^15:1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^15:2“Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest? ^15:3Will wood be taken of it to make anything? Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel on it? ^15:4Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both its ends, and the middle of it is burned. Is it profitable for any work? ^15:5Behold, when it was whole, it was suitable for no work. How much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it has been burned, will it yet be suitable for any work?” ^15:6Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ^15:7I will set my face against them. They will go out from the fire, but the fire will devour them. Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I set my face against them. ^15:8I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass,” says the Lord Yahweh.

^16:1Again Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^16:2“Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations; ^16:3and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh to Jerusalem: “Your origin and your birth is of the land of the Canaanite. An Amorite was your father, and your mother was a Hittite. ^16:4As for your birth, in the day you were born your navel was not cut. You weren’t washed in water to cleanse you. You weren’t salted at all, nor swaddled at all. ^16:5No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you, to have compassion on you; but you were cast out in the open field, because you were abhorred in the day that you were born. ^16:6“‘“When I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’ Yes, I said to you, ‘Though you are in your blood, live!’ ^16:7I caused you to multiply as that which grows in the field, and you increased and grew great, and you attained to excellent ornament. Your breasts were formed, and your hair grew; yet you were naked and bare. ^16:8“‘“Now when I passed by you, and looked at you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord Yahweh, “and you became mine. ^16:9“‘“Then washed I you with water. Yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. ^16:10I clothed you also with embroidered work, and put sealskin shoes on you. I dressed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. ^16:11I decked you with ornaments. put bracelets on your hands, and a chain on your neck. ^16:12I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. ^16:13Thus you were decked with gold and silver. Your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered work. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and you prospered to royal estate. ^16:14Your renown went out among the nations for your beauty; for it was perfect, through my majesty which I had put on you,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^16:15“‘“But you trusted in your beauty, and played the prostitute because of your renown, and poured out your prostitution on everyone who passed by. It was his. ^16:16You took some of your garments, and made for yourselves high places decked with various colors, and played the prostitute on them. This shall not happen, neither shall it be. ^16:17You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and played the prostitute with them. ^16:18You took your embroidered garments, covered them, and set my oil and my incense before them. ^16:19My bread also which I gave you, fine flour, oil, and honey, with which I fed you, you even set it before them for a pleasant aroma; and so it was,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^16:20“‘“Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and you have sacrificed these to them to be devoured. Was your prostitution a small matter, ^16:21that you have slain my children, and delivered them up, in causing them to pass through the fire to them? ^16:22In all your abominations and your prostitution you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and were wallowing in your blood. ^16:23“‘“It has happened after all your wickedness. Woe, woe to you!” says the Lord Yahweh, ^16:24“that you have built for yourselves a vaulted place, and have made yourselves a lofty place in every street. ^16:25You have built your lofty place at the head of every way, and have made your beauty an abomination, and have opened your feet to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your prostitution. ^16:26You have also committed sexual immorality with the Egyptians, your neighbors, great of flesh; and have multiplied your prostitution, to provoke me to anger. ^16:27See therefore, I have stretched out my hand over you, and have diminished your portion, and delivered you to the will of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd way. ^16:28You have played the prostitute also with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; yes, you have played the prostitute with them, and yet you weren’t satisfied. ^16:29You have moreover multiplied your prostitution to the land of merchants, to Chaldea; and yet you weren’t satisfied with this. ^16:30“‘“How weak is your heart,” says the Lord Yahweh, “since you do all these things, the work of an impudent prostitute; ^16:31in that you build your vaulted place at the head of every way, and make your lofty place in every street, and have not been as a prostitute, in that you scorn pay. ^16:32“‘“A wife who commits adultery! Who takes strangers instead of her husband! ^16:33People give gifts to all prostitutes; but you give your gifts to all your lovers, and bribe them, that they may come to you on every side for your prostitution. ^16:34You are different from other women in your prostitution, in that no one follows you to play the prostitute; and whereas you give hire, and no hire is given to you, therefore you are different.”’ ^16:35“Therefore, prostitute, hear Yahweh’s word: ^16:36‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Because your filthiness was poured out, and your nakedness uncovered through your prostitution with your lovers; and because of all the idols of your abominations, and for the blood of your children, that you gave to them; ^16:37therefore see, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you have taken pleasure, and all those who you have loved, with all those who you have hated. I will even gather them against you on every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. ^16:38I will judge you, as women who break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy. ^16:39I will also give you into their hand, and they will throw down your vaulted place, and break down your lofty places. They will strip you of your clothes, and take your beautiful jewels. They will leave you naked and bare. ^16:40They will also bring up a company against you, and they will stone you with stones, and thrust you through with their swords. ^16:41They will burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. I will cause you to cease from playing the prostitute, and you will also give no hire any more. ^16:42So will I cause my wrath toward you to rest, and my jealousy will depart from you. I will be quiet, and will not be angry any more. ^16:43“‘“Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have raged against me in all these things; therefore, behold, I also will bring your way on your head,” says the Lord Yahweh: “and you shall not commit this lewdness with all your abominations. ^16:44“‘“Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb against you, saying, ‘As is the mother, so is her daughter.’ ^16:45You are the daughter of your mother, who loathes her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite. ^16:46Your elder sister is Samaria, who dwells at your left hand, she and her daughters; and your younger sister, who dwells at your right hand, is Sodom with her daughters. ^16:47Yet you have not walked in their ways, nor done their abominations; but soon you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. ^16:48As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “Sodom your sister has not done, she nor her daughters, as you have done, you and your daughters. ^16:49“‘“Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters. She also didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. ^16:50They were haughty, and committed abomination before me. Therefore I took them away when I saw it. ^16:51Samaria hasn’t committed half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all your abominations which you have done. ^16:52You also bear your own shame yourself, in that you have given judgment for your sisters; through your sins that you have committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous than you. Yes, be also confounded, and bear your shame, in that you have justified your sisters. ^16:53“‘“I will reverse their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and the captivity of your captives among them; ^16:54that you may bear your own shame, and may be ashamed because of all that you have done, in that you are a comfort to them. ^16:55Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters, will return to their former estate; and Samaria and her daughters will return to their former estate; and you and your daughters will return to your former estate. ^16:56For your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the day of your pride, ^16:57before your wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all who are around her, the daughters of the Philistines, who despise you all around. ^16:58You have borne your lewdness and your abominations,” says Yahweh. ^16:59“‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will also deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant. ^16:60Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish to you an everlasting covenant. ^16:61Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your sisters, your elder sisters and your younger; and I will give them to you for daughters, but not by your covenant. ^16:62I will establish my covenant with you. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; ^16:63that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done,” says the Lord Yahweh.’”

