Ezekiel 22:17-31

English Standard Version

¹⁷ And the word of the Lord came to me: ^18 (A)“Son of man, the house of Israel has become ^(B)dross to me; all of them are ^(C)bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are ^(D)dross of silver. ¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. ²⁰ As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, ^(E)to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you ^(F)in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. ²¹ I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. ²² As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord; ^(G)I have poured out my wrath upon you.”

²³ And the word of the Lord came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is ^(H)not cleansed ^(I)or rained upon in the day of indignation. ^25 (J)The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is ^(K)like a roaring lion ^(L)tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. ^26 (M)Her priests ^(N)have done violence to my law and ^(O)have profaned my holy things. ^(P)They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and ^(Q)they have disregarded my Sabbaths, ^(R)so that I am profaned among them. ^27 (S)Her princes in her midst are like wolves ^(T)tearing the prey, ^(U)shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. ²⁸ And ^(V)her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, ^(W)seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹ The people of the land ^(X)have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and ^(Y)have extorted from the sojourner without justice. ^30 (Z)And I sought for a man among them ^(AA)who should build up the wall ^(AB)and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. ³¹ Therefore ^(AC)I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned ^(AD)their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.”