Ezekiel 22

1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

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

2 Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt show her 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 Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.

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 Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself by thy idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even to thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach to the heathen, and a mocking 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, who art infamous and much troubled.

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, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.

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

7 In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they oppressed the fatherless and the widow.

In you have they treated father and mother with contempt. Amongst 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 are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.

Slanderous men have been in you to shed blood. In you they have eaten on the mountains. They have committed lewdness amongst you.

10 In thee have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.

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 neighbour’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 interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained from thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.

In you have they taken bribes to shed blood. You have taken interest and increase, and you have greedily gained of your neighbours by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord GOD.

13 Behold, therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood 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 Can thy heart endure, or can thy hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD 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 And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.

I will scatter you amongst the nations, and disperse you through the countries. I will purge your filthiness out of you.

16 And thou shalt take thy inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

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 the LORD came to me, saying,

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

18 Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even 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 GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore 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 they 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 leave 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 in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst of it.

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 of it; and ye shall know that I the LORD 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 the LORD came to me, saying,

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

24 Son of man, say to her, Thou art the 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 have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her 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 have violated my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shown difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid 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 amongst them.

27 Her princes in the midst of her are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and 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 them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies to them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD 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 have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have oppressed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed 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 hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

“I sought for a man amongst 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 have I poured out my indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

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.