Bible in 90 Days
Judgment on Jerusalem
א Alef
2 How the Lord has overshadowed
Daughter Zion with His anger!
He has thrown down Israel’s glory
from heaven to earth.
He has abandoned His footstool[a](A)
in the day of His anger.(B)
ב Bet
2 Without compassion(C) the Lord has swallowed up
all the dwellings of Jacob.
In His wrath He has demolished
the fortified cities(D) of Daughter Judah.
He brought them to the ground
and defiled the kingdom and its leaders.(E)
ג Gimel
3 He has cut off every horn(F) of Israel
in His burning anger
and withdrawn His right hand(G)
in the presence of the enemy.
He has blazed against Jacob like a flaming fire
that consumes everything.(H)
ד Dalet
4 He has bent His bow like an enemy;(I)
His right hand is positioned like an adversary.
He has killed everyone who was loved,[b]
pouring out His wrath like fire
on the tent of Daughter Zion.
ה He
5 The Lord is like an enemy;
He has swallowed up Israel.
He swallowed up all its palaces
and destroyed its fortified cities.
He has multiplied mourning and lamentation
within Daughter Judah.(J)
ו Vav
6 He has done violence to His temple[c]
as if it were a garden booth,
destroying His place of meeting.(K)
The Lord has abolished
appointed festivals and Sabbaths in Zion.
He has despised king and priest
in His fierce anger.
ז Zayin
7 The Lord has rejected His altar,
repudiated His sanctuary;(L)
He has handed the walls of her palaces
over to the enemy.
They have raised a shout in the house of the Lord
as on the day of an appointed festival.
ח Khet
8 The Lord determined to destroy
the wall of Daughter Zion.
He stretched out a measuring line(M)
and did not restrain Himself from destroying.
He made the ramparts and walls grieve;
together they waste away.
ט Tet
9 Zion’s gates have fallen to the ground;(N)
He has destroyed and shattered the bars on her gates.
Her king and her leaders live among the nations,
instruction[d] is no more,
and even her prophets receive
no vision from the Lord.(O)
י Yod
10 The elders of Daughter Zion
sit on the ground in silence.
They have thrown dust on their heads(P)
and put on sackcloth.
The young women of Jerusalem
have bowed their heads to the ground.(Q)
כ Kaf
11 My eyes are worn out from weeping;(R)
I am churning within.
My heart is poured out in grief[e](S)
because of the destruction of my dear people,(T)
because children and infants faint
in the streets of the city.(U)
ל Lamed
12 They cry out to their mothers:
Where is the grain and wine?(V)
as they faint like the wounded
in the streets of the city,
as their lives fade away
in the arms of their mothers.
מ Mem
13 What can I say on your behalf?
What can I compare you to, Daughter Jerusalem?
What can I liken you to,
so that I may console you, Virgin Daughter Zion?
For your ruin is as vast as the sea.
Who can heal you?(W)
נ Nun
14 Your prophets saw visions for you
that were empty and deceptive;(X)
they did not reveal your guilt
and so restore your fortunes.(Y)
They saw oracles for you
that were empty and misleading.
ס Samek
15 All who pass by
scornfully clap their hands(Z) at you.
They mock[f](AA) and shake their heads(AB)
at Daughter Jerusalem:
Is this the city that was called
the perfection of beauty,(AC)
the joy of the whole earth?(AD)
פ Pe
16 All your enemies
open their mouths against you.(AE)
They hiss and gnash their teeth,(AF)
saying, “We have swallowed her up.(AG)
This is the day we have waited for!
We have lived to see it.”
ע Ayin
17 The Lord has done what He planned;
He has accomplished His decree,
which He ordained in days of old.
He has demolished without compassion,(AH)
letting the enemy gloat over you
and exalting the horn of your adversaries.
צ Tsade
18 The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord.
Wall of Daughter Zion,(AI)
let your tears run down like a river
day and night.(AJ)
Give yourself no relief
and your[g] eyes no rest.
ק Qof
19 Arise, cry out in the night
from the first watch of the night.
Pour out your heart like water
before the Lord’s presence.(AK)
Lift up your hands to Him
for the lives of your children
who are fainting from hunger
on the corner of every street.(AL)
ר Resh
20 Lord, look and consider
who You have done this to.
Should women eat their own children,(AM)
the infants they have nurtured?[h]
Should priests and prophets
be killed in the Lord’s sanctuary?
שׁ Shin
21 Both young and old
are lying on the ground in the streets.
My young men and women
have fallen by the sword.
You have killed them in the day of Your anger,
slaughtering without compassion.(AN)
ת Tav
22 You summoned my attackers[i] on every side,(AO)
as if for an appointed festival day;
on the day of the Lord’s anger
no one escaped or survived.
