He will live because of his righteousness he has practiced.’

23 ‘»Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord Jehovah, that he should turn from his ways and live?

24 ‘»But suppose a righteous person turns away from doing right and he does evil things. He does all the disgusting things that the wicked person did. Will he live? All the right things that he has done will not be remembered because of his unfaithfulness and because of his sin. He will die because of them.

25 ‘»But you say: »Jehovah’s way is unfair.« Listen, nation of Israel, is my way fair? Is it your ways that are unfair?

26 ‘»When a righteous person turns away from doing right and does evil things, he will die. He will die because of the evil things he has done.

27 ‘»When a wicked person turns away from the wicked things that he has done and does what is fair and right, he will live.

28 ‘»He realized what he was doing and turned away from all the rebellious things that he had done. He will certainly live. He will not die.

29 ‘»But the nation of Israel says: Jehovah’s way is unfair. Is my way not fair, nation of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

30 ‘»That is why I will judge each of you by what you have done, people of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah. Change the way you think and act. Repent! Turn away from all the rebellious things that you have done so that you will not fall into sin.

31 ‘»Give up all the evil you have been doing. Get yourselves new minds and hearts. Why do you Israelites want to die?

32 ‘»I do not want anyone to die,’ says the Lord Jehovah. ‘Turn away from repent of your sins and live.’«

19

1 »Take up a song of grief concerning the princes of Israel.

2 »Say: ‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among the young lions and reared her cubs.

3 ‘»She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he devoured men.

4 The nations heard about him. He was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

5 ‘»When she saw her hope unfulfilled, her expectation gone, she took another of her cubs and made him a strong lion.

6 ‘»He prowled among the lions, for he was now a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he devoured men.

7 ‘»He broke down their strongholds and devastated their towns. His roaring terrified the residents of the land.

8 ‘»Then the nations came against him, those from regions round about. They spread their net for him, and he was trapped in their pit.

9 ‘»With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison. Therefore his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel.

10 ‘»Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water. It was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water.

11 ‘»Its branches were strong and fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches.

12 ‘»It was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground. The east wind made it shrivel. It was stripped of its fruit. Its strong branches withered and fire consumed them.

13 ‘»Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land.

14 ‘»Fire spread from one of its main branches and consumed its fruit. No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler’s scepter. This is a song of grief and is to be used as a song of grief.’«

20

1 Seven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylon, some of Israel's leaders came to me on the tenth day of the fifth month. They sat down and asked for a message from Jehovah.

2 Just then, Jehovah said:

3 »Son of man, these elders have come to find out what I want them to do. As surely as I live, I will not give them an answer of any kind.

4 »Are you willing to warn them, Ezekiel? Then remind them of the disgusting sins of their ancestors.

5 »Tell them what the Lord Jehovah said: ‘When I chose Israel, I made them a promise. I revealed myself to them in Egypt and told them: ‘I am Jehovah your God.’

6 »It was then that I promised to take them out of Egypt and lead them to a land I had chosen for them, a rich and fertile land, the finest land of all.

7 »I told them to throw away the disgusting idols they loved and not to make themselves unclean with the false gods of Egypt. I am Jehovah their God.

8 ‘»»They defied me and refused to listen. They did not throw away their disgusting idols or give up the Egyptian gods. I was ready to let them feel the full force of my anger there in Egypt.

9 »‘»But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name. In the presence of the people among whom they were living I had announced to Israel that I was going to lead them out of Egypt.

10 ‘»»So I led them out of Egypt into the desert.

11 ‘»»I gave them my laws and made my rules known to them. If people obey them they will live.

12 ‘»»I also gave them certain days to worship me as a sign between us so that they would know that I, Jehovah, made them holy.

13 ‘»»But the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not live by my laws. They rejected my rules. If people obey them, they will live. They dishonored the days to worship me. So I was going to pour out my fury on them in the desert and completely wipe them out.

14 ‘»»I acted so that my name would not be dishonored among the nations who had watched me bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

15 ‘»»I also swore an oath to them in the desert. I swore that I would not bring them into the land that I had promised to give them. This land is the most beautiful land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

16 ‘»»They rejected my rules. They did not live by my laws. They dishonored the days to worship me, because their hearts chased disgusting idols.

17 ‘»»But I had compassion on them. I did not destroy them or completely wipe them out in the desert.

18 ‘»»I said to their children in the desert: Do not live by the laws of your ancestors. Do not obey their rules or dishonor yourselves with their disgusting idols.

19 ‘»»I am Jehovah your God! Walk in my statutes and obey my ordinances.

20 ‘»»Sanctify my Sabbaths. They shall be a sign between you, and me that you may know that I am Jehovah your God.’

21 ‘»»But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes. They were not careful to obey my ordinances. If a man obeys them, he will live. They profaned my Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

22 ‘»»But I withdrew my hand assistance and acted for the sake of my name. That way it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

23 »I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands.

24 »I did this because they had rejected my commands, broken my laws, profaned the Sabbath, and worshiped the same idols their ancestors had served.

25 »Then I gave them laws that are not good and commandments that do not bring life.

26 »I let them defile themselves with their own offerings, and I let them sacrifice their first-born sons. This was to punish them and show them that I am Jehovah.« ’

27 »Now then, son of man, tell the Israelites what I, the Lord Jehovah, am saying to them. This is another way their ancestors insulted me by their unfaithfulness.

28 »I brought them to the land I had promised to give them. When they saw the high hills and green trees, they offered sacrifices at all of them. They made me angry by the sacrifices they burned and by the wine they brought as offerings.

29 »Then I asked them: ‘What is this worship site you are going to? So it is still called a worship site today.’«

30 »Tell the nation of Israel: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »Will you dishonor yourselves the way your ancestors did? Will you chase their detestable idols like a prostitute?

31 ‘»You offer your children as sacrifices by burning them alive. You dishonor yourselves with all your disgusting idols to this day. Should you be allowed to ask me for help, nation of Israel? As I am alive, declares the Lord Jehovah, you will not be allowed to ask me for help.« ’

32 ‘»What you have in mind heart will never happen. You think that you want to be like other nations, like the different people in other countries. You want to serve wood and stone.« ’

33 ‘»As I am alive,’ declares the Lord Jehovah, ‘I will rule you with a mighty hand and a powerful arm. I will pour out my fury.

34 ‘»I will bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where I have scattered you with my mighty hand and powerful arm. I will pour out my fury.

35 ‘»I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations. There I will put you on trial face to face.

36 I will now condemn you just as I condemned your ancestors in the Sinai Desert,’ says the Lord Jehovah.

37 ‘I will take firm control of you and make you obey my covenant.

38 ‘I will take away from among you those who are rebellious and sinful. I will take them out of the lands where they are living now, but I will not let them return to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.’

39 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘The Lord Jehovah tells all you Israelites to suit yourselves! Go on and serve your idols! But I warn you that after this you will have to obey me and stop dishonoring my holy name by offering gifts to your idols.’

40 »There in the land, on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, all you people of Israel will worship me. I will be pleased with you and will expect you to bring me your sacrifices, your best offerings, and your holy gifts.

41 ‘After I bring you out of the countries where you have been scattered and gather you together, I will accept the sacrifices that you burn, and the nations will see that I am holy.’

42 ‘»When I bring you back to Israel, the land that I promised I would give to your ancestors, you will know that I am Jehovah.

43 ‘»There you will remember the way you lived and everything you did to dishonor yourselves. You will be disgusted by every wrong thing that you did.

44 ’»You will know that I am Jehovah, because I will deal with you for the sake of my name. I will not deal with you based on the evil and corrupt things that you have done, O nation of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah!

45 Jehovah spoke his word to me, He said:

46 »Son of man, turn to the south, preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest in the Negev.

47 »Tell the forest in the Negev: ‘Listen to the word of Jehovah. This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »I am about to set fire to you to destroy all your green trees and all your dry trees. The blazing fire will not be put out. It will burn the whole land from the south to the north.

48 »Then everyone will know that I, Jehovah, started the fire. It will never be put out.« ’«

49 Then I said: Oh no! Lord Jehovah, no! The people already say that I am only telling stories a figure of speech or a parable .

21

1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

2 »Son of man, turn to Jerusalem and preach against the holy places. Prophesy against the land of Israel.

3 »Tell the land of Israel: ‘This is what Jehovah says: »I am against you. I will take my sword out of its sheath and kill the righteous people and the wicked people among you.

4 ‘»I am going to kill the righteous people and the wicked people among you. That is why my sword will come out of its sheath to be used against everyone from the south to the north.

5 ‘»Then everyone will know that I, Jehovah, have taken my sword from its sheath, and I will not put it back again.« ’

6 »So, son of man, groan with a breaking heart and with bitter crying while the people watch you.

7 »When they ask why you are groaning tell this: ‘News has come that will discourage everyone. People's hands will hang limp, their hearts will lose courage, and their knees will become as weak as water. It is coming! It will surely take place!’ Declares the Lord Jehovah.«

8 Jehovah continued to speak to Ezekiel:

9 »Son of man, prophecy and say, ‘this is what Jehovah says: »A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished!

10 ‘»‘It is sharpened to make a slaughter and polished to flash like lightning! Shall we rejoice in the rod of my son despising every tree?’« ’«

11 ‘»The sword was given to be polished, that it might be handled. The sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.

12 ‘»Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people; it is against all the officials of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Therefore strike your thigh.

13 ‘»For there is testing. And what if even the rod that despises will be no more?« Declares the Lord Jehovah.

14 »You therefore, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together. 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,

15 that their hearts may melt lose their courage , and many fall 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.

16 »Show yourself sharp, go to the right, set yourself, go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed.

17 »Clap your hands and I will bring my anger to rest. Jehovah has spoken.«

18 Jehovah’s word came to me:

19 »Son of man, mark two roads that the king of Babylon and his sword can take. Both of these roads should start from the same country. Make a signpost and put it at the fork of the roads that go toward the cities.

20 »Mark the road that the king and his sword can take to the Ammonite city of Rabbah. Then mark the road that leads to Judah and the fortified city of Jerusalem.

21 »The king of Babylon will stand where the roads branch off, at the fork in the road. Then he will look for omens. The king will stand at the branch of the roads where he will use divination. He will shake the arrows and ask the teraphim and look into the liver.

22 »The divination omens will indicate that he should go to the right, to Jerusalem. So he will set up his battering rams there, and give the order to kill. He will raise a battle cry and aim the battering rams against the city gates. He will put up ramps and set up blockades siege walls .

23 »The people will think it is false divination and not believe this because they have made treaties with other nations. But the king of Babylon will remind them of their sins, and they will be captured.

24 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘People remember how sinful you are because you openly do wrong. You show your sins in everything you do. Because of this you will be taken captive.

25 »You dishonest and wicked prince of Israel, the time for your final punishment has come.

26 »I, the Lord Jehovah, have spoken. Take off your crown and your turban. Nothing will be the same again. Raise the poor to power! Bring down those who are ruling! Bring low the high one.

27 »A ruin, a ruin, a ruin! Yes, I will make the city a ruin. But this will not happen until the one comes whom I have chosen and who has the legal right to punish the city. To him I will give it.

28 »O son of man, prophesy. Announce what I, the Lord Jehovah, am saying to the Ammonites, who are insulting Israel. Say to them: A sword is ready to destroy. It is polished to kill and to flash like lightning.