^17:1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^17:2“Son of man, tell a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; ^17:3and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar. ^17:4He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted it in a city of merchants. ^17:5“‘“He also took some of the seed of the land, and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree. ^17:6It grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him. So it became a vine, produced branches, and shot out sprigs. ^17:7“‘“There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. Behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot out its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it. ^17:8It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might produce branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a good vine.”’ ^17:9“Say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? It can’t be raised from its roots by a strong arm or many people. ^17:10Yes, behold, being planted, will it prosper? Won’t it utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the beds where it grew.”’” ^17:11Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^17:12“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon. ^17:13He took some of the royal offspring, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land; ^17:14that the kingdom might be brought low, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. ^17:15But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape? ^17:16“‘As I live,’ says the Lord Yahweh, ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the middle of Babylon he will die. ^17:17Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company won’t help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts, to cut off many persons. ^17:18For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He won’t escape. ^17:19“Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘As I live, I will surely bring on his own head my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken. ^17:20I will spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me. ^17:21All his fugitives in all his bands will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered toward every wind. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken it.’ ^17:22“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘I will also take some of the lofty top of the cedar, and will plant it. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ^17:23I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches. ^17:24All the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. “‘I, Yahweh, have spoken and have done it.’”

^18:1Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying, ^18:2“What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? ^18:3“As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel. ^18:4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins, he shall die. ^18:5“But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right, ^18:6and has not eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife, hasn’t come near a woman in her impurity, ^18:7and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; ^18:8he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man, ^18:9has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^18:10“If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things, ^18:11or who does not do any of those things, but even has eaten at the mountain shrines, and defiled his neighbor’s wife, ^18:12has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination, ^18:13has lent with interest, and has taken increase from the poor; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood will be on him. ^18:14“Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father’s sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like; ^18:15who hasn’t eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife, ^18:16hasn’t wronged any, hasn’t taken anything to pledge, hasn’t taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; ^18:17who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who hasn’t received interest or increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father. He shall surely live. ^18:18As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity. ^18:19“Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. ^18:20The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him. ^18:21“But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. ^18:22None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live. ^18:23Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord Yahweh; “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live? ^18:24“But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die. ^18:25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal? ^18:26When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done he shall die. ^18:27Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will save his soul alive. ^18:28Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die. ^18:29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair? ^18:30“Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity will not be your ruin. ^18:31Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel? ^18:32For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Therefore turn yourselves, and live!

^19:1“Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, ^19:2and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness. She couched among lions, in the middle of the young lions she nourished her cubs. ^19:3She brought up one of her cubs. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men. ^19:4The nations also heard of him. He was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. ^19:5“‘Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a young lion. ^19:6He went up and down among the lions. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men. ^19:7He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities. The land was desolate, with its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring. ^19:8Then the nations attacked him on every side from the provinces. They spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit. ^19:9They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into strongholds, so that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel. ^19:10“‘Your mother was like a vine in your blood, planted by the waters. It was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. ^19:11It had strong branches for the scepters of those who ruled. Their stature was exalted among the thick boughs. They were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches. ^19:12But it was plucked up in fury. It was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were broken off and withered. The fire consumed them. ^19:13Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. ^19:14Fire has gone out of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong branch to be a scepter to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”