My enemy has destroyed
those I nurtured[j] and reared.
Hope through God’s Mercy
א Alef
3 I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of God’s wrath.
2 He has driven me away and forced me to walk
in darkness instead of light.(AP)
3 Yes, He repeatedly turns His hand
against me all day long.
ב Bet
4 He has worn away my flesh and skin;(AQ)
He has shattered my bones.(AR)
5 He has laid siege against me,(AS)
encircling me with bitterness and hardship.(AT)
6 He has made me dwell in darkness
like those who have been dead for ages.(AU)
ג Gimel
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape;(AV)
He has weighed me down with chains.
8 Even when I cry out and plead for help,
He rejects my prayer.(AW)
9 He has walled in my ways with cut stones;(AX)
He has made my paths crooked.(AY)
ד Dalet
10 He is[k] a bear waiting in ambush,
a lion in hiding.(AZ)
11 He forced me off my way and tore me to pieces;
He left me desolate.
12 He strung His bow(BA)
and set me as the target for His arrow.
ה He
13 He pierced my kidneys
with His arrows.(BB)
14 I am a laughingstock(BC) to all my people,[l]
mocked by their songs(BD) all day long.
15 He filled me with bitterness,
satiated me with wormwood.(BE)
ו Vav
16 He ground my teeth on gravel(BF)
and made me cower[m] in the dust.
17 My soul has been deprived[n] of peace;(BG)
I have forgotten what happiness is.
18 Then I thought: My future[o] is lost,
as well as my hope from the Lord.
ז Zayin
19 Remember[p] my affliction and my homelessness,(BH)
the wormwood and the poison.(BI)
20 I continually remember them
and have become depressed.[q](BJ)
21 Yet I call this to mind,
and therefore I have hope:(BK)
ח Khet
22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love(BL)
we do not perish,[r]
for His mercies never end.
23 They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness!(BM)
24 I say: The Lord is my portion,(BN)
therefore I will put my hope in Him.
ט Tet
25 The Lord is good to those who wait(BO) for Him,
to the person who seeks Him.
26 It is good to wait quietly(BP)
for deliverance from the Lord.(BQ)
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke(BR)
while he is still young.
י Yod
28 Let him sit alone and be silent,(BS)
for God has disciplined him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust(BT)—
perhaps there is still hope.
30 Let him offer his cheek
to the one who would strike him;(BU)
let him be filled with shame.
כ Kaf
31 For the Lord
will not reject us forever.
32 Even if He causes suffering,
He will show compassion
according to His abundant, faithful love.(BV)
33 For He does not enjoy bringing affliction(BW)
or suffering on mankind.
ל Lamed
34 Crushing all the prisoners of the land[s]
beneath one’s feet,
35 denying justice to a man(BX)
in the presence of the Most High,
36 or suppressing a person’s lawsuit(BY)—
the Lord does not approve of these things.
מ Mem
37 Who is there who speaks and it happens,
unless the Lord has ordained it?(BZ)
38 Do not both adversity and good
come from the mouth of the Most High?(CA)
39 Why should any living person complain,
any man, because of the punishment for his sins?
נ Nun
40 Let us search out and examine our ways,
and turn back to the Lord.(CB)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands(CC)
to God in heaven:
42 We have sinned and rebelled;
You have not forgiven.(CD)
ס Samek
43 You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us;
You have killed without compassion.(CE)
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.(CF)
45 You have made us disgusting filth
among the peoples.(CG)
פ Pe
46 All our enemies
open their mouths against us.(CH)
47 We have experienced panic and pitfall,(CI)
devastation and destruction.
48 My eyes flow with streams of tears
because of the destruction of my dear people.
ע Ayin
49 My eyes overflow unceasingly,
without end,(CJ)
50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.(CK)
51 My eyes bring me grief
because of the fate of all the women in my city.
צ Tsade
52 For no apparent reason, my enemies[t]
hunted me like a bird.(CL)
53 They dropped me alive into[u] a pit(CM)
and threw stones at me.
54 Water flooded over my head,(CN)
and I thought: I’m going to die!(CO)
ק Qof
55 I called on Your name, Yahweh,
from the depths of the Pit.(CP)
56 You hear my plea:
Do not ignore my cry for relief.
57 You come near when I call on You;
You say: “Do not be afraid.”
ר Resh
58 You defend my cause, Lord;(CQ)
You redeem my life.(CR)
59 Lord, You see the wrong done to me;
judge my case.
60 You see all their malice,
all their plots against me.(CS)
שׂ Sin/ שׁ Shin
61 Lord, You hear their insults,(CT)
all their plots against me.
