1 And it came to be in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the new moon, as I was among the exiles by the River Keḇar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of Elohim.
2 On the fifth of the new moon, in the fifth year of Sovereign Yehoyaḵin’s exile,
3 the word of יהוה came expressly to Yeḥezqĕl the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Kasdim by the River Keḇar. And the hand of יהוה came upon him there.
4 And I looked and saw a whirlwind coming out of the north, a great cloud with fire flashing itself. And brightness was all around it, and out of its midst like glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire,
5 and out of the midst of it came what looked like four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
6 And each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calves’ foot. And they sparkled like the appearance of polished bronze,
8 and under their wings on their four sides were the hands of a man. And each of the four had faces and wings —
9 their wings touched one another. They did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.
10 And the likeness of their faces: the face of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, and each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.
11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward, two of each touched one another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And each one went straight forward, going wherever the spirit was to go, and they did not turn when they went.
13 And the likeness of the living creatures: their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of torches, moving back and forth among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 And I looked at the living creatures, and saw a wheel on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their works was like the appearance of beryl, and all four had the same form. The appearance of their works was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 When they went, they went in any one of four directions, they did not turn aside when they went.
18 And their rims were high and awesome, and their rims were covered with eyes, all around the four of them.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. And when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, because there the spirit went. And the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood. And when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 And a likeness was over the heads of the living creatures, an expanse like the appearance of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads.
23 And under the expanse their wings were straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body.
24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army. And when they stood still, they let down their wings.
25 And a voice came from above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they dropped their wings.
26 And above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone. And on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man high above it.
27 And from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw what looked like glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it. And from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw what looked like fire, and brightness all around.
28 As the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the esteem of יהוה. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
1 And He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, so that I speak to you.”
2 And the Spirit entered into me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet. And I heard Him who was speaking to me.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Yisra’ĕl, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against Me. They and their fathers have transgressed against Me, until this day.
4 “And the children are stiff of face and hard of heart to whom I am sending you, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה.’
5 “And they — whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are a rebellious house — shall know that a prophet has been in their midst.
6 “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or discouraged by their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
7 “And you shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.
8 “And you, son of man, hear what I am speaking to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house, open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”
9 And I looked and saw a hand stretched out to me. And see, a scroll of a book was in it,
10 and He spread it before me, and it was written on the inside and on the outside. And written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.
1 And He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Yisra’ĕl.”
2 And I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I am giving you.” And I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
4 And He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall speak to them with My words.
5 “For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and of difficult language, but to the house of Yisra’ĕl,
6 not to many people of foreign speech and of difficult language, whose words you do not understand. If I had rather sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
7 “But the house of Yisra’ĕl is going to refuse to listen to you, for they refuse to listen to Me. For all the house of Yisra’ĕl are hard of head, and hard of heart.
8 “See, I shall make your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.
9 “Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I shall make your forehead. Do not be afraid of them, nor be discouraged at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.”
10 And He said to me, “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears.
11 “And go! Come to the exiles, to the children of your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”
12 And the Spirit lifted me up, and behind me I heard the sound of a great rumbling voice, “Blessed be the esteem of יהוה from His place,”
13 and the sound of the wings of the living creatures touching one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great rushing.
14 And the Spirit lifted me and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, while the hand of יהוה was strong upon me.
15 And I came to the exiles at Tĕl Aḇiḇ, who were dwelling by the River Keḇar. And I sat where they were sitting, and sat there, stunned among them, seven days.
16 And it came to be at the end of seven days that the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall hear a word from My mouth, and shall warn them from Me.
18 “When I say to the wrong, ‘You shall certainly die,’ and you have not warned him, nor spoken to warn the wrong from his wrong way, to save his life, that same wrong man shall die in his crookedness, and his blood I require at your hand.
19 “But if you have warned the wrong and he does not turn from his wrong, nor from his wrong way, he shall die in his crookedness, and you have delivered your being.
20 “And when a righteous one turns from his righteousness and shall do unrighteousness, when I have put a stumbling-block before him, he shall die. Because you did not warn him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done is not remembered, and his blood I require at your hand.
21 “But if you have warned the righteous one that the righteous should not sin, and he did not sin, he shall certainly live because he has been warned, and you have delivered your being.”
22 And the hand of יהוה came upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, so that I might speak to you there.”
23 So I got up and went out into the plain, and see, the esteem of יהוה stood there, like the esteem which I saw by the River Keḇar, and I fell on my face.
24 And the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25 “And you, O son of man, see, they shall put cords on you and bind you with them, so that you do not go out in their midst.
26 “And I make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be dumb and not be a reprover to them, for they are a rebellious house.
27 “But when I speak with you, I open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה.’ He who hears, let him hear. And he who refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.
1 “And you, son of man, take a clay tablet, and you shall lay it before you, and shall inscribe on it a city, Yerushalayim,
2 and shall lay siege against it, and build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it, and set camps against it, and place battering rams against it all around.
3 “Then take an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. And you shall set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. It is a sign to the house of Yisra’ĕl.
4 “And lie on your left side, and you shall put the crookedness of the house of Yisra’ĕl on it. As many days as you lie on it, you shall bear their crookedness.
5 “For I Myself have laid on you the years of their crookedness, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days. And you shall bear the crookedness of the house of Yisra’ĕl.
6 “And when you have completed them, you shall lie again on your right side and shall bear the crookedness of the house of Yehuḏah forty days, a day for a year. I have laid on you a day for a year.
7 “Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Yerushalayim, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against it.
8 “And see, I shall put cords on you so that you do not turn from one side to another until you have completed the days of your siege.
9 “And take wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt. And you shall put them into one vessel, and make bread of them. You shall eat it, as many days as you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days.
10 “And your food which you eat is by weight, twenty sheqels a day, to be eaten from time to time.
11 “And drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin, to be drunk from time to time.
12 “And eat it as a barley cake. And bake it, before their eyes, on human dung.”
13 And יהוה said, “Even so the children of Yisra’ĕl shall eat their defiled bread among the nations, to whom I drive them.”
14 Then I said, “Ah, Master יהוה! See, I have never defiled myself from my youth till now. I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has unclean meat ever come into my mouth.”
15 And He said to me, “See, I am giving you the dung of cattle instead of human dung, and you shall prepare your bread over it.”
16 And He said to me, “Son of man, see, I am going to cut off the supply of bread in Yerushalayim, and they shall eat bread by weight and with fear, and drink water by measure and with dread,
17 so that they lack bread and water, and shall be appalled with one another, and be consumed in their crookedness.
1 “And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, and you shall pass it over your head and your beard. And you shall take scales to weigh and divide the hair.
2 “Burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city when the days of the siege are completed. And you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and scatter one-third in the wind. And I shall draw out a sword after them.
3 “And you shall take a few hairs from there and bind them in the edge of your garment.
4 “And take again some of them, and throw them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From it a fire shall spread unto all the house of Yisra’ĕl.
5 “Thus said the Master יהוה, ‘This is Yerushalayim which I have set in the midst of the nations, with the other lands all around her.
6 But she rebelled against My rightrulings, doing wrong, more than the nations, and My laws more than the lands all around her. For they have rejected My right-rulings, and they have not walked in My laws.’
7 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Because you have rebelled more than the nations all around you, and have not walked in My laws, nor done My right-rulings, nor even done according to the right-rulings of the nations all around you,’
8 therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Look I Myself am against you and shall execute judgments in your midst before the eyes of the nations.
9 And I shall do among you what I have never done, and the like of which I never do again, because of all your abominations.
10 Therefore fathers are going to eat their sons in your midst, and sons eat their fathers. And I shall execute judgments among you and scatter all your remnant to all the winds.
11 Therefore, as I live,’ declares the Master יהוה, ‘because you have defiled My set-apart place with all your disgusting matters and with all your abominations, therefore I also withdraw. And My eye shall not pardon, nor shall I spare.
12 One-third of you shall die of pestilence, and be consumed with scarcity of food in your midst. And one-third shall fall by the sword all around you. And I shall scatter another third to all the winds, and draw out a sword after them.
13 And My displeasure shall be completed. And I shall bring My wrath to rest upon them, and I shall be eased. And they shall know that I, יהוה, have spoken it in My ardour, when I have completed My wrath upon them.
14 And I shall make you a waste and a reproach among the nations that are all around you, before the eyes of all who pass by.
15 And it shall be a reproach, an object of scorn, a warning, and an astonishment to the nations that are all around you, when I execute judgments among you in displeasure and in wrath and in heated chastisements. I, יהוה, have spoken.
16 When I send against them the evil arrows of scarcity of food which shall be for their destruction, which I send to destroy you, I shall increase the scarcity of food upon you and cut off your supply of bread.
17 And I shall send against you scarcity of food and evil beasts, and they shall bereave you. And pestilence and blood shall pass through you, while I bring the sword against you. I, יהוה, have spoken.’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, and prophesy against them.
3 “And you shall say, ‘O mountains of Yisra’ĕl, hear the word of the Master יהוה!’ Thus said the Master יהוה to the mountains, to the hills, to the ravines, and to the valleys, “Look, I Myself am bringing a sword against you, and I shall destroy your high places.
4 “And your slaughter-places shall be ruined, your sun-pillars shall be broken in pieces. And I shall make your slain fall in front of your idols,
5 and lay the corpses of the children of Yisra’ĕl in front of their idols, and scatter your bones all around your slaughter-places.
6 “In all your dwelling places the cities shall be destroyed and the high places deserted, so that your slaughter-places are broken and bear their punishment. And your idols shall be smashed and made to cease, and your sun-pillars cut down, and your works blotted out.
7 “And the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am יהוה.
8 “But I shall leave a remnant, in that some of you shall escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered throughout the lands.
9 “And those of you who escape shall remember Me among the nations where they have been taken captive, because I have been broken by their adulterous heart which has turned away from Me, and by their eyes which whored after their idols. And they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have done in all their abominations.
10 “And they shall know that I am יהוה, and not for naught have I spoken to do this evil to them.”
11 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Strike with your hand and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Yisra’ĕl who shall fall by sword, by scarcity of food, and by pestilence!
12 He who is far off shall die by pestilence, he who is near fall by the sword, and he who is left over and is besieged die by scarcity of food. And I shall complete My wrath upon them.
13 And you shall know that I am יהוה, when their slain are among their idols all around their slaughter-places, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every thick oak, wherever they offered sweet incense to all their idols.
14 And I shall stretch out My hand against them and make the land a wasteland, even more waste than the wilderness toward Diḇlah, in all their dwelling places. And they shall know that I am יהוה.’” ’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “And you, son of man, this is what the Master יהוה said to the land of Yisra’ĕl, ‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
3 Now the end is upon you, and I shall send My displeasure against you, and judge you according to your ways, and repay you for all your abominations.
4 And My eye shall not pardon you, nor would I spare, for I repay your ways while your abominations are in your midst. And you shall know that I am יהוה!’
5 “Thus said the Master יהוה, ‘A calamity, an only calamity, look, it has come!
6 An end has come, the end has come! It has awakened against you, look, it has come!
7 The turn has come to you, O inhabitants of the land. The time has come, a day of uproar is near, and not of rejoicing in the mountains.
8 Soon I shall pour out My wrath, and shall complete My displeasure upon you, and judge you according to your ways, and repay you for all your abominations.
9 And My eye shall not pardon, nor would I spare. I give you according to your ways while your abominations are in your midst. And you shall know that I am יהוה who strikes.
10 See, the day! See, it has come! The turn has come, the rod has blossomed, pride has budded.
11 The violence has grown into a rod of wrongdoing. There is none of them, and none of its crowd, and none of their riches, and none eminent among them.
12 The time has come, and the day has arrived. ‘Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is on all its crowd.
13 For the seller shall not return to what has been sold, though they are still alive. For the vision is for all its crowd — it shall not turn back. And in the crookedness of his life a man shall not strengthen himself.
14 They have blown the trumpet and all is prepared, but no one goes to battle, for My wrath is on all its crowd.
15 The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the scarcity of food inside. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and he who is in a city, scarcity of food and pestilence devour him,
16 while they who escape of them shall escape and be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, each for his crookedness.
17 All hands go limp, and all knees become as water.
18 And they shall gird on sackcloth, and be covered with trembling. And shame shall be on every face, and baldness on all their heads.
19 They throw their silver into the streets, and their gold becomes as filth. Their silver and their gold is unable to deliver them in the day of the wrath of יהוה. They do not satisfy their appetite, nor fill their stomachs, because it has been their stumbling-block of crookedness.
20 And the splendour of His ornaments, He set it in excellency. But they made from it the images of their abominations and their disgusting matters. Therefore I shall make it like filth to them.
21 And I shall give it for a prey into the hands of strangers, and to the wrong of the earth for a spoil, and they shall profane it.
22 And I shall turn My face from them. And they shall profane My secret place, for destroyers shall enter it and profane it.
23 Make a chain, for the land has been filled with crimes of blood, and the city has been filled with violence.
24 And I shall bring the evil ones of the nations, and they shall possess their houses. And I shall cause the pride of the strong to cease, and their set-apart places shall be profaned.
25 Destruction shall come. And they shall seek peace, but there is none.
26 Calamity upon calamity shall come, and report shall be upon report. And they shall seek a vision from a prophet. But the teaching has perished from the priest, and counsel from the elders!
27 Let the sovereign mourn, and let the prince put on despair, and let the hands of the common people tremble. And I shall deal with them according to their way, and judge them with their own right-rulings. And they shall know that I am יהוה!’ ”
1 And it came to be in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth of the new moon, as I sat in my house with the elders of Yehuḏah sitting before me, that the hand of the Master יהוה fell upon me there.
2 And I looked and saw a likeness, like the appearance of fire. From His waist and downward the appearance was like fire, and from His waist and upward the appearance of brightness, like glowing metal.
3 And He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair. And the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens, and brought me in visions of Elohim to Yerushalayim, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which causes jealousy.
4 And see, the esteem of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.
5 And He said to me, “Son of man, please lift your eyes toward the north.” And I lifted my eyes northward, and north of the slaughter-place gate I saw this image of jealousy in the entrance.
6 And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations which the house of Yisra’ĕl are doing here, driving Me away from My set-apart place? And you are to see still greater abominations.”
7 Then He brought me to the door of the court. And I looked and saw a hole in the wall.
8 And He said to me, “Son of man, please dig into the wall.” And when I dug into the wall I saw a door.
9 And He said to me, “Go in, and see the evil abominations which they are doing there.”
10 And I went in and looked and saw all kinds of creeping creatures, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Yisra’ĕl, carved all around on the walls.
11 And facing them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Yisra’ĕl, and in their midst stood Ya‛azanyahu son of Shaphan. Each one had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up.
12 And He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Yisra’ĕl are doing in the dark, each one in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘יהוה does not see us, יהוה has forsaken the land.’ ”
13 And He said to me, “You are to see still greater abominations which they are doing.”
14 And He brought me to the door of the north gate of the House of יהוה, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? You are to see still greater abominations than these.”
16 And He brought me into the inner court of the House of יהוה. And there, at the door of the Hĕḵal of יהוה, between the porch and the slaughter-place, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the Hĕḵal of יהוה and their faces toward the east, and they were bowing themselves eastward to the sun.
17 And He said to me, “Have you seen, O son of man? Is it a small matter to the house of Yehuḏah to do the abominations which they have done here? For they have filled the land with violence, and turn back to provoke Me. And see, they are putting the branch to My nose.
18 “Therefore I shall indeed deal in wrath. My eye shall not pardon nor would I spare. And they shall cry in My ears with a loud voice, but I shall not hear them.”
1 And He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let the punishers of the city draw near, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.”
2 And look, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-axe in his hand. And one man in their midst was clothed with linen and had a writer’s ink-horn at his side. And they came in and stood beside the bronze slaughter-place.
3 And the esteem of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl went up from the keruḇ, where it had been, to the threshold of the House. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s ink-horn at his side,
4 and יהוה said to him, “Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Yerushalayim, and you shall put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 And to the others He said in my hearing, “Pass on into the city after him and strike, do not let your eye pardon nor spare.
6 “Kill to destruction old, young men, maidens and children and women, but do not come near anyone upon whom is the mark, and begin at My set-apart place.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the House.
7 And He said to them, “Defile the House, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and struck in the city.
8 And as they were striking them it came to be that I alone was left. And I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Master יהוה! Are You destroying all the remnant of Yisra’ĕl in pouring out Your wrath on Yerushalayim?”
9 And He said to me, “The crookedness of the house of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah is exceedingly great, and the land is filled with bloodshed, and the city filled with that which is warped. For they say, ‘יהוה has forsaken the land, and יהוה is not seeing!’
10 “But as for Me, My eye shall not pardon, nor would I spare, I shall recompense their deeds on their own head.”
