< Ezekiel 22 >

1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 And thou, son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? then 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 thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord GOD: A city that sheddeth blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that maketh idols against herself to defile her!
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 art defiled in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the nations, and a mocking to all the 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 be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, thou infamous one [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, every one according to his power, have been in thee 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 wronged 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 mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths.
9 Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood: and in thee they have 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 bribes to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by oppression, 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 neighbors by oppression, and have forgotten me,” says the Lord GOD.
13 Behold, therefore, I have smitten mine 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 thine heart endure, or can thine 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 nations, and disperse thee through the countries; and I 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 profaned in thyself, in the sight of the nations; 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 unto me, saying,
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
18 Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross unto 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 GOD: Because ye are all 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 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 mine anger and in my fury, and I will lay 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 shalt 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 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 unto me, saying,
The LORD’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 thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in the midst thereof.
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 done violence to my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern 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 among them.
27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey; to shed blood, [and] to destroy souls, that they may 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 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; yea, they have vexed the poor and needy, and 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 fence, 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 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 have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I brought 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.

< Ezekiel 22 >