62 The slander[v] and murmuring of my opponents
attack me all day long.
63 When they sit and when they rise, look,
I am mocked by their songs.(CU)
ת Tav
64 You will pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
according to the work of their hands.(CV)
65 You will give them a heart filled with anguish.[w](CW)
May Your curse be on them!
66 You will pursue them in anger and destroy them
under Your heavens.[x][y](CX)
Terrors of the Besieged City
א Alef
4 How the gold has become tarnished,
the fine gold become dull!
The stones of the temple[z] lie scattered
at the corner of every street.(CY)
ב Bet
2 Zion’s precious people—
once worth their weight in pure gold(CZ)—
how they are regarded as clay jars,
the work of a potter’s hands!
ג Gimel
3 Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my dear people have become cruel
like ostriches(DA) in the wilderness.
ד Dalet
4 The nursing infant’s tongue
clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst.(DB)
Little children beg for bread,
but no one gives them any.
ה He
5 Those who used to eat delicacies
are destitute in the streets;
those who were reared in purple garments(DC)
huddle in garbage heaps.
ו Vav
6 The punishment of my dear people
is greater than that of Sodom,(DD)
which was overthrown in an instant
without a hand laid on it.
ז Zayin
7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies[aa] were more ruddy than coral,
their appearance like sapphire.[ab]
ח Khet
8 Now they appear darker than soot;(DE)
they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become dry like wood.
ט Tet
9 Those slain by the sword are better off
than those slain by hunger,
who waste away, pierced with pain
because the fields lack produce.
י Yod
10 The hands of compassionate women
have cooked their own children;(DF)
they became their food
during the destruction of my dear people.(DG)
כ Kaf
11 The Lord has exhausted His wrath,
poured out His burning anger;
He has ignited a fire in Zion,
and it has consumed her foundations.(DH)
ל Lamed
12 The kings of the earth
and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe
that an enemy or adversary
could enter Jerusalem’s gates.(DI)
מ Mem
13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the guilt of her priests,
who shed the blood of the righteous
within her.(DJ)
נ Nun
14 Blind, they stumbled in the streets,(DK)
defiled by this blood,(DL)
so that no one dared
to touch their garments.
ס Samek
15 “Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them.
“Away, away! Don’t touch us!”(DM)
So they wandered aimlessly.(DN)
It was said among the nations,
“They can stay here no longer.”
פ Pe
16 The Lord Himself has scattered them;
He regards them no more.
The priests are not respected;
the elders find no favor.
ע Ayin
17 All the while our eyes were failing
as we looked in vain for assistance;(DO)
we watched from our towers
for a nation[ac] that refused to help.
צ Tsade
18 Our steps were closely followed
so that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end drew near;(DP) our time ran out.
Our end had come!
ק Qof
19 Those who chased us were swifter
than eagles in the sky;(DQ)
they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains
and ambushed us in the wilderness.
ר Resh
20 The Lord’s anointed,[ad] the breath of our life,[ae](DR)
was captured in their traps.
We had said about him,
“We will live under his protection among the nations.”
שׂ Sin
21 So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,(DS)
you resident of the land of Uz!(DT)
Yet the cup(DU) will pass to you as well;
you will get drunk and expose yourself.
ת Tav
22 Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete;
He will not lengthen your exile.[af]
But He will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom,
and will expose your sins.(DV)
Prayer for Restoration
5 Yahweh, remember what has happened to us.
Look, and see our disgrace!(DW)
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are widows.
4 We must pay for the water we drink;
our wood comes at a price.
5 We are closely pursued;
we are tired, and no one offers us rest.
6 We made a treaty with[ag] Egypt
and with Assyria, to get enough food.(DX)
7 Our fathers sinned; they no longer exist,
but we bear their punishment.
8 Slaves rule over us;(DY)
no one rescues us from their hands.
9 We secure our food at the risk of our lives
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin is as hot[ah] as an oven(DZ)
from the ravages of hunger.
11 Women are raped in Zion,
girls in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes are hung up by their hands;
elders are shown no respect.(EA)
13 Young men labor at millstones;(EB)
boys stumble under loads of wood.
14 The elders have left the city gate,
the young men, their music.(EC)
15 Joy has left our hearts;(ED)
our dancing has turned to mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head.(EE)
Woe to us, for we have sinned.(EF)
17 Because of this, our heart is sick;
because of these, our eyes grow dim:(EG)
18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate
and has jackals prowling in it.(EH)
19 You, Lord, are enthroned forever;
Your throne endures from generation to generation.(EI)
20 Why have You forgotten us forever,(EJ)
abandoned us for our entire lives?