11 And see, the man clothed with linen, who had the ink-horn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”
1 And I looked and saw in the expanse that was above the head of the keruḇim, like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
2 And He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the keruḇ, and fill your hands with coals of fire from among the keruḇim, and scatter over the city.” And he went in before my eyes.
3 And the keruḇim were standing on the south side of the House when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court.
4 And the esteem of יהוה went up from the keruḇ, over the threshold of the House. And the House was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the esteem of יהוה.
5 And the sound of the wings of the keruḇim was heard in the outer court, like the voice of Ěl Shaddai when He speaks.
6 And it came to be, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the keruḇim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheel.
7 And the keruḇ stretched out his hand from among the keruḇim to the fire that was among the keruḇim, and took some, and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out.
8 And the form of a man’s hand was seen under the wings of the keruḇim.
9 And I looked and saw four wheels beside the keruḇim, one wheel beside each keruḇ, and the wheels’ appearance was like the colour of beryl stone.
10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike; as if a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
11 When they went, they went on their four sides; they did not turn aside when they went, but went in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went.
12 And their entire bodies, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were covered with eyes all around.
13 The wheels were called in my hearing, “Wheel.”
14 And each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a keruḇ, and the second face the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
15 And the keruḇim were lifted up — it was the living creature I saw by the River Keḇar.
16 And when the keruḇim went the wheels went beside them. And when the keruḇim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them.
17 When they stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
18 And the esteem of יהוה went from the threshold of the House and stood over the keruḇim.
19 And the keruḇim lifted their wings and rose from the earth before my eyes. When they went out, the wheels were beside them. And it stood at the door of the east gate of the House of יהוה, and the esteem of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl was above them.
20 It was the living creature I saw under the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl by the River Keḇar, and I knew they were keruḇim.
21 Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
22 And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Keḇar, their appearances and themselves. Each one went straight forward.
1 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the House of יהוה, which faces east. And see, at the door of the gate were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Ya‛azanyah son of Azzur, and Pelatyahu son of Benayahu, heads of the people.
2 And He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot wickedness and give evil counsel in this city,
3 who are saying, ‘It is not near, let us build houses. This city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat.’
4 “Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”
5 And the Spirit of יהוה fell upon me, and said to me, “Speak! ‘Thus said יהוה, “Thus you have said, O house of Yisra’ĕl. For I know what comes up in your spirit.
6 “You have increased your slain in this city, and filled its streets with the slain.”
7 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. But I shall bring you out of the midst of it.
8 “You have feared the sword, and I bring a sword upon you,” declares the Master יהוה.
9 “And I shall bring you out of its midst, and give you into the hands of strangers, and execute judgments on you.
10 “By the sword you fall. At the border of Yisra’ĕl I judge you. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
11 “This city is not your cooking pot, nor are you the meat in its midst. At the border of Yisra’ĕl I judge you.
12 “And you shall know that I am יהוה, for you have not walked in My laws nor executed My right-rulings, but have done according to the rulings of the nations which are all around you.” ’ ”
13 And it came to be, while I was prophesying, that Pelatyahu son of Benayah died. And I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Master יהוה! Are You making an end of the remnant of Yisra’ĕl?”
14 Then the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
15 “Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your kinsmen, and all the house of Yisra’ĕl, all of it, are those about whom the inhabitants of Yerushalayim said, ‘Keep far from יהוה, this land has been given to us as a possession.’
16 “Therefore say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Although I have sent them far off among the nations, and although I have scattered them among the lands, yet I was for them a set-apart place for a little while in the lands to which they came.” ’
17 “Therefore say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “And I shall gather you from the peoples, and I shall assemble you from the lands where you have been scattered, and I shall give you the land of Yisra’ĕl.” ’
18 “And they shall go there, and shall take away all its disgusting matters and all its abominations from there.
19 “And I shall give them one heart, and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,
20 so that they walk in My laws, and guard My right-rulings, and shall do them. And they shall be My people and I shall be their Elohim.
21 “But to those whose hearts walk after the heart of their disgusting matters and their abominations, I shall recompense their deeds on their own heads,” declares the Master יהוה.
22 And the keruḇim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the esteem of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl was high above them.
23 And the esteem of יהוה went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.
24 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of Elohim into Kasdima, to those in exile. And the vision that I had seen went up from me.
25 And I spoke to those in exile of all the words of יהוה which He had shown me.
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but they have not seen, they have ears to hear but they have not heard, for they are a rebellious house.
3 “Therefore, son of man, prepare your baggage for exile, and go into exile by day before their eyes. And you shall go from your place into exile to another place before their eyes. It could be that they see, though they are a rebellious house.
4 “And you shall bring out your baggage for exile before their eyes by day, and at evening go before their eyes, like those who go into exile.
5 “Dig through the wall before their eyes, and you shall bring them out through it —
6 take them on your shoulders and bring them out at dark before their eyes. Cover your face, so that you do not see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Yisra’ĕl.”
7 And so I did, as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage for exile by day, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at dark, and I took them on my shoulder before their eyes.
8 And in the morning the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, did not the house of Yisra’ĕl, the rebellious house, say to you, ‘What are you doing?’
10 “Say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “This message is to the prince in Yerushalayim and all the house of Yisra’ĕl who are in their midst.” ’
11 “Say, ‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so it is done to them — they are to go into exile, into captivity.’
12 “And the prince who is in their midst is to bear his baggage on his shoulder at dark and go out. They are to dig through the wall to bring them out through it. He is to cover his face, so that he does not see the land with his eyes.
13 “And I shall spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. And I shall bring him to Baḇel, the land of the Kasdim, but he shall not see it, and yet die there.
14 “And I shall scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands, and I shall draw out the sword after them.
15 “And they shall know that I am יהוה, when I scatter them among the nations. And I shall disperse them throughout the lands.
16 “But I shall let a few of their men escape from the sword, from scarcity of food, and from pestilence, so that they recount all their abominations among the nations wherever they go. And they shall know that I am יהוה.”
17 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with fear and with anxiety.
19 “And you shall say to the people of the land, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim and to the land of Yisra’ĕl, “Let them eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with astonishment, for her land is emptied of all who are in it, because of the violence of all those who dwell in it.
20 “And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a wasteland. And you shall know that I am יהוה.” ’ ”
21 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Yisra’ĕl, which says, ‘The days go by, and every vision shall come to naught’?
23 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “I shall make this proverb to cease, so that they no longer use it as a proverb in Yisra’ĕl.” But say to them, “The days have drawn near, as well as the matter of every vision.
24 “For no longer is there to be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Yisra’ĕl.
25 “For I am יהוה, I speak. And the word which I speak is done. It is no longer deferred. For in your days, O rebellious house, when I speak the word I shall do it,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
26 Again the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
27 “Son of man, see, the house of Yisra’ĕl is saying, ‘The vision that he is seeing is for many days from now, and he is prophesying of times far off.’
28 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “None of My words are deferred any longer. When I speak a word it is done,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Yisra’ĕl who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of יהוה!’ ”
3 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Woe to the foolish prophets, who are following their own spirit, without having had a vision!
4 “O Yisra’ĕl, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins.
5 “You have not gone up into the breaches, nor do you build a wall for the house of Yisra’ĕl to stand in battle on the day of יהוה.
6 “Their visions are false and their divinations a lie, saying, ‘Thus declares יהוה,’ when יהוה has not sent them, yet they expected the word to be confirmed!
7 “Have you not seen a false vision, and have you not spoken a divination of lies? You say, ‘יהוה declares,’ when I have not spoken.”
8 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “Because you have spoken falsehood and seen lies, therefore see, I am against you,” declares the Master יהוה.
9 “My hand shall be against the prophets who see falsehood and who divine lies. They shall not be in the council of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Yisra’ĕl, and they shall not enter into the land of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall know that I am the Master יהוה.
10 “Because, yes because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace. And when one is building a wall, see, they are coating it with whitewash!
11 “Say to those who coat it with whitewash: it shall fall! There shall be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones: fall! — and a stormy wind breaks it down,
12 and see, the wall shall fall! Shall you not be asked, ‘Where is the coating with which you coated it?’ ”
13 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “I shall break down with a stormy wind in My wrath, and a flooding rain in My displeasure, and great hailstones in wrath, to consume.
14 “And I shall throw down the wall you have coated with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, and its foundation shall be uncovered. And it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
15 “So I shall complete My wrath on the wall and on those coating it with whitewash, and say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those whitewashing it —
16 the prophets of Yisra’ĕl who are prophesying concerning Yerushalayim, and who are seeing visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” declares the Master יהוה.
17 “And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who are prophesying out of their own heart, and prophesy against them.
18 “And you shall say, ‘This is what the Master יהוה said, “Woe to the women sewing cushions for all joints of the hand, and to those making veils for the heads of people of every size, to hunt beings! You hunt the beings of My people, while you keep alive your own beings!
19 “And you have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to put to death beings that should not die, and to keep alive beings who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies!”
20 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am against your cushions by which you hunt the beings there like birds. And I shall tear them from your arms, and shall let the beings go, the beings you hunt like birds.
21 “And I shall tear off your veils, and shall deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. And you shall know that I am יהוה.” ’ ”
22 “Because with falsehood you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad. And you have strengthened the hands of the wrong, so that he does not turn from his evil way, to keep him alive.
23 “Therefore you shall no longer see false visions, nor practise divination. And I shall deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am יהוה.” ’ ”
1 And some of the elders of Yisra’ĕl came to me and sat before me.
2 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and have put the stumbling-block of their crookedness before their face. Should I let them inquire of Me at all?
4 “Therefore speak to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Everyone of the house of Yisra’ĕl who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling-block of his crookedness before his face, and shall come to the prophet — I יהוה shall answer him who comes, according to his many idols,
5 in order to lay hold of the house of Yisra’ĕl by their heart, for they have become estranged from Me by their idols, all of them.” ’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Repent, and turn back from your idols, and turn back your faces from all your abominations.
7 “For anyone of the house of Yisra’ĕl, or of the strangers who sojourn in Yisra’ĕl, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts the stumbling-block of his crookedness before his face, and shall come to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I יהוה shall answer him Myself.
8 “And I shall set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I shall cut him off from the midst of My people. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
9 “And if the prophet is deceived, and shall speak a word, I יהוה have deceived that prophet, and shall stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from the midst of My people Yisra’ĕl.
10 “And they shall bear their crookedness, the crookedness of the prophet is the same as the crookedness of the inquirer,
11 so that the house of Yisra’ĕl no longer strays from Me, nor be made unclean any more with all their transgressions. And they shall be My people and I be their Elohim,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
12 And the word of יהוה came again to me, saying,
13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me to commit a trespass, and I shall stretch out My hand against it, and cut off its supply of bread and send scarcity of food on it, and cut off man and beast from it,
14 even though these three men, Noaḥ, Dani’ĕl, and Iyoḇ, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” declares the Master יהוה.
15 “If I cause an evil beast to pass through the land, and it shall bereave it, and it shall be a wasteland, so that no man passes through because of the beasts,
16 even though these three men were in it, as I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land be a wasteland.
17 “Or if I bring a sword on that land, and I shall say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I shall cut off man and beast from it,
18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, for they alone would be delivered.
19 “Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and I shall pour out My wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast,
20 even though Noaḥ, Dani’ĕl, and Iyoḇ were in it, as I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver their own lives by their righteousness.”
21 For thus said the Master יהוה, “How much more it shall be when I send My four evil judgments on Yerushalayim: the sword and scarcity of food and evil beasts and pestilence, to cut off man and beast from it?
22 “But see, there shall be left in it a remnant who are brought out, both sons and daughters. See, they are coming out to you, and you shall see their ways and their deeds, and shall be comforted concerning the evil which I have brought upon Yerushalayim — all that I have brought upon it.
23 “And they shall comfort you, when you see their ways and their deeds. And you shall know that it was not for naught that I have done whatever I did in it,” declares the Master יהוה.
1 Then the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, how is the vine tree better than any tree, the vine branch that has been among the trees of the forest?
3 “Is wood taken from it to be made into any work? Do they take a peg from it to hang any vessel on?
4 “See, into the fire it shall be given for fuel. Both ends of it the fire shall burn, and its middle shall be scorched. Is it fit for any work?
5 “See, when it was intact, it was not made for work, how much less when the fire has burned it and it is scorched shall it still be used for work?
6 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I shall give up the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.
7 And I shall set My face against them. They shall go out from fire, but fire consumes them. And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I set My face against them.
8 And I shall make the land a wasteland, because they committed trespass,’ declares the Master יהוה.”
1 Again the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, make known to Yerushalayim her abominations,
3 and say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה to Yerushalayim, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of Kena‛an. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Ḥittite.
4 “As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water for cleansing, and you were not rubbed with salt at all, nor wrapped in cloth at all.
5 “No eye felt sorry for you, to do any of these for you, to have compassion on you. But you were thrown out into the open field, to the loathing of your life on the day you were born.
6 “Then I passed by you and saw you trampled down in your own blood, and I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ And I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’
7 “I have let you grow like a plant in the field. And you are grown and are great, and you come in the finest ornaments. — breasts were formed, your hair grew, and you were naked and bare.
8 “Again I passed by you and looked upon you and saw that your time was the time of carnal-love. And I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. And I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” declares the Master יהוה.
9 “And I washed you in water, and I washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil.
10 “And I dressed you in embroidered work and gave you sandals of leather. And I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.
11 “And I adorned you with ornaments, and I put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck.
12 “And I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a crown of adorning on your head.
13 “Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, and honey, and oil. And you were exceedingly beautiful, and became fit for royalty.
14 “And your name went out among the nations because of your loveliness, for it was perfect, by My splendour which I had put on you,” declares the Master יהוה.
15 “But you trusted in your own loveliness, and whored because of your name, and poured out your whorings on everyone passing by who would have it.
16 “And you took some of your garments and made multi-coloured high places for yourself, and whored on them — which should not have come about, nor shall it be.
17 “And you took your splendid adornments, of My gold and My silver that I gave you, and made for yourself images of a male and whored with them.
18 “And you took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them.
19 “And My food which I gave you, fine flour and oil and honey which I fed you, you set it before them as sweet incense — and so it was,” declares the Master יהוה.
20 “And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you slaughtered as food to them. Were your whorings a small matter,
21 that you have slain My children and gave them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?
22 “And in all your abominations and whorings you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, trampled down in your blood.
23 “Then it came to be after all your evil — ‘Woe, woe to you!’ declares the Master יהוה —
24 that you also built an arched place for yourself, and made a high place in every street for yourself.
25 “You built your high places at the head of every way, and made your loveliness to be loathed. And you parted your feet to everyone who passed by, and increased your whorings.
26 “And you whored with the sons of Mitsrayim, your neighbours, great of flesh. And you increased your whorings to provoke Me.
27 “And see, I have stretched out My hand against you, and withdrew what is lawfully yours, and gave you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your wicked way.
28 “And you whored with the sons of Ashshur, without being satisfied. And you whored with them and still were not satisfied.
29 “And you increased your whorings as far as the land of traders, Kasdima, and even then you were not satisfied.
30 “How weak is your heart!” declares the Master יהוה, “seeing you do all this, the deeds of a shameless whore.
31 “You built your arched place at the head of every way, and built your high place in every street. Yet you were unlike a whore, you scorned a harlot-fee!
32 “The wife who commits adultery who takes strangers instead of her husband!
33 “To all whores they give gifts, but you gave gifts to all your lovers, and bribed them to come to you from all around in your whorings.
34 “Thus you are different from other women in your whorings, because no one whores after you, and in you giving a harlot-fee, while a harlot-fee was not given to you. Thus you are different.”
35 Therefore, O whore, hear the word of יהוה!
36 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Because your copper was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whorings with your lovers, and with the idols of your abominations, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them,
37 therefore, see, I am gathering all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, with all those you hated. And I shall gather them from all around against you and shall uncover your nakedness to them, and they shall see all your nakedness.
38 “And I shall judge you with judgments of adulteresses and shedders of blood. And I shall bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.
39 “And I shall give you into their hand, and they shall throw your arched place down, and they shall break down your high places. And they shall strip you of your garments, and they shall take your splendid adornments, and leave you naked and bare.
40 “And they shall bring up an assembly against you, and they shall stone you with stones and thrust you through with their swords,
41 and burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you before the eyes of many women. And I shall make you stop whoring, and no longer give harlot-fees.
42 “So I shall bring My wrath to rest upon you, and My jealousy shall turn away from you. And I shall be calm, and no longer be vexed.
43 “Because you did not remember the days of your youth, but troubled Me with all this, so see, I shall also bring your way on your own head,” declares the Master יהוה. “And shall I not do this thought for all your abominations?
44 “See, all who use proverbs shall use this proverb against you, ‘Like mother, like daughter!’