29 »The visions that you see are false. The predictions you make are lies. You are wicked and evil. Your day is coming, the day of your final punishment. The sword is going to fall on your necks.

30 »Put up the sword return it to its sheath ! I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land where you were born.

31 »You will feel my anger when I turn it loose on you like a blazing fire. And I will hand you over to brutal men, experts at destruction.

32 »You will be destroyed by fire. Your blood will be shed in your own country. No one will remember you any more. Jehovah has spoken!’«

22

1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

2 Son of man will you judge? Will you judge the city of murderers the bloodguilty ? Then tell it about all the disgusting things that it has done.

3 »Tell it: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »Jerusalem, you are the city that murders people who live in you. Your time has come. You dishonor yourself with disgusting idols.

4 »‘»You are guilty because of the blood you have shed people you have killed . You are unclean dishonored because of the disgusting idols you have made. You have brought an end to your days, and you have come to the end of your years. That is why I will make you a disgrace to the nations and a joke in every land.

5 »‘»Those near and those far away will mock you. Your name will be dishonored, and you will be filled with confusion.

6 »‘»See how all the princes of Israel who live in you have used their power to shed blood murder people .

7 »‘»People in you hate their fathers and mothers. They oppress foreigners in you. They oppress orphans and widows in you.« ’«

8 »You have despised my holy things and dishonored profaned the Sabbath the day to worship me.

9 »Your people tell lies about others in order to have them put to death. They eat sacrifices offered to idols. They always satisfy their lusts.

10 »Some of them sleep with their father's wife. Some force women to have intercourse with them during their period.

11 »Some commit adultery, and others seduce their daughters-in-law or their half sisters.

12 »Some of your people murder for pay. Some charge interest on the loans they make to other Israelites and get rich by taking advantage of them. They have forgotten me. The Lord Jehovah has spoken.

13 ‘»I strike my fist at your dishonest gain and your acts of bloodshed.

14 ‘»Can your heart endure? Will your hands be strong in the days that I will deal with you? I, Jehovah, have spoken and will act.

15 ‘»I will scatter you among the nations and I will disperse you through the lands, and I will consume your uncleanness from you.

16 ‘»You will profane yourself in the sight of the nations, and you will know that I am Jehovah.« ’

17 Jehovah’s word came to me, He said:

18 »Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me. All of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead in the furnace. They are the dross of silver.

19 »Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I am going to gather you into Jerusalem. This is because all of you have become dross impure worthless .

20 ‘»As they gather silver and copper 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 liquefy you.

21 ‘»I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath. You will be melted in the midst of it.

22 ‘»As silver is melted in the furnace, you will be melted in the midst of her. You will know that I, Jehovah, have poured out my wrath on you.« ’

23 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me, He said:

24 »Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation outrage revulsion .

25 ‘»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.

26 ‘»Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the profane. They have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean. They hide their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

27 ‘»Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain.

28 ‘»Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them. They see false visions and divine lies for them. They say: »This is what the Lord Jehovah says, when Jehovah has not spoken.«

29 ‘»The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.’

30 ‘»I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.

31 ‘»Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them! I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath intense anger . / Their way I have brought upon their heads,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

23

1 Jehovah spoke his word to me again:

2 »Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother.

3 »They played the prostitute in Egypt. They played the prostitute in their youth. There their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled.

4 »Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah.

5 »Oholah played the prostitute while she was mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors.

6 »The Assyrians were clothed in purple, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.

7 »She gave her acts of fornication to them, all of whom were the choicest men of Assyria; and with all whom she lusted after, with all their idols she defiled herself.

8 »She did not forsake her acts of fornication from the time in Egypt. In her youth men had lain with her. They handled her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.

9 »Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted.

10 »They uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters, but they killed her with the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgments on her.

11 »Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she. Her prostitution was more than the fornication of her sister.

12 »She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and officials, the ones near, magnificently dressed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.

13 »I saw that she had defiled herself and that they both went the same way.

14 »So she increased her acts of fornication. And she saw men portrayed on the wall, images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion reddish-orange color ,

15 girded with belts on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, like the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth.

16 »When she saw them she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

17 »The Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and defiled her with their acts of prostitution. When they had defiled her, she became disgusted with them.

18 »She uncovered her acts if prostitution and uncovered her nakedness. I became disgusted with her, as I had become disgusted with her sister.

19 »Yet she multiplied her acts of prostitution. She remembered the days of her youth, when she prostituted herself in the land of Egypt.

20 »She lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose genital organ is like the genital organ of horses.

21 »Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom because of the breasts of your youth.

22 »Therefore, O Oholibah, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Behold I will arouse your lovers against you, from whom you were alienated. I will bring them against you from every side:

23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and officials all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.

24 ‘»They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you on every side with buckler and shield and helmet. I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their customs.

25 ‘»I will set my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in wrath. They will remove your nose and your ears. Your survivors will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters. The fire will consume your survivors.

26 ‘»They will also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels.

27 ‘»I will make your lewdness and your fornication 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.’

28 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those from whom you were alienated.

29 »They will deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your fornications will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your acts of prostitution.

30 »These things will be done to you because you have played the prostitute with the nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols.

31 »You have walked in the way of your sister. Therefore I will give her cup into your hand.

32 »The Lord Jehovah says this: ‘You will drink your sister's cup, which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; it contains much.

33 ‘»You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.

34 ‘»You will drink it and drain it. Then you will gnaw its fragments and tear your breasts. »I have spoken,« declares the Lord Jehovah.’

35 »Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, bear now the punishment of your lewdness and your acts of prostitution.’«

36 Jehovah said to me: »Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.

37 »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.

38 »Again, they have done this to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and have profaned my Sabbaths.

39 »For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered my sanctuary on the same day to profane it. Then they did within my house.

40 »Furthermore, they have even sent for men who come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent. They came and you bathed, painted your eyes and decorated yourselves with ornaments for them.

41 »You sat on a splendid couch with a table arranged before it on which you had set my incense and my oil.

42 »The sound of a carefree multitude was with her. 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.

43 »Then I said concerning her who was worn out by adultery: »Will they now commit adultery with her when she is thus?

44 »But they went into her as they would go into a prostitute. Thus they went into Oholah and into Oholibah, the lewd women.

45 »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.

46 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Bring up a company against them and give them over to terror and plunder.

47 ‘»The company will stone them with stones and cut them down with their swords. They will slay their sons and their daughters and burn their houses with fire.

48 ’»Thus I will make lewdness cease from the land. All women will be admonished and not commit lewdness as you have done.

49 ‘»Your lewdness will be repaid upon you. You will bear the penalty of worshiping your idols. You will know that I am the Lord Jehovah!’«

24

1 The word of Jehovah came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, He said:

2 »Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.

3 »Speak a parable to the rebellious house. Say to them: The Lord Jehovah says, »Put on the cooking pot, put it on and also pour water in it.

4 »Put in it the pieces, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with choice bones.

5 »Take the choicest of the flock. Also pile wood under the pot. Make it boil vigorously. Also boil its bones in it.« ’«

6 »Therefore, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Woe to the bloody city, To the cooking 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.

7 »»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.

8 ‘»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.’

9 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.

10 ‘»Heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Boil the flesh well and mix in the spices and let the bones be burned.

11 ‘»Then set it empty on its coals so that it may be hot and its copper may glow and its filthiness may be melted in it. Let its rust be consumed.

12 ‘»She has made me tire with toil, yet her great rust has not gone from her. Let her rust be in the fire!’

13 ‘»In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I would have cleansed you, yet you are not clean. You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again until I have spent my anger on you.

14 ‘»I, Jehovah, have spoken. It is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry! I will judge you according to your ways and according to your deeds.’ This is a declaration of the Lord Jehovah.«

15 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

16 »Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow. You will, however, not mourn and you will not weep, and your tears will not come.

17 »Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet. Do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men.«

18 »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.

19 »The people said to me: »Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?«

20 Then I said to them: »The word of Jehovah came to me, and He said:

21 »Speak to the house of Israel. Tell them Jehovah says: ‘I am about to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes and your delight. Your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.

22 ‘»You will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and you will not eat the bread of men.

23 ‘« ’Your turbans will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet. You will not mourn and you will not weep. You will rot away in your iniquities and you will groan to one another.

24 ‘»‘So Ezekiel will be a sign to you. You will do according to all that he has done. Then you will know that I am the Lord Jehovah.’« ’

25 »As for you, O son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their pride, the desire of their eyes and their heart's delight, their sons and their daughters,

26 that on that day he who escapes will come to you with information for your ears?

27 »On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped. You will speak and be mute no longer. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am Jehovah.«

25

1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

2 »Son of man set your face give attention toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them.

3 »Tell the Ammonites: ‘Hear the word of the Lord Jehovah! The Lord Jehovah says: »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,

4 »‘»I am going to give you to the sons of the east for a possession. They will set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

5 »‘»I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and the Ammonites a resting place for flocks. So you will know that I am Jehovah.« ’«

6 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced in your scorn against the land of Israel,

7 ‘»I have stretched out my hand against you and I will give you for spoil to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands. I will destroy you. Therefore, you will know that I am Jehovah.’

8 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Because Moab and Seir say, »Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,

9 therefore, I am going to deprive the flank of Moab of its cities, of its cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon and Kiriathaim,

10 and I will give it for a possession along with the Ammonites to the sons of the east, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered among the nations.

11 »‘»Thus I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am Jehovah.’

12 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,

13 therefore the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will also stretch out my hand exert my power against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. I will lay it waste! From Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword.

14 ‘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. They will know my vengeance, declares the Lord Jehovah.« ’

15 »The Lord Jehovah says: Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and scorn and have taken vengeance to destroy with everlasting enmity,

16 therefore the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will stretch out my hand exert power against the Philistines. I will even cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast.

17 »‘»I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. They will know that I am Jehovah when I lay my vengeance on them.« ’«

26

1 Now in the eleventh year, on the first of the month, the word of Jehovah came to me:

2 »Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I will be filled, now that she is laid waste.’

3 »Therefore the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.

4 »‘They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock.

5 »‘She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the middle of the sea. I have spoken, declares the Lord Jehovah. She will become spoil for the nations.’

6 »‘Her daughters on the mainland will be killed by the sword. They will know that I am Jehovah.’

7 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He is king of kings. He has many horses, chariots, cavalry and a great army.

8 ‘»He will slay your daughters on the mainland with the sword. He will make siege walls against you, cast up a ramp against you and raise up a large shield against you.

9 »‘He will direct the blow of his battering rams against your walls. He will break down your towers with his axes.

10 »‘Dust raised by the vast number of his horses will cover you. The noise of cavalry, wagons and chariots will shake your walls. He will enter your gates as men enter a city that is breached.

11 »‘The hoofs of his horses will trample all your streets. He will slay your people with the sword and your strong pillars will come down to the ground.

12 »‘They will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. They will throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water.’

13 »‘So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more.

14 »‘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 Jehovah have spoken,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

15 »The Lord Jehovah says to Tyre: ‘Will not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall when the wounded groan, when the slaughter occurs in your midst?

16 ‘»Then all the princes of the sea will go down from their thrones and 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.