21 Lord, restore us to Yourself, so we may return;(EK)
renew our days as in former times,
22 unless You have completely rejected us
and are intensely angry with us.
1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal,(EL) the heavens opened(EM) and I saw visions of God.(EN) 2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile(EO)— 3 the word of the Lord came(EP) directly to Ezekiel(EQ) the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans(ER) by the Chebar Canal. And the Lord’s hand was on him there.(ES)
Vision of the Lord’s Glory
4 I looked and there was a whirlwind(ET) coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire, there was a gleam like amber.(EU) 5 The form of four living creatures came from it.(EV) And this was their appearance: They had human form, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, sparkling like the gleam of polished bronze.(EW) 8 They had human hands under their wings on their four sides.(EX) All four of them had faces and wings.(EY) 9 Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.(EZ) 10 The form of each of their faces was that of a man,(FA) and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle.(FB) 11 That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body.(FC) 12 Each creature went straight ahead.(FD) Wherever the Spirit[ai] wanted to go, they went without turning as they moved.(FE)
13 The form of the living creatures was like the appearance of burning coals of fire and torches.(FF) Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it. 14 The creatures were darting back and forth(FG) like flashes of lightning.(FH)
15 When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each creature that had four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels(FI) and their craftsmanship was like the gleam of beryl,(FJ) and all four had the same form. Their appearance and craftsmanship was like a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved. 18 Their rims were large and frightening. Each of their four rims were full of eyes(FK) all around. 19 So when the living creatures moved,(FL) the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever the Spirit[aj] wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 The shape of an expanse,(FM) with a gleam like awe-inspiring crystal,(FN) was spread out over the heads of the living creatures.(FO) 23 And under the expanse their wings extended one toward another. Each of them also had two wings covering their bodies. 24 When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of mighty waters,(FP) like the voice of the Almighty,(FQ) and a sound of commotion like the noise of an army.(FR) When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 A voice came from above the expanse over their heads; when they stood still, they lowered their wings. 26 The shape of a throne with the appearance of sapphire[ak] stone was above the expanse.[al](FS) There was a form with the appearance of a human on the throne high above.(FT) 27 From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire enclosing it all around.(FU) From what seemed to be His waist down, I also saw what looked like fire. There was a brilliant light all around Him. 28 The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day.(FV) This was the appearance of the form of the Lord’s glory.(FW) When I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.(FX)
Mission to Rebellious Israel
2 He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet(FY) and I will speak with you.” 2 As He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet,(FZ) and I listened to the One who was speaking to me. 3 He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to[am] the rebellious pagans[an] who have rebelled against Me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against Me to this day.(GA) 4 The children are obstinate[ao] and hardhearted.(GB) I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’ 5 Whether they listen or refuse to listen(GC)—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.(GD)
6 “But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words,(GE) though briers and thorns are beside you and you live among scorpions.(GF) Don’t be afraid of their words or be discouraged by the look on their faces, for they are a rebellious house. 7 But speak My words to them whether they listen or refuse to listen,(GG) for they are rebellious.
8 “And you, son of man, listen to what I tell you: Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”(GH) 9 So I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me,(GI) and there was a written scroll in it.(GJ) 10 When He unrolled it before me, it was written on the front and back; words of lamentation, mourning, and woe were written on it.
3 He said to me: “Son of man, eat what you find here. Eat this scroll,(GK) then go and speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. 3 “Son of man,” He said to me, “eat[ap] and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you.” So I ate it,(GL) and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.(GM)
4 Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language but to the house of Israel. 6 You are not being sent to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. No doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.(GN) 7 But the house of Israel will not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to Me.(GO) For the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted. 8 Look, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.(GP) 9 I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them or discouraged by the look on their faces, even though they are a rebellious house.”
10 Next He said to me: “Son of man, listen carefully to all My words that I speak to you and take them to heart. 11 Go to your people, the exiles, and speak to them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”(GQ)
12 The Spirit then lifted me up,(GR) and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me—praise the glory of the Lord in His place!— 13 with the[aq] sound of the living creatures’ wings brushing against each other(GS) and the sound of the wheels beside them,(GT) a great rumbling sound. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I left in bitterness and in an angry spirit, and the Lord’s hand was on me powerfully.(GU) 15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were living by the Chebar Canal, and I sat there among them stunned for seven days.(GV)
Ezekiel as a Watchman
16 Now at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:(GW) 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel.(GX) When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.(GY) 18 If I say to the wicked person,(GZ) ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him—you don’t speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.(HA) 20 Now if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity,(HB) and I put a stumbling block in front of him, he will die.(HC) If you did not warn him, he will die because of his sin and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 21 But if you warn the righteous person that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he listened to your warning, and you will have saved your life.”