45 “You are your mother’s daughter, who despises her husband and her children. And you are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Ḥittite and your father an Amorite.
46 “And your elder sister is Shomeron, she and her daughters, who is dwelling to the north of you. And your younger sister, who is dwelling to the south of you, is Seḏom and her daughters.
47 “And have you not walked in their ways and did according to their abominations? But in all your ways you soon became more corrupt than they.
48 “As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “neither your sister Seḏom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done.
49 “See, this was the crookedness of your sister Seḏom: She and her daughter had pride, sufficiency of bread, and unconcerned ease. And she did not help the poor and needy.
50 “And they were haughty and did abomination before Me, and I took them away when I saw it.
51 “And Shomeron did not commit half of your sins, but you have increased your abominations more than they, and by all the abominations which you have done you made your sisters seem righteous!
52 “You also, who pleaded for your sisters, bear your own shame, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs. They are more righteous than you. So be ashamed too, and bear your own shame, because you have made your sisters seem righteous.
53 “And I shall turn back their captivity, the captivity of Seḏom and her daughters, and the captivity of Shomeron and her daughters, and the captivity of your captives with them,
54 so that you bear your shame, and shall blush for all that you did when you comforted them,
55 “and your sisters, Seḏom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Shomeron and her daughters return to their former state, and you and your daughters return to your former state.
56 “Was not your sister Seḏom a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride,
57 before your evil was exposed, as the time of the reproach of the daughters of Aram and all who were around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, who are despising you everywhere?
58 “You shall bear your wickedness and your abominations,” declares יהוה.
59 For thus said the Master יהוה, “I shall deal with you as you have done, in that you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.
60 “But I shall remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I shall establish an everlasting covenant with you.
61 “And you shall remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters. And I shall give them to you for daughters, though not by your own covenant.
62 “And I Myself shall establish My covenant with you. And you shall know that I am יהוה,
63 so that you remember. And you shall be ashamed, and never open your mouth any more because of your shame, when I pardon you for all you have done,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Yisra’ĕl.
3 “And you shall say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “The great eagle with large wings of long pinions, covered with feathers of various colours, came to Leḇanon and took the top of the cedar.
4 “He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of traders. In a city of merchants he placed it.
5 “He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a field for seed. He took it by many waters, set it like a willow tree.
6 “So it grew and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, and its roots were under it. And it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and sent out shoots.
7 “And there was another great eagle with large wings and many feathers. And see, this vine bent its roots toward him, and stretched its branches toward him, to water it, away from the beds where it was planted.
8 “It was planted in a good field by many waters, to bring forth branches, and to bear fruit, to be a splendid vine.” ’
9 “Say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Is it going to thrive? Is he not going to pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, and let it wither? All of its sprouting leaves wither, without great power or many people, to pluck it up by its roots.
10 “See, it is planted, is it going to thrive? Would it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it — wither in the beds where it grows?” ‘ ”
11 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
12 “Please say to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these mean?’ Say, ‘See, the sovereign of Baḇel went to Yerushalayim and took its sovereign and heads, and brought them with him to Baḇel.
13 And he took one of the royal seed, and made a covenant with him, and put him under oath. And he took away the mighty of the land,
14 so that the reign would be brought low and not lift itself up, but guard his covenant, that it might stand.
15 But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers to Mitsrayim, to give him horses and many people. Shall he thrive? Shall he escape who is doing these? And shall he break a covenant and still escape?
16 As I live,’ declares the Master יהוה, ‘in the place where the sovereign dwells who set him up to reign, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, with him in the midst of Baḇel he shall die!
17 And Pharaoh with his great army and great company is not going to help him in battle, when they heap up a siege mound and build a wall to cut off many beings.
18 And he despised the oath by breaking the covenant. And see, he has given his hand and he has done all this, he is not going to escape.’ ”
19 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “As I live, My oath which he has despised, and My covenant which he has broken, shall I not put it on his own head?
20 “And I shall spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. And I shall bring him to Baḇel and enter into judgment with him there for the trespass which he committed against Me,
21 and all his fugitives with all his bands fall by the sword, and those who are left be scattered to every wind. And you shall know that I, יהוה, have spoken.”
22 Thus said the Master יהוה, “And I shall take of the top of the highest cedar and set it out. And I Myself shall pluck off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs, and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
23 “On the mountain height of Yisra’ĕl I plant it. And it shall bring forth branches, and bear fruit, and become a big cedar. And under it shall dwell birds of every sort, in the shadow of its branches they shall dwell.
24 “And all the trees of the field shall know that I, יהוה, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish. I, יהוה, have spoken and shall do it.”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are blunted’?
3 “As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Yisra’ĕl.
4 “See, all beings are Mine, the being of the father as well as the being of the son is Mine. The being that is sinning shall die.
5 “But if a man is righteous and shall do right-ruling and righteousness,
6 if he has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Yisra’ĕl, nor defiled his neighbour’s wife, nor comes near a woman during her uncleanness,
7 if he does not oppress anyone, does return to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, does give his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,
8 if he does not lend on interest or take increase, turns back his hand from unrighteousness, executes right-ruling in truth between man and man,
9 if he walks in My laws, and he has guarded My right-rulings in truth — he is righteous, he shall certainly live!” declares the Master יהוה.
10 “But if he has brought forth a son who is a robber or a shedder of blood, who does any of these —
11 whereas he himself did not do any of these — that also he has eaten on the mountains or defiled his neighbour’s wife,
12 if he has oppressed the poor and needy, has committed robbery, he does not return a pledge, has lifted his eyes to the idols, or did abomination,
13 if he has lent on interest or taken increase — shall he live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, he shall certainly die, his blood is upon him.
14 “But see, if he has brought forth a son who sees all the sins which his father has done, but he fears and does not do likewise,
15 has not eaten on the mountains, and has not lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Yisra’ĕl, has not defiled his neighbour’s wife,
16 has not oppressed anyone, nor withheld a pledge, nor committed robbery, has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with a garment,
17 turns back his hand from wronging the poor, and he has not taken interest or increase, has executed My right-rulings and walked in My laws — he shall not die for the crookedness of his father, he shall certainly live!
18 “His father, because he used oppression, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, see, he shall die for his crookedness.
19 “And you said, ‘Why should the son not bear the crookedness of the father?’ But the son has done right-ruling and righteousness, he has guarded all My laws and he does them, he shall certainly live.
20 “The being who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the crookedness of the father, nor the father bear the crookedness of the son. The righteousness of the righteous is upon himself, and the wrongness of the wrong is upon himself.
21 “But the wrong, if he turns from all his sins which he has done, and he shall guard all My laws, and shall do right-ruling and righteousness, he shall certainly live, he shall not die.
22 “All the transgressions which he has done shall not be remembered against him — in his righteousness that he has done, he shall live.
23 “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wrong?” declares the Master יהוה. “Is it not that he should turn from his ways, and live?
24 “But when a righteous one turns away from his righteousness and does unrighteousness, according to all the abominations that the wrong one has done, shall he live? All his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered. For his trespass which he has committed, and for his sin which he has committed, for them he shall die.
25 “And you said, ‘The way of יהוה is not right.’ Hear now, O house of Yisra’ĕl, is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?
26 “When a righteous one turns away from his righteousness, and does unrighteousness, and he dies in it, it is because of his unrighteousness which he has done that he dies.
27 “And when the wrong turns away from the wrong which he has done, and he does right-ruling and righteousness, he keeps himself alive.
28 “Because he sees and turns away from all the transgressions which he has done, he shall certainly live, he shall not die.
29 “And the house of Yisra’ĕl have said, ‘The way of יהוה is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Yisra’ĕl? Is it not your ways that are not right?
30 “Therefore I judge you, O house of Yisra’ĕl, every one according to his ways,” declares the Master יהוה. “Repent, and turn back from all your transgressions, and let not crookedness be a stumbling-block to you.
31 “Cast away from you all the transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Yisra’ĕl?
32 “For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” declares the Master יהוה. “So turn back and live!”
1 “And take up a lamentation for the leaders of Yisra’ĕl,
2 and you shall say, ‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among the lions, in the midst of the young lions she reared her cubs.
3 And she brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. And he learned to tear the prey, he devoured men.
4 Then nations heard of him. He was caught in their pit, and they brought him with chains to the land of Mitsrayim.
5 When she saw, as she waited, that her expectancy was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
6 And he went about among the lions, and became a young lion. And he learned to tear the prey, he devoured men.
7 And he knew their widows, and laid waste their cities. And the land and all who filled it was stunned by the noise of his roaring.
8 Then nations set against him from the provinces on every side, and spread their net over him, he was caught in their pit.
9 And they put him in a cage in chains, and brought him to the sovereign of Baḇel. They brought him in nets, so his roar was no longer heard on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl.
10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the waters, a bearer of fruit and branching, because of many waters.
11 And she had strong rods for sceptres of rulers. And her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and was seen in her height with the mass of its branches.
12 But she was uprooted in wrath, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried her fruit. Her strong rods were broken and withered, fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 And fire went out from a rod of her branches. It devoured her fruit, so that she has no strong rod, a sceptre to rule.’ ” This is a lament, and it shall be a lament.
1 And it came to be in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the new moon, that certain of the elders of Yisra’ĕl came to inquire of יהוה, and sat before me.
2 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live, I am not being inquired of by you,” declares the Master יהוה.’
4 “Judge them, son of man, judge them! Make known to them the abominations of their fathers.
5 “And you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “On the day when I chose Yisra’ĕl and lifted My hand in an oath to the seed of the house of Ya‛aqoḇ, and made Myself known to them in the land of Mitsrayim, I lifted My hand in an oath to them, saying, ‘I am יהוה your Elohim.’
6 “On that day I lifted My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the splendour of all lands.
7 “And I said to them, ‘Each one of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Mitsrayim! I am יהוה your Elohim.’
8 “But they rebelled against Me, and would not obey Me. All of them did not throw away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Mitsrayim. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them to complete My displeasure against them in the midst of the land of Mitsrayim.
9 “But I acted for My Name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations among whom they were — before whose eyes I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim.
10 “So I took them out of the land of Mitsrayim, and I brought them into the wilderness.
11 “And I gave them My laws and showed them My right-rulings, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’
12 “And I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, to know that I am יהוה who sets them apart.
13 “But the house of Yisra’ĕl rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My laws, and they rejected My right-rulings, which, if a man does, he shall live by them. And they greatly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14 “But I acted for My Name’s sake, not to profane it before the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out.
15 “And I Myself also lifted My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, not to bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the splendour of all lands,
16 because they rejected My right-rulings and did not walk in My laws, and they profaned My Sabbaths. For their heart went after their idols.
17 “And My eye pardoned them, from destroying them. And I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 “And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the laws of your fathers, nor observe their rulings, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
19 I am יהוה your Elohim. Walk in My laws, and guard My right-rulings, and do them.
20 And set apart My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, to know that I am יהוה your Elohim.’
21 “But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My laws, and My right-rulings they did not guard to do them, which, if a man does, he shall live by them. They profaned My Sabbaths, so I resolved to pour out My wrath on them to complete My displeasure against them in the wilderness.
22 “But I held back My hand and acted for My Name’s sake, not to profane it before the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I had brought them out.
23 “Also, I Myself lifted My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands,
24 because they had not done My right-rulings, and they rejected My laws, and they profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were on their fathers’ idols.
25 “And I also gave them up to laws that were not good, and right-rulings by which they would not live.
26 “And I defiled them by their own gifts, as they passed all their first-born through the fire, so that I might stun them, so that they know that I am יהוה.” ’
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “In this your fathers have further reviled Me, by committing trespass against Me.
28 “When I brought them into the land for which I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them, and they saw all the high hills and all the thick trees, they slaughtered their slaughterings there and provoked Me with their offerings there. And they sent up their sweet fragrance there and poured out their drink offerings there.
29 “And I said to them, ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ So its name is called High Place to this day.” ’
30 “Therefore say to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Are you defiling yourselves in the way of your fathers? And do you whore after their abominations?
31 “For when you lift up your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Yisra’ĕl? As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “I am not being inquired of by you.
32 “And what comes up in your spirit shall never be, when you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the tribes in other lands, serving wood and stone.’
33 “As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “do not I, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, reign over you?
34 “And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out.
35 “And I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and shall enter into judgment with you face to face there.
36 “As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim, so I shall enter into judgment with you,” declares the Master יהוה.
37 “And I shall make you pass under the rod, and shall bring you into the bond of the covenant,
38 and purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them out, but they shall not come into the land of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
39 “As for you, O house of Yisra’ĕl,” thus said the Master יהוה, “Go, serve each of you his idols, and afterwards, if you are not listening to Me. But do not profane My set-apart Name any more with your gifts and your idols.
40 “For on My set-apart mountain, on the mountain height of Yisra’ĕl,” declares the Master יהוה, “there all the house of Yisra’ĕl, all of them in the land, shall serve Me. There I shall accept them, and there I shall require your offerings and the first-fruits of your offerings, together with all your set-apart gifts.
41 “As a sweet fragrance I shall accept you when I bring you out from the peoples. And I shall gather you out of the lands where you have been scattered. And I shall be set-apart in you before the nations.
42 “And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I bring you into the land of Yisra’ĕl, into the land for which I lifted My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.
43 “And there you shall remember your ways and all your deeds with which you were defiled. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you did.
44 “And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I have dealt with you for My Name’s sake, not according to your evil ways nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Yisra’ĕl,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
45 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop word against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South.
47 “And you shall say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of יהוה! Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am kindling a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you — the blazing flame is not quenched. And it shall burn all faces from the south to the north.
48 “And all flesh shall see that I, יהוה, have kindled it, it is not quenched.” ’ ”
49 And I said, “Ah, Master יהוה! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not speaking parables?’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face toward Yerushalayim, and drop word against the set-apart places, and prophesy against the land of Yisra’ĕl.
3 “And you shall say to the land of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said יהוה, “See, I am against you, and I shall draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wrong.
4 “Because I shall cut off from you the righteous and the wrong, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north.
5 “And all flesh shall know that I, יהוה, have drawn My sword out of its sheath, not to turn back again.” ’
6 “And you, son of man, sigh with a breaking of loins, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.
7 “And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the report that is coming. And every heart shall melt, and all hands shall go limp, and every spirit become faint, and all knees be weak as water. See, it is coming, and it shall be,’ declares the Master יהוה.”
8 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, prophesy, and you shall say, ‘Thus said יהוה! “Say, ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished!
10 It is sharpened to make a slaughter, it is polished to flash like lightning!’ Or shall we rejoice? My son, you have despised the rod, every stick!
11 “And He has given it to be polished, to be taken by the hand. This sword is sharpened and polished, to be given into the hand of the killer.
12 “Cry and wail, son of man, for it shall be on My people, on all the leaders of Yisra’ĕl. They shall be delivered to the sword together with My people, therefore strike your thigh.
13 “For it is a trier, and what if it even despises the rod? Shall it not be?” declares the Master יהוה.
14 “And you, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands striking. And let the sword come down twice, thrice, the sword for the slain. It is the sword of the slain, the great one, which surrounds them.
15 “I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, to melt the heart and that the overthrown be many. Ah! It is made like lightning, keen for slaughter.
16 “Sharpen yourself on the right, set yourself on the left, wherever your edge is appointed!
17 “And I too, I shall strike My hands together and cause My wrath to rest. I, יהוה, have spoken.”
18 And the word of יהוה came to me again, saying,
19 “And you, son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the sovereign of Baḇel to go, both of them coming from one land. And place a signpost, put it at the head of the way to the city.
20 “Appoint a way for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Yehuḏah, into the walled Yerushalayim.
21 “For the sovereign of Baḇel shall stand at the parting of the way, at the fork of the two ways, to practise divination. He shall shake the arrows, he shall ask the household idols, he shall look at the liver.
22 “In his right hand shall be the divination for Yerushalayim: to set up battering rams, to call for murder, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, to build a wall.
23 “And it shall be to them as a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths to them. But he is bringing their crookedness to remembrance, so that they are taken.
24 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Because you have made your crookedness to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that your sins are seen in all your deeds. Because you have been remembered, you are taken by hand.
25 And to you, O profane, wrong one, leader of Yisra’ĕl, whose day has come, in the time of the crookedness of the end,
26 thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown! This shall not remain! Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
27 Overthrown, overthrown, I make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, until He comes to whom it rightly belongs — and I shall give it!’
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach.’ And you shall say, ‘A sword, a sword, drawn for slaughter, polished to the utmost like lightning —
29 while they see false visions for you, while they divine a lie to you — to put you on the necks of the profaned ones, the wrong ones whose day has come, in the time of the crookedness of the end.
30 Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I shall judge you.
31 And I shall pour out My displeasure on you, blow against you with the fire of My wrath, and shall give you into the hands of beastly men, skilled to destroy.