17 ‘»They will take up a lamentation over you and say to you: »‘»How you have perished, O inhabited one, from the seas, O renowned city. You were mighty on the sea. She and her inhabitants imposed her terror on all her inhabitants!

18 »‘»Now the coastlands will tremble on the day of your fall. Yes, the coastlands by the sea will be terrified at your passing.« ’

19 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you,

20 then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit grave , to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth. It will be like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit grave , so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living.

21 »I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more. Though you will be sought, you will never be found again,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

27

1 Jehovah’s word continued to come to me:

2 »You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre.

3 Say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord Jehovah: »‘O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’

4 »Your borders are in the heart of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty.

5 »They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir. They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

6 »Of oaks from Bashan they have made your oars. With ivory they have inlaid your deck with cypress wood from the coastlands of Cyprus.

7 »Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt. It became your distinguishing mark. Your awning was blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah.

8 »‘»The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your wise men, O Tyre, were aboard. They were your pilots.

9 »‘»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.

10 »‘»Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung shield and helmet in you. They set forth your splendor.

11 »‘»People from Arvad and Helech were tower guards all around your walls. They made your beauty perfect.

12 People from Tarshish traded with you because you were so very rich. They exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise.

13 »‘»Japan, Tubal and Meshech were your traders. They paid for your merchandise with the lives of men and vessels of bronze.

14 »‘»Those from Beth-togarmah gave horses and warhorses and mules for your wares.

15 »‘»The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment.

16 »‘»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.

17 »‘»Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded with the wheat of Minnith. Cakes, honey, oil and balm were paid for your merchandise.

18 »‘»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.

19 »‘»Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal. Wrought iron, cassia and sweet cane were among your merchandise.

20 »‘»Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.

21 »‘»Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers for lambs, rams and goats.

22 »‘»The traders of Sheba and Raamah 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.

23 »‘»Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad traded with you.

24 »‘»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.

25 »‘»The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise. And you were filled and were very glorious in the heart of the seas.

26 »‘»Your rowers have brought you into great waters. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.

27 »‘»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 company that is in your midst, will fall into the heart of the seas on the day of your overthrow.

28 »‘»The pasturelands will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots.

29 »‘»All who handle the oars, the sailors and all the pilots of the sea will come down from their ships. They will stand on the land,

30 »‘»And they will make their voice heard over you and will cry bitterly. They will cast dust on their heads and wallow in ashes.

31 »‘»They will make themselves bald for you and gird themselves with sackcloth. They will weep for you in bitterness and with painful mourning.

32 »‘»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?

33 »‘»When your wares went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. With the abundance of your wealth and your merchandise you enriched the kings of earth.

34 »‘»In the very depths of the waters, you are broken by the sea. Your merchandise and all your company have fallen in the midst of you.

35 »‘»All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you. Their kings are horribly afraid. They are troubled in countenance.

36 »‘»The merchants among the peoples hiss at you. You have become terrified and you will cease to be forever.« ’«

28

1 Jehovah continued to speak to me:

2 »Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »‘»In your arrogance you say, ‘I am a god strong deity . I sit on God's throne in the sea.’ But you are only human and not a god, although you think you are a god. (2 Thes 2:4)

3 ‘»You think that you are wiser than Daniel and that no secret can be hidden from you.

4 ‘»Because you are wise and understanding, you have made yourself rich. You saved gold and silver in your treasuries.

5 ‘»Because of your great skill in trading, you have made yourself very wealthy. You have become arrogant because of your wealth.’«

6 ‘»Therefore the Lord Jehovah says: Because you have made your heart like consider yourself to be like the heart of God,

7 ‘»I will bring strangers, ruthless nations, upon you. They will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor.

8 ‘»They will throw you into a pit. You will die a violent death in the sea.

9 ‘»You will no longer say that you are a god when you face those who kill you. You will be a human, not a god, in the hands of those who kill you.« ’

10 ‘»You will die at the hands of foreigners like a godless person.’ I have spoken, declares Jehovah.«

11 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

12 »Son of man, sing a funeral song for the ruler of Tyre. Tell him: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »‘»You were the perfect example, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 »‘»You were in Eden, God's garden. You were covered with every kind of precious stone: red quartz, topaz, crystal, beryl, jade, onyx, gray quartz, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your settings and your sockets were made of gold when you were created.

14 »‘»I appointed an angel to guard you. You were on God's holy mountain. You walked among fiery stones.

15 »‘»Your behavior was perfect from the time you were created, until evil was found in you.

16 »‘»By the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. Therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

17 »‘»Your heart was lifted up 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.

18 »‘»By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you. It has consumed you. I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you.

19 »‘»All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you. You have become terrified. You will cease to be forever.« ’«

20 The word of Jehovah came to me, He said:

21 »Son of man, set your face pay attention toward Sidon, prophesy against her.

22 »You must say,,The Lord Jehovah says: »I am against you, O Sidon! I will be glorified in your midst. Then they will know that I am Jehovah when I execute judgments in her. I will manifest my holiness in her.

23 »‘For I will send pestilence to her and blood to her streets. The wounded will fall in her midst by the sword upon her on every side. Then they will know that I am Jehovah.

24 »‘There will be no more prickling brier or a painful thorn for the house of Israel from any round about them who scorned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord Jehovah.

25 »‘The Lord Jehovah says: »When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, I will make known my holiness in them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob.

26 »‘»They will live in it securely. They will build houses, plant vineyards and live securely when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am Jehovah their God!« ’«

29

1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of Jehovah came to me:

2 »Son of man set your face present yourself against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

3 »Say this, ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »I am against you Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great monster Egypt (Psalm 74:13,14) that lies in the midst of his rivers. You have said: ‘My Nile is mine! I have made it!’«

4 »I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales. I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers. All the fish of your rivers will cling to your scales.

5 »I will abandon you to the wilderness and all the fish of your rivers. 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.

6 »Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Jehovah. This is because they have been only a staff made of reed to the house of Israel.

7 »When they took hold of you with the hand, you broke and tore all their hands. When they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins quake.«

8 »‘Therefore the Lord Jehovah says: »I will bring upon you a sword and I will cut off from you man and beast.

9 »‘The land of Egypt will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am Jehovah. Because you said: ‘The Nile is mine, and I have made it.’

10 »I am against you and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and even to the border of Ethiopia.

11 »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.

12 »So I will make the land of Egypt desolation in the midst of desolated lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.«

13 »‘The Lord Jehovah says: »At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered.

14 »»‘I will turn the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin. They will be a lowly kingdom.

15 »»‘It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations.

16 »‘»It will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord Jehovah.« ’«

17 Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of Jehovah came to me. He said:

18 »Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his army had no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it.

19 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder. It will serve as wages for his army.

20 »‘I have given him the land of Egypt for the labor he performed, because they acted for me,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

21 »On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel make the people of Israel strong again , and I give you, Ezekiel, something to say among them. Then they will know that I am Jehovah.«

30

1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

2 »Son of man, prophesy. Say, ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »Cry for that day!

3 »‘The day is near. The Day of Jehovah is near. It will be a gloomy day, a time of trouble for the nations.

4 »‘There will be war in Egypt and anguish in Ethiopia. Many Egyptians will fall dead. People will take away Egypt's wealth, and its foundations will be torn down.

5 »‘Sudan, Put, Lud, all the Arabs, the Libyans, and people from the promised land will die in battle.’«

6 »This is what Jehovah says: ‘All Egypt's allies will die. Egypt's strength will disappear. People will die in war from Migdol to Syene, declares the Lord Jehovah!’

7 »‘Egypt will become the most desolate country in the world! Egypt's cities will lie in ruins. They will be ruined more than other cities.

8 »‘Then they will know that I am Jehovah, because I will set fire to Egypt and all her defenders will be killed.

9 »‘On that day I will send messengers in ships to terrify those who live in safety in Sudan. The people of Sudan will be in anguish when Egypt is in trouble. That day is coming!’

10 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: I will use King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to bring an end to Egypt.

11 »He and his troops, the most ruthless troops among the nations, will be brought to destroy the land. They will draw their swords to attack Egypt and fill the land with dead bodies.

12 »I will dry up the Nile River and sell the land to wicked people. I will have foreigners destroy the land and everything in it. I, Jehovah, have spoken.’

13 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will destroy the statues and put an end to the idols in Memphis. A prince will never rise again in Egypt. I will spread fear throughout Egypt.

14 »‘I will destroy Pathros, set fire to Zoan and bring punishment on Thebes.

15 »‘I will pour out my fury on Sin, Egypt's fortress, and I will kill many people in Thebes.

16 »‘I will set fire to Egypt. Sin will be in much pain. Thebes will be broken into pieces, and Memphis will be in trouble every day.

17 »‘The young men from Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in battle, and people from these cities will go into exile.

18 »‘At Tahpanhes the day will turn dark when I break Egypt's power. Egypt's strong army will be defeated. Clouds will cover Egypt, and people from its villages will go into exile.’«

19 »‘Then they will know that I am Jehovah, because I will bring punishment on Egypt.

20 On the seventh day of the first month in the eleventh year, Jehovah spoke his word to me:

21 »Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. His arm is not bandaged, so it cannot heal and be strong enough to hold a sword.«

22 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong and the broken. I will make the sword fall from his hand.

23 ‘»I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.

24 ‘»For I will strengthen the arms the power of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand. I will break the arms of Pharaoh. He will groan before him with the groanings of a wounded man.

25 ‘»I will strengthen the arms the power of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they will know that I am Jehovah, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt.

26 ‘»When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am Jehovah.’«

31

1 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month, the word of Jehovah came to me:

2 »Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: »‘Who are you like in your greatness?

3 »‘Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches and forest shade, and very high, and its top was among the clouds.

4 »‘The waters made it grow, the deep made it high. With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place, and sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.

5 Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field. ‘« Its boughs became many and its branches long because of many waters as it spread them out.

6 »‘All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs. Under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth and all great nations lived under its shade.

7 »‘So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots extended to many waters.

8 »‘The cedars in God's garden could not match it. The cypresses could not compare with its boughs. The plane trees could not match its branches. No tree in God's garden could compare with it in its beauty.

9 »‘I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches. All the trees of Eden in the garden of God were jealous of it.’

10 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness,

11 »‘I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations. He will thoroughly deal with it. According to its wickedness I have driven it away.

12 »‘Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land. All the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it.

13 »‘On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell. All the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches

14 so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand erect in their height. 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.’

15 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘On the day when it went down to the grave I caused cries of sorrow. I closed the deep over it and held back its rivers. Its many waters were stopped up, and I made Lebanon mourn for it. All the trees of the field wilted away on account of it.

16 »‘I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I made it go down to the grave with those who go down to the pit. All the well-watered trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, were comforted in the earth beneath.

17 »‘They also went down with it to the grave to those who were slain by the sword. Those who were its strength lived under its shade among the nations.’

18 »‘Which of the trees of Eden are you equal to 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 hordes!’ Declares the Lord Jehovah.« ’

32

1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, the word of Jehovah came to me:

2 »Son of man, take up a cry of sorrow and grief over Pharaoh king of Egypt. Say to him: ‘You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations. »‘You are really like the monster in the seas. You burst forth in your rivers and muddied the waters with your feet and fouled their rivers.’