22 Then the hand of the Lord was on me there, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain,(HD) and I will speak with you there.”(HE) 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. The Lord’s glory was present there,(HF) like the glory I had seen by the Chebar Canal,(HG) and I fell facedown. 24 The Spirit entered me and set me on my feet.(HH) He spoke with me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you, son of man, they will put ropes on you(HI) and bind you with them so you cannot go out among them. 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth,(HJ) and you will be mute(HK) and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth,(HL) and you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’ Let the one who listens, listen, and let the one who refuses, refuse—for they are a rebellious house.
Jerusalem’s Siege Dramatized
4 “Now you, son of man, take a brick, set it in front of you, and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. 2 Then lay siege against it:(HM) construct a siege wall, build a ramp, pitch military camps, and place battering rams against it on all sides. 3 Take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Turn your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign for the house of Israel.(HN)
4 “Then lie down on your left side and place the iniquity[ar] of the house of Israel on it. You will bear their iniquity for the number of days you lie on your side. 5 For I have assigned you the years of their iniquity according to the number of days you lie down, 390 days; so you will bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.(HO) 6 When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. 7 You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it. 8 Be aware that I will put cords on you so you cannot turn from side to side until you have finished the days of your siege.(HP)
9 “Also take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt. Put them in a single container and make them into bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the number of days you lie on your side, 390 days. 10 The food you eat each day will be eight ounces[as] by weight; you will eat it from time to time.[at] 11 You are also to drink water by measure, a sixth of a gallon,[au] which you will drink from time to time. 12 You will eat it as you would a barley cake and bake it over dried human excrement in their sight.” 13 The Lord said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their bread—ceremonially unclean—among the nations where I will banish them.”(HQ)
14 But I said, “Oh, Lord God, I have never been defiled. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything that died naturally or was mauled by wild beasts.(HR) And impure meat has never entered my mouth.”(HS)
15 He replied to me, “Look, I will let you use cow dung instead of human excrement, and you can make your bread over that.” 16 Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem.(HT) They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight and in dread drink water by measure.(HU) 17 So they will lack bread and water; everyone will be devastated and waste away because of their iniquity.(HV)
Ezekiel Dramatizes Jerusalem’s Fall
5 “Now you, son of man, take a sharp sword,(HW) use it as you would a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair. 2 You are to burn up a third of it in the city when the days of the siege have ended;(HX) you are to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind, for I will draw a sword to chase after them. 3 But you are to take a few strands from the hair and secure them in the folds of your robe.(HY) 4 Take some more of them, throw them into the fire, and burn them in it.(HZ) A fire will spread from it to the whole house of Israel.
5 “This is what the Lord God says: I have set this Jerusalem in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. 6 But she has rebelled against My ordinances with more wickedness than the nations, and against My statutes more than the countries that surround her. For her people have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.
7 “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because you have been more insubordinate than the nations around you(IA)—you have not walked in My statutes or kept My ordinances; you have not even kept the ordinances of the nations around you— 8 therefore, this is what the Lord God says: See, I am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments within you in the sight of the nations. 9 Because of all your detestable practices, I will do to you what I have never done before and what I will never do again.(IB) 10 As a result, fathers will eat their sons(IC) within Jerusalem,[av] and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your survivors to every direction of the wind.
11 “Therefore, as I live”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“I am going to cut you off and show you no pity, because you have defiled My sanctuary(ID) with all your detestable practices and abominations.(IE) Yes, I will not spare you. 12 A third of your people will die by plague and be consumed by famine within you;(IF) a third will fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter a third to every direction of the wind, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.(IG) 13 When My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath on them, I will be appeased.(IH) Then after I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in My jealousy.(II)
14 “I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of everyone who passes by. 15 So you[aw] will be a disgrace and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations around you when I execute judgments against you in anger,(IJ) wrath, and furious rebukes. I, Yahweh, have spoken. 16 When I shoot deadly arrows of famine at them, arrows for destruction that I will send to destroy you, inhabitants of Jerusalem, I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of bread. 17 I will send famine and dangerous animals against you. They will leave you childless, Jerusalem. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, Yahweh, have spoken.”(IK)
Prophecy against Israel’s Idolatry
6 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, turn your face toward the mountains of Israel(IL) and prophesy against them. 3 You are to say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! This is what the Lord God says to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.(IM) 4 Your altars will be desolated and your incense altars smashed. I will throw down your slain in front of your idols. 5 I will lay the corpses of the Israelites in front of their idols and scatter your bones around your altars. 6 Wherever you live the cities will be in ruins and the high places will be desolate, so that your altars will lie in ruins and be desecrated,[ax] your idols smashed and obliterated, your incense altars cut down, and your works wiped out. 7 The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am Yahweh.