32 You are to be fuel for the fire, your blood to be in the midst of the land. You are not to be remembered, for I יהוה have spoken.’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “And now, son of man, judge, judge the city of blood! And you shall show her all her abominations!
3 “And you shall say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “The city sheds blood in her midst, that her time might come. And she has made idols within herself to become defiled.
4 “You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. Thus you have brought your days near, and have come to the end of your years. Therefore I shall make you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all lands.
5 “Those near and those far from you mock you — defiled is your name and great the confusion!
6 “See the leaders of Yisra’ĕl: each one has used his arm to shed blood in you.
7 “They have despised father and mother within you. They have oppressed the stranger in your midst. They have wronged the fatherless and the widow within you.
8 “You have despised that which is set-apart to Me, and you have profaned My Sabbaths.
9 “Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood. And in you are those who eat on the mountains. They have done wickedness in your midst.
10 “In you they have uncovered the nakedness of a father. In you they have humbled women who are defiled during their uncleanness.
11 “And the one has done abomination with his neighbour’s wife. And another has wickedly defiled his daughter-in-law. And another within you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.
12 “In you they have taken a bribe to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase. You have cut off your neighbour by extortion. And you have forgotten Me,” declares the Master יהוה.
13 “And see, I shall strike My hand because of your greedy gain which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst.
14 “Would your heart stand, your hands be strong, in the days when I deal with you? I, יהוה, have spoken, and shall do it.
15 “And I shall scatter you among the nations, and shall disperse you throughout the lands, and shall consume your filthiness out of you.
16 “And you shall profane yourself before the eyes of the nations. And you shall know that I am יהוה.” ’ ”
17 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, the house of Yisra’ĕl has become dross to Me. All of them are bronze, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace — they have become the dross of silver.
19 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Because all of you have become dross, therefore see, I am gathering you into the midst of Yerushalayim.
20 As they gather silver, and bronze, and iron, and lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it, so I gather you in My displeasure and in My wrath. And I shall blow and melt you.
21 And I shall gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst.
22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so are you melted in its midst. And you shall know that I, יהוה, have poured out My wrath on you.’ ”
23 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
24 “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of displeasure.’
25 “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured life, they have taken wealth and precious matters, they have made many widows in her midst.
26 “Her priests have done violence to My teaching and they profane My set-apart matters. They have not distinguished between the set-apart and profane, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean. And they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned in their midst.
27 “Her leaders in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy lives, and to get greedy gain.
28 “And her prophets have coated them with whitewash, seeing a false vision, and divining a lie for them, saying, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה,’ when יהוה had not spoken.
29 “The people of the land have practised oppression, and committed robbery, and have wronged the poor and needy. And they oppressed the stranger without right-ruling.
30 “And I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the breach before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it — but I did not find one!
31 “Therefore I have poured out My displeasure on them, I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. And I have put their way on their own head,” declares the Master יהוה.
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother.
3 “And they whored in Mitsrayim, they whored in their youth. There their breasts were handled, and there their maiden nipples were squeezed.
4 “And their names were: Oholah the elder and Oholiḇah her sister. And they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And their names: Shomeron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim is Oholiḇah.
5 “And Oholah whored while she was Mine. And she lusted for her lovers, the neighbouring Ashshurians,
6 dressed in purple, officers and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.
7 “So she gave her whorings on them, all of them choice sons of Ashshur. And with all for whom she lusted, with all their idols, she defiled herself.
8 “And she did not forsake her whorings from Mitsrayim, for in her youth they had lain with her, and they squeezed her maiden nipples, and poured out their whorings on her.
9 “Therefore I have given her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Ashshurians, for whom she lusted.
10 “They uncovered her nakedness, they took away her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. And she became a byword among women, and they executed judgments on her.
11 “And her sister Oholiḇah saw this, yet she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her whorings more corrupt than her sister’s whorings.
12 “She lusted for the sons of Ashshur, officers and rulers, the ones near, perfectly dressed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.
13 “And I saw that she was defiled, they both took the same way.
14 “But she increased her whorings, and she looked at men carved on the wall, images of Kasdim inscribed in red,
15 girded with belts around their loins, flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, like the sons of Baḇel of Kasdim, the land of their birth.
16 “As soon as her eyes saw them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Kasdima.
17 “And the sons of Baḇel came to her, into the bed of carnal-love, and they defiled her with their whorings. And she was defiled by them, and her being turned from them in disgust.
18 “And she uncovered her whorings and uncovered her nakedness. Then I turned My being from her in disgust, as My being had turned from her sister in disgust.
19 “And she increased her whorings, remembering the days of her youth, when she whored in the land of Mitsrayim.
20 “And she lusted after her lovers, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose emission is like the emission of horses.
21 “Thus you longed for the wickedness of your youth, when the Mitsrites squeezed your nipples because of the breasts of your youth.
22 “Therefore, Oholiḇah, thus said the Master יהוה, ‘See, I am stirring up your lovers against you, from whom your being turned in disgust, and shall bring them against you from every side:
23 the children of Baḇel, and all the Kasdim, Peqoḏ, and Showa, and Qowa, all the sons of Ashshur with them, all of them desirable young men, governors and rulers, officers and men of name, all of them riding on horses.
24 And they shall come against you with battle-axe, chariots, and vehicles, and with an assembly of peoples. They shall set against you armour, and shield, and helmet all around. And I shall commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their rulings.
25 And I shall set My jealousy against you and they shall deal heatedly with you. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, while the rest of you fall by the sword. Your sons and your daughters they shall take away, while the rest of you shall be consumed by fire.
26 And they shall strip you of your garments and shall take your pretty jewels.
27 And I shall put an end to your wickedness and to your whorings from the land of Mitsrayim, so that you do not lift your eyes to them neither remember Mitsrayim any more.’
28 “For thus said the Master יהוה, ‘See, I am giving you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those from whom your being turned in disgust.
29 And they shall deal with you in hatred, and they shall take away all you have worked for, and they shall leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your whorings shall be uncovered, and the wickedness of your whorings.
30 I do this to you because of your whoring after the nations, because you have been defiled by their idols.
31 You have walked in the way of your sister, and I shall give her cup into your hand.’
32 “Thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Drink of your sister’s cup, the deep and wide one — you being laughed at and mocked at — for it holds much.
33 Be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of astonishment and ruin, the cup of your sister Shomeron.
34 And you shall drink it and shall drain it, and gnaw its shards, and tear at your own breasts. For I have spoken,’ declares the Master יהוה.
35 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore you shall bear your wickedness and your whorings.’ ”
36 And יהוה said to me, “Son of man, judge Oholah and Oholiḇah! And declare to them their abominations.
37 “For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. And they have committed adultery with their idols, and even offered their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour.
38 “They also did this to Me: They have defiled My set-apart place on the same day, and they have profaned My Sabbaths.
39 “For when they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My set-apart place to profane it. And see, that is what they did in the midst of My House.
40 “And they even sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent. And see, they came — for whom you washed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments.
41 “And you sat on a splendid couch, with a table prepared before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil.
42 “And the sound of a crowd at ease was with her, and drunkards were brought from the wilderness with men of the commonest sort. And they put bracelets on their wrists and pretty crowns on their heads.
43 “Then I said concerning the one worn out in adulteries, ‘Now let them commit her whorings, even hers!’
44 “And they went in to her, as men go in to a woman who is a whore. Thus they went in to Oholah and Oholiḇah, the wicked women.
45 “But let righteous men judge them with the judgment of adulteresses, and the judgment of women who shed blood, for they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.
46 “For thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Bring up an assembly against them, give them up to maltreatment and plunder.
47 And the assembly shall stone them with stones and cut them with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire.
48 And I shall put an end to wickedness in the land, and all the women shall be instructed not to commit wickedness as you have done.
49 And they shall put your wickedness on you, and you shall bear the sins of your idols. And you shall know that I am the Master יהוה.’ ”
1 And in the ninth year, in the tenth new moon, on the tenth of the new moon, the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, write down the name of the day, for on this same day the sovereign of Baḇel has thrown himself against Yerushalayim.
3 “And speak a parable to the rebellious house, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Put on a pot, put it on, and also pour water into it.
4 “Gather pieces of meat in it, every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder, fill it with choice bones.
5 “Take the choice of the flock, also pile bones under it, cook it thoroughly, also let the bones cook in it.”
6 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “Woe to the city of blood, to the pot in which there is rust, and whose rust has not gone out of it! Bring it out piece by piece, on which no lot has fallen.
7 “For her blood is in her midst. She has set it on a shining rock. She did not pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust.
8 “To stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have set her blood on a shining rock, so that it would not be covered.”
9 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “Woe to the city of blood! Let Me also make the pile great.
10 “Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, cook the meat well, mixing in the spices, and let the bones be burned up.
11 “And set it on the coals, empty, so that it gets hot, and its bronze glows. And its filthiness shall be melted in it, and its rust be consumed.
12 “She has wearied herself with sorrows, and her great rust has not gone from her. Into the fire with her rust!
13 “In your filthiness is wickedness. Because I have cleansed you, but you are not clean. You shall not be cleansed of your filthiness any more, till I have caused My wrath to rest upon you.
14 “I, יהוה, have spoken. It shall come, and I shall do it. I do not hold back, nor do I pardon, nor do I relent. According to your ways and according to your deeds they shall judge you,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
15 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
16 “Son of man, see, I am taking away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke. But do not mourn, nor weep, nor let your tears run down.
17 “Groan silently, make no mourning for the dead. Bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your upper lip, and do not eat man’s bread of sorrow.”
18 And I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me, “Would you not explain to us what these matters you are doing mean to us?”
20 And I said to them, “The word of יהוה came to me, saying,
21 Speak to the house of Yisra’ĕl, “Thus said the Master יהוה, ‘See, I am profaning My set-apart place — the pride of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your being. And your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.
22 And you shall do as I have done, do not cover your upper lip nor eat man’s bread of sorrow,
23 and let your turbans remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. Do not mourn, nor weep, but you shall pine away in your crookednesses and groan with one another.
24 And Yeḥezqĕl shall be a sign to you. Do according to all that he has done. When this comes, you shall know that I am the Master יהוה.’ ”
25 And you, son of man, on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their adorning, the desire of their eyes, and the lifting up of their being, their sons and their daughters,
26 on that day one that has escaped shall come to you to let you hear it with your ears.
27 On that day your mouth shall be opened to him who has escaped, and you shall speak and no longer be silent. And you shall be a sign to them. And they shall know that I am יהוה.’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them.
3 “And you shall say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Master יהוה! Thus said the Master יהוה, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My set-apart place when it was profaned, and against the land of Yisra’ĕl when it was ruined, and against the house of Yehuḏah when they went into exile,
4 therefore, see, I am giving you as a possession to the men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you — they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.
5 “And I shall make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. And you shall know that I am יהוה.”
6 For this is what the Master יהוה said, “Because you clapped your hands, and you stamped your feet, and rejoiced with all the scorn of your being against the land of Yisra’ĕl,
7 therefore see, I Myself shall stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations. And I shall cut you off from the peoples, and make you perish from the lands. I shall destroy you, and you shall know that I am יהוה.”
8 This is what the Master יהוה said, “Because Mo’aḇ and Sĕ‛ir say, ‘See, the house of Yehuḏah is like all the nations,’
9 therefore, see, I am opening the flank of Mo’aḇ on the side of the cities, on the side of his cities on its frontiers, the splendour of the land, Bĕyth Yeshimoth, Ba‛al Me‛on, and Qiryathayim,
10 and I shall give it, together with the Ammonites, as a possession to the men of the East, so that the Ammonites are no more remembered among the nations.
11 “Also on Mo’aḇ I execute judgments, and they shall know that I am יהוה.”
12 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Because of what Eḏom has done against the house of Yehuḏah by taking vengeance, so that they became very guilty, and they have taken vengeance on them,”
13 therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “I shall stretch out My hand against Eḏom, and I shall cut off man and beast from it and lay it waste — from Tĕman even to Deḏan they shall fall by the sword.
14 “And I shall lay My vengeance on Eḏom by the hand of My people Yisra’ĕl. And they shall do in Eḏom according to My displeasure and according to My wrath. So they shall know My vengeance,” declares the Master יהוה.
15 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Because the Philistines have acted in vengeance, and took vengeance with scorn in their being, to destroy with lasting enmity,”
16 therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am stretching out My hand against the Philistines, and I shall cut off the Kerĕthites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast,
17 and execute great vengeance on them with raging reproofs. And they shall know that I am יהוה, when I lay My vengeance upon them.” ’ ”
1 And it came to be in the eleventh year, on the first of the new moon, the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, because Tsor has spoken against Yerushalayim, ‘Aha! She, the gateway of the peoples, has been broken, she has been turned over to me. Let me be filled, she has been ruined.’
3 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘See, I am against you, O Tsor, and shall cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up.
4 And they shall destroy the walls of Tsor, and they shall break down her towers. And I shall scrape her dust from her, and shall make her like a shining rock.
5 She shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,’ declares the Master יהוה. ‘And she shall become plunder for the nations,
6 while her daughter villages which are in the fields are killed by the sword. And they shall know that I am יהוה.’
7 “For thus said the Master יהוה, ‘See, I am bringing against Tsor from the north Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sovereign of Baḇel, a sovereign of sovereigns, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, even an assembly, and many people.
8 With the sword he shall kill your daughters in the field. And he shall heap up a siege mound against you, and shall build a wall against you, and shall raise a large shield against you,
9 and set the blow of his battering rams against your walls, and break down your towers with his weapons.
10 From his many horses, their dust shall cover you. From the noise of the horsemen, and vehicles, and chariots, your walls shall shake as he enters your gates, as men enter a city that is breached.
11 With the hooves of his horses he tramples all your streets, he kills your people by the sword, and the columns of your strength shall fall to the ground.
12 And they shall plunder your riches, and they shall loot your merchandise. And they shall break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. And they shall put your stones, and your timber, and your dust in the midst of the water.
13 And I shall cause the sound of your songs to cease, and let the sound of your lyres be heard no more.
14 And I shall make you like a shining rock, and let you be a place for spreading nets, never to be rebuilt, for I יהוה have spoken,’ declares the Master יהוה.
15 “Thus said the Master יהוה to Tsor, ‘Would the coastlands not shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded cry, when the killing occurs in your midst?
16 And all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and they shall lay aside their robes, and take off their embroidered garments, and put on trembling, and sit on the ground. And they shall tremble continuously, and they shall be astonished at you.
17 And they shall take up a lamentation for you, and say to you, “How you have perished, O one inhabited by seafaring men, the city well-praised, who was strong at sea, she and her inhabitants, who put their fear on all her inhabitants!
18 Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your fall! And the coastlands by the sea shall shudder at your going out.” ’
19 “For thus said the Master יהוה, ‘When I make you a ruined city, like cities no longer inhabited, when I bring the deep upon you, and great waters cover you,
20 then I shall bring you down with those who go down into the pit, to the people of old. And I shall make you dwell in the lowest part of the earth, in wastes of old, with those who go to the pit, so that you do not return. But I shall establish splendour in the land of the living.
21 I make you a horror, and let you be no more. And you are sought for, but never found again,’ declares the Master יהוה.”
1 The word of יהוה came again to me, saying,
2 “Now, son of man, take up a lamentation for Tsor,
3 and you shall say to Tsor, ‘You who dwell at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus said the Master יהוה, “O Tsor, you yourself have said, ‘I am perfect in loveliness.’
4 “Your borders are in the heart of the seas. Your builders have perfected your loveliness.
5 “They have made all your timbers of fir trees from Senir. They took a cedar from Leḇanon to make a mast for you.
6 “From the oaks of Bashan they made your oars. They made your deck with ivory from the coasts of Kittim.
7 “Of fine embroidered linen from Mitsrayim was your sail to serve you as banner. Of blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was your covering.
8 “The inhabitants of Tsiḏon and Arwaḏ were your seamen. Your wise men, O Tsor, were in you, they were your sailors.
9 “The elders of Geḇal and its wise men were in you repairing your seams. All the ships of the sea and their seamen were in you to trade your merchandise.
10 “Those from Persia, Luḏ, and Put were in your army as men of battle. Shield and helmet they hung up within you, they gave splendour to you.
11 “The sons of Arwaḏ, and your army were on your walls all around, and the Gammaḏites were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around, they perfected your loveliness.
12 “Tarshish was your merchant because of your great wealth. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise.
13 “Yawan, Tuḇal, and Mesheḵ were your traders. They exchanged slaves and objects of bronze for your merchandise.
14 “Those from the house of Toḡarmah exchanged horses, and horsemen, and mules for your merchandise.
15 “The men of Deḏan traded with you. Many isles were your market, they brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment.
16 “Aram was your merchant because of the multitude of your works. They gave you emeralds, purple, and embroidery, and fine linen, and corals, and rubies for your wares.