3 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Now I will spread my net over you with a company of many peoples. They will lift you up in my net.

4 »‘I will leave you on the land. I will cast you on the open field. I will cause all the birds of the heavens to dwell on you. And I will satisfy the beasts of the entire earth with you.

5 »‘I will lay your flesh on the mountains. I will fill the valleys with your refuse.

6 »‘I will also make the land drink the discharge of your blood as far away as the mountains. The ravines will be full of you.’

7 »‘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.

8 »‘All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you. And I will set darkness on your land,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah.

9 »‘I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction among the nations, into lands you have not known.

10 »‘I will make many peoples astonished at you. Their kings will be dreadfully afraid of you when I brandish my sword before them. They will tremble every moment, every man for his own life, on the day of your fall.’

11 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘You will face the sword of the king of Babylon.

12 »‘I will cut down your people with the swords of warriors. All of them will be the most ruthless warriors among the nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt and destroy its many people.

13 »‘I will also destroy all the animals beside its many water sources. The feet of humans and the hoofs of animals will not stir up the water anymore.’

14 »‘Then I will make its water clear and make its streams flow like oil,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

15 »‘I will turn Egypt into a wasteland. I will take everything in the land, and I will kill all the people who live there. Then they will know that I am Jehovah.

16 »‘This is a funeral song. The people from the nations will sing this song. They will sing it as they mourn for Egypt and its many people, declares the Lord Jehovah.«

17 On the fifteenth day of the month in the twelfth year, Jehovah spoke his word to me. He said:

18 »Son of man, cry for the many people of Egypt. Bring them down along with the other mighty nations. Send them down below the earth to be with those who have gone down to the pit.

19 »‘Tell them: ‘Are you more beautiful than anyone else? Go down and join the godless people.

20 »‘The Egyptians will lie among those who were killed in battle. A sword has been drawn. Drag Egypt and its many people away.

21 »‘The mightiest warriors will say to Pharaoh from the grave: You and your defenders have come down. You now lie with the godless people who were killed in battle.

22 »‘Assyria is there with its whole army. The graves of its soldiers are all around it. All of its soldiers are dead. They have been killed in battle.

23 »‘Their graves are in the deepest parts of the pit. Assyria's army lies around its grave. All of its soldiers are dead. They have been killed in battle. They once terrified people in the land of the living.

24 »‘Elam is there with all its soldiers. The graves of its soldiers are all around it. All of its soldiers are dead. They have been killed in battle. They went down below the earth as godless people. They once terrified people in the land of the living. Now they suffer disgrace with those who have gone down to the pit.

25 »‘A bed has been made for Elam among the dead. The graves of its soldiers are all around it. The soldiers were godless people. They were killed in battle because they terrified others in the land of the living. They suffer disgrace with those who have gone down to the pit. They lie among the dead.

26 »‘Meshech and Tubal are there with all their soldiers. The graves of their soldiers are all around them. Their soldiers were all godless people. They were killed in battle because they terrified others in the land of the living.

27 »‘They do not lie with the godless warriors who died and went down to the grave with their weapons of war. Their swords were placed under their heads. Their iniquity rested on their bones because they terrified others in the land of the living.

28 You Egyptians will be crushed with the godless people. You will lie with those who were killed in battle.

29 »‘Edom is there with its kings and its princes. They used to be powerful, but now they lie with those who were killed in battle. They lie there with the godless people and with those who have gone down to the pit.

30 »‘All the rulers from the north and all the people from Sidon are there. They also went down with the dead. They are disgraced because they terrified people with their power. They were godless people. Now they lie with those who were killed in battle. They suffer disgrace with those who went down to the pit.

31 »‘Pharaoh and his army will see these things and be comforted over all the soldiers who have been killed in battle,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah.

32 »‘I terrified people in the land of the living. Pharaoh and all his soldiers will be laid among the godless people who were killed in battle,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah.«

33

1 Jehovah continued to speak to me:

2 »Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them: ‘Suppose I bring war on this country and the people of this country choose one of their men and make him their watchman.

3 »‘If he sees the enemy coming to attack the country he will blow his horn to warn the people.

4 »‘If the people hear the horn and ignore the warning and the enemy comes and takes them, they will be responsible for their own deaths.

5 »‘They heard the sound of the horn but ignored its warning. In that case they are responsible for their own deaths. If they had taken the warning they would have saved themselves.

6 »‘But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and does not blow his horn to warn the people and the enemy comes and kills someone, that watchman must die because of his sin. I will hold him responsible for their deaths.’

7 »Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the people of Israel. Listen to what I say and warn them for me.

8 »Suppose I say to a wicked person, ‘You wicked person, you will certainly die.’ And you say nothing to warn him to change his ways. That wicked person will die because of his sin. I will hold you responsible for his death.

9 »But if you 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.

10 »‘Son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘You people have said: »Our transgressions and our sins are upon us. We are rotting away in them. How can we survive?« ’

11 Say to them: ‘»As I am alive!« Declares the Lord Jehovah. »I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Only 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?« ’

12 »Son of man, tell the Israelites that when someone good sins, the good he has done will not save him. If an evil person stops doing evil he will not be punished, and if a good man starts sinning, his life will not be spared.

13 »I may promise life to someone good, but if he starts thinking that his past goodness is enough and begins to sin, I will not remember any of the good he did. He will die because of his sins.

14 »‘I may warn someone evil that he is going to die, but if he stops sinning and does what is right and good,

15 and if he returns the security he took for a loan or gives back what he stole, if he stops sinning and follows the laws that give life, he will not die, but he will live.

16 »‘None of the sins that he has done will be remembered. He has done what is fair and right. He will certainly live.’

17 »But your people say: ‘Jehovah’s way is not right.’ Yet, their ways are not right.

18 »If the righteous person turns from the right things that he has done and does evil, he will die because of it.

19 »If the wicked person turns from his wickedness and does what is fair and right, he will live because of it.

20 »The people of Israel say: ‘Jehovah’s way is not right.’ I will judge each of you by your own ways, people of Israel.«

21 On the fifth day of the tenth month in the twelfth year of our captivity, a refugee from Jerusalem came to me. He said: »The city has been captured.«

22 The evening before the refugee arrived, the power of Jehovah came over me. On the morning the refugee arrived, Jehovah made me speak. So I spoke, and I was no longer quiet.

23 Jehovah spoke his word to me:

24 »Son of man, those who live in the ruined cities in Israel are saying: ‘Abraham was only one person, and he was given the land. But we are many. Certainly the land has been given to us.’

25 »‘»Tell them: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »You eat meat with blood in it. You look to your idols for help. You murder people. Should the land be given to you?

26 »‘»You rely on your swords military power . You do disgusting things. You dishonor your neighbor's wife. Should the land be given to you?« ’

27 »Tell them: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »As I am alive, whoever is in the ruined cities will be killed in battle. Whoever is in the open field will become food for wild animals. Whoever is in fortified places and caves will die from plagues.

28 »I will turn the land into a barren wasteland. People will no longer brag about its power. The mountains of Israel will become so ruined that no one will travel through them.

29 »Then people will know that I am Jehovah, when I make the land a barren wasteland. This is because of all the disgusting things that they have done.« ’

30 »Son of man, your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of their homes. They are saying to each other: ‘Let's go and hear the word that has come from Jehovah.’

31 »Then they come to you, as if they are still my people, and they sit down in front of you. They listen to what you say, but they do not do it. They say that they love me, but in their hearts they chase dishonest profits.

32 »To them you are nothing more than a singer with a beautiful voice who sings love songs or a musician who plays an instrument. They listen to your words, but they do not do them.

33 »When all your words come true, and they certainly will come true, these people will know that a prophet has been among them.«

34

1 Jehovah continued to speak to me:

2 »Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy to these shepherds. Tell them: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »How horrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who have been taking care of only themselves. Should shepherds take care of the sheep?

3 »‘»You eat the best parts of the sheep, dress in the wool, and butcher the finest sheep. Yet, you do not take care of the sheep.

4 »‘»You have not strengthened those that were weak, healed those who were sick, or bandaged those who were injured. You have not brought back those who strayed away or looked for those who were lost. You have ruled them harshly and violently.

5 »‘»They were scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for every wild animal at the time they were scattered.

6 »‘»My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered throughout the entire earth. No one searched or looked for them.

7 »‘»You shepherds, listen to the word of Jehovah.

8 ‘»As I am alive, declares the Lord Jehovah, because there is no shepherd, my sheep have become prey. My sheep have become food for wild animals. My shepherds have not searched for my sheep. They have taken care of only themselves, not my sheep.« ’

9 You shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah:

10 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I am against the shepherds! I will demand my sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore. I will deliver my flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.’«

11 »‘The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will search for my sheep. I will seek them out.

12 »As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for my sheep and will deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.

13 »I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel. I will feed them by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.

14 »I will feed 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 feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.«

15 »‘»I will feed my flock and I will lead them to rest,« declares the Lord Jehovah.

16 »I will seek the lost. I will bring back the scattered. I will bind up the broken and strengthen the sick. The fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.«

17 »‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the Lord Jehovah says: »I will judge disputes between one sheep and another, between rams and male goats.

18 »‘Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? You drink clean water. Must you muddy the rest of the water with your feet?

19 »‘Must my sheep eat what your feet have trampled and drink what your feet have muddied?«

20 »‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says to them: I will judge disputes between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep.

21 »‘You fat sheep push the skinny sheep with your sides and shoulders. You knock down all the sick sheep with your horns. You have scattered them all over.

22 »‘So I will rescue my sheep, and they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.

23 »‘I will place one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will take care of them. He will take care of them and be their shepherd.

24 »‘I, Jehovah, will be their God, and my servant David will be their prince. I, Jehovah, have spoken!

25 »‘»I will promise them peace. I will remove the wild animals from the land so that my sheep can live safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

26 »‘»I will bless them and the places around my hill. I will send rain at the right time. These showers will be a blessing to them.

27 »‘»Then the trees in the field will produce fruit, the land will yield crops, and my sheep will live safely in their land. Then they will know that I am Jehovah, because I will break off the bars on their yokes and rescue them from the people who made them slaves.

28 »‘»They will no longer be prey to the nations. Wild animals will no longer eat them. They will live safely, and no one will frighten them.

29 »‘»I will give them a place that is known for its good crops. They will no longer experience hunger in the land. They will no longer suffer the insults of other nations.

30 ‘Then they will know that Jehovah their God is with them. They will know that the people of Israel are my people,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah.« ’

31 »‘You are my sheep, the sheep in my pasture. You are mortal, and I am your God,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

35

1 The word of Jehovah continued to come to me:

2 »Son of man, set your face commit yourself against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it.

3 »Say this, ‘the Lord Jehovah says: »I am against you, Mount Seir! I will stretch out my hand exert my power against you and make you a desolation and a waste.

4 »‘»I will lay waste your cities and you will become desolated. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.

5 »‘»Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword to die by warfare at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end.« ’

6 »‘Therefore as I live, declares the Lord Jehovah: I will give you over to bloodshed death , and bloodshed death will pursue you. Since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue you.

7 »‘I will make Mount Seir a waste and desolation. I will cut off from it the one who passes through and returns.

8 »‘I will fill its mountains with those who have been killed. Those killed by the sword will fall on your hills and in your valleys and ravines.

