< Ezekiel 22 >

1 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2 And thou, son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? Yea, cause her to know all her abominations,
“You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations.
3 and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A city that sheddeth blood in her midst, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
You shall say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her!
4 Thou art become guilty by thy blood which thou hast shed, and hast defiled thyself with thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the nations, and a mocking unto all countries.
You 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 to the end of your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries.
5 Those that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall mock thee, who art infamous [and] full of tumult.
Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult.
6 Behold, the princes of Israel have been in thee to shed blood, each according to his power.
“‘“Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood.
7 In thee have they made light of father and mother; in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger; in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.
In 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.
8 Thou hast despised my holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths.
9 In thee there have been slanderous men to shed blood; and in thee have they eaten upon the mountains; in the midst of thee they have committed lewdness;
Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood. In you they have eaten on the mountains. They have committed lewdness among you.
10 in thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness; in thee have they humbled her that was unclean in her separation.
In you have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity.
11 And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.
One 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.
12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast overreached thy neighbours by oppression, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord Jehovah.
In 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.
13 And behold, I have smitten mine hand at thine overreaching which thou hast done, and at thy bloodshed which hath been in the midst of thee.
“‘“Behold, therefore I have struck my hand at your dishonest gain which you have made, and at the blood which has been shed within you.
14 Shall thy heart endure, shall thy hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I Jehovah have spoken, and will do [it].
Can 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.
15 And I will scatter thee among the nations, and disperse thee through the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.
I will scatter you among the nations, and disperse you through the countries. I will purge your filthiness out of you.
16 And thou shalt be polluted through thyself in the sight of the nations, and thou shalt know that I [am] Jehovah.
You will be profaned in yourself in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”’”
17 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
18 Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross to me: they are all copper, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace: they are become the dross of silver.
“Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me. All of them are bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the middle of the furnace. They are the dross of silver.
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye are all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the middle of Jerusalem.
20 [As] they gather silver, and copper, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it, so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will lay you on and melt you.
As they gather silver, bronze, 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.
21 Yea, I will collect you, and blow upon you the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.
Yes, 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 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I Jehovah have poured out my fury upon you.
As 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.’”
23 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
24 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
“Son of man, tell her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed nor rained on in the day of indignation.’
25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst of her like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they devour souls; they take away treasure and precious things; they increase her widows in the midst of her;
There 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.
26 her priests do violence to my law, and profane my holy things: they put no difference between the holy and profane, neither do they make known [the difference] between the unclean and the clean, and they hide their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Her 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.
27 Her princes in the midst of her are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.
28 And her prophets have daubed for them with untempered [mortar], seeing vanity and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah! and Jehovah hath not spoken.
Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying, ‘The Lord Yahweh says,’ when Yahweh has not spoken.
29 The people of the land use oppression and practise robbery; and they vex the poor and needy, and oppress the stranger wrongfully.
The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. Yes, they have troubled the poor and needy, and have oppressed the foreigner wrongfully.
30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the fence, and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.
“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.
31 And I will pour out mine indignation upon them; I will consume them in the fire of my wrath: their own way will I recompense upon their head, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Therefore 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.

< Ezekiel 22 >