17 “Yehuḏah and the land of Yisra’ĕl were your traders. For your merchandise they exchanged wheat of Minnith, and early figs, and honey, and oil, and balm.
18 “Dammeseq was your merchant because of the multitude of your works, because of your great wealth of goods, with the wine of Ḥelbon and with white wool.
19 “Weḏan and Yawan from Uzal paid for your wares, they exchanged wrought iron, cassia, and cane for your merchandise.
20 “Deḏan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.
21 “Araḇia, and all princes of Qĕḏar, were merchants for you. In lambs, and rams, and goats they were your merchants.
22 “The traders of Sheḇa and Ra‛mah were your traders. They paid for your wares with the choicest spices, and all kinds of precious stones, and gold.
23 "Ḥaran, and Kanneh, and Ěḏen, traders of Sheḇa, Ashshur, and Kilmaḏ traded with you.
24 “They traded with you in perfect items, in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multi-coloured clothes, in strong twined cords, among your merchandise.
25 “The ships of Tarshish were the travellers of your merchandise. And you were filled and richly laden in the heart of the seas.
26 “Your seamen brought you into many waters, but the east wind broke you in the heart of the seas.
27 “Your wealth, and your wares, your merchandise, your mariners and your sailors, your repairers of seams, and your dealers in merchandise, and all your fighting men who are in you, and the entire company which is in your midst, shall go down into the heart of the seas on the day of your fall,
28 the coasts shaking at the sound of the cry of your sailors.
29 “And all the oarsmen, the mariners, all the sailors of the sea shall come down from their ships. They shall stand on the shore,
30 and they shall raise their voice and cry bitterly over you, and cast dust on their heads, rolling themselves in ashes.
31 “And they shall shave themselves bald because of you, and shall gird themselves with sackcloth. And they shall weep for you with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.
32 “And in their wailing for you they shall take up a lamentation. And they shall lament for you, ‘Who is cut off in the midst of the sea like Tsor?
33 When your wares went out by sea, you have filled many peoples; with your great wealth and your merchandise you have made the sovereigns of the earth rich.
34 In the time you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company shall fall in your midst.
35 All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at you, and their sovereigns shall be greatly afraid, their faces shall be troubled.
36 The merchants among the peoples shall whistle at you. You shall become a horror, and be no more, forever.’” ’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tsor, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Because your heart is lifted up, and you say, ‘I am Ěl, I sit in the seat of Elohim, in the heart of the seas,’ whereas you are a man, and not Ěl, though you set your heart as the heart of Elohim!
3 “Look, are you wiser than Dani’ĕl? Has no secret been hidden from you?
4 “By your wisdom and your understanding you have made riches for yourself, and gathered gold and silver into your treasuries.
5 “By your great wisdom, by your trade you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches.”
6 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “Because you have set your heart as the heart of Elohim,
7 therefore see, I am bringing against you strangers, the ruthless ones of the nations. And they shall draw their swords against the loveliness of your wisdom, and they shall profane your splendour.
8 “Down into the pit they shall bring you, and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas.
9 “Would you still say before him who slays you, ‘I am Elohim’, whereas you are man, and not Ěl, in the hand of him who kills you?
10 “The death of the uncircumcised you shall die, by the hand of foreigners. For I have spoken,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
11 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the sovereign of Tsor, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “You were sealing up a pattern, complete in wisdom and perfect in loveliness.
13 “You were in Ěḏen, the garden of Elohim. Every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, shoham, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald and gold. The workmanship of your settings and mountings was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “You were the anointed keruḇ that covered. And I placed you, you were on the set-apart mountain of Elohim. You walked up and down in the midst of stones of fire.
15 “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.
16 “By the greatness of your trade you became filled with violence within, and you sinned. So I thrust you from the mountain of Elohim, and I destroyed you, O covering keruḇ, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your loveliness, you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendour. I threw you to the earth, I laid you before sovereigns, to look at you.
18 “You profaned your set-apart places by your many crookednesses, by the unrighteousness of your trading. Therefore I brought forth fire from your midst. It has devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth before the eyes of all who see you.
19 “All who knew you among the peoples were astonished at you. Waste you shall be, and cease to be, forever.” ’ ”
20 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
21 “Son of man, set your face toward Tsiḏon, and prophesy against her,
22 and you shall say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am against you, O Tsiḏon, and I shall be esteemed in your midst. And they shall know that I am יהוה, when I execute judgments in her. And I shall be set-apart in her.
23 “And I shall send pestilence upon her, and blood in her streets. And the slain shall fall in her midst by the sword against her, from all sides. And they shall know that I am יהוה.
24 “And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or a paining thorn for the house of Yisra’ĕl from among all who are around them, who despise them. And they shall know that I am the Master יהוה.”
25 Thus said the Master יהוה, “When I have gathered the house of Yisra’ĕl from the peoples among whom they are scattered, I shall be set-apart in them before the eyes of the nations. And they shall dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Ya‛aqoḇ.
26 “And they shall dwell safely, and build houses, and plant vineyards, and dwell safely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. And they shall know that I am יהוה their Elohim.” ’ ”
1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the new moon, the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh the sovereign of Mitsrayim, and prophesy against him, and against Mitsrayim, all of it.
3 “Speak, and you shall say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am against you, O Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, ‘My River is my own, and I, I have made it for myself.’
4 “And I shall put hooks in your jaws, and I shall make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales. And I shall bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, and all the fish in your rivers cling to your scales.
5 “And I shall leave you in the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. On the face of the field you shall fall, and you shall not be picked up or gathered. I shall give you as food to the beasts of the field and to the birds of the heavens.
6 “And all the inhabitants of Mitsrayim shall know that I am יהוה, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Yisra’ĕl.
7 “When they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins shake.”
8 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am bringing a sword upon you and shall cut off from you man and beast.
9 “And the land of Mitsrayim shall become a desert and a waste. And they shall know that I am יהוה, because he said, ‘The River is mine, and I have made it.’
10 “Therefore see, I am against you and against your rivers, and shall make the land of Mitsrayim an utter waste and a desert, from Miḡdol to Sewĕnĕh, as far as the border of Kush.
11 “No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited for forty years.
12 “And I shall make the land of Mitsrayim a desert in the midst of the lands that are waste. And among the cities that are ruined, her cities shall be a waste forty years. And I shall scatter the Mitsrites among the nations, and I shall disperse them throughout the lands.”
13 For thus said the Master יהוה, “At the end of forty years I shall gather the Mitsrites from the peoples among whom they were scattered.
14 “And I shall turn back the captivity of Mitsrayim and I shall bring them back to the land of Pathros, to the land of their birth, and there they shall be a lowly reign,
15 being the lowliest of reigns, and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I shall make them few so as not to rule over the nations.
16 “And no longer is it to be the refuge of the house of Yisra’ĕl, bringing to remembrance their crookedness when they turned to follow them. And they shall know that I am the Master יהוה.” ’ ”
17 And it came to be in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the new moon, that the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sovereign of Baḇel made his army to serve a great service against Tsor, every head was made bald and every shoulder worn bare. But he and his army received no reward from Tsor, for the service he served against it.
19 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘See, I am giving the land of Mitsrayim to Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sovereign of Baḇel. And he shall take away her wealth, take her spoil, and remove her pillage. And it shall be a reward for his army.
20 I have given him the land of Mitsrayim as a reward for his labour, because they worked for Me,’ declares the Master יהוה.
21 In that day I shall make the horn of the house of Yisra’ĕl to spring forth, while I open your mouth to speak in their midst. And they shall know that I am יהוה.’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Howl, ‘Woe to the day!’
3 “For the day is near, even the day of יהוה is near. It is a day of clouds, the time of the nations.
4 “The sword shall come upon Mitsrayim, and great anguish shall be in Kush, when the slain fall in Mitsrayim, and they take away her wealth, and her foundations are broken down.
5 “Kush, and Put, and Luḏ, all the mixed people, and Kuḇ, and the sons of the land of the covenant, shall fall with them by the sword.”
6 Thus said יהוה, “Those who lean on Mitsrayim shall fall, and the pride of her power shall come down. From Miḡdol to Sewĕnĕh those within her shall fall by the sword,” declares the Master יהוה.
7 “They shall be ruined amidst the wasted lands, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are dried up.
8 “And they shall know that I am יהוה, when I have set a fire in Mitsrayim and all her helpers are crushed.
9 “On that day messengers shall go forth before Me in ships to make the complacent Kushites afraid, and great anguish shall come upon them, as on the day of Mitsrayim — for look, it is coming!”
10 Thus said the Master יהוה, “I shall cause the crowd of Mitsrayim to cease, by the hand of Neḇuḵaḏretstsar sovereign of Baḇel.
11 “He and his people with him, the ruthless ones of the nations, are brought to destroy the land. And they shall draw their swords against Mitsrayim, and shall fill the land with the slain.
12 “And I shall make the rivers dry, and I shall sell the land into the hand of evil ones. And I shall lay the land waste, and all that is in it, by the hand of foreigners. I, יהוה, have spoken.”
13 Thus said the Master יהוה, “And I shall destroy the idols, and make an end of the images in Noph, and there shall no longer be a prince from the land of Mitsrayim, and I shall put fear in the land of Mitsrayim.
14 “And I shall make Pathros a waste, and I shall set fire to Tso‛an, and I shall execute judgments in No.
15 “And I shall pour out My wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Mitsrayim. And I shall cut off the crowd of No.
16 “And I shall set a fire in Mitsrayim, Sin shall writhe in anguish, No is to be split open, and Noph has adversaries daily.
17 “The young men of Awen and Pi Ḇeseth shall fall by the sword, while these cities go into captivity.
18 “And in Teḥaphneḥes the day shall be darkened, when I shatter the yokes of Mitsrayim there. And the pride of her strength shall cease in her, a cloud shall cover her. And her daughters shall go into captivity.
19 “And I shall execute judgments on Mitsrayim, and they shall know that I am יהוה.” ’ ”
20 And it came to be in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the new moon, that the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim. And see, it has not been bound up for healing, to put a bandage to bind it, to make it strong to hold a sword.
22 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘See, I am against Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim, and shall break his arms, both the strong one and the one that was broken, and shall make the sword fall out of his hand,
23 and shall scatter the Mitsrites among the nations, and disperse them throughout the lands,
24 and strengthen the arms of the sovereign of Baḇel. And I shall put My sword in his hand. And I shall break Pharaoh’s arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of the slain before him.
25 And I shall strengthen the arms of the sovereign of Baḇel, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. And they shall know that I am יהוה, when I put My sword into the hand of the sovereign of Baḇel and he shall stretch it out against the land of Mitsrayim.
26 And I shall scatter the Mitsrites among the nations, and I shall disperse them throughout the lands. And they shall know that I am יהוה.’ ”
1 And it came to be in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the new moon, that the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim and to his crowd, ‘To whom are you to be compared in your greatness?
3 See, Ashshur was a cedar in Leḇanon, beautiful branches and forest shade, and of high stature. And its top was among the thick foliage.
4 The waters made him great, the deep gave it height with its rivers running around its planting, and sent their channels to all the trees of the field.
5 Therefore its height was lifted up above all the trees of the field, and its boughs were increased, and its branches became long because of the many waters, as it sent them out.
6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs, and under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth. And in its shadow all great nations dwelt.
7 And it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches, for its roots reached to many waters.
8 Cedars in the garden of Elohim did not hide it, fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches. No tree in the garden of Elohim was as pretty as it.
9 I made it beautiful by its many branches, so that all the trees of Ěḏen which were in the garden of Elohim were jealous of it.’
10 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick foliage, and its heart was lifted up in its height,
11 I give it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall certainly deal with it. I have driven it out for its wrong.
12 And foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, shall cut it down and leave it. Its branches shall fall on the mountains and in all the valleys, its boughs lie broken by all the rivers of the land. And all the peoples of the earth shall come out from under its shadow and leave it.
13 On its ruin shall dwell all the birds of the heavens, and all the beasts of the field shall be on its fallen branches,
14 so that none of the trees by the waters would exalt themselves because of their height, nor set their tops among the thick foliage, and that no tree which drinks water would ever be high enough to reach up to them. ‘For all of them shall be given up to death, to the depths of the earth, among the children of men who go down to the pit.’
15 “Thus said the Master יהוה, ‘In the day when it is brought down to She’ol I shall cause mourning. I shall cover the deep because of it and hold back its streams, and many waters shall be confined. And I shall make Leḇanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field shall wither away because of it.
16 I shall make the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I bring it down to She’ol together with those who descend into the pit. And all the trees of Ěḏen, the choice and best of Leḇanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the depths of the earth.
17 They too shall go down to She’ol with it, with those slain by the sword. And those who were its strength shall dwell in its shadows among the nations.
18 To whom are you to be compared in esteem and greatness among the trees in Ěḏen? But you shall be brought down with the trees of Ěḏen to the depths of the earth, lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his crowd,’ declares the Master יהוה.”
1 And it came to be in the twelfth year, in the twelfth new moon, on the first of the new moon, that the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim, and you shall say to him, ‘You were like a young lion among the nations, and you are like a monster in the seas, and you burst forth in your rivers, and trouble the waters with your feet, and muddy their rivers.’
3 “Thus said the Master יהוה, ‘And I shall spread My net over you with an assembly of many peoples, and they shall bring you up in My net.
4 And I shall leave you on the land, hurl you out on the open fields, and make all the birds of the heavens dwell on you. And with you I shall satisfy the beasts of all the earth.
5 And I shall put your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your height,
6 and water the land with the flow of your blood unto the mountains, and let streams be filled with you.
7 And when I extinguish you, I shall cover the heavens, and make its stars dark. I shall cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of the heavens I shall make dark over you, and I shall bring darkness upon your land,’ declares the Master יהוה.
9 And I shall trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the lands which you have not known.
10 And I shall make many peoples appalled at you, and their sovereigns shall be greatly afraid of you when I swing My sword before them. And they shall tremble continually, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.’
11 “For thus said the Master יהוה, ‘The sword of the sovereign of Baḇel shall come upon you.
12 By the swords of the mighty men, all of them the ruthless ones of the nations, I shall make your host fall. And they shall ravage the arrogance of Mitsrayim, and all its host shall be destroyed.
13 And I shall destroy all its beasts from beside its great waters, and let the foot of man trouble them no more, nor let the hooves of beasts trouble them.
14 Then I shall make their waters clear, and make their rivers run like oil,’ declares the Master יהוה.
15 When I lay the land of Mitsrayim waste, and the land shall be stripped of all that once filled it, when I have stricken all who dwell in it, then they shall know that I am יהוה.
16 This is the lamentation, and they shall lament her, the daughters of the nations lament her. Over Mitsrayim and over all her crowd they shall lament her,’ declares the Master יהוה.”
17 And it came to be in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the new moon, that the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
18 “Son of man, wail over the crowd of Mitsrayim, and send them down to the depths of the earth, her and the daughters of the mighty nations, with those going down to the pit.
19 Are you more pleasant than others? Go down, be placed with the uncircumcised.’
20 “In the midst of those slain by the sword they fall. She shall be given to the sword, drawing her and all her crowds.
21 “The mightiest among the mighty speak to him out of the midst of She’ol with those who help him, ‘They have gone down, they lie with the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’
22 “Ashshur is there, and all her assembly, with their burial-sites all around her, all of them slain, fallen by the sword,
23 whose burial-sites are set in the sides of the pit, and her assembly is all around her burial-place, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, because they instilled fear in the land of the living.
24 “There is Ěylam and all her crowd, around her burial-place, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, because they instilled fear in the land of the living. And they bear their shame with those going down to the pit.
25 “They have set her bed in the midst of the slain, with all her crowd, with her burial-sites all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for the fear they instilled in the land of the living. So they bear their shame with those going down to the pit. In the midst of the slain they have been placed.
26 “There are Mesheḵ and Tuḇal and all her crowd, with all their burial-sites around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they instilled fear in the land of the living.
27 “And they shall not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who have gone down to She’ol with their battle gear, and whose swords were laid under their heads. But their crookednesses are on their bones, because of the fear of the mighty in the land of the living.
28 “And you shall be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and lie with those slain by the sword.
29 “There is Eḏom, her sovereigns and all her princes, who shall be given up in their might, with those slain by the sword. With the uncircumcised they lie, and with those going down to the pit.
30 “There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Tsiḏonians, who have gone down with the slain, because of the fear they instilled. They are ashamed of their might. And they lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those going down to the pit.
31 “Pharaoh — Pharaoh and all his army — shall see them, and he shall be comforted for all his host that were slain by the sword,” declares the Master יהוה.
32 “For I have put a fear of him in the land of the living, yet he shall be placed in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword — Pharaoh and all his host,” declares the Master יהוה.