^20:1In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me. ^20:2Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^20:3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’ ^20:4“Will you judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers. ^20:5Tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, ‘I am Yahweh your God;’ ^20:6in that day I swore to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. ^20:7I said to them, ‘Each of you throw away the abominations of his eyes. Don’t defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’ ^20:8“‘“But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me. They didn’t all throw away the abominations of their eyes. They also didn’t forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the middle of the land of Egypt. ^20:9But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. ^20:10So I caused them to go out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. ^20:11I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he will live in them. ^20:12Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them. ^20:13“‘“But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keeps, he shall live in them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them. ^20:14But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. ^20:15Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; ^20:16because they rejected my ordinances, and didn’t walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. ^20:17Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I didn’t destroy them. I didn’t make a full end of them in the wilderness. ^20:18I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Don’t walk in the statutes of your fathers. Don’t observe their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. ^20:19I am Yahweh your God. Walk in my statutes, keep my ordinances, and do them. ^20:20Make my Sabbaths holy. They shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.’ ^20:21“‘“But the children rebelled against me. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and didn’t keep my ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he shall live in them. They profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. ^20:22Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. ^20:23Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; ^20:24because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols. ^20:25Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live. ^20:26I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused all that opens the womb to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Yahweh.”’ ^20:27“Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Moreover, in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. ^20:28For when I had brought them into the land which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There they also made their pleasant aroma, and there they poured out their drink offerings. ^20:29Then I said to them, ‘What does the high place where you go mean?’ So its name is called Bamah to this day.”’ ^20:30“Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Do you pollute yourselves in the way of your fathers? Do you play the prostitute after their abominations? ^20:31When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? Should I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you! ^20:32“‘“That which comes into your mind will not be at all, in that you say, ‘We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.’ ^20:33As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you. ^20:34I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. ^20:35I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. ^20:36Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^20:37“I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. ^20:38I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who disobey me. I will bring them out of the land where they live, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.” ^20:39“‘As for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Go, everyone serve his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but you shall no more profane my holy name with your gifts and with your idols. ^20:40For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh, “there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the land. There I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things. ^20:41I will accept you as a pleasant aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered. I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations. ^20:42You will know that I am Yahweh when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers. ^20:43There you will remember your ways, and all your deeds in which you have polluted yourselves. Then you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed. ^20:44You will know that I am Yahweh, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.’” ^20:45Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^20:46“Son of man, set your face toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South. ^20:47Tell the forest of the South, ‘Hear Yahweh’s word: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree. The burning flame will not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north will be burned by it. ^20:48All flesh will see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it. It will not be quenched.”’” ^20:49Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They say of me, ‘Isn’t he a speaker of parables?’”

^21:1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^21:2“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel. ^21:3Tell the land of Israel, ‘Yahweh says: “Behold, I am against you, and will draw my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. ^21:4Seeing then that I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore my sword will go out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north. ^21:5All flesh will know that I, Yahweh, have drawn my sword out of its sheath. It will not return any more.”’ ^21:6“Therefore sigh, you son of man. You shall sigh before their eyes with a broken heart and with bitterness. ^21:7It shall be, when they ask you, ‘Why do you sigh?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the news, for it comes! Every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes, and it shall be done, says the Lord Yahweh.’” ^21:8Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^21:9“Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘Yahweh says: “A sword! A sword! It is sharpened, and also polished. ^21:10It is sharpened that it may make a slaughter. It is polished that it may be as lightning. Should we then make mirth? The rod of my son condemns every tree. ^21:11It is given to be polished, that it may be handled. The sword is sharpened. Yes, it is polished to give it into the hand of the killer.”’ ^21:12Cry and wail, son of man; for it is on my people. It is on all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Therefore beat your thigh. ^21:13“For there is a trial. What if even the rod that condemns will be no more?” says the Lord Yahweh. ^21:14“You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands together. Let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the fatally wounded. It is the sword of the great one who is fatally wounded, which enters into their rooms. ^21:15I have set the threatening sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied. Ah! It is made as lightning. It is pointed for slaughter. ^21:16Gather yourselves together. Go to the right. Set yourselves in array. Go to the left, wherever your face is set. ^21:17I will also strike my hands together, and I will cause my wrath to rest. I, Yahweh, have spoken it.” ^21:18Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying, ^21:19“Also, you son of man, appoint two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. They both will come out of one land, and mark out a place. Mark it out at the head of the way to the city. ^21:20You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified. ^21:21For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shook the arrows back and forth. He consulted the teraphim. He looked in the liver. ^21:22In his right hand was the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, and to build forts. ^21:23It will be to them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to memory, that they may be taken. ^21:24“Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because you have caused your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear; because you have come to memory, you will be taken with the hand. ^21:25“‘You, deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end, ^21:26thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Remove the turban, and take off the crown. This will not be as it was. Exalt that which is low, and humble that which is high. ^21:27I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. This also will be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it.”’ ^21:28“You, son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says this concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach: “A sword! A sword is drawn! It is polished for the slaughter, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning; ^21:29while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies to you, to lay you on the necks of the wicked who are deadly wounded, whose day has come in the time of the iniquity of the end. ^21:30Cause it to return into its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your birth, I will judge you. ^21:31I will pour out my indignation on you. I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath. I will deliver you into the hand of brutish men, skillful to destroy. ^21:32You will be for fuel to the fire. Your blood will be in the middle of the land. You will be remembered no more; for I, Yahweh, have spoken it.”’”

^22:1Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^22:2“You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations. ^22:3You shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her! ^22:4You have become guilty in your blood that you have shed, and are defiled in your idols which you have made! You have caused your days to draw near, and have come even to your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries. ^22:5Those who are near, and those who are far from you, will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult. ^22:6“‘“Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood. ^22:7In you have they treated father and mother with contempt. Among you they have oppressed the foreigner. In you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow. ^22:8You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths. ^22:9Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood. In you they have eaten on the mountains. They have committed lewdness among you. ^22:10In you have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity. ^22:11One has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. Another in you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter. ^22:12In you have they taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^22:13“‘“Behold, therefore I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at your blood which has been within you. ^22:14Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I will deal with you? I, Yahweh, have spoken it, and will do it. ^22:15I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries. I will consume your filthiness out of you. ^22:16You will be profaned in yourself, in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”’” ^22:17Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^22:18“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me. All of them are brass, tin, iron, and lead in the middle of the furnace. They are the dross of silver. ^22:19Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the middle of Jerusalem. ^22:20As they gather silver, brass, iron, lead, and tin into the middle of the furnace, to blow the fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will lay you there, and melt you. ^22:21Yes, I will gather you, and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you will be melted in the middle of it. ^22:22As silver is melted in the middle of the furnace, so you will be melted in the middle of it; and you will know that I, Yahweh, have poured out my wrath on you.’” ^22:23Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^22:24“Son of man, tell her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed, nor rained on in the day of indignation.’ ^22:25There is a conspiracy of her prophets within it, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They take treasure and precious things. They have made many widows within it. ^22:26Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths. So I am profaned among them. ^22:27Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain. ^22:28Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh,’ when Yahweh has not spoken. ^22:29The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. Yes, they have troubled the poor and needy, and have oppressed the foreigner wrongfully. ^22:30“I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. ^22:31Therefore I have poured out my indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have brought their own way on their heads,” says the Lord Yahweh.