8 “Yet I will leave a remnant when you are scattered among the nations, for throughout the countries there will be some of you who will escape the sword.(IN) 9 Then your survivors will remember Me among the nations where they are taken captive,(IO) how I was crushed by their promiscuous hearts that turned away from Me and by their eyes that lusted after their idols.(IP) They will loathe themselves because of the evil things they did,(IQ) their detestable practices of every kind. 10 And they will know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten to bring this disaster on them without a reason.
Lament over the Fall of Jerusalem
11 “This is what the Lord God says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet,(IR) and cry out over all the evil and detestable practices of the house of Israel, who will fall by the sword, famine, and plague.(IS) 12 The one who is far off will die by plague; the one who is near will fall by the sword; and the one who remains and is spared[ay] will die of famine. In this way I will exhaust My wrath on them.(IT) 13 You will all know that I am Yahweh when their slain lie among their idols around their altars,(IU) on every high hill,(IV) on all the mountaintops, and under every green tree and every leafy oak—the places where they offered pleasing aromas to all their idols. 14 I will stretch out My hand against them,(IW) and wherever they live I will make the land a desolate waste, from the wilderness to Diblah.[az] Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”
Announcement of the End
7 And the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says to the land of Israel:
An end! The end has come
on the four corners of the land.(IX)
3 The end is now upon you;
I will send My anger against you
and judge you according to your ways.
I will punish you for all your detestable practices.
4 I will not look on you with pity or spare you,(IY)
but I will punish you for your ways(IZ)
and for your detestable practices within you.
Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”(JA)
5 This is what the Lord God says:
Look, one disaster after another is coming!(JB)
6 An end has come; the end has come!
It has awakened against you.
Look, it is coming!
7 Doom[ba] has come on you,(JC)
inhabitants of the land.
The time has come; the day is near.
There will be panic on the mountains
and not celebration.(JD)
8 I will pour out My wrath on you very soon;(JE)
I will exhaust My anger against you
and judge you according to your ways.
I will punish you for all your detestable practices.
9 I will not look on you with pity or spare you.
I will punish you for your ways
and for your detestable practices within you.
Then you will know
that it is I, Yahweh, who strikes.
10 Look, the day is coming!
Doom has gone out.(JF)
The rod has blossomed;(JG)
arrogance has bloomed.(JH)
11 Violence has grown into a rod of wickedness.(JI)
None of them will remain:
none of their multitude,
none of their wealth,
and none of the eminent[bb] among them.
12 The time has come; the day has arrived.
Let the buyer not rejoice(JJ)
and the seller not mourn,
for wrath is on all her masses.(JK)
13 The seller will certainly not return
to what was sold
as long as he and the buyer remain alive.[bc]
For the vision concerning all its people
will not be revoked,
and none of them will preserve
his life because of his iniquity.
14 They have blown the trumpet(JL)
and prepared everything,
but no one goes to war,
for My wrath is on all her masses.
15 The sword is on the outside;(JM)
plague and famine are on the inside.
Whoever is in the field will die by the sword,
and famine and plague will devour
whoever is in the city.
16 The survivors among them will escape(JN)
and live on the mountains
like doves of the valley,
all of them moaning,
each over his own iniquity.
17 All their hands will become weak,(JO)
and all their knees will turn to water.
18 They will put on sackcloth,
and horror will overwhelm them.
Shame will cover all their faces,
and all their heads will be bald.(JP)
19 They will throw their silver into the streets,
and their gold will seem like something filthy.(JQ)
Their silver and gold will be unable to save them
in the day of the Lord’s wrath.(JR)
They will not satisfy their appetites
or fill their stomachs,
for these were the stumbling blocks(JS)
that brought about their iniquity.
20 He appointed His beautiful ornaments for majesty,
but[bd] they made their abhorrent images from them,
their detestable things.(JT)
Therefore, I have made these
into something filthy for them.
21 I will hand these things over
to foreigners as plunder(JU)
and to the wicked of the earth as spoil,
and they will profane them.
22 I will turn My face from the wicked
as they profane My treasured place.
Violent men will enter it and profane it.
23 Forge the chain,(JV)
for the land is filled with crimes of bloodshed,
and the city is filled with violence.(JW)
24 So I will bring the most evil of nations(JX)
to take possession of their houses.
I will put an end to the pride of the strong,
and their sacred places will be profaned.(JY)
25 Anguish is coming!
They will seek peace, but there will be none.
26 Disaster after disaster will come,(JZ)
and there will be rumor after rumor.(KA)
Then they will seek a vision from a prophet,(KB)
but instruction will perish from the priests
and counsel from the elders.(KC)
27 The king will mourn;
the prince will be clothed in grief;
and the hands of the people of the land will tremble.