9 »‘I will make you an everlasting desolation! Your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am Jehovah!’

10 »For the reason that you have said: ‘These two nations and these two lands will be mine, and we will possess them,’ although Jehovah was there.

11 ‘Therefore as I live,’ declares the Lord Jehovah, ‘I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your envy, what you showed because of your hatred against them. I will make myself known among them when I judge you.

12 »‘Then you will know that I, Jehovah, have heard all your insults you have spoken against the mountains of Israel. You said: ‘They are laid desolate. They are given to us for food.’

13 »‘You have spoken arrogantly against me and have continuously spoken against me. And I have heard it!’

14 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘As all the earth rejoices, I will make you desolated.

15 »As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so I will do to you. You will be desolated, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am Jehovah.’«

36

1 »Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah.

2 ‘»‘The Lord Jehovah says: »Because the enemy has spoken against you, aha! And the everlasting heights have become our possession.

3 »Therefore prophesy and say: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side. That way you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have become a subject of conversation for the people.

4 ‘»‘Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah. The Lord Jehovah says to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities that have become a prey and derision to the rest of the nations that are round about,

5 ‘»‘The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated my land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn, to drive it out for a prey.’« ’

6 »Prophesy about Israel and tell the mountains and hills and the ravines and valleys: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »I am speaking in my anger and fury because you have been insulted by the nations.

7 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I raise my hand and swear that the nations that surround you will be insulted.

8 »‘But you, mountains of Israel, will grow branches and bear fruit for my people Israel. My people will come home soon.

9 »‘I am for you. I will turn to you, and you will be plowed and planted.

10 »‘I will increase the number of people who live on you. All the people of Israel, all of them, will live on you. The cities will be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

11 »‘I will increase the number of people and animals that live on you. They will grow and become many. I will let people live on you as in the past, and I will make you better off than ever before. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.

12 »‘I will bring people, my people Israel, to you. They will take possession of you, and you will be their inheritance. You will no longer take their children away from them.’«

13 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘People say that you devour your people and take the children away from your nation.« ’

14 ‘You will no longer devour your people or take the children away from your nation, proclaims the Lord Jehovah.

15 ‘I will no longer let you hear the insults from the nations. You will no longer suffer the disgrace of the people. You will never again take the children away from your own nation, proclaims the Lord Jehovah.«

16 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me, He said:

17 »Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they dishonored it by the way they lived and by everything they did. Their ways were as unclean as a woman's menstrual period.

18 »Therefore I poured out my fury on them because they poured out blood on the land and they dishonored the land with their idols.

19 »I forced them into other nations. They became scattered among the nations. I judged them based on the way that they lived and based on everything that they had done.

20 »Wherever they went among the nations, they dishonored my holy name. People said about them: ‘These are Jehovah’s people, yet they had to leave his land.’

21 »I became concerned about my holy name because my people dishonored it among the nations wherever they went.« (Romans 2:21-24)

22 »So tell the people of Israel, ‘the Lord Jehovah says: »I am about to do something, people of Israel. I will not do this for your sake but for the sake of my holy name, which you have dishonored among the nations wherever you have gone.« ’

23 »I will reveal the holiness of my great name, which has been dishonored by the nations. It is the name that you have dishonored among them. Then the nations will know that I am Jehovah. This is because I will reveal my holiness among you as they watch,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

24 »I will take you from the nations and gather you from every country. I will bring you back to your own land.

25 »I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean instead of unclean. Then I will cleanse you from all your idols.

26 »I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stubborn hearts and give you obedient hearts.

27 »I will put my Spirit in you. I will enable you to live by my Laws, and you will obey my rules.

28 »Then you will live in the land that I gave your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God.’

29 »‘I will rescue you from all your uncleanness. I will make the grain grow so that you will never again have famines.

30 »‘I will make fruit grow on the trees and crops grow in the fields so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famines.

31 »‘Then you will remember your evil ways and the bad things that you did. You will hate yourselves for all these wicked and disgusting things.

32 »‘I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah. ‘Be ashamed and disgraced because of your ways, people of Israel.’

33 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘On the day that I cleanse you from all your wickedness, I will cause your cities to be lived in again, and your ruins will be rebuilt.

34 The wasteland will be cultivated. It will no longer remain empty for everyone passing by to see.

35 People will say: »This wasteland has become like the Garden of Eden. The cities were destroyed. They were empty and ruined, but now they are fortified and have people living in them.

36 ‘The surrounding nations that are left will know that I, Jehovah, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted crops in the land that was empty. I, Jehovah, have spoken, and I have done it.’

37 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will also let the people of Israel ask me to make them as numerous as sheep.

38 »They will be like the sheep for sacrifices, like the sheep in Jerusalem during the appointed festivals. Their ruined cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am Jehovah.’«

37

1 The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of Jehovah and set me down in the middle of the valley. The valley was full of bones.

2 He caused me to pass among them round about. There were very many on the surface of the valley and they were very dry.

3 He said to me: »Son of man, can these bones live?« I answered, »O Lord Jehovah, you know.«

4 »‘Again he said: »Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah.

5 »‘The Lord Jehovah says to these bones: »I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.

6 »‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive. You will know that I am Jehovah.« ’«

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling. The bones came together, bone to its bone.

8 I looked, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them. But there was no breath in them.

9 Then Jehovah said to me: »Prophesy to the wind ruach: air, breath, spirit, life ! Prophesy, son of man. Tell the wind, this is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe on these people who were killed so that they will live.« ’«

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath of life entered them. Then they came to life and stood on their feet. There were enough of them to form a very large army.

11 Jehovah also said: »Son of man, all the people of Israel are like these bones. The people say: Our bones are dry, and our hope has vanished. We are completely destroyed.

12 Prophesy and tell them: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »My people, I will open your graves and take you out of them. I will bring you to Israel.

13 Then, my people, you will know that I am Jehovah, because I will open your graves and bring you out of your graves.« ’

14 ‘I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. I will place you in your own land. Then you will know that I, Jehovah, have spoken, and I have done it,’ declares Jehovah.«

15 Jehovah spoke his word to me again:

16 »Son of man, take a stick and write on it: For Judah and for the Israelites who are associated with it.’ Then take another stick and write on it: ‘The stick of Ephraim, for Joseph and for all the people of Israel associated with it.’

17 Then join both sticks together so that they will be one in your hand. Your people will say to you:

18 ‘Tell us what you mean by this.’

19 Then say to them: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: I will take Joseph's stick, which is in Ephraim's hand, and the tribes of Israel associated with it, and I will put them with Judah's stick. I will make them into one stick. They will be one in my hand.« ’

20 When you hold the sticks in your hand, let the people see them.

21 »Tell them: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from everywhere and bring them to their own land.

22 I will form them into one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule all of them. They will no longer be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.

23 They will no longer dishonor themselves with their idols, with their detestable things, or with their rebellious acts. I will forgive them for all the times they turned away from me and sinned. I will cleanse them so that they will be my people, and I will be their God.

24 »‘»My servant David will be their king. All of them will have one shepherd. They will live by my rules, and they will obey my laws.

25 »‘»They will live in the land that I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They, their children, and their grandchildren will live in it for a very long time. My servant David will be their prince for a very long time.

26 »‘»I will promise them peace. This will be a long lasting promise. I will establish them and make them increase in number. I will put my holy place among them for a very long time.

27 »‘»My dwelling place will be with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

28 »‘»Then the nations will know that I, Jehovah, have set Israel apart as holy, because my holy place will be among them permanently.« ’«

38

1 The word of Jehovah came to me:

2 »Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.

3 The Lord Jehovah said: »I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.

4 »I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws. I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords.

5 »I will also bring out Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;

6 »Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops and many peoples with you.«

7 »‘»Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them.

8 »‘»After many days you will be summoned. In the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel that had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the nations, and all of them are living securely.

9 ‘»You will go up like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land. You your troops will have many peoples with you.« ’

10 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan.

11 »»You will say: »I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are securely at rest. They live without walls and have no bars or gates.«

12 »I will go 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 goods, who live at the center of the world.

13 ‘»Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you: Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?« ’

14 »Prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »On that day when my people Israel are living securely, will you not know it?

15 »‘You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army.

16 »‘You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.« ’

17 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them?

18 »‘It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,’ declares the Lord Jehovah, ‘that my fury will mount up in my anger.

19 »‘In my zeal and in my blazing wrath I proclaim that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.

20 »‘The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the people who are on the face of the earth will shake at my presence! The mountains will be thrown down! The steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground.’

21 »‘I will call for a sword against Gog on all my mountains,’ declares the Lord Jehovah. ‘Every man's sword will be against his brother.

22 »‘With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment on him. I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone.

23 »‘I will magnify myself, sanctify myself, and make myself known in the sight of many nations! Then they will know that I am Jehovah.’ (Matthew 6:9)

39

1 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Son of man, denounce Gog, the chief ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. »Tell him that I am his enemy.

2 »‘I will turn him in a new direction and lead him out of the far north until he comes to the mountains of Israel.

3 »‘I will knock his bow out of his left hand and his arrows out of his right hand.

4 »‘Gog and his army and his allies will fall dead on the mountains of Israel. I will let their bodies be food for all the birds and wild animals.« ’

5 »‘They will fall dead in the open field. I,’ the Lord Jehovah, ‘have spoken.

6 »‘I will start a fire in the land of Magog and along all the seacoasts where people live undisturbed. Everyone will know that I am Jehovah!

7 ‘I will make sure that my people Israel know my holy name. I will not let my name be disgraced any more. Then the nations will know that I, Jehovah, am the holy God of Israel.’

8 »‘The Lord Jehovah says: ‘The day I spoke about is certain to come.

9 »‘The people who live in the cities of Israel will go out and collect the abandoned weapons for firewood. They will build fires with the shields, bows, arrows, spears, and clubs, and have enough to last for seven years.

10 »‘They will not have to gather firewood in the fields or cut down trees in the forest, because they will have the abandoned weapons to burn. They will loot and plunder those who looted and plundered them. The Lord Jehovah has spoken.’

11 »‘On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea. It will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with his entire horde, and they will call it the valley of Hamon-gog Multitude of God .

12 »‘For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.

13 »‘Even all the people of the land will bury them. It will be to their renown on the day that I glorify myself,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah.

14 »‘They will set apart men who will constantly 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.

15 »‘As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man's bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.

16 »‘Even the name of the city will be Hamonah. In this way they will cleanse the land.’

17 »As for you, son of man, the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Speak to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: »Assemble and come, gather from every side to my sacrifice that I am going to sacrifice for you. It is a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood.

18 »‘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.« ’

19 »‘You will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are drunk; from my sacrifice I have sacrificed for you.« ’

20 »‘You will be glutted at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all the men of war,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

21 »I will show my greatness among the nations. All the nations will see how I will turn my power against them to punish them.

22 »From that day on, the people of Israel will know that I am Jehovah their God.

23 »Then the nations will know that the people of Israel went into captivity because they did wrong and rebelled against me. I hid my face withdrew my support from them and handed them over to their enemies. They were killed in battle.

24 »I paid them back for their uncleanness and their sins. I hid my face from them.’

25 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘Now I will bring back Jacob's captives and have compassion for the whole nation of Israel. I will stand up for show exclusive devotion for my holy name.