^23:1Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, ^23:2“Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. ^23:3They played the prostitute in Egypt. They played the prostitute in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their youthful nipples were caressed there. ^23:4Their names were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem Oholibah. ^23:5“Oholah played the prostitute when she was mine. She doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors, ^23:6who were clothed with blue, governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. ^23:7She gave herself as a prostitute to them, all of them the choicest men of Assyria. She defiled herself with the idols of whoever she lusted after. ^23:8She hasn’t left her prostitution since leaving Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her. They carressed her youthful nipples; and they poured out their prostitution on her. ^23:9“Therefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, on whom she doted. ^23:10These uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters; and they killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women; for they executed judgments on her. ^23:11“Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lusting than she, and in her prostitution which was more depraved than the prostitution of her sister. ^23:12She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and rulers, her neighbors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. ^23:13I saw that she was defiled. They both went the same way. ^23:14“She increased her prostitution; for she saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with red, ^23:15dressed with belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like princes, after the likeness of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth. ^23:16As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them into Chaldea. ^23:17The Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their prostitution. She was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them. ^23:18So she uncovered her prostitution and uncovered her nakedness. Then my soul was alienated from her, just like my soul was alienated from her sister. ^23:19Yet she multiplied her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth, in which she had played the prostitute in the land of Egypt. ^23:20She lusted after their lovers, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. ^23:21Thus you called to memory the lewdness of your youth, in the caressing of your nipples by the Egyptians because of your youthful breasts. ^23:22“Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I will raise up your lovers against you, from whom your soul is alienated, and I will bring them against you on every side: ^23:23the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and all the Assyrians with them; all of them desirable young men, governors and rulers, princes and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. ^23:24They will come against you with weapons, chariots, and wagons, and with a company of peoples. They will set themselves against you with buckler, shield, and helmet all around. I will commit the judgment to them, and they will judge you according to their judgments. ^23:25I will set my jealousy against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will take away your nose and your ears. Your remnant will fall by the sword. They will take your sons and your daughters; and the rest of you will be devoured by the fire. ^23:26They will also strip you of your clothes, and take away your beautiful jewels. ^23:27Thus I will make your lewdness to cease from you, and remove your prostitution from the land of Egypt; so that you will not lift up your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt any more.’ ^23:28“For thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I will deliver you into the hand of them whom you hate, into the hand of them from whom your soul is alienated. ^23:29They will deal with you in hatred, and will take away all your labor, and will leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your prostitution will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your prostitution. ^23:30These things will be done to you, because you have played the prostitute after the nations, and because you are polluted with their idols. ^23:31You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore will I give her cup into your hand.’ ^23:32“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘You will drink of your sister’s cup, which is deep and large. You will be ridiculed and held in derision. It contains much. ^23:33You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of your sister Samaria. ^23:34You will even drink it and drain it out. You will gnaw the broken pieces of it, and will tear your breasts; for I have spoken it,’ says the Lord Yahweh. ^23:35“Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because you have forgotten me, and cast me behind your back, therefore you also bear your lewdness and your prostitution.’” ^23:36Yahweh said moreover to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. ^23:37For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have also caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass through the fire to them to be devoured. ^23:38Moreover this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my Sabbaths. ^23:39For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and behold, they have done this in the middle of my house. ^23:40“Furthermore you sisters have sent for men who come from far away, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came; for whom you washed yourself, painted your eyes, decorated yourself with ornaments, ^23:41and sat on a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon you set my incense and my oil. ^23:42“The voice of a multitude being at ease was with her. With men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on their hands, and beautiful crowns on their heads. ^23:43Then I said of her who was old in adulteries, ‘Now they will play the prostitute with her, and she with them.’ ^23:44They went in to her, as they go in to a prostitute. So they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women. ^23:45Righteous men will judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their hands. ^23:46“For thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘I will bring up a mob against them, and will give them to be tossed back and forth and robbed. ^23:47The company will stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords. They will kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire. ^23:48“‘Thus I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to be lewd like you. ^23:49They will recompense your lewdness on you, and you will bear the sins of your idols. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.’”