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and you shall say to them, ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land shall take a man from their borders and shall make him their watchman,
3 and he sees the sword coming upon the land, and shall blow with the shophar and shall warn the people,
4 then whoever shall hear the voice of the shophar and shall not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood is on his own head.
5 He heard the voice of the shophar, but he did not take warning, his blood is on himself. But he who takes warning shall deliver his being.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and shall not blow with the shophar, and the people shall not be warned, and the sword comes and takes any being from among them, he is taken away in his crookedness, and his blood I require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 “And you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall hear a word from My mouth and you shall warn them for Me.
8 “When I say to the wrong, ‘O wrong one, you shall certainly die!’ and you have not spoken to warn the wrong from his way, that wrong one shall die in his crookedness, and his blood I require at your hand.
9 “But when you have warned the wrong to turn from his way, and he has not turned from his way, he shall die in his crookedness, but you have delivered your being.
10 “And you, O son of man, say to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘This is what you have said, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how then shall we live?” ’
11 “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares the Master יהוה, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wrong, but that the wrong turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Yisra’ĕl?’
12 “And you, O son of man, say to the children of your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. And as for the wrongness of the wrong, he shall not stumble because of it in the day that he turns from his wrong. And the righteous shall not be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’
13 “When I say to the righteous that he shall live, and he has trusted in his righteousness, and shall do unrighteousness, none of his righteousness shall be remembered, but because of his unrighteousness that he has done, he shall die.
14 “Again, when I say to the wrong, ‘You shall certainly die,’ if he turns from his sin and does right and righteousness,
15 if the wrong restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the laws of life without doing crookedness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.
16 “None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him — he has done right and righteousness; he shall certainly live.
17 “And the children of your people have said, ‘The way of יהוה is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair!
18 “When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does unrighteousness, he shall die because of it.
19 “But when the wrong turns from his wrongness and does right and righteousness, he shall live because of it.
20 “And you have said, ‘The way of יהוה is not fair.’ O house of Yisra’ĕl, I shall judge every one of you according to his own ways.”
21 And it came to be in the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth of the new moon, that one who had escaped from Yerushalayim came to me and said, “The city has been stricken!”
22 And the hand of יהוה came upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had opened my mouth, before he came to me in the morning. And my mouth was opened. And I was no longer silent.
23 Then the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
24 “Son of man, they who inhabit those ruins in the land of Yisra’ĕl are saying, ‘Aḇraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many, let the land be given to us as a possession.’
25 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “You eat meat with blood, and you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land?
26 “You depend on your sword, and you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbour’s wife. Should you then possess the land?” ’
27 “Say this to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “As I live, those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and the one who is in the open field I shall give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and caves shall die of the pestilence.
28 “And I shall make the land a desert and a waste, the arrogance of her strength shall cease, and the mountains of Yisra’ĕl shall be a waste, with none passing through.
29 “And they shall know that I am יהוה, when I have made the land a desert and a waste, because of all their abominations which they have done.” ’
30 “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses. And they speak to each other, each saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from יהוה.’
31 “And they come to you as people do, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them. For with their mouth they show much love — their hearts pursue their greedy gain.
32 “And see, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a beautiful voice and playing well on an instrument. And they hear your words, but they do not do them.
33 “And when it comes — see, it shall come — then they shall know that a prophet has been in their midst.”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Yisra’ĕl, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה to the shepherds, “Woe to the shepherds of Yisra’ĕl who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?
3 “You eat the fat and you put on the wool. You slaughter the fatlings — you do not feed the flock.
4 “You have not strengthened the weak, nor have you healed the sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back the straying, nor sought what was lost; but you have ruled them with might and harshness.
5 “And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
6 “My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill. And My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”
7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of יהוה:
8 “As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, from not having a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock,”
9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of יהוה!
10 Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am against the shepherds, and shall require My flock at their hand, and shall make them cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more. And I shall deliver My flock from their mouths, and they shall no longer be food for them.”
11 For thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I Myself shall search for My sheep and seek them out.
12 “As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so I shall seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered in a day of cloud and thick darkness.
13 “And I shall bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the lands, and shall bring them to their own land. And I shall feed them on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, in the valleys, and in all the dwellings of the land.
14 “In good pasture I shall feed them, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Yisra’ĕl. They shall lie there in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl.
15 “I shall feed My flock and make them lie down,” declares the Master יהוה.
16 “I shall seek out the lost and bring back the strayed. And I shall bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick, but the fat and the strong I shall destroy. I shall feed them with right-ruling.”
17 And as for you, O My flock, thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am judging between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.
18 “Is it not enough for you to have eaten up the good pasture, and the rest of your pasture you trample with your feet. Or that you should drink of the clear waters, and the rest you muddy with your feet?
19 “And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have muddied with your feet.”
20 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה to them, “See, I Myself shall judge between fat and lean sheep.
21 “Because you have pushed with flank and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad,
22 therefore I shall save My flock, and let them no longer be a prey. And I shall judge between sheep and sheep.
23 “And I shall raise up over them one shepherd, My servant Dawiḏ, and he shall feed them. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.
24 “And I, יהוה, shall be their Elohim, and My servant Dawiḏ a prince in their midst. I, יהוה, have spoken.
25 “And I shall make a covenant of peace with them, and make evil beasts cease from the land. And they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.
26 “And I shall make them and the places all around My hill a blessing, and shall cause showers to come down in their season — showers of blessing they are.
27 “And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit and the earth yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land. And they shall know that I am יהוה, when I have broken the bars of their yoke. And I shall deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them,
28 and they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, and the beast of the earth shall not devour them. And they shall dwell safely, with no one to make them afraid.
29 “And I shall raise up for them a planting place of name, and they shall no longer be consumed by hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the nations any more.
30 “And they shall know that I, יהוה their Elohim, am with them, and that they, the house of Yisra’ĕl, are My people,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
31 “And you, My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your Elohim,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against Mount Sĕ‛ir and prophesy against it,
3 and you shall say to it, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, O Mount Sĕ‛ir, I am against you, and shall stretch out My hand against you, and shall make you a ruin and a waste.
4 “Your cities I destroy, and let you be a ruin. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
5 “Because you have had a continuous enmity, and handed the children of Yisra’ĕl over to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the crookedness of the end.
6 “Therefore, as I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “I shall appoint you for blood, and let blood pursue you. Since you did not hate blood, therefore blood shall pursue you.
7 “And I shall make Mount Sĕ‛ir a ruin and a waste, and cut off from it the one who leaves and the one who returns,
8 and shall fill its mountains with the slain, those slain by the sword falling on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines.
9 “I shall make you an everlasting ruin, and your cities uninhabited. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
10 “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two lands are mine, and we shall possess them,’ although יהוה was there,
11 therefore, as I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “I shall do according to your displeasure and according to your envy which you showed in your hatred against them. And I shall make Myself known among them when I judge you.
12 “And you shall know that I am יהוה. I have heard all your scorns which you have spoken against the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘They are laid waste, they were given to us for food.’
13 “And with your mouth you have boasted against Me and increased your words against Me — I Myself have heard.”
14 Thus said the Master יהוה, “As all the earth is rejoicing I shall make you a ruin.
15 “As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Yisra’ĕl was laid waste, so I do to you: be a ruin, O Mount Sĕ‛ir, as well as all of Eḏom, all of it! And they shall know that I am יהוה.” ’
1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say, ‘O mountains of Yisra’ĕl, hear the word of יהוה!
2 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The heights of old have become our possession,’” ’
3 therefore prophesy, and you shall say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Because they laid you waste and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you are taken up by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people,”
4 therefore, O mountains of Yisra’ĕl, hear the word of the Master יהוה! Thus said the Master יהוה to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, and to the deserted ruins, and to the cities that have been forsaken, which became a prey and a mocking to the rest of the nations all around;
5 therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “Have I not spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Eḏom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with all joy of heart, with scorn in their being, to drive it out for a prey?” ’
6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to mountains, and to hills, to rivers, and to valleys, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I have spoken in My jealousy and My wrath, because you have borne the shame of the nations.”
7 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “I have lifted My hand in an oath that the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame.
8 “But you, O mountains of Yisra’ĕl, put forth your branches and bear your fruit to My people Yisra’ĕl, for they are about to come!
9 “For look, I am for you, and I shall turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown.
10 “And I shall increase men upon you, all the house of Yisra’ĕl, all of it. And the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
11 “And I shall increase upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and bear young. And I shall make you inhabited as of old, and do better for you than at your beginnings. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
12 “And I shall let men, My people Yisra’ĕl, walk upon you, and let them possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and no longer let you add to their bereavement.”
13 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Because they say to you, ‘You devour men and have bereaved your nation,’
14 therefore you shall no longer devour men, and no longer bereave your nation,” declares the Master יהוה.
15 “And no longer shall I let you hear the insults of the nations. And the reproach of the peoples you shall bear no more, and no longer cause your nations to stumble,” declares the Master יהוה.’ ”
16 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
17 “Son of man, when the house of Yisra’ĕl dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds. To Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her monthly period.
18 “So I poured out My wrath on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols they defiled it.
19 “And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. I have judged them according to their ways and their deeds.
20 “And when they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My set-apart Name for it was said of them, ‘These are the people of יהוה, and yet they have gone out of His land.’
21 “But I had compassion on My set-apart Name, which the house of Yisra’ĕl had profaned among the nations wherever they went.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Yisra’ĕl, but for My set-apart Name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.
23 “And I shall set apart My great Name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. And the nations shall know that I am יהוה,” declares the Master יהוה, “when I am set-apart in you before their eyes.
24 “And I shall take you from among the nations, and I shall gather you out of all lands, and I shall bring you into your own land.
25 “And I shall sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean — from all your filthiness and from all your idols I cleanse you.
26 “And I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I shall give you a heart of flesh,
27 and put My Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My right-rulings and shall do them.
28 “And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be My people, and I shall be your Elohim.
29 “And I shall save you from all your uncleannesses. And I shall call for the grain and increase it, and I shall bring no scarcity of food upon you.
30 “And I shall increase the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of scarcity of food among the nations.
31 “And you shall remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good. And you shall loathe yourselves in your own eyes, for your crookednesses and your abominations.
32 “Not for your sake am I acting,” declares the Master יהוה, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and blush for your ways, O house of Yisra’ĕl!”
33 Thus said the Master יהוה, “On the day that I cleanse you from all your crookednesses, I shall cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruined places shall be rebuilt,
34 and the land that was laid waste tilled instead of being a ruin before the eyes of all who pass by.
35 “And they shall say, ‘This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Ěḏen. And the wasted, the deserted, and the destroyed cities are now walled and inhabited.’
36 “Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, יהוה, have rebuilt the destroyed places and planted what was laid waste. I, יהוה, have spoken it, and I shall do it.”
37 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Once again I shall let the house of Yisra’ĕl inquire of Me to do for them: I shall increase their men like a flock.
38 “As a set-apart flock, as the flock at Yerushalayim at her appointed times, so shall the wasted cities be filled with flocks of men. And they shall know that I am יהוה.” ’ ”
1 The hand of יהוה was upon me and took me out by the Spirit of יהוה, and set me down in the midst of the valley. And it was filled with bones.
2 And He made me pass among them, all around, and see, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and see, they were very dry.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, would these bones live?” And I said, “O Master יהוה, You know.”
4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and you shall say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of יהוה!
5 Thus said the Master יהוה to these bones, “See, I am bringing into you a spirit, and you shall live.
6 “And I shall put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, and cover you with skin and put a spirit in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am יהוה.” ’ ”
7 And I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and there was a rattling. And the bones came together, bone to bone.
8 And I looked and saw sinews and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them, but there was no spirit in them.
9 He then said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and you shall say to the spirit, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe on these killed ones, so that they live.” ’ ”
10 And I prophesied as He commanded me, and the spirit came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, a very great army.
11 And He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Yisra’ĕl. See, they say, ‘Our bones are dry, our expectancy has perished, and we ourselves have been cut off!’
12 “Therefore prophesy, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, O My people, I am opening your burial-sites and shall bring you up from your burial-sites, and shall bring you into the land of Yisra’ĕl.
13 “And you shall know that I am יהוה, when I open your burial-sites, My people, and bring you up from your burial-sites.
14 “And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall settle you in your own land. And you shall know that I יהוה have spoken, and I have done it,” declares יהוה.’ ”
15 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
16 “And you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it, ‘For Yehuḏah and for the children of Yisra’ĕl, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Yosĕph, the stick of Ephrayim, and for all the house of Yisra’ĕl, his companions.’
17 “Then bring them together for yourself into one stick, and they shall become one in your hand.
18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’
19 say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am taking the stick of Yosĕph, which is in the hand of Ephrayim, and the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, his companions. And I shall give them unto him, with the stick of Yehuḏah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.” ’
20 “And the sticks on which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes.
21 “And speak to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am taking the children of Yisra’ĕl from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and shall gather them from all around, and I shall bring them into their land.
22 “And I shall make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl. And one sovereign shall be sovereign over them all, and let them no longer be two nations, and let them no longer be divided into two reigns.
23 “And they shall no longer defile themselves with their idols, nor with their disgusting matters, nor with any of their transgressions. And I shall save them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and I shall cleanse them. And they shall be My people, and I be their Elohim,
24 while Dawiḏ My servant is sovereign over them. And they shall all have one shepherd and walk in My right-rulings and guard My laws, and shall do them.
25 “And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Ya‛aqoḇ My servant, where your fathers dwelt. And they shall dwell in it, they and their children and their children’s children, forever, and My servant Dawiḏ be their prince forever.
26 “And I shall make a covenant of peace with them — an everlasting covenant it is with them. And I shall place them and increase them, and shall place My set-apart place in their midst, forever.
27 “And My Dwelling Place shall be over them. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.
28 “And the nations shall know that I, יהוה, am setting Yisra’ĕl apart, when My set-apart place is in their midst — forever.” ’ ”
1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against Goḡ, of the land of Maḡoḡ, the prince of Rosh, Mesheḵ, and Tuḇal, and prophesy against him.
3 “And you shall say, ‘Thus says the Master יהוה, “See, I am against you, O Goḡ, the prince of Rosh, Mesheḵ, and Tuḇal.
4 “And I shall turn you around, and I shall put hooks into your jaws, and shall lead you out, with all your army, horses and horsemen, clad perfectly, a great assembly with armour and shields, all of them handling swords.
5 “Persia, Kush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet,
6 “Gomer and all its bands, the house of Toḡarmah from the far north and all its bands, many peoples with you.
7 “Be ready, prepare yourself, you and all your assemblies that are assembled unto you. And you shall be a guard for them.
8 “After many days you shall be called up. In the latter years you shall come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, which had been a continual waste. But they were brought out of the peoples, and all of them shall dwell safely.
9 “And you shall go up, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your bands and many peoples with you.”
10 Thus said the Master יהוה, “And it shall be in that day that words arise in your heart, and you shall devise an evil plan:
11 “And you shall say, ‘Let me go up against a land of unwalled villages, let me go to those at rest who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,’
12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the peoples, acquiring livestock and goods, who dwell in the middle of the land.
13 “Sheḇa, and Deḏan, and the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions shall say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to bear away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’” ’
14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and you shall say to Goḡ, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “In that day when My people Yisra’ĕl dwell safely, would you not know?
15 “And you shall come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army.
16 “And you shall come up against My people Yisra’ĕl like a cloud, to cover the land — in the latter days it shall be. And I shall bring you against My land, in order that the nations know Me, when I am set apart in you, O Goḡ, before their eyes.”
17 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Are you the one I spoke of in former days by My servants the prophets of Yisra’ĕl, who prophesied for years in those days, to bring you against them?
18 “And it shall be on that day, on the day when Goḡ comes against the land of Yisra’ĕl,” declares the Master יהוה, “that My wrath shall come up in My face.
19 “For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken, ‘On that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Yisra’ĕl,
20 so that the fish of the sea, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping creatures that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall fall to the ground.’
21 “And I shall call for a sword against Goḡ on all My mountains,” declares the Master יהוה, “the sword of each one being against his brother.
22 “And I shall judge him with pestilence and blood, and rain down flooding rain and hailstones, fire and sulphur, on him and on his bands and on the many peoples who are with him.
23 “And I shall exalt Myself and set Myself apart, and I shall be known in the eyes of many nations. And they shall know that I am יהוה.” ’
1 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Goḡ, and you shall say, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am against you, O Goḡ, the prince of Rosh, Mesheḵ, and Tuḇal,
2 and shall turn you around and lead you on, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and bring you against the mountains of Yisra’ĕl,
3 and shall strike the bow out of your left hand, and make the arrows fall from your right hand.
4 “On the mountains of Yisra’ĕl you shall fall, you and all your bands and the peoples who are with you. To the birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field I shall give you for food.