26 »When they live safely in a land where no one will frighten them, they will forget their shame and all the unfaithful things they have done against me.

27 »I will bring them back from the other nations and gather them from the countries of their enemies. Many nations will see that I am holy.’

28 »‘My people will know that I am Jehovah their God. I sent them into captivity among the nations, and I brought them back again to their land. I left none of them behind.

29 »‘I will no longer hide my face withdraw my support from them. I will pour out my Spirit on the nation of Israel,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

40

1 It was the tenth day of the month in the beginning of the twenty-fifth year of our captivity and fourteen years after Jerusalem was captured. At that time Jehovah’s power came over me, and he brought me to Jerusalem.

2 In visions, God brought me to Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. On the south side of the mountain were buildings that looked like those in a city.

3 He brought me closer. I saw a man who looked like he was covered with bronze. The man was holding a linen tape measure and a measuring stick, and he stood in a gateway.

4 He said to me: »Son of man, look with your eyes, and listen with your ears. Pay close attention to everything I am going to show you. The reason you were brought here is to see these things. Tell the nation of Israel about everything that you see.«

5 I saw a wall that surrounded the Temple. The man had a measuring stick that was ten and one half feet long. He measured the wall. It was ten and one half feet thick and ten and one half feet high.

6 The man went to the gateway that faced east. He went up its steps and measured the entrance to the gateway. It was ten and one half feet wide.

7 There were also guardrooms. Each guardroom was ten and one half feet long and ten and one half feet wide. The space between the guardrooms was nine feet thick. And the entrance to the gateway by the entrance hall of the temple was ten and one half feet wide.

8 He also measured the entrance hall of the gateway.

9 It extended fourteen feet from the Temple. Its recessed walls were three and one half feet thick. The gateway's entrance hall faced the Temple.

10 There were three guardrooms on each side of the eastern gateway. All three rooms on each side were the same size, and the recessed walls on each side were the same size.

11 The man measured the width of the entrance to the gateway. It was seventeen and one half feet wide, and the gateway was twenty-three feet long.

12 There was a barrier about twenty-one inches in front of each guardroom. The guardrooms were ten and one half feet square.

13 He measured the gateway from the top of one guardroom to the top of the opposite guardroom. It was forty-four feet wide from one door to the opposite door.

14 He also measured the entrance hall. It was thirty-five feet wide. In front of the entrance hall to the gateway was a courtyard on all sides.

15 The total length of the gateway from the front of the outer part to the front of the inner part of the entrance hall was eighty-seven and one half feet.

16 The guardrooms and recessed walls inside the gateway had small windows all around. The entrance hall also had windows all around on the inside. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls.

17 Then the man brought me into the outer courtyard. I saw rooms there and pavement all around the courtyard. There were thirty rooms along the edge of the pavement.

18 The pavement in the lower courtyard ran alongside the gateways. It was as wide as it was long.

19 The man measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner courtyard. It was one hundred and seventy-five feet from the east and to the north.

20 The man measured the length and width of the gateway, leading to the outer courtyard. This was the gateway that faced north.

21 Its three guardrooms, its recessed walls, and its entrance hall were the same size as those in the east gateway. The gateway was eighty-seven and one half feet long and forty-four feet wide.

22 Its windows, recessed walls, and palm tree pictures were the same size as those in the east gateway. Seven steps went up to it and led to its entrance hall.

23 The inner courtyard had a gateway opposite the north gate just like the east gateway. The man measured the distance from one gate to the other gate. It was one hundred and seventy-five feet.

24 The man led me to the south side, and I saw a gateway that faced south. He measured its recessed walls and its entrance hall. They were the same size as those of the other gateways.

25 The gateway and its entrance hall had windows on all sides like the windows in the other gateways. It was eighty-seven and one half feet long and forty-four feet wide.

26 Seven steps went up to it and led to its entrance hall. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls, one picture on each side.

27 The inner courtyard had a gateway facing south. The man measured the distance from the gateway on the south side to its opposite gateway. It was one hundred and seventy-five feet.

28 The man brought me to the inner courtyard through the south gateway. He measured the south gateway. It was the same size as the others.

29 Its guardrooms, recessed walls, and entrance hall were the same size as the other gateways. The guardrooms and the entrance hall had windows all around. The gateway was eighty-seven and one half feet long and forty-four feet wide.

30 There were entrance halls all around the inner courtyard. They were all forty-four feet long and nine feet wide.

31 The entrance halls faced the outer courtyard. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls, and eight steps led up to each gateway.

32 The man brought me to the east side of the inner courtyard. He measured the gateway. It was the same size as the others.

33 Its guardrooms, recessed walls, and entrance halls were the same size as those of the other gateways. Its guardrooms and entrance hall had windows all around. The gateway was eighty-seven and one half feet long and forty-four feet wide.

34 Its entrance hall faced the outer courtyard. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls, and eight steps led up to the gateway.

35 Then the man brought me to the north gateway. He measured it. It was the same size as the others.

36 Its guardrooms, recessed walls, and entrance hall had windows all around. The gateway was eighty-seven and one half feet long and forty-four feet wide.

37 Its recessed walls faced the outer courtyard. Pictures of palm trees were carved on the recessed walls, and eight steps led up to the gateway.

38 There was a room with a door that opened toward the entrance hall of the gateway. This is the room where the priests washed the animals for the burnt offerings.

39 There were two tables on each side of the entrance hall of the gateway. On these tables the animals were slaughtered for burnt offerings, offerings for sin, and guilt offerings.

40 On each side of the entrance to the north gateway there were two tables, and on the other side of the entrance hall of the gateway there were two tables.

41 So there were four tables on each side of the gateway, eight tables in all, on which they slaughtered animals.

42 There were four tables made of cut stone for burnt offerings. They were three feet long, three feet wide, and twenty-one inches high. On these tables the priests laid the utensils that were used to slaughter animals for burnt offerings and sacrifices.

43 Double-pronged hooks, three inches long, were attached to the wall all around the room, and the tables were for the meat of the animals.

44 Outside the gateways to the inner courtyard were the rooms for the singers in the inner courtyards. One room was at the side of the north gateway. It faced south. The other room was at the side of the south gateway. It faced north.

45 The man said to me: »This room that faces south is for the priests who serve in the temple.

46 The room that faces north is for the priests who serve at the altar. These priests are Zadok's descendants. They are the only Levites who are able to come near Jehovah and serve him.«

47 The man measured the courtyard. It was a perfect square: one hundred and seventy-five feet long and one hundred and seventy-five feet wide. The altar was in front of the Temple.

48 The man brought me to the entrance hall of the Temple and measured its recessed walls. They were nine feet on each side. The gateway was twenty-four and one half feet wide, and the walls on each side were five feet wide.

49 The entrance hall was thirty-five feet long and twenty-one feet wide. Steps led up to it. Pillars stood by the recessed walls, one on each side of the entrance hall.

41

1 The man brought me into the Holy Place in the Temple and measured the recessed walls. They were ten and one half feet wide on each side.

2 The entrance was seventeen and one half feet wide, and on each side of the entrance the walls were nine feet wide. Then he measured the length of the holy place. It was seventy feet long and thirty-five feet wide.

3 He went inside and measured the passageway. It was three and one half feet thick. The entrance was ten and one half feet high and twelve feet wide.

4 He measured the room at the end of the holy place. It was thirty-five feet long and thirty-five feet wide. The man said: »This is the Most Holy Place Holy of Holies

5 Next, the man measured the Temple wall. It was ten and one half feet wide, and each side room around the Temple was seven feet.

6 The rooms were arranged on three different stories. There were thirty rooms on each story. These rooms had supports all the way around the Temple wall, but these supports were not fastened to the Temple wall.

7 The side rooms grew wider all the way around as they went up, story after story. The surrounding structure went from story to story all around the Temple. The structure grew wider as it went higher. A stairway went from the first story through the second story to the third story.

8 I also saw a raised base all around the Temple. This base was the foundation for the side rooms. It measured the full length of the measuring rod, ten and one half feet.

9 The outer wall of the side rooms was nine feet thick. There was an open area between the side rooms connected to the Temple

10 and the priests' rooms. It was thirty-five feet wide and went all around the Temple.

11 The doors in the side rooms were entrances into the open area. There was one door to the north and another to the south. The base of the open area was nine feet wide all the way around.

12 At the far end of the open area, on the west side of the temple, was a building one hundred twenty-two and one-half feet wide. The wall of the building was nine feet thick all the way around, and it was one hundred fifty seven and one half feet long.

13 The man measured the Temple. It was one hundred and seventy-five feet long. This included the open area with the building and its walls. All together it was one hundred and seventy-five feet long.

14 The eastern side of the Temple, including the open area, was also one hundred and seventy-five feet wide.

15 He also measured the length of the building facing the courtyard on the west side along with its corridors on both sides. It was one hundred and seventy-five feet long. The holy place and the Most Holy Place were paneled.

16 The doorposts, the small windows, and the corridors of all three stories were paneled. The walls, from the floor up to the windows, were paneled.

17 In the space above the door to the Most Holy Place and on the walls all around it,

18 there were pictures of cherubim angels and palm trees. Palm trees were positioned between each of the angels, and each angel had two faces:

19 the face of a man, which was turned toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a lion, which was turned toward a palm tree on the other side. These pictures were carved all around the Temple.

20 Pictures of cherubim angels and palm trees were carved on the walls from the floor to the space above the door.

21 The doorframes in the Holy Place were square. In front of the Most Holy Place was something similar.

22 There was a wooden altar. It was five feet high and three and one half feet wide. Its corners, its base, and its sides were made of wood. Then the man told me: This is the table that is in the presence of Jehovah.

23 The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place had two doors.

24 Each of the doors were double doors that swung open.

25 Pictures of cherubim angels and palm trees were carved on the doors of the Holy Place as on the walls. There was a wooden roof hanging over the outer entrance hall.

26 There were small windows and palm trees on both sides of the entrance hall, on the side rooms of the Temple, and on the roofs.

42

1 The man led me out to the north to the outer courtyard. He brought me to the side rooms opposite both the open area and the northern building.

2 The building that faced north was one hundred and seventy-five feet long and eighty-seven and one half feet wide.

3 Opposite the inner courtyard was an area that was thirty-five feet wide, and opposite the pavement of the outer courtyard were corridors facing corridors on all three stories.

4 In front of the side rooms was a walkway. It was seventeen and one half feet wide and one hundred and seventy-five feet long. The doors of these side rooms faced north.

5 The side rooms on the third story were narrower than those on the first or second stories of the building because the corridors took space away from them.

6 The rooms were in three stories. They did not have pillars like the pillars in the courtyards. That is why the rooms on the third story were set farther back than those on the first and second stories.

7 There was a wall that ran parallel to the side rooms and the outer courtyard. It ran alongside the side rooms for eighty-seven and one half feet.

8 The row of rooms in the outer courtyard was eighty-seven and one half feet long. The rooms that faced the temple were one hundred and seventy-five feet long.

9 These lower side rooms had an entrance on the east side. A person was able to enter the outer courtyard through them.

10 There were side rooms parallel to the wall of the courtyard on the south side. They faced the open area and the building.