I will deal with them according to their own conduct,
and I will judge them by their own standards.(KD)
Then they will know that I am Yahweh.
Visionary Journey to Jerusalem
8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting in front of me,(KE) and there the hand of the Lord God came down on me.(KF) 2 I looked, and there was a form that had the appearance of a man.[be] From what seemed to be His waist down was fire, and from His waist up was something that looked bright,(KG) like the gleam of amber.(KH) 3 He stretched out what appeared to be a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God(KI) to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate that faces north, where the offensive statue that provokes jealousy(KJ) was located. 4 I saw the glory of the God of Israel(KK) there, like the vision I had seen in the plain.(KL)
Pagan Practices in the Temple
5 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” I looked to the north, and there was this offensive statue north of the altar gate, at the entrance. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing here, more detestable things that the house of Israel is committing,(KM) so that I must depart from My sanctuary? You will see even more detestable things.”
7 Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked there was a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Son of man, dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and there was a doorway. 9 He said to me, “Go in and see the terrible and detestable things they are committing here.” 10 I went in and looked, and there engraved all around the wall was every form of detestable thing, crawling creatures and beasts, as well as all the idols of the house of Israel.(KN)
11 Seventy elders from the house of Israel were standing before them, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan(KO) standing among them. Each had a firepan in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising up. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his idol? For they are saying, ‘The Lord does not see us. The Lord has abandoned the land.’”(KP) 13 Again He said to me, “You will see even more detestable things, which they are committing.”
14 So He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house, and I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 15 And He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even more detestable things than these.”
16 So He brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house, and there were about 25 men at the entrance of the Lord’s temple, between the portico and the altar,(KQ) with their backs to the Lord’s temple and their faces turned to the east.(KR) They were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.(KS) 17 And He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the detestable things they are practicing here, that they must also fill the land with violence(KT) and repeatedly provoke Me to anger,(KU) even putting the branch to their nose?[bf][bg] 18 Therefore I will respond with wrath.(KV) I will not show pity or spare them.(KW) Though they cry out in My ears with a loud voice,(KX) I will not listen to them.”
Vision of Slaughter in Jerusalem
9 Then He called to me directly with a loud voice, “Come near, executioners of the city, each of you with a destructive weapon in his hand.” 2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate,(KY) which faces north, each with a war club in his hand. There was another man among them, clothed in linen,(KZ) with writing equipment at his side. They came and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Then the glory of the God of Israel(LA) rose from above the cherub where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side. 4 “Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem,” the Lord said to him, “and put a mark on the foreheads(LB) of the men who sigh and groan(LC) over all the detestable practices committed in it.”
5 He spoke as I listened to the others, “Pass through the city after him and start killing; do not show pity or spare them!(LD) 6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, as well as the older women and little children,(LE) but do not come near anyone who has the mark.(LF) Now begin at My sanctuary.”(LG) So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.(LH) Go!” So they went out killing people in the city.
8 While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, “Oh, Lord God!(LI) Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem?”
9 He answered me: “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of bloodshed,(LJ) and the city full of perversity. For they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land;(LK) He does not see.’(LL) 10 But as for Me, I will not show pity or spare them.(LM) I will bring their actions down on their own heads.”(LN) 11 Then the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side reported back, “I have done as You commanded me.”
God’s Glory Leaves the Temple
10 Then I looked, and there above the expanse over the heads(LO) of the cherubim was something like sapphire[bh] stone resembling the shape of a throne that appeared above them. 2 The Lord spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with hot coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.”(LP) So he went in as I watched.
3 Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud(LQ) filled the inner court.(LR) 4 Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the temple.(LS) The temple was filled with the cloud,(LT) and the court was filled with the brightness of the Lord’s glory.(LU) 5 The sound of the cherubim’s wings could be heard as far as the outer court; it was like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
6 After the Lord commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from inside the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then the cherub reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took some, and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of human hands under their wings.(LV)
9 I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim,(LW) one wheel beside each cherub. The luster of the wheels was like the gleam of beryl.(LX) 10 In appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel. 11 When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions,(LY) without pivoting as they moved. But wherever the head faced, they would go in that direction,[bi] without pivoting as they went. 12 Their entire bodies,(LZ) including their backs, hands, wings, and the wheels that the four of them had, were full of eyes all around.(MA) 13 As I listened the wheels were called “the wheelwork.” 14 Each one had four faces:(MB) the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.
