Ezekiel 7

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2 And you, son of man, say, This is what the Lord has said to the land of Israel: An end has come, the end has come on the four quarters of the land.

“You, son of man, the Lord GOD says to the land of Israel, ‘An end! The end has come on the four corners of the land.

3 Now the end has come on you, and I will send my wrath on you, judging you for your ways, I will send punishment on you for all your disgusting acts.

Now the end is on you, and I will send my anger on you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations.

4 My eye will not have mercy on you, and I will have no pity: but I will send the punishment of your ways on you, and your disgusting works will be among you: and you will be certain that I am the Lord.

My eye will not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations will be among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’

5 This is what the Lord has said: An evil, even one evil; see, it is coming.

“The Lord GOD says: ‘A disaster! A unique disaster! Behold, it comes.

6 An end has come, the end has come; see, it is coming on you.

An end has come. The end has come! It awakes against you. Behold, it comes.

7 The crowning time has come on you, O people of the land: the time has come, the day is near; the day will not be slow in coming, it will not keep back.

Your doom has come to you, inhabitant of the land! The time has come! The day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting, on the mountains.

8 Now, in a little time, I will let loose my passion on you, and give full effect to my wrath against you, judging you for your ways, and sending punishment on you for all your disgusting works.

Now I will shortly pour out my wrath on you, and accomplish my anger against you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations.

9 My eye will not have mercy, and I will have no pity: I will send on you the punishment of your ways, and your disgusting works will be among you; and you will see that I am the Lord who gives punishment.

My eye will not spare, neither will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways. Your abominations will be among you. Then you will know that I, the LORD, strike.

10 See, the day; see, it is coming: the crowning time has gone out; the twisted way is flowering, pride has put out buds.

“‘Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has gone out. The rod has blossomed. Pride has budded.

11 Violent behaviour has been lifted up into a rod of evil; it will not be slow in coming, it will not keep back.

Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness. None of them will remain, nor of their multitude, nor of their wealth. There will be nothing of value among them.

12 The time has come, the day is near: let not him who gives a price for goods be glad, or him who gets the price have sorrow:

The time has come! The day draws near. Do not let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is on all its multitude.

13 For the trader will not go back to the things for which he had his price, even while he is still living:

For the seller will not return to that which is sold, although they are still alive; for the vision concerns the whole multitude of it. None will return. None will strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.

14 And he who has given a price for goods will not get them, for my wrath is on all of them.

They have blown the trumpet, and have made all ready; but no one goes to the battle, for my wrath is on all its multitude.

15 Outside is the sword, and inside disease and need of food: he who is in the open country will be put to the sword; he who is in the town will come to his end through need of food and disease.

“‘The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the famine within. He who is in the field will die by the sword. He who is in the city will be devoured by famine and pestilence.

16 And those of them who get away safely will go and be in the secret places like the doves of the valleys, all of them will come to death, every one in his sin.

But of those who escape, they will escape and will be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, everyone in his iniquity.

17 All hands will be feeble and all knees without strength, like water.

All hands will be feeble, and all knees will be weak as water.

18 And they will put haircloth round them, and deep fear will be covering them; and shame will be on all faces, and the hair gone from all their heads.

They will also clothe themselves with sackcloth, and horror will cover them. Shame will be on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.

19 They will put out their silver into the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to keep them safe in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they will not get their desire or have food for their need: because it has been the cause of their falling into sin.

They will cast their silver in the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath. They will not satisfy their souls or fill their bellies; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity.

20 As for their beautiful ornament, they had put it on high, and had made the images of their disgusting and hated things in it: for this cause I have made it an unclean thing to them.

As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein. Therefore I have made it to them as an unclean thing.

21 And I will give it into the hands of men from strange lands who will take it by force, and to the evil-doers of the earth to have for themselves; and they will make it unholy.

I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a plunder; and they will profane it.

22 And my face will be turned away from them, and they will make my secret place unholy: violent men will go into it and make it unholy.

I will also turn my face from them, and they will profane my secret place. Robbers will enter into it, and profane it.

23 Make the chain: for the land is full of crimes of blood, and the town is full of violent acts.

“‘Make chains, for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

24 For this reason I will send the worst of the nations and they will take their houses for themselves: I will make the pride of their strength come to an end; and their holy places will be made unclean.

Therefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the pride of the strong to cease. Their holy places will be profaned.

25 Shaking fear is coming; and they will be looking for peace, and there will be no peace.

Destruction comes! They will seek peace, and there will be none.

26 Destruction will come on destruction, and one story after another; and the vision of the prophet will be shamed, and knowledge of the law will come to an end among the priests, and wisdom among the old.

Mischief will come on mischief, and rumor will be on rumor. They will seek a vision of the prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.

27 The king will give himself up to sorrow, and the ruler will be clothed with wonder, and the hands of the people of the land will be troubled: I will give them punishment for their ways, judging them as it is right for them to be judged; and they will be certain that I am the Lord.

The king will mourn, and the prince will be clothed with desolation. The hands of the people of the land will be troubled. I will do to them after their way, and according to their own judgments I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”