5 “On the face of the field you shall fall, for I have spoken,” declares the Master יהוה.
6 “And I shall send fire upon Maḡoḡ and on those who live undisturbed in the coastlands. And they shall know that I am יהוה.
7 “And I shall make My set-apart Name known in the midst of My people Yisra’ĕl, and not let My set-apart Name be profaned any more. And the nations shall know that I am יהוה, the Set-apart One in Yisra’ĕl.
8 “See, it shall come, and it shall be done,” declares the Master יהוה. “This is the day of which I have spoken.
9 “And those who inhabit the cities of Yisra’ĕl shall go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and armour, the bows and arrows, the clubs and spears. And they shall make fires with them for seven years,
10 and take no wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, for with the weapons they make fire. And they shall plunder those who plundered them, and loot those who looted them,” declares the Master יהוה.
11 “And it shall be on that day that I give Goḡ a place for a burial-site there in Yisra’ĕl, the valley of those passing by east of the sea, and stopping those passing by, because there they shall bury Goḡ and all his crowd, and shall call it the Valley of Hamon Goḡ.
12 “And the house of Yisra’ĕl shall bury them for seven new moons, in order to cleanse the land.
13 “And all the people of the land shall bury them, and it shall be for a name to them on the day that I am esteemed,” declares the Master יהוה.
14 “And they shall separate men who continually pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven new moons they shall search,
15 and those passing through shall pass through the land, and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall set up a sign beside it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Goḡ.
16 “And also a city named Hamonah shall be there. So they shall cleanse the land.” ’
17 “And you, son of man, thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field, “Assemble yourselves and come, gather from all around to My slaughtering which I am slaughtering for you, a great slaughtering on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood.
18 “Eat the flesh of the mighty, drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams and lambs, of goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 “And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at My slaughtering which I am slaughtering for you.
20 “And you shall be satisfied at My table with horses and riders, with mighty men and with all the men of battle,” declares the Master יהוה.
21 “And I shall set My esteem among the nations. And all nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them.
22 “And the house of Yisra’ĕl shall know that I am יהוה their Elohim from that day onward.
23 “And the nations shall know that the house of Yisra’ĕl went into exile for their crookedness, because they have trespassed against Me, so that I hid My face from them, and I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword.
24 “According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’
25 “Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Now I am going to bring back the captives of Ya‛aqoḇ. And I shall have compassion on all the house of Yisra’ĕl, and shall be jealous for My set-apart Name.
26 And they shall have borne their shame, and all their trespass they committed against Me, when they dwell safely in their own land, with none to make them afraid,
27 when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of the lands of their enemies. And I shall be set apart in them before the eyes of many nations.
28 And they shall know that I am יהוה their Elohim, who sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them back to their own land, and left none of them behind.
29 And no longer do I hide My face from them, for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Yisra’ĕl,’ declares the Master יהוה.”
1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at Rosh haShanah, on the tenth of the new moon, in the fourteenth year after the city was stricken, on that same day the hand of יהוה came upon me and He brought me there.
2 In visions of Elohim He brought me into the land of Yisra’ĕl and set me on a very high mountain, and upon it toward the south was as the structure of a city.
3 So He brought me there, and look, a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, and a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.
4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I am showing you, for you were brought here in order to show them to you. Declare to the house of Yisra’ĕl all that you are seeing.”
5 And look: a wall all around the outside of the House, and in the man’s hand a measuring rod six cubits long, each being a cubit and a handbreadth. And he measured the width of the wall structure, one rod, and the height one rod.
6 Then he came to the gate facing east. And he went up its stairs and measured the threshold of the gate, one rod wide, and the other threshold, one rod wide,
7 and the little room one rod long and one rod wide, and between the little rooms a space of five cubits. And the threshold of the gate inwards from the porch of the gate was one rod.
8 Then he measured the porch of the inside gate, one rod.
9 And he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits, and its posts two cubits. And the porch of the gate was on the inside.
10 And the little rooms of the east gate three on one side and three on the other, all three of the same size. And posts were of the same size on this side and that side.
11 And he measured the width of the entrance of the gate, ten cubits, and the length of the gate thirteen cubits.
12 And the border in front of the little rooms, one cubit on this side and one cubit on that side. And the gate room was six cubits on this side and six cubits on that side.
13 And he measured the gate from the roof of one little room to the roof of the other, the width was twenty-five cubits, door to door.
14 And he measured the posts, sixty cubits high, even to the post of the courtyard all around the gate.
15 And from the front of the entrance gate to the front of the porch of the inner gate was fifty cubits.
16 And there were narrowed window frames in the little rooms and to their posts at the inside of the gate all around, and for the porches too. And there were windows all around on the inside. And on each post were palm trees.
17 And he brought me into the outer courtyard, and look, rooms and a pavement made all around the courtyard, thirty rooms on the pavement.
18 And the pavement was by the side of the gates, equal to the length of the gates — the lower pavement.
19 And he measured the width from the front of the lower gate to the front of the inner courtyard on the outside, one hundred cubits toward the east and the north.
20 And the gate of the outer courtyard facing north he measured its length and its width.
21 And its little rooms, three on this side and three on that side, its posts and its porches, had the same measurements as the first gate, its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits.
22 And its windows and its porches, and its palm trees, had the same measurements as the gate facing east. And they went up to it by seven steps, and its porch was in front of it.
23 And the gate of the inner courtyard was opposite the northern gate, and at the eastern gate. And he measured from gate to gate, one hundred cubits.
24 And he took me toward the south, and look, a gate toward the south. And he measured its posts and porches according to these measurements.
25 And windows were in it and in its porches all around like those windows, its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits.
26 And seven steps led up to it, and its porch was in front of them. And it had palm trees on its posts, one on this side and one on that side.
27 And the inner courtyard had a gate toward the south. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, one hundred cubits.
28 And he brought me to the inner courtyard through the south gate, and he measured the southern gate according to these measurements.
29 And its little rooms, and its posts, and its porches were according to these measurements. And windows were in it and in its porches all around — fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
30 And there were porches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide.
31 And its porches were toward the outer courtyard, and palm trees were on its posts, and eight steps led up to it.
32 And he brought me into the inner courtyard toward the east, and he measured the gate according to these measurements.
33 And its little rooms, and its posts, and its porches were according to these measurements. And windows were in it and in its porches all around — fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide.
34 And its porches were toward the outer courtyard, and palm trees were on its posts on this side and on that side, and eight steps led up to it.
35 And he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it according to these measurements,
36 its little rooms, its posts, and its porches. And it had windows all around, its length was fifty cubits and its width twenty-five cubits.
37 And its posts were toward the outer courtyard, and palm trees were on its posts on this side and on that side, and eight steps led up to it.
38 And there was a room with its entrance by the posts of the gate, where they washed the ascending offering.
39 And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to slay the ascending offering, and the sin offering, and the guilt offering.
40 And on the outer side, as one went up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables. And on the other side of the porch of the gate were two tables.
41 Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate, eight tables on which they slew.
42 And there were four tables of hewn stone for the ascending offering, one cubit and a half long, one cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high. On these they placed the instruments with which they slew the ascending offering and the slaughterings.
43 And the double hooks, a handbreadth wide, were fastened all around. And on the tables was the flesh of the offerings.
44 And on the outside of the inner gate were the rooms for the singers in the inner courtyard, one at the side of the north gate and facing south, and the other at the side of the south gate facing north.
45 And he said to me, “This room facing south is for the priests who guard the duty of the House.
46 “And the room facing north is for the priests who guard the duty of the slaughter-place, they are the sons of Tsaḏoq, from the sons of Lĕwi, who come near יהוה to serve Him.”
47 And he measured the courtyard, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, a square. And the slaughter-place was in front of the House.
48 And he brought me to the porch of the House and measured the doorposts of the porch, five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side. And the width of the gate was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.
49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the width eleven cubits. And by the steps which led up to it there were columns by the doorposts, one on this side and one on that side.
1 And he brought me into the Hĕḵal, and he measured the doorposts, six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side, the width of the Tent.
2 And the entrance was ten cubits wide, and the side walls of the entrance were five cubits on this side and five cubits on the other side. And he measured its length, forty cubits, and twenty cubits wide.
3 And he went inside and measured the doorposts, two cubits, and the entrance six cubits high, and the width of the entrance seven cubits.
4 And he measured the length, twenty cubits, and the width twenty cubits, to the front of the Hĕḵal. And he said to me, “This is the Most Set-apart Place.”
5 And he measured the wall of the House, six cubits, and the width of each side room all around the House was four cubits on every side.
6 And the side rooms were on three levels, one above the other, thirty rooms on each level, they rested on ledges which were for the side rooms all around, to be supported, but not fastened to the wall of the House.
7 And there was a broadening and a winding upwards for the side rooms, for the winding around the House went up like steps. And the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest level to the highest by way of the middle one.
8 And I saw the height all around the House: the foundation of the side rooms, a rod’s length of six cubits.
9 The thickness of the outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits, and that which was left between the side rooms of the House
10 and the rooms was a width of twenty cubits all around the House on every side.
11 And the door of the side room was toward the open space, one door toward the north and another toward the south. And the width of the place of the open space was five cubits all around.
12 And the building that was in front of the separate place at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide, and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.
13 Then he measured the House, one hundred cubits long. And the separate place with the building and its walls, were one hundred cubits long,
14 and the width of the front of the House, and of the separate place eastward, was one hundred cubits.
15 And he measured the length of the building to the front of the separate place behind it, and its galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits, as well as the inner Hĕḵal and the porches of the courtyard.
16 The doorposts and the narrowed window frames, and the galleries all around, their three levels opposite the threshold, were panelled with wood. From the ground to the windows, and the windows were covered,
17 from the space above the door, even to the inner house, as well as outside, and on every wall all around, inside and outside, by measure.
18 And it was made with keruḇim and palm trees, and a palm tree between keruḇ and keruḇ. A keruḇ had two faces,
19 so that the face of a man was toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward a palm tree on the other side — made on all the House all around.
20 From the floor to the space above the door, and on the wall of the Hĕḵal, keruḇim and palm trees were carved.
21 The doorposts of the Hĕḵal were square, and the front of the set-apart place, the appearance of one was like the appearance of the other.
22 The slaughter-place was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. And its corners, and its length, and its sides were of wood. And he said to me, “This is the table that is before יהוה.”
23 And the Hĕḵal and the set-apart place had two doors.
24 And each of the doors had two panels, two folding panels, two panels for one door and two panels for the other door.
25 And keruḇim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the Hĕḵal, like those carved on the walls. And thick wood was on the front of the porch outside.
26 And narrowed window frames and palm trees were on one side and on the other, on the sides of the porch, and on the side rooms of the House, and thick wood.
1 And he brought me out into the outer courtyard, the way toward the north. And he brought me into the room which was opposite the separate place, and which was opposite the building to the north.
2 Along the length which was one hundred cubits, was the north door, the width was fifty cubits.
3 Opposite the inner courtyard of twenty cubits, and opposite the pavement of the outer courtyard, gallery against gallery in three levels.
4 And before the rooms, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, a way of one cubit. And their doors were to the north.
5 And the upper rooms were shorter, because the galleries took away space from them more than from the lower and middle levels of the building.
6 For they were in three levels and had no columns like the columns of the courtyards, so the upper level was set back more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up.
7 As for the outer wall by the side of the rooms, toward the outer courtyard facing the rooms, its length was fifty cubits.
8 For the length of the rooms toward the outer courtyard was fifty cubits, and that facing the Hĕḵal was one hundred cubits.
9 And below these rooms was the entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer courtyard.
10 In the thickness of the wall of the courtyard toward the east, opposite the separate place and opposite the building, were rooms.
11 And the way in front of them was like the appearance of the rooms which were toward the north, as long and as wide as the others, and all their exits and entrances were according to plan.
12 And according to the doors of the rooms that were toward the south, there was a door in front of the way, the way in front of the wall toward the east, as one enters them.
13 And he said to me, “The north rooms and the south rooms, which are opposite the separate place, are the set-apart rooms where the priests who approach יהוה eat the most set-apart offerings. There they place the most set-apart items, and the grain offering, and the sin offering, and the guilt offering, for the place is set-apart.
14 “When the priests enter, they are not to go out of the set-apart room into the outer courtyard, but leave their garments in which they attend there, for they are set-apart, and shall put on other garments and shall draw near to that which is for the people.”
15 And when he had ended measuring the inner House, he brought me out through the gate that faces east, and measured it all around.
16 He measured the east side with the measuring rod, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around.
17 He measured the north side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around.
18 He measured the south side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod.
19 He turned round to the west side and measured five hundred rods by the measuring rod.
20 On the four sides he measured it. It had a wall all around, five hundred long and five hundred wide, to separate the set-apart places from the common.
1 And he led me to the gate, the gate facing east.
2 And see, the esteem of the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl came from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone from His esteem.
3 And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Keḇar, and I fell on my face.
4 And the esteem of יהוה came into the House by way of the gate facing east.
5 And the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner courtyard. And see, the esteem of יהוה filled the House.
6 And I heard someone speaking to me from the House, while a man stood beside me.
7 And He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, when I dwell in the midst of the children of Yisra’ĕl forever, and the house of Yisra’ĕl shall no longer defile My set-apart Name, they nor their sovereigns, by their whoring and by the corpses of their sovereigns on their high places.
8 “When they placed their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My set-apart Name by the abominations which they have done. So I consumed them in My displeasure.
9 “Now let them put their whoring and the corpses of their sovereigns far away from Me, and I shall dwell in their midst forever.
10 “Son of man, explain the House to the house of Yisra’ĕl, and when they are ashamed of their crookednesses, they shall measure the measurements.
11 “And since they shall be ashamed of all that they did, make known to them the design of the House and its structure, and its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its laws, and all its forms and all its Torot. And write it down before their eyes, so that they observe its entire design and all its laws, and shall do them.
12 “This is the Torah of the House: Upon the mountaintop, all the boundary of it, all around, is most set-apart. See, this is the Torah of the House.
13 “And these are the measurements of the slaughter-place in cubits, that cubit being one cubit and a handbreadth, and the base one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. And this is the upper part of the slaughter-place.
14 “And from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits, and the width of the ledge one cubit, and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge four cubits, and the width of the ledge one cubit.
15 “And the slaughter-place hearth is four cubits high, and four horns extending upward from the hearth.
16 “And the slaughter-place hearth is twelve cubits long, and twelve wide, square at its four corners.
17 “And the ledge is fourteen long and fourteen wide on its four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it, and its base one cubit all around, and its steps face east.”
18 And He said to me, “Son of man, thus said the Master יהוה, ‘These are the laws for the slaughter-place on the day when it is made, for offering ascending offerings on it, and for sprinkling blood on it.
19 And you shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the priests, the Lĕwites, who are of the seed of Tsaḏoq, who approach unto Me,’ declares the Master יהוה.
20 And you shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the slaughter-place, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it, and shall cleanse it and make atonement for it.
21 And you shall take the bull of the sin offering, and shall burn it in the appointed place of the House, outside the set-apart place.
22 And on the second day you bring a male goat, a perfect one, for a sin offering. And they shall cleanse the slaughter-place, as they cleansed it with the bull.
23 When you have ended cleansing it, bring a young bull, a perfect one, and a ram from the flock, a perfect one.
24 And you shall bring them before יהוה, and the priests shall throw salt on them and offer them up as an ascending offering to יהוה.
25 Prepare a goat for a sin offering daily for seven days, and prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, perfect ones.
26 For seven days they shall make atonement for the slaughter-place and cleanse it, and ordain it.
27 And when these days are completed it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests make your ascending offerings and your peace offerings on the slaughter-place, and I shall accept you,’ declares the Master יהוה.”
1 And He brought me back to the outer gate of the set-apart place which faces east, and it was shut.
2 And יהוה said to me, “This gate is shut, it is not opened, and no one enters it, because יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl has entered by it, and it shall be shut.
3 “The prince, as prince, he sits in it to eat bread before יהוה, coming in by way of the porch of the gate, and going out the same way.”
4 And He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the House. And I looked and saw the esteem of יהוה filled the House of יהוה, and I fell on my face.
5 And יהוה said to me, “Son of man, set your heart and see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the laws of the House of יהוה and all its Torot. And you shall set your heart to the entrance of the house, with all the exits of the set-apart place,
6 and shall say to the rebellious, to the house of Yisra’ĕl, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “O house of Yisra’ĕl, enough of all these abominations of yours,
7 that you brought in sons of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My set-apart place to profane it, My house! That you brought near My food, the fat and the blood, and you broke My covenant because of all your abominations.
8 “And you did not guard the charge of that which is set-apart to Me, but you have set others to guard the charge of My set-apart place for you.”
9 Thus said the Master יהוה, “No son of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, comes into My set-apart place, even any son of a foreigner who is among the children of Yisra’ĕl.
