Ezekiel 22

1 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

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

2 Punish, punish, son of man, the city of blood, and show her all her abominations, and say,

“You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations.

3 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: O city that sheddest blood in the midst of thee, that thy time may come, and makest idols to defile thyself!

You shall say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “A city that sheds blood within herself, that her time may come, and that makes idols against herself to defile her!

4 Through the blood which thou sheddest thou bringest guilt upon thyself, and through the idols which thou makest thou pollutest thyself, and thou causest thy days to draw near, and comest to thy years. Therefore do I make thee a reproach to the nations, and a derision to 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 as infamous, full of confusion.

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 are engaged every one according to his strength within thee to shed blood.

“‘“Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone according to his power, have been in you to shed blood.

7 In thee they set light by father and mother; in thee are they guilty of oppression to the stranger; in thee do they oppress 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 profaned my sabbaths.

You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths.

9 In thee are men who carry tales, that they may shed blood; in thee do they eat upon the mountains; in the midst of thee do they commit 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 doth the son uncover the father's nakedness; in thee do they lie with a woman in her uncleanness.

In you have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In you have they humbled her who was unclean in her impurity.

11 And one committeth abomination with his neighbor's wife; and another, with incestuous lewdness, defileth his daughter-in-law; and in thee another lieth with 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 do they take a reward to shed blood. Thou takest usury and increase, and thou hast enriched thyself from thy neighbor by extortion, 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 GOD.

13 Therefore, behold, I have smitten my hands together at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at the blood which hath been shed 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 Can thy heart endure, or can thy hands be strong, in the day when I shall deal with thee? I, Jehovah, have spoken it, and will do it.

Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I will deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken it, and will do it.

15 I will scatter thee among the nations, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thine impurity 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 through thyself be profaned before the eyes 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 the LORD.”’”

17 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

18 Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross to me; all of them are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are 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 of you become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.

Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the middle of Jerusalem.

20 As men gather silver, and brass, 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 my anger and in my fury, and I will place you there 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 gather you, and blow upon you with 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, the LORD, have poured out my wrath on you.’”

23 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

24 Son of man, say to 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 tearing the prey, they devour the lives of men; they take possession of treasures, and precious things, and make many 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 violate my law, and profane my holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and profane, and show not the difference between the clean and the unclean; 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 tearing the prey. They shed blood, they destroy life, that they may get 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 Her prophets daub for them with untempered mortar, seeing falsehood, and divining to them, saying, “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah,” when Jehovah hath not spoken.

Her prophets have plastered for them with whitewash, seeing false visions, and divining lies to them, saying, ‘The Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.

29 The people of the land are guilty of oppression, and practise robbery, and distress the poor and needy; yea, they oppress the stranger, and have no justice.

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 I have sought for a man among them that should make a wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I might 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 Therefore will I pour out my indignation upon them; I will consume them with the fire of my wrath; I will bring their way upon their heads, 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 GOD.