^24:1Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^24:2“Son of man, write the name of the day, this same day. The king of Babylon drew close to Jerusalem this same day. ^24:3Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Put the cauldron on the fire. Put it on, and also pour water into it. ^24:4Gather its pieces into it, even every good piece: the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones. ^24:5Take the choice of the flock, and also a pile of wood for the bones under the cauldron. Make it boil well. Yes, let its bones be boiled within it.” ^24:6“‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to the bloody city, to the cauldron whose rust is in it, and whose rust hasn’t gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece. No lot is fallen on it. ^24:7“‘“For her blood is in the middle of her. She set it on the bare rock. She didn’t pour it on the ground, to cover it with dust. ^24:8That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood on the bare rock, that it should not be covered.” ^24:9“‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. ^24:10Heap on the wood. Make the fire hot. Boil the meat well. Make the broth thick, and let the bones be burned. ^24:11Then set it empty on its coals, that it may be hot, and its brass may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, that its rust may be consumed. ^24:12She is weary with toil; yet her great rust, rust by fire, doesn’t leave her. ^24:13“‘“In your filthiness is lewdness. Because I have cleansed you and you weren’t cleansed, you won’t be cleansed from your filthiness any more, until I have caused my wrath toward you to rest. ^24:14I, Yahweh, have spoken it. It will happen, and I will do it. I won’t go back. I won’t spare. I won’t repent. According to your ways, and according to your doings, they will judge you,” says the Lord Yahweh.’” ^24:15Also Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^24:16“Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down. ^24:17Sigh, but not aloud. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind your headdress on you, and put your shoes on your feet. Don’t cover your lips, and don’t eat mourner’s bread.” ^24:18So I spoke to the people in the morning; and at evening my wife died. So I did in the morning as I was commanded. ^24:19The people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things are to us, that you do so?” ^24:20Then I said to them, “Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^24:21‘Speak to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pities; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. ^24:22You will do as I have done. You won’t cover your lips or eat mourner’s bread. ^24:23Your turbans will be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet. You won’t mourn or weep; but you will pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another. ^24:24Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.’”’” ^24:25“You, son of man, shouldn’t it be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart, their sons and their daughters, ^24:26that in that day he who escapes will come to you, to cause you to hear it with your ears? ^24:27In that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped, and you shall speak, and be no more mute. So you will be a sign to them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”

^25:1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^25:2“Son of man, set your face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them. ^25:3Tell the children of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of the Lord Yahweh! Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity: ^25:4therefore, behold, I will deliver you to the children of the east for a possession. They will set their encampments in you, and make their dwellings in you. They will eat your fruit and they will drink your milk. ^25:5I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the children of Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.” ^25:6For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because you have clapped your hands, stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the contempt of your soul against the land of Israel; ^25:7therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand on you, and will deliver you for a plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish out of the countries. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.” ^25:8“‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations;’ ^25:9therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim, ^25:10to the children of the east, to go against the children of Ammon; and I will give them for a possession, that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations. ^25:11I will execute judgments on Moab. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” ^25:12“‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because Edom has dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended, and taken revenge on them;” ^25:13therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “I will stretch out my hand on Edom, and will cut off man and animal from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman. They will fall by the sword even to Dedan. ^25:14I will lay my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel. They will do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath. Then they will know my vengeance,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^25:15“‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because the Philistines have taken revenge, and have taken vengeance with contempt of soul to destroy with perpetual hostility;” ^25:16therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will stretch out my hand on the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. ^25:17I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I lay my vengeance on them.”’”

^26:1In the eleventh year, in the first of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^26:2“Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha! She is broken! She who was the gateway of the peoples has been returned to me. I will be replenished, now that she is laid waste;’ ^26:3therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am against you, Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. ^26:4They will destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers. I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock. ^26:5She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the middle of the sea; for I have spoken it,’ says the Lord Yahweh. ‘She will become plunder for the nations. ^26:6Her daughters who are in the field will be slain with the sword. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’ ^26:7“For thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I will bring on Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, from the north, with horses, with chariots, with horsemen, and an army with many people. ^26:8He will kill your daughters in the field with the sword. He will make forts against you, cast up a mound against you, and raise up the buckler against you. ^26:9He will set his battering engines against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. ^26:10By reason of the abundance of his horses, their dust will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen, of the wagons, and of the chariots, when he enters into your gates, as men enter into a city which is broken open. ^26:11He will tread down all your streets with the hoofs of his horses. He will kill your people with the sword. The pillars of your strength will go down to the ground. ^26:12They will make a plunder of your riches, and make a prey of your merchandise. They will break down your walls, and destroy your pleasant houses. They will lay your stones, your timber, and your dust in the middle of the waters. ^26:13I will cause the noise of your songs to cease. The sound of your harps won’t be heard any more. ^26:14I will make you a bare rock. You will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more; for I Yahweh have spoken it,’ says the Lord Yahweh. ^26:15“Thus says the Lord Yahweh to Tyre: ‘Won’t the islands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter is made within you? ^26:16Then all the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones, and lay aside their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling. They will sit on the ground, and will tremble every moment, and be astonished at you. ^26:17They will take up a lamentation over you, and tell you, “How you are destroyed, who were inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city, who was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, who caused their terror to be on all who lived there!” ^26:18Now the islands will tremble in the day of your fall. Yes, the islands that are in the sea will be dismayed at your departure.’ ^26:19“For thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘When I make you a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I bring up the deep on you, and the great waters cover you; ^26:20then I will bring you down with those who descend into the pit, to the people of old time, and will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, in the places that are desolate of old, with those who go down to the pit, that you be not inhabited; and I will set glory in the land of the living. ^26:21I will make you a terror, and you will no more have any being. Though you are sought for, yet you will never be found again,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”