11 There was a walkway in front of them. It was like the one that was in front of the side rooms on the north side. These side rooms were as long and as wide as the northern rooms. They had similar exits, dimensions, and doors.

12 The doors to the south rooms were the same as the doors to the north rooms. There was a doorway at the other end of the walkway that was parallel to the corresponding wall that ran eastward. People entered through that doorway.

13 The man said: »The northern and southern side rooms that face the open area are holy rooms. These rooms are where the priests who come near Jehovah eat the holiest offerings. Because these rooms are holy, the priests keep the holiest offerings there: the grain offerings, the offerings for sin, and the guilt offerings.

14 Once the priests enter the Holy Place, they must not go out of the Holy Place into the outer courtyard until they leave behind the clothes that they wore as they served. These clothes are holy. The priests must put on other clothes. Then they can go into the area that is for the people.

15 When the man had finished measuring the inner part of the temple area, he led me out through the east gate. Then he measured all the way around the outer area.

16 He measured the east side with a measuring stick. It was eight hundred and seventy-five feet long according to the measuring stick.

17 He measured the north side. It was eight hundred and seventy-five feet long according to the measuring stick.

18 He measured the south side. It was eight hundred and seventy-five feet long according to the measuring stick.

19 He came around to the west side and measured it. It was eight hundred and seventy-five feet long according to the measuring stick.

20 He measured all four sides. There was a wall all around it. The wall was eight hundred and seventy-five feet long and eight hundred and seventy-five feet wide. It separated what was holy from what was unholy.

43

1 The man took me to the east gate.

2 I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the sound of rushing water, and the earth was shining because of his glory.

3 This vision was like the one I saw when he came to destroy Jerusalem and like the one I saw by the Chebar River. I immediately bowed down.

4 Jehovah’s glory came into the Temple through the east gate.

5 The Spirit lifted me and brought me into the inner courtyard. I saw Jehovah’s glory fill the Temple.

6 I heard someone speaking to me from inside the Temple while the man was standing beside me.

7 The voice said: »Son of man, this is the place where my throne is and the place where my feet rest. This is where I will live among the Israelites for a very long time. Then the people of Israel and their kings will no longer dishonor my holy name by acting like prostitutes. They will not dishonor it with the dead bodies of their kings.

8 »They put their doorway by my doorway and their doorposts by my doorposts. Only a wall separated me from them. They dishonored my holy name because of the disgusting things that they have done. So I destroyed them in my anger.

9 »They must stop acting like prostitutes and take the dead bodies of their kings far away from me. Then I will live among them for a very long time.

10 »Son of man, describe this Temple to the people of Israel. Then they will be ashamed because of their sins. Let them study the plans.

11 »Suppose they are ashamed of everything that they have done. Then show them the design of the Temple, its arrangements, its exits and entrances-its entire design. Tell them about all its rules and regulations. Then write these things down for them so that they can remember its design and follow all its rules.

12 »This is a regulation of the Temple: The whole area all the way around the top of the mountain is most holy. Indeed, this is a regulation of the Temple.

13 »These are the measurements of the altar, using royal measurements. The royal measuring stick was twenty-one inches long. The base of the altar was twenty-one inches high and twenty-one inches wide. All around the edge of the altar was a rim measuring nine inches wide. This was the height of the altar:

14 »From the base on the ground to the lower ledge it was three and one half feet high, and from the lower ledge to the upper ledge it was seven feet high and twenty-one inches wide.

15 »The place where the sacrifices were burned was seven feet high. There were four horns above it.

16 »It was twenty-one feet square, wide and long.

17 »The upper ledge was also square. It was twenty-four and one half feet long and twenty-four and one half feet wide. It had a rim all the way around that was ten and one half inches wide. Its base was twenty-one inches. »The steps to the altar faced east.«

18 The man said: »Son of man, this is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘These are the rules for sacrificing burnt offerings and for sprinkling blood on the altar after the altar is built.’

19 »‘Jehovah said: ‘Give a young bull to the priests as an offering for sin. These priests are Zadok's descendants. They are men from the tribe of Levi, who can come near me and serve me.

20 »‘Take some of the bull's blood, and put it on the altars four horns, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim all the way around the altar. When you do this, you will remove sin from the altar and make peace with Jehovah.

21 »‘Take a young bull as an offering for sin, and burn it in the place appointed near the temple, outside the holy place.

22 »‘On the second day bring a male goat that has no defects as an offering for sin. Remove sin from the altar as you did with the young bull.’

23 »‘When you finish removing sin offer a young bull and a ram that have no defects.

24 »‘Offer them to Jehovah. The priests must throw salt on them and offer them as burnt offerings to Jehovah.

25 »‘Every day for seven days you must sacrifice a goat, a young bull, and a ram from the flock as an offering for sin. They must be animals that have no defects.

26 »‘For seven days the priests should pay compensation for wrongdoing and make peace with Jehovah at the altar, purify it, and consecrate it.

27 »‘When those days are over, on the eighth day, the priests must sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar. Then I will accept them,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.«

44

1 The man took me back to the outer east gate of the Holy Place, and the gate was shut.

2 Jehovah said to me: »This gate will stay shut and will not be opened. No one may enter through it because the Lord Jehovah of Israel entered through it. It must be kept shut.

3 »Only the prince may sit there and eat food in the presence of Jehovah. He will enter through the entrance hall of the gateway and leave the same way.«

4 The man brought me through the north gate in front of the Temple. When I looked, I saw Jehovah’s Temple was filled with Jehovah’s glory. At once I bowed down.

5 Jehovah said to me: »Son of man, pay close attention. Look, and listen to everything I tell you. Listen to all the rules and regulations for Jehovah’s Temple. Pay close attention to everyone who enters the Temple and leaves from the Holy Place.

6 »‘Tell the rebellious people of Israel: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: I have had enough of all the disgusting things that you have done, people of Israel.

7 »‘You brought godless foreigners into my holy place. You dishonored my temple when you offered fat and blood to me. You rejected my promise so that you could do all your disgusting things.

8 »‘You did not take care of my holy things. You put foreigners in charge of my Temple!« ’

9 »‘The Lord Jehovah says: »No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary.« ’

10 »‘But the Levites, who went far from me when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, will bear the punishment for their iniquity.

11 »‘They will be ministers in my sanctuary and having oversight at the gates of the house. They will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they will stand before them to minister to them.

12 »‘I have sworn against them because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel,’ declares the Lord Jehovah. ‘They will bear the punishment for their iniquity.’

13 »‘They will not serve as a priest to me, nor come near to any of my holy things, to the things that are most holy. They will bear their shame for their abominations that they have committed.

14 »‘Even so I will appoint them to keep charge of the house, of all its service and of all that will be done in it.’

15 »‘But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of my sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. They shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord Jehovah.

16 »‘They will enter my sanctuary and come near my table to minister to me and keep my charge.

17 »‘They must wear linen clothes when they enter the gateways to the inner courtyard. They must have no wool on them while they serve in the gateways to the inner courtyard and in the Temple.

18 »‘They must wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that makes them sweat.

19 »‘When they go out among the people in the outer courtyard, they must take off the clothes that they wore as they served. They must leave their clothes in the side rooms of the holy place and put on other clothes so that they do not transfer the holiness from their clothes to the people.

20 »‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long. They must keep the hair on their heads trimmed.

21 »‘None of the priests may drink wine when they enter the inner courtyard.

22 »‘They must not marry widows or women who have been divorced. They may marry only virgins from the nation of Israel or widows of priests.’

23 »‘They must teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is unholy. They must show the people how to tell the difference between what is clean and what is unclean.

24 »‘In all disputes the priests must act as judges and make decisions based on my Laws. They must obey my rules and my regulations at all my festivals. They must observe holy days to worship me.

25 »‘A priest must not make himself unclean by going near a dead body. But a priest may become unclean if the dead person is his father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or unmarried sister.

26 »‘After a priest is made clean, he must wait seven days.

27 »‘When he enters the inner courtyard of the holy place to serve in the holy place, he must bring his offering for sin, declares the Lord Jehovah.

28 »‘The priests will have no inheritance. I am their inheritance. Do not give them any possessions in Israel. The priests belong to me.

29 »‘They will eat grain offerings, offerings for sin, and guilt offerings. Everything in Israel that is devoted to Jehovah will belong to them.

30 »‘The priests should have the best of all the first ripened fruits. The best of every gift from all your contributions must go to the priests. The best of your dough must go to the priests. This will cause a blessing to rest on your home.

31 »‘The priests must never eat any bird or animal that has died naturally or was killed by other wild animals.’

45

1 »‘Divide the land by drawing lots for the property you will inherit. Set aside an area forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long and thirty-five thousand feet wide for Jehovah. The entire area will be holy.

2 »‘An area of eight hundred and seventy-five feet square will be for the holy place with an open area eighty-seven and one half feet wide.

3 »‘Measure off an area forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long and seventeen thousand five hundred feet wide. The Holy Place, that is, the Most Holy Place, will be in this area.

4 »‘This holy part of the land will belong to the priests who serve in the Holy Place, the priests who come near to serve Jehovah. They will use this place for their homes, and it will be the location for the Holy Place.

5 »‘An area forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long and seventeen thousand five hundred feet wide will belong to the Levites who serve in the Temple. It will be given to them so that they have cities to live in.

6 »‘You must designate an area eight thousand seven hundred and fifty feet wide and forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long as the city's property. It will be located alongside the holy area. It will belong to all the people of Israel.

7 »‘The prince will have all the land on both sides of the holy area and on both sides of the property belonging to the city. From the western boundary of the holy area, his land will extend to the Mediterranean Sea. From the eastern boundary of the holy area, his land will extend to the eastern border of the country. His territory will be as large as the territory of one of the tribes.

8 »‘This land will belong to the prince in Israel. Then my princes will no longer oppress my people. They will give land to each tribe of the nation of Israel.’

9 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I have had enough of you, you princes of Israel.’ »‘Stop your violence and looting, and do what is fair and right. Stop evicting my people,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

10 »‘You must have honest scales and honest dry and liquid measures.

11 »‘The dry and liquid measures must always be the same: The ephah and the bath should hold the same as one-tenth of a homer. The homer must be the standard measure.

12 »‘One shekel must weigh twenty gerahs. One mina must weigh sixty shekels.’

13 »‘This is the contribution you must give to Jehovah: seventeen percent of your wheat and seventeen percent of your barley.

14 »‘You must give one percent of your olive oil using the standard measure.

15 »‘You must take one sheep out of every two hundred from the well-watered pastures of Israel. You must sacrifice them with grain offerings, burnt offerings, and fellowship offerings to make peace with Jehovah,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

16 »‘All the common people must give this contribution to the prince in Israel.

17 »‘Then the prince is responsible to provide burnt offerings, grain offerings, and wine offerings at the annual festivals, the New Moon Festivals, the weekly days of worship, and all the other appointed festivals of the nation of Israel. He must prepare offerings for sin, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and fellowship offerings to pay compensation for wrongdoing and make peace with Jehovah for the nation of Israel.

18 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘On the first day of the first month, take a young bull that has no defects and remove sin from the holy place.

19 »‘The priest must take some blood from the offering for sin and put it on the doorposts of the Temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the doorposts of the gateways of the inner courtyard.