10 “And the Lĕwites who went far from Me, when Yisra’ĕl went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their crookedness.
11 “And they were attendants in My set-apart place, as gatekeepers of the house and attendants of the house, slaying the ascending offering and the slaughtering for the people, and standing before them to attend to them.
12 “Because they attended to them before their idols and became a stumbling-block of crookedness to the house of Yisra’ĕl, therefore I have lifted My hand in an oath against them,” declares the Master יהוה, “that they shall bear their crookedness,
13 and not come near Me to serve as My priest, nor come near any of that which is set-apart to Me, nor into the Most Set-apart Place. And they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have done.
14 “Yet I shall make them those who guard the duty of the House, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.
15 “But the priests, the Lĕwites, the sons of Tsaḏoq, who guarded the duty of My set-apart place when the children of Yisra’ĕl went astray from Me, they shall draw near to Me to serve Me, and shall stand before Me to bring to Me the fat and the blood,” declares the Master יהוה.
16 “They shall enter My set-apart place, and they shall draw near to My table to serve Me, and they shall guard My charge.
17 “And it shall be, when they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, that they put on linen garments, and no wool shall come upon them while they attend within the gates of the inner courtyard or within the house.
18 “They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies, they shall not gird themselves with sweat.
19 “And when they go out to the outer courtyard, to the outer courtyard to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they have attended, and shall leave them in the set-apart rooms, and shall put on other garments, and they shall set-apart the people in their garments.
20 “And their heads they shall not shave, nor shall they let their hair grow long — they shall keep their hair well trimmed.
21 “And no priest is to drink wine when he comes into the inner court.
22 “And they do not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take maidens of the seed of the house of Yisra’ĕl, or widows of priests.
23 “And they are to teach My people the difference between the set-apart and the profane, and make them know what is unclean and clean.
24 “And they are to stand as judges in a dispute, and judge it according to My right-rulings. And they are to guard My Torot and My laws in all My appointed times, and set apart My Sabbaths.
25 “And they are not to defile themselves by coming near a dead man. Only for a father or mother, for a son or daughter, for a brother or unmarried sister they defile themselves.
26 “And after his cleansing, they count seven days for him,
27 and on the day that he comes into the inner court of the set-apart place to attend in the set-apart place, he brings his sin offering,” declares the Master יהוה.
28 “And it shall be to them for an inheritance, I am their inheritance. And you give them no possession in Yisra’ĕl — I am their possession.
29 “The grain offering, and the sin offering, and the guilt offering they are to eat, and all that is dedicated in Yisra’ĕl is theirs.
30 “And the first of all the first-fruits of all, and every contribution of all, of all your contributions, belong to the priests. And the first of your ground meal you give to the priest, so that a blessing rests on your house.
31 “The priests are not to eat any bird or beast found dead or torn to pieces.
1 “And when you divide the land by lot into inheritance, offer a contribution to יהוה, a set-apart portion of the land, in length twenty-five thousand cubits long, and in width ten thousand, this being set-apart throughout its border all around.
2 “Of this a square plot is to be for the set-apart place, five hundred by five hundred, with fifty cubits around it for an open space.
3 “And from this measure you are to measure: twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide. And in it is to be the set-apart place, the Most Set-apart Place.
4 “This is to be a set-apart portion of the land, belonging to the priests, the attendants of the set-apart place, who draw near to serve יהוה. And it shall be a place for their houses and set-apart ground for the set-apart place.
5 “And twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width is for the Lĕwites, the attendants of the House, for them for a possession, twenty rooms.
6 “And give the city as possession: five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand long, beside the contribution of the set-apart portion — it belongs to all the house of Yisra’ĕl.
7 “And the prince is to have a portion on one side and the other of the set-apart contribution and of the possession of the city. And bordering on the set-apart contribution and the possession of the city, on the west side westward and on the east side eastward, and the length alongside one of the portions, from the west border to the east border.
8 “Of the land this is his possession in Yisra’ĕl, and My princes shall no longer oppress My people. And they shall give the land to the house of Yisra’ĕl, according to their tribes.”
9 Thus said the Master יהוה, “Enough, you princes of Yisra’ĕl! Put away violence and plundering, and do right-ruling and righteousness, and stop your evictions of My people,” declares the Master יהוה.
10 “Have right scales, and a right ĕphah, and a right bath.
11 “Let the ĕphah and the bath be of the same measure, so that the bath contains one-tenth of a ḥomer, and the ĕphah one-tenth of a ḥomer. Let their measure be according to the ḥomer.
12 “And the sheqel is twenty gĕrahs. Your mina is twenty sheqels, twenty-five sheqels, fifteen sheqels.
13 “This is the contribution which you present: you shall give one-sixth of an ĕphah from a ḥomer of wheat, and one-sixth of an ĕphah from a ḥomer of barley.
14 “And the law concerning oil, the bath of oil, is one-tenth of a bath from a kor. A kor is a ḥomer or ten baths, for ten baths are a ḥomer.
15 “And one lamb from a flock, from two hundred, from the watered pastures of Yisra’ĕl, for grain offerings, and for an ascending offering, and for peace offerings, to make atonement for them,” declares the Master יהוה.
16 “All the people of the land are to give this contribution to the prince in Yisra’ĕl.
17 “And on the prince are the ascending offerings, and the grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the festival, the new moons, the sabbaths — in all the appointed times of the house of Yisra’ĕl. He is to prepare the sin offering, and the grain offering, and the ascending offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Yisra’ĕl.”
18 Thus said the Master יהוה, “In the first month, on the first of the new moon, you are to take a young bull, a perfect one, and shall cleanse the set-apart place.
19 “And the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the House, on the four corners of the ledge of the slaughter-place, and on the posts of the gate of the inner courtyard.
20 “And do the same on the seventh of the new moon for anyone who makes a mistake or is foolish. And you shall make atonement for the House.
21 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the new moon, you have the Pĕsaḥ, a festival of seven days, unleavened bread is eaten.
22 “And on that day the prince shall prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering.
23 “And during the seven days of the festival he prepares an ascending offering to יהוה, seven bulls and seven rams, perfect ones, daily for seven days, and a male goat daily for a sin offering.
24 “And he prepares a grain offering of one ĕphah for each bull and one ĕphah for each ram, together with a hin of oil for each ĕphah.
25 “In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the new moon, at the festival, he prepares like these seven days, as the sin offering, as the ascending offering, as the grain offering, and as the oil.”
1 ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “The gate of the inner courtyard facing east is shut the six days of work, but on the sabbath it is opened, and on the day of the new moon it is opened.
2 “And the prince shall enter by way of the porch of that gate from the outside, and he shall stand by the post. And the priests shall prepare his ascending offering and his peace offerings. And he shall bow himself at the threshold of the gate, and shall go out, but the gate is not shut until evening.
3 “And the people of the land shall also bow themselves at the entrance to this gate before יהוה, on the sabbaths and on the new moons.
4 “And the ascending offering which the prince brings to יהוה on the sabbath day is six lambs, perfect ones, and a ram, a perfect one.
5 “And the grain offering is one ĕphah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, a gift of his hand, and a hin of oil for an ĕphah.
6 “And on the day of the new moon: a young bull, a perfect one, six lambs, and a ram, they should be perfect.
7 “And he prepares a grain offering of an ĕphah for a bull, and an ĕphah for a ram, and for the lambs as his hand attains, and a hin of oil for an ĕphah.
8 “And when the prince enters, he comes in by way of the porch of that gate, and goes out the same way.
9 “And when the people of the land enter before יהוה at the appointed times, whoever shall enter by way of the north gate to bow himself, goes out by way of the south gate. And whoever enters by way of the south gate, goes out by way of the north gate, he shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but goes out through the opposite one.
10 “And the prince is to be in their midst, entering when they enter, and going out when they go out.
11 “And in the festivals and in the appointed times the grain offering is an ĕphah for a bull, and an ĕphah for a ram, and for lambs the gift of his hand, and a hin of oil for an ĕphah.
12 “And when the prince makes a spontaneous ascending offering or spontaneous peace offerings to יהוה, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall prepare his ascending offering and his peace offerings as he did on the Sabbath day. And he shall go out, and after he goes out the gate shall be shut.
13 “And make a daily ascending offering to יהוה of a lamb a year old, a perfect one, preparing it morning by morning.
14 “And prepare a grain offering with it morning by morning, a sixth of an ĕphah, and a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour, a grain offering to יהוה — continual everlasting laws.
15 “And prepare the lamb, and the grain offering, and the oil, morning by morning, a continual ascending offering.”
16 Thus said the Master יהוה, “When the prince gives a gift of some of his inheritance to any of his sons, it belongs to his sons, it is their possession by inheritance.
17 “And when he gives a gift of some of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his till the year of release, then it shall return to the prince. Only the inheritance of his sons is theirs.
18 “And the prince does not take any of the people’s inheritance by evicting them from their possession. He is to give his sons their inheritance from his own possession, so that none of My people are separated from his possession.” ’ ”
19 And he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the set-apart rooms of the priests facing north. And look, there was a place at the extreme rear toward the west.
20 And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests cook the guilt offering and the sin offering, where they bake the grain offering, so as not to bring them out into the outer courtyard to set the people apart.”
21 And he brought me out into the outer courtyard and made me pass along to the four corners of the courtyard. And look, in every corner of the courtyard was another courtyard.
22 In the four corners of the courtyard were courtyards covered over, forty cubits long and thirty wide, these four corners having one measure,
23 and a row of building stones all around in them, all around the four of them, and places for fire were made under the rows, all around.
24 And he said to me, “These are the kitchens where the attendants of the House cook the slaughterings of the people.”
1 And he turned me back to the door of the House. And look, water was flowing from under the threshold of the House toward the east, for the House faced east, and the water was flowing from under the right side of the House, from the south of the slaughter-place.
2 And he led me out by way of the north gate, and took me round on the outside to the outer gate facing east. And look, water trickling out on the right side.
3 As the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he made me pass over into water, water to the ankles.
4 And he measured one thousand and made me pass over into water, water to the knees. And he measured one thousand and made me pass over, water to the loins.
5 And he measured one thousand, a stream that I was unable to pass over, for the water had risen, water to swim, a stream that is not passed over.
6 And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” And he led me and brought me back to the bank of the stream.
7 When I returned, then look, along the bank of the stream were very many trees on one side and the other.
8 And he said to me, “These waters are flowing toward the eastern country, and go down into the Araḇah, and enter the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters shall be healed.
9 “And it shall be that every swarming creature, wherever the stream goes, shall live. And there shall be very many fish, for these waters shall go there, and they are healed. And wherever the stream flows all shall live.
10 “And it shall be that fishermen stand along it, from Ěn Geḏi to Ěn Eḡlayim, being places for spreading their nets. Their fish is to be of the same kind as the fish of the Great Sea, very many.
11 “Its swamps and marshes shall not be healed, they shall be given over to salt.
12 “And by the bank of the stream, on both sides, grow all kinds of trees used for food, whose leaves do not wither and fruit do not fail. They bear fruit every new moon, because their water flows from the set-apart place. And their fruit shall be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
13 Thus said the Master יהוה, “This is the border by which you inherit the land, according to the twelve tribes of Yisra’ĕl, two portions for Yosĕph.
14 “And you shall inherit it, each one the same as his brother. For I lifted My hand in an oath to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance.
15 “And this is the border of the land on the north: from the Great Sea, the way of Ḥethlon, as one goes to Tseḏaḏ,
16 "Ḥamath, Bĕrothah, Siḇrayim, which is between the border of Dammeseq and the border of Ḥamath, Ḥatsar Hattiḵon, which is on the border of Ḥawran.
17 “And the border shall be from the Sea to Ḥatsar Ěnan, the border of Dammeseq, and on the north toward the north is the border of Ḥamath. This is the north side.
18 “And the east side is from between Ḥawran, and Dammeseq, and Gil‛aḏ, and the land of Yisra’ĕl; the Yardĕn, from the border to the eastern side of the sea you are to measure. This is the east side.
19 “And the south side toward the South is from Tamar to the waters of Meriḇah by Qaḏĕsh, along the Wadi to the Great Sea. This is the south side toward the South.
20 “And the west side is the Great Sea, from the border to the point opposite Ḥamath. This is the west side.
21 “And you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Yisra’ĕl.
22 “And it shall be that you divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who sojourn in your midst and who bear children among you. And they shall be to you as native-born among the children of Yisra’ĕl — with you they have an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl.
23 “And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger sojourns, there you give him his inheritance,” declares the Master יהוה.
1 “And these are the names of the tribes: From the north end along the way to Ḥethlon at the entrance of Ḥamath, to Ḥatsar Ěnan, the border of Dammeseq northward by the side of Ḥamath, from its east to its west side, Dan: one.
2 “And by the border of Dan, from the east side to the west, Ashĕr: one.
3 “And by the border of Ashĕr, from the east side to the west, Naphtali: one.
4 “And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Menashsheh: one.
5 “And by the border of Menashsheh, from the east side to the west, Ephrayim: one.
6 “And by the border of Ephrayim, from the east side to the west, Re’uḇĕn: one.
7 “And by the border of Re’uḇĕn, from the east side to the west, Yehuḏah: one.
8 “And by the border of Yehuḏah, from the east side to the west, is the contribution which you offer up, twenty-five thousand cubits in width, and in length the same as one of the portions, from the east side to the west, with the set-apart place in its midst.
9 “The contribution that you offer up to יהוה is twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width.
10 “And of these is the set-apart contribution for the priests: on the north twenty-five thousand cubits, and on the west ten thousand in width, and on the east ten thousand in width, and on the south twenty-five thousand in length. And the set-apart place of יהוה shall be in its midst —
11 for the priests of the sons of Tsaḏoq, who are set-apart, who did guard My Charge, who did not go astray when the children of Yisra’ĕl went astray, as the Lĕwites went astray.
12 “So this contribution shall be to them, from the contribution of the land, a most set-apart place by the border of the Lĕwites.
13 “And alongside the border of the priests, the Lĕwites have twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width, its entire length is twenty-five thousand and its width ten thousand.
14 “And they do not sell any of it, nor exchange it, nor transfer this best part of the land, for it is set-apart to יהוה.
15 “And the five thousand cubits in width that is left, facing the twenty-five thousand, is for common use by the city, for dwellings and open land. And the city shall be in its midst.
16 “And these are its measurements: the north side four thousand five hundred cubits, and the south side four thousand five hundred, and the east side four thousand five hundred, and the west side four thousand five hundred.
17 “And the open land of the city shall be: to the north two hundred and fifty cubits, and to the south two hundred and fifty, and to the east two hundred and fifty, and to the west two hundred and fifty.
18 “And the rest of the length, alongside the contribution of the set-apart portion, is ten thousand cubits to the east and ten thousand to the west. And it shall be alongside the contribution of the set-apart portion, and its increase shall be food for the workers of the city.
19 “And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, shall till it.
20 “The entire contribution is twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five thousand cubits, foursquare. You are to offer up the set-apart contribution with the possession of the city.
21 “And the rest is for the prince, on one side and on the other of the set-apart contribution and of the possession of the city, facing the twenty-five thousand cubits of the set-apart contribution as far as the eastern border, and westward facing the twenty-five thousand as far as the western border, alongside the portions of the prince. And the set-apart contribution, and the set-apart place of the House shall be in its midst.
22 “So the possession of the Lĕwites and the possession of the city are in the midst of what belongs to the prince — between the border of Yehuḏah and the border of Binyamin, it belongs to the prince.
23 “As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side to the west side, Binyamin: one.
24 “And by the border of Binyamin, from the east side to the west side, Shim‛on: one.
25 “And by the border of Shim‛on, from the east side to the west side, Yissasḵar: one.
26 “And by the border of Yissasḵar, from the east side to the west side, Zeḇulun: one.
27 “And by the border of Zeḇulun, from the east side to the west side, Gaḏ: one.
28 “And by the border of Gaḏ, on the south side toward the South, the border shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meriḇah by Qaḏĕsh, along the Wadi to the Great Sea.
29 “This is the land which you divide by lot as an inheritance among the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, and these are their portions,” declares the Master יהוה.
30 “And these are the exits of the city, the gates of the city according to the names of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl: On the north side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits,
31 the three gates northward: one gate for Re’uḇĕn, one gate for Yehuḏah, one gate for Lĕwi.
32 “And on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Yosĕph, one gate for Binyamin, one gate for Dan.
33 “And on the south side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Shim‛on, one gate for Yissasḵar, one gate for Zeḇulun.
34 “And on the west side, four thousand five hundred cubits with their three gates: one gate for Gaḏ, one gate for Ashĕr, one gate for Naphtali.
35 “All around: eighteen thousand cubits. And the name of the city from that day is: יהוה is there!”