^27:1Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, ^27:2“You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; ^27:3and tell Tyre, ‘You who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, thus says the Lord Yahweh: “You, Tyre, have said, ‘I am perfect in beauty.’ ^27:4Your borders are in the heart of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty. ^27:5They have made all your planks of cypress trees from Senir. They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. ^27:6They have made your oars of the oaks of Bashan. They have made your benches of ivory inlaid in boxwood from the islands of Kittim. ^27:7Your sail was of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, that it might be to you for a banner. Blue and purple from the islands of Elishah was your awning. ^27:8The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your wise men, Tyre, were in you. They were your pilots. ^27:9The old men of Gebal and its wise men were your repairers of ship seams in you. All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to deal in your merchandise. ^27:10“‘“Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung the shield and helmet in you. They showed your beauty. ^27:11The men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around, and valient men were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around. They have perfected your beauty. ^27:12“‘“Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches. They traded for your wares with silver, iron, tin, and lead. ^27:13“‘“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They traded the persons of men and vessels of brass for your merchandise. ^27:14“‘“They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, war horses, and mules. ^27:15“‘“The men of Dedan traded with you. Many islands were the market of your hand. They brought you horns of ivory and ebony in exchange. ^27:16“‘“Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks. They traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. ^27:17“‘“Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded wheat of Minnith, confections, honey, oil, and balm for your merchandise. ^27:18“‘“Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool. ^27:19“‘“Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares: bright iron, cassia, and calamus were among your merchandise. ^27:20“‘“Dedan was your trafficker in precious cloths for riding. ^27:21“‘“Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar were the merchants of your hand; in lambs, rams, and goats. In these, they were your merchants. ^27:22“‘“The traders of Sheba and Raamah were your traders. They traded for your wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold. ^27:23“‘“Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad, were your traders. ^27:24These were your traders in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in chests of rich clothing, bound with cords and made of cedar, among your merchandise. ^27:25“‘“The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise. You were replenished and made very glorious in the heart of the seas. ^27:26Your rowers have brought you into great waters. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas. ^27:27Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, your pilots, your repairers of ship seams, the dealers in your merchandise, and all your men of war, who are in you, with all your company which is among you, will fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin. ^27:28At the sound of the cry of your pilots, the suburbs will shake. ^27:29All who handle the oars, the mariners and all the pilots of the sea, will come down from their ships. They will stand on the land, ^27:30and will cause their voice to be heard over you, and will cry bitterly. They will cast up dust on their heads. They will wallow in the ashes. ^27:31They will make themselves bald for you, and clothe themselves with sackcloth. They will weep for you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning. ^27:32In their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you, and lament over you, saying, ‘Who is there like Tyre, like her who is brought to silence in the middle of the sea?’ ^27:33When your wares went out of the seas, you filled many peoples. You enriched the kings of the earth with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise. ^27:34In the time that you were broken by the seas, in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company fell within you. ^27:35All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you, and their kings are horribly afraid. They are troubled in their face. ^27:36The merchants among the peoples hiss at you. You have become a terror, and you will be no more.”’”

^28:1Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, ^28:2“Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the middle of the seas;’ yet you are man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God— ^28:3behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you; ^28:4by your wisdom and by your understanding you have gotten yourself riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures; ^28:5by your great wisdom and by your trading you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches—” ^28:6“‘therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because you have set your heart as the heart of God, ^28:7therefore, behold, I will bring strangers on you, the terrible of the nations. They will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom. They will defile your brightness. ^28:8They will bring you down to the pit. You will die the death of those who are slain in the heart of the seas. ^28:9Will you yet say before him who kills you, ‘I am God’? But you are man, and not God, in the hand of him who wounds you. ^28:10You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken it,” says the Lord Yahweh.’” ^28:11Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^28:12“Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “You were the seal of full measure, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. ^28:13You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. They were prepared in the day that you were created. ^28:14You were the anointed cherub who covers. Then I set you up on the holy mountain of God. You have walked up and down in the middle of the stones of fire. ^28:15You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you. ^28:16By the abundance of your commerce, your insides were filled with violence, and you have sinned. Therefore I have cast you as profane out of God’s mountain. I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the middle of the stones of fire. ^28:17Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I have cast you to the ground. I have laid you before kings, that they may see you. ^28:18By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your commerce, you have profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought out a fire from the middle of you. It has devoured you. I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you. ^28:19All those who know you among the peoples will be astonished at you. You have become a terror, and you will exist no more.”’” ^28:20Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^28:21“Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against it, ^28:22and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I am against you, Sidon. I will be glorified among you. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I have executed judgments in her, and am sanctified in her. ^28:23For I will send pestilence into her, and blood into her streets. The wounded will fall within her, with the sword on her on every side. Then they will know that I am Yahweh. ^28:24“‘“There will be no more a pricking brier to the house of Israel, nor a hurting thorn of any that are around them that scorned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.” ^28:25“‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob. ^28:26They will dwell in it securely. Yes, they will build houses, plant vineyards, and will dwell securely, when I have executed judgments on all those who scorn them all around. Then they will know that I am Yahweh their God.”’”

^29:1In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^29:2“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. ^29:3Speak and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the middle of his rivers, that has said, ‘My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.’ ^29:4I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales. I will bring you up out of the middle of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales. ^29:5I’ll cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You’ll fall on the open field. You won’t be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky. ^29:6“‘“All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Yahweh, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. ^29:7When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke, and tore all their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke, and paralyzed all of their thighs.” ^29:8“‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you. ^29:9The land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am Yahweh. “‘“Because he has said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it;’ ^29:10therefore, behold, I am against you, and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia. ^29:11No foot of man will pass through it, nor will any animal foot pass through it. It won’t be inhabited for forty years. ^29:12I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities among the cities that are laid waste will be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.” ^29:13“‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered. ^29:14I will reverse the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth. They will be a lowly kingdom, there. ^29:15It will be the lowest of the kingdoms. It won’t lift itself up above the nations any more. I will diminish them, so that they will no longer rule over the nations. ^29:16It will no longer be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to memory, when they turn to look after them. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.”’” ^29:17It came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^29:18“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet he had no wages, nor did his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it. ^29:19Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will carry off her multitude, take her plunder, and take her prey. That will be the wages for his army. ^29:20I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he served, because they worked for me,’ says the Lord Yahweh. ^29:21“In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”