20 »‘You must do the same on the seventh day of the month for everyone who unintentionally does something wrong and is unaware of it. So you must pay compensation for wrongdoing and make peace with Jehovah for the Temple.

21 »‘On the fourteenth day of the first month, you will celebrate the Passover, a festival lasting seven days when unleavened bread is eaten.

22 »‘At that time the prince must prepare for himself and for all the common people a young bull as an offering for sin.

23 »‘Every day during the seven days of the festival, he must prepare burnt offerings for Jehovah: seven young bulls that have no defects, seven rams that have no defects, and one male goat as an offering for sin.

24 »‘He must also give as a grain offering a half-bushel for each young bull and a half-bushel for each ram. He must also give one gallon of olive oil for every half-bushel of grain.

25 »‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, at the Festival of Booths, he must do the same as on those seven days. He must prepare the same offerings for sin, burnt offerings, grain offerings, and olive oil.’«

46

1 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘The east gate of the inner courtyard must be closed during the six working days, but it must be opened on the weekly day of worship. It must also be opened on the New Moon Festival.

2 »‘The prince must enter from the outside through the entrance hall of the gateway. He must stand by the doorposts of the gateway. Then the priests must prepare the prince's burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He must worship at the entrance of the gateway and then leave. The gate must not be closed until evening.

3 »‘The common people must worship at the door of the gateway in the presence of Jehovah on the weekly days of worship and on New Moon Festivals.

4 »‘The prince must offer to Jehovah six lambs that have no defects and one ram that has no defects as a burnt offering on the day of worship.

5 »‘The grain offering that is to be brought with the ram must be a half-bushel, and the grain offering that is to be brought with the lambs must be whatever the prince can bring. One gallon of olive oil must be brought with each half-bushel of grain.

6 »‘On the first day of the month, the burnt offering must be one young bull, six lambs, and one ram-all animals that have no defects.

7 »‘With each young bull and each ram the offering must include a half-bushel of grain, and with each lamb the offering must be whatever the prince wants to bring. One gallon of olive oil must be offered with each half-bushel of grain.

8 »‘When the prince enters, he must enter through the entrance hall of the gateway. He must enter and leave the same way.

9 »‘The people will enter Jehovah’s presence at the time of the appointed festivals. Those entering through the north gate to worship must leave through the south gate. Those entering through the south gate must leave through the north gate. They must not leave through the same gate they entered. They must leave through the opposite gate.

10 »‘The prince must be among them. When they enter, he must enter. When they leave, he must leave.

11 On festival days and at appointed festivals, a grain offering of a half-bushel must be brought with each young bull, and a half-bushel must be brought with each ram. But with the lambs, the prince may bring whatever he wants to bring. One gallon of olive oil must be brought with each half-bushel of grain.

12 »‘When the prince prepares a freewill burnt offering, either a burnt offering or a fellowship offering to Jehovah, the east gate must be opened for him. He must sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings as he does on the day of worship. When he leaves, the gate must be shut after him.

13 »‘Prepare a year-old lamb that has no defects every day as a burnt offering to Jehovah. Do this every morning.

14 »‘Also, prepare a grain offering with it every morning: three-and-a-third quarts of grain and one-and-a-third quarts of olive oil to moisten the flour. It will be a grain offering dedicated to Jehovah. These rules are to be followed always.

15 »‘Prepare the lamb, the grain offering, and the olive oil every morning as a daily burnt offering.’

16 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Suppose the prince offers one of his sons a gift from his property. The gift will belong to his descendants because it is their inheritance.

17 »‘Suppose the prince offers a gift from his property to one of his servants. The gift will belong to the servant only until the year of freedom. Then the gift will go back to the prince. Only his sons can inherit his property.

18 »‘The prince must not take any of the people's property. He must not force them to give up their property. He must give his own property as an inheritance to his sons so that none of my people will be separated from their property.’«

19 The man brought me through a passage beside the gateway to the side rooms that faced north. These rooms were reserved for the priests. He showed me a place on the west side of the rooms.

20 He said to me: »This is the place where the priests must boil the meat for the guilt offering and the offering for sin. This is the place where they must bake grain offerings so that they do not have to bring the offerings into the outer courtyard. This way they will not transfer holiness to the people.«

21 The man led me to the outer courtyard and took me past the four corners of the courtyard. I saw that in each corner of the courtyard there was a smaller courtyard.

22 The smaller courtyards that were in each of the four corners of the courtyard were sixty feet long and forty-five feet wide. All four of the smaller courtyards in the corners of the courtyard were the same size.

23 Around each of the four courtyards were stonewalls, and these walls were equipped with fireplaces.

24 The man said to me: »These are the kitchens where the Temple servants must boil the people's sacrifices.«

47

1 The man took me back to the door of the Temple. I saw water flowing from under the entrance of the Temple toward the east. The Temple faced east. The water was flowing under the south side of the Temple, south of the altar.

2 Then he led me through the north gate and around to the outer east gate. The water was flowing down the south side of the gate.

3 With a measuring line in his hand, the man went eastward. He measured off fifteen hundred feet and led me through the water. The water came up to my ankles.

4 He measured off another fifteen hundred feet and led me through the water. The water came up to my knees. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet and led me through the water. The water came up to my waist.

5 He measured another fifteen hundred feet. But the water had risen so much that it became a river that I could not cross. The river was too deep to cross except by swimming.

6 He asked me: »Son of man, do you see this?«

7 The man then led me back along the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw many trees on both sides of the river.

8 He said: »This water flows through the land to the east, down into the Jordan Valley, and into the Dead Sea. When the water flows into the Dead Sea, it will replace the salt water there with fresh water.

9 »Wherever the river flows, there will be many fish and animals. The river will make the water in the Dead Sea fresh. Wherever the river flows, it will bring life.

10 »From En Gedi to En Eglaim people will be standing on the shore of the sea with their fishing nets spread out. As many kinds of fish will be there as there are in the Mediterranean Sea.

11 »But the water in the swamps and marshes will not become fresh. It will remain salty.

12 »All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and they will not fail to produce fruit. Each month they will produce fresh fruit because this water flows from the Holy Place. The fruit will be good food, and the leaves will be used for healing.«

13 This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »These are the borders of the land that is to be divided among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph gets two parts.

14 »Divide the land equally. I raised my hand and swore that I would give the land to your ancestors. So this land will be your inheritance.

15 »This is the northern border for the land: On the north side the border will run from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to Hethlon and Hamath Pass. It will run through the city of Zedad and through

16 »Berothah and Sibraim, which are between the borders of Damascus and Hamath. It will run to Hazer Hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.

17 »So the border will run from the Mediterranean Sea to Hazar Enon on the border of Damascus. The border of Hamath will lie to the north. This is the north side.

18 »On the east side the border will run between Hauran and Damascus. The Jordan River will serve as the border between Gilead and the land of Israel. The border will continue from the Dead Sea down to Tamar. This is the east side.

19 »On the south side the border will run from Tamar to the oasis at Meribah in Kadesh along the ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. This is the southern border.

20 »On the west side the Mediterranean Sea is the border up to a point opposite Hamath Pass. This is the west side.«

21 »Divide this land for each of the tribes of Israel.

22 »Divide it by drawing lots. This land will be for you. It will also be for the foreign residents who live among you and have given birth to children while they lived with you. Think of them as Israelites. They will draw lots with you for their inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

23 »Foreign residents will receive their share of the inheritance with the people of the tribe among whom they are living,« declares the Lord Jehovah.

48

1 »These are the names of the tribes. Beginning at the northern border, Dan will have one part of the land. It will extend from the road to Hethlon to Hamath Pass and Hazar Enon, on the northern border of Damascus near Hamath, from the eastern border to the western border.

2 »Asher will have one part of the land and border Dan on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

3 Naphtali will have one part of the land and border Asher on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

4 »Manasseh will have one part of the land and border Naphtali on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

5 »Ephraim will have one part of the land and border Manasseh on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

6 »Reuben will have one part of the land and border Ephraim on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

7 »Judah will have one part of the land and border Reuben on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

8 »The land that you set aside as a special gift for Jehovah will border Judah on the south. It will be forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet wide, and it will be as long as one of the sections of the tribes. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border, and the holy place will be in the middle of it.

9 »This special land that you set aside for Jehovah will be forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long and seventeen thousand five hundred feet wide.

10 »This holy area will belong to the priests. On the north side it will be forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long. On the west side it will be seventeen thousand five hundred feet wide. On the east side it will be seventeen thousand five hundred feet wide. On the south side it will be forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long. Jehovah’s holy place will be in the middle of it.

11 »This land that has been set apart will belong to the priests who are descendants of Zadok. They took care of my holy place. They did not wander away with the Israelites as the Levites did.

12 »So they will have a special portion from the land. It will be the holiest part of land, next to the land belonging to the Levites.

13 »Alongside the land belonging to the priests will be the land belonging to the Levites. It will be forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long and seventeen thousand five hundred feet wide.

14 »They must not sell any of it or trade any of it. They must not let others have the best part of the land, because the land is Jehovah’s and it is holy.

15 »A strip of land, eight thousand seven hundred and fifty feet wide by forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet long, will be left for cities, homes, and pastures. The city will be in the middle of it.

16 »These will be the measurements for the city: On the north side it will be seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-five feet long. On the south side it will be the same length. On the east side it will be seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-five feet wide. And on the west side it will be same width.

17 »The city's pastureland will be the same on all four sides, four thousand three hundred and seventy-five feet.

18 »The rest of the land borders the holy area and runs lengthwise. This land will be seventeen thousand five hundred feet on both east and west sides. It will be used to provide food for the city workers.

19 »City workers from all the tribes in Israel will farm it.

20 »The whole area will be forty-three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet square. You must give this land as a special gift to Jehovah along with the city property.

21 »Whatever is left on the east side and west side of the holy area and the city property will belong to the prince. This land will extend eastward from the holy area to the eastern border, and it will extend westward to the western border. Both of these areas are as long as one of the sections of the tribes. These areas belong to the prince, and the holy area with the Holy Place of the Temple will be between them.

22 »The Levites' property and the city's property will be between the prince's part of the land. What is between Judah's and Benjamin's boundaries will belong to the prince.

23 »This is what the rest of the tribes will receive: Benjamin will have one part of the land. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

24 »Simeon will have one part of the land and border Benjamin on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

25 »Issachar will have one part of the land and border Simeon on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

26 »Zebulun will have one part of the land and border Issachar on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

27 »Gad will have one part of the land and border Zebulun on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

28 »The southern border of Gad will run south from Tamar to the oasis at Meribah in Kadesh, and it will run along the Brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

29 »This is the land you will divide as your inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their areas, declares the Lord Jehovah.

30 »These will be the exits for the city: The north side will be seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-five feet long.

31 »The gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be Reuben Gate, Judah Gate, and Levi Gate.

32 »The east side will be seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-five feet long. The three gates on the east side will be Joseph Gate, Benjamin Gate, and Dan Gate.

33 »The south side will be seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-five feet long. The three gates on the south side will be Simeon Gate, Issachar Gate, and Zebulun Gate.

34 »The west side will be seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-five feet long. The three gates on the west side will be Gad Gate, Asher Gate, and Naphtali Gate.

35 »The city will measure about thirty-one thousand five hundred feet all the way around. From then on the city's name will be: Jehovah Is There.«