15 The cherubim ascended; these were the living creatures I had seen by the Chebar Canal.(MC) 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when they lifted their wings to rise from the earth, even then the wheels did not veer away from them. 17 When the cherubim stood still,(MD) the wheels stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
18 Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple(ME) and stood above the cherubim.(MF) 19 The cherubim lifted their wings and ascended from the earth right before my eyes;(MG) the wheels were beside them as they went. The glory of the God of Israel was above them, and it stood at the entrance to the eastern gate of the Lord’s house.
20 These were the living creatures I had seen(MH) beneath the God of Israel by the Chebar Canal,(MI) and I recognized that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces and each had four wings,(MJ) with the form of human hands under their wings. 22 Their faces looked like the same faces I had seen(MK) by the Chebar Canal. Each creature went straight ahead.
Vision of Israel’s Corrupt Leaders
11 The Spirit then lifted me up(ML) and brought me to the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, which faces east, and at the gate’s entrance were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plan evil(MM) and give wicked advice in this city. 3 They are saying, ‘Isn’t the time near to build houses?[bj](MN) The city is the pot,(MO) and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!”
5 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and He told me, “You are to say: This is what the Lord says: That is what you are thinking, house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your mind.(MP) 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city,(MQ) filling its streets with the dead.
7 “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: The slain you have put within it are the meat,(MR) and the city is the pot, but I[bk] will remove you from it.(MS) 8 You fear the sword,(MT) so I will bring the sword against you.”(MU) This is the declaration of the Lord God. 9 “I will bring you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners; I will execute judgments against you.(MV) 10 You will fall by the sword,(MW) and I will judge you at the border of Israel.(MX) Then you will know that I am Yahweh. 11 The city will not be a pot for you,(MY) and you will not be the meat within it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, 12 so you will know that I am Yahweh, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not practiced. Instead, you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.”(MZ)
13 Now while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died.(NA) Then I fell facedown and cried out with a loud voice: “Oh, Lord God!(NB) Will You bring to an end the remnant of Israel?”
Promise of Israel’s Restoration
14 The word of the Lord came to me again: 15 “Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem you,[bl][bm] and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are those that the residents of Jerusalem have said this to, ‘Stay away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’
16 “Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them(NC) in the countries where they have gone.
17 “Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoples(ND) and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18 “When they arrive there, they will remove all its(NE) detestable things(NF) and practices from it. 19 And I will give them one heart(NG) and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone(NH) from their bodies[bn] and give them a heart of flesh,(NI) 20 so they may follow My statutes,(NJ) keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.(NK) 21 But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and practices, I will bring their actions down on their own heads.”(NL) This is the declaration of the Lord God.
God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem
22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings,(NM) and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The glory of the Lord(NN) rose up from within the city and stood on the mountain(NO) east of the city.[bo](NP) 24 The Spirit lifted me up(NQ) and brought me to Chaldea and to the exiles in a vision from the Spirit of God. After the vision I had seen left me, 25 I spoke to the exiles about all the things the Lord had shown me.
Ezekiel Dramatizes the Exile
12 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious house.(NR) They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear,(NS) for they are a rebellious house.(NT)
3 “Son of man, get your bags ready for exile and go into exile in their sight during the day. You will go into exile from your place to another place while they watch; perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4 During the day, bring out your bags like an exile’s bags while they look on. Then in the evening go out in their sight like those going into exile. 5 As they watch, dig through the wall and take the bags out through it. 6 And while they look on, lift the bags to your shoulder and take them out in the dark; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”(NU)
7 So I did just as I was commanded. In the daytime I brought out my bags like an exile’s bags. In the evening I dug through the wall by hand; I took them out in the dark, carrying them on my shoulder in their sight.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me in the morning: 9 “Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, that rebellious house,(NV) asked you, ‘What are you doing?’(NW) 10 Say to them: This is what the Lord God says: This oracle is about the prince[bp] in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are living there.[bq] 11 You are to say, ‘I am a sign for you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile,(NX) into captivity.’ 12 The prince who is among(NY) them will lift his bags to his shoulder in the dark and go out. They[br] will dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land with his eyes. 13 But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he will not see it,(NZ) and he will die there. 14 I will also scatter all the attendants who surround him and all his troops to every direction of the wind,(OA) and I will draw a sword to chase after them. 15 They will know that I am Yahweh(OB) when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.(OC) 16 But I will spare a few of them from the sword,(OD) famine, and plague so they can tell about all their detestable practices among the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”
Ezekiel Dramatizes Israel’s Anxiety
17 The word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, eat your bread with(OE) trembling and drink your water with shaking and anxiety. 19 Then say to the people of the land: This is what the Lord God says about the residents of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their[bs][bt] land will be stripped of everything(OF) in it because of the violence of all who live there. 20 The inhabited cities will be destroyed, and the land will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”
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