^30:1Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, ^30:2“Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’ ^30:3For the day is near, even Yahweh’s day is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of the nations. ^30:4A sword will come on Egypt, and anguish will be in Ethiopia, when the slain fall in Egypt. They take away her multitude, and her foundations are broken down. ^30:5“‘“Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the mixed people, Cub, and the children of the land that is allied with them, will fall with them by the sword.” ^30:6“‘Yahweh says: “They also who uphold Egypt will fall. The pride of her power will come down. They will fall by the sword in it from the tower of Seveneh,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^30:7“They will be desolate in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities will be among the cities that are wasted. ^30:8They will know that I am Yahweh when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are destroyed. ^30:9“‘“In that day messengers will go out from before me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid. There will be anguish on them, as in the day of Egypt; for, behold, it comes.” ^30:10“‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. ^30:11He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain. ^30:12I will make the rivers dry, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men. I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I, Yahweh, have spoken it.” ^30:13“‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis. There will be no more a prince from the land of Egypt. I will put a fear in the land of Egypt. ^30:14I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments on No. ^30:15I will pour my wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Egypt. I will cut off the multitude of No. ^30:16I will set a fire in Egypt Sin will be in great anguish. No will be broken up. Memphis will have adversaries in the daytime. ^30:17The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth will fall by the sword. They will go into captivity. ^30:18At Tehaphnehes also the day will withdraw itself, when I break the yokes of Egypt, there. The pride of her power will cease in her. As for her, a cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity. ^30:19Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”’” ^30:20In the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^30:21“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Behold, it has not been bound up, to apply medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it become strong to hold the sword. ^30:22Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong arm, and that which was broken. I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. ^30:23I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. ^30:24I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before the king of Babylon with the groaning of a mortally wounded man. ^30:25I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon; and the arms of Pharaoh will fall down. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he stretches it out on the land of Egypt. ^30:26I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

^31:1In the eleventh year, in the third month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^31:2“Son of man, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness? ^31:3Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, and with a forest-like shade, of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs. ^31:4The waters nourished it. The deep made it to grow. Its rivers ran all around its plantation; and it sent out its channels to all the trees of the field. ^31:5Therefore its stature was exalted above all the trees of the field; and its boughs were multiplied. Its branches became long by reason of many waters, when it spread them out. ^31:6All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs. Under its branches, all the animals of the field gave birth to their young. All great nations lived under its shadow. ^31:7Thus was it beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its root was by many waters. ^31:8The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it. The cypress trees were not like its boughs. The pine trees were not as its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God like it in its beauty. ^31:9I made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied it.’ ^31:10“Therefore thus said the Lord Yahweh: ‘Because you are exalted in stature, and he has set his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; ^31:11I will even deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations. He will surely deal with him. I have driven him out for his wickedness. ^31:12Strangers, the tyrants of the nations, have cut him off, and have left him. His branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys and his boughs are broken by all the watercourses of the land. All the peoples of the earth have gone down from his shadow, and have left him. ^31:13All the birds of the sky will dwell on his ruin, and all the animals of the field will be on his branches; ^31:14to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, and don’t set their top among the thick boughs. Their mighty ones don’t stand up on their height, even all who drink water; for they are all delivered to death, to the lower parts of the earth, among the children of men, with those who go down to the pit.’ ^31:15“Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers. The great waters were stopped. I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him. ^31:16I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol with those who descend into the pit. All the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth. ^31:17They also went down into Sheol with him to those who are slain by the sword; yes, those who were his arm, who lived under his shadow in the middle of the nations. ^31:18“‘To whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth. You will lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. “‘This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”

^32:1In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, “Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^32:2‘Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and tell him, “You were likened to a young lion of the nations; yet you are as a monster in the seas. You broke out with your rivers, and troubled the waters with your feet, and fouled their rivers.” ^32:3Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will spread out my net on you with a company of many peoples; and they will bring you up in my net. ^32:4I will leave you on the land. I will cast you out on the open field, and will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you. I will satisfy the animals of the whole earth with you. ^32:5I will lay your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your height. ^32:6I will also water the land in which you swim with your blood, even to the mountains. The watercourses will be full of you. ^32:7When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and make its stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon won’t give its light. ^32:8I will make all the bright lights of the sky dark over you, and set darkness on your land,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^32:9“I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. ^32:10Yes, I will make many peoples amazed at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid for you, when I brandish my sword before them. They will tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall.” ^32:11For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “The sword of the king of Babylon will come on you. ^32:12I will cause your multitude to fall by the swords of the mighty. They are all the ruthless of the nations. They will bring the pride of Egypt to nothing, and all its multitude will be destroyed. ^32:13I will destroy also all its animals from beside many waters. The foot of man won’t trouble them any more, nor will the hoofs of animals trouble them. ^32:14Then I will make their waters clear, and cause their rivers to run like oil,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^32:15“When I make the land of Egypt desolate and waste, a land destitute of that of which it was full, when I strike all those who dwell therein, then they will know that I am Yahweh. ^32:16“‘“This is the lamentation with which they will lament. The daughters of the nations will lament with this. They will lament with it over Egypt, and over all her multitude,” says the Lord Yahweh.’” ^32:17Also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^32:18“Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her and the daughters of the famous nations, to the lower parts of the earth, with those who go down into the pit. ^32:19Whom do you pass in beauty? Go down, and be laid with the uncircumcised. ^32:20They will fall among those who are slain by the sword. She is delivered to the sword. Draw her away with all her multitudes. ^32:21The strong among the mighty will speak to him out of the middle of Sheol with those who help him. They have gone down. The uncircumcised lie still, slain by the sword. ^32:22“Asshur is there with all her company. Her graves are all around her. All of them slain, fallen by the sword; ^32:23whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit, and her company is around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror in the land of the living. ^32:24“There is Elam and all her multitude around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised into the lower parts of the earth, who caused their terror in the land of the living, and have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit. ^32:25They have set her a bed among the slain with all her multitude. Her graves are around her; all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for their terror was caused in the land of the living, and they have borne their shame with those who go down to the pit. He is put among those who are slain. ^32:26“There is Meshech, Tubal, and all their multitude. Their graves are around them, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they caused their terror in the land of the living. ^32:27They will not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who have gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are on their bones; for they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. ^32:28“But you will be broken among the uncircumcised, and will lie with those who are slain by the sword. ^32:29“There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, who in their might are laid with those who are slain by the sword. They will lie with the uncircumcised, and with those who go down to the pit. ^32:30“There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down with the slain. They are put to shame in the terror which they caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. ^32:31“Pharaoh will see them, and will be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^32:32“For I have put his terror in the land of the living. He will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude,” says the Lord Yahweh.

^33:1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^33:2“Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, ‘When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman; ^33:3if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the trumpet, and warns the people; ^33:4then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn’t heed the warning, if the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. ^33:5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and didn’t take warning. His blood will be on him; whereas if he had heeded the warning, he would have delivered his soul. ^33:6But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn’t blow the trumpet, and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes, and takes any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ ^33:7“So you, son of man: I have set you a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warnings from me. ^33:8When I tell the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man will die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand. ^33:9Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he doesn’t turn from his way; he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul. ^33:10“You, son of man, tell the house of Israel: ‘You say this, “Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them. How then can we live?”’ ^33:11Tell them, ‘“As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why will you die, house of Israel?”’ ^33:12“You, son of man, tell the children of your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him in the day of his disobedience. And as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither will he who is righteous be able to live by it in the day that he sins. ^33:13When I tell the righteous that he will surely live; if he trusts in his righteousness, and commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but he will die in his iniquity that he has committed. ^33:14Again, when I say to the wicked, “You will surely die;” if he turns from his sin, and does that which is lawful and right; ^33:15if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he will surely live. He will not die. ^33:16None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done that which is lawful and right. He will surely live. ^33:17“‘Yet the children of your people say, “The way of the Lord is not fair;” but as for them, their way is not fair. ^33:18When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he will even die therein. ^33:19When the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he will live thereby. ^33:20Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” House of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways.’” ^33:21In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, “The city has been defeated!” ^33:22Now Yahweh’s hand had been on me in the evening, before he who had escaped came; and he had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute. ^33:23Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^33:24“Son of man, those who inhabit the waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many. The land is given us for inheritance.’ ^33:25Therefore tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. So should you possess the land? ^33:26You stand on your sword, you work abomination, and every one of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. So should you possess the land?”’ ^33:27“You shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword. I will give he who is in the open field to the animals to be devoured; and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of the pestilence. ^33:28I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment. The pride of her power will cease. The mountains of Israel will be desolate, so that no one will pass through. ^33:29Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all their abominations which they have committed.”’ ^33:30“As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk about you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak to one another, everyone to his brother, saying, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes out from Yahweh.’ ^33:31They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their gain. ^33:32Behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they don’t do them. ^33:33“When this comes to pass—behold, it comes—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

^34:1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, ^34:2“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and tell them, even the shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed the sheep? ^34:3You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep. ^34:4You haven’t strengthened the diseased. You haven’t healed that which was sick. You haven’t bound up that which was broken. You haven’t brought back that which was driven away. You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor. ^34:5They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered. ^34:6My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth. There was no one who searched or sought.” ^34:7“‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear Yahweh’s word: ^34:8“As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd. My shepherds didn’t search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep.” ^34:9Therefore, you shepherds, hear Yahweh’s word: ^34:10Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I am against the shepherds. I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep. The shepherds won’t feed themselves any more. I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.” ^34:11“‘For thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. ^34:12As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. ^34:13I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ^34:14I will feed them with good pasture; and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold. They will feed on fat pasture on the mountains of Israel. ^34:15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down,” says the Lord Yahweh. ^34:16“I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.”’ ^34:17“As for you, O my flock, thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, the rams and the male goats. ^34:18Does it seem a small thing to you to have fed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? And to have drunk of the clear waters, but must you foul the residue with your feet? ^34:19As for my sheep, they eat that which you have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which you have fouled with your feet.’ ^34:20“Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh to them: ‘Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ^34:21Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad; ^34:22therefore will I save my flock, and they will no more be a prey. I will judge between sheep and sheep. ^34:23I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be their shepherd. ^34:24I, Yahweh, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them. I, Yahweh, have spoken it. ^34:25“‘I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil animals to cease out of the land. They will dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. ^34:26I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing. ^34:27The tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I have broken the bars of their yoke, and have delivered them out of the hand of those who made slaves of them. ^34:28They will no more be a prey to the nations, neither will the animals of the earth devour them; but they will dwell securely, and no one will make them afraid. ^34:29I will raise up to them a plantation for renown, and they will no more be consumed with famine in the land, and not bear the shame of the nations any more. ^34:30They will know that I, Yahweh, their God am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord Yahweh. ^34:31You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”