The Prophet Ezekiel

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 22 -

Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

“Son of man, are you ready to condemn the people of Jerusalem? It is a city full of murderers. Remind them of all the detestable things that they have done.

Then say, ’This is what Yahweh the Lord says: By murdering people and by defiling yourselves, by making idols, you people of this city have brought on yourselves the time when I will destroy you.

You have become guilty by murdering innocent people. You have made it impossible for me to accept you, by making idols for yourselves. You are bringing your time to an end. Therefore I will cause the other people groups to laugh at you and mock you.

People in countries that are near you and people who live far from you will make fun of you, because your city is full of confusion, and because you have made it impossible for me, your own God, to accept you.

Think about how each of your Israelite kings have used his power to murder people.

Your people do not respect their parents; they have oppressed foreigners; they mistreat orphans and widows.

You despise my sacred places and practices, and you treat the Sabbath days like any other day.

Among you are men who tell lies in order to cause others to be executed. There are those who go to the hilltops and eat food offered to idols, and they openly perform evil acts.

There are men who sleep with their father’s wife, and men who sleep with women during their monthly menstrual periods.

There are men who sleep with someone else’s wife. Some of your men sleep with their daughters-in-law or with their own sisters or half-sisters.

There are among you men who accept bribes in order to cause someone to be executed. You charge interest when you lend people money. You become rich by forcing people to give you money. And you have forgotten me, Yahweh.

So I will shake my fist at your unfair profits and at the murderers who live among you.

When I finish punishing you, you will no longer be courageous. I, Yahweh, have said what I will do to you, and I will do it.

I will scatter you among many people groups, and I will make you stop your sinful behavior.

When the people of other nations see that you have been humiliated, you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.’”

The Refining Furnace

Yahweh then said to me,

“Son of man, your Israelite people have become useless to me. They are like dross to me. They are like the useless copper, tin, iron, and lead that remains after silver is melted in a very hot furnace.

Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Because you have all become like dross, I will gather you in Jerusalem.

People put ore containing silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin in a very hot furnace and melt them in a blazing fire to burn up the impurities. Similarly, I will gather you together inside Jerusalem, and because I am very angry with you, what I will do will be as though I am melting you.

It will be as though I am blowing on you with a hot breath that shows that I am very angry, and it will be as though you will melt,

as though you will melt like silver melts in a furnace, and then you will know that I, Yahweh, have punished you.”

Israel’s Wicked Leaders

Yahweh gave me another message. He said,

“Son of man, say to the Israelite people, ‘You are disgusting to Yahweh, completely unacceptable to him. So Yahweh is angry with you. There will be no rain in your country.’

Their leaders are like lions that tear apart the animals that they have killed. The leaders destroy their people. They steal treasures and other valuable things from people, and they murder many men and make their wives into widows.

Their priests disobey my laws and dishonor my sacred things by saying that there is no difference between things that are sacred and those that are not sacred, and by ignoring my laws about resting on the Sabbath days. As a result, they no longer honor me.

Their officials are like wolves that tear apart the animals that they have killed. They murder people in order to get their money.

Their prophets try to cover up those sins by saying they have received visions from God. They say, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says,’ when I have said nothing to them.

The Israelite people force others to give them money, and they rob people. They oppress poor people, and they mistreat foreigners among them by not treating them fairly in the courts.

I looked among them to find a man who would pray for the people and cause them to repent so that I would not need to destroy them. But I did not find anyone.

So because I am very angry with them, I will severely punish them for all the wicked things that they have done. That will surely happen because I, Yahweh the Lord, have said it.”

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

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

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!

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.

Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult.

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

In you have they treated father and mother with contempt.(a) Among you they have oppressed the foreigner. In you they have wronged the fatherless and the widow.

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

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

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

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.

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.

“‘“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.

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.

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

You will be profaned in yourself in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’”

The Refining Furnace

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“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.

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

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.

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.

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.’”

Israel’s Wicked Leaders

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, tell her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed nor rained on in the day of indignation.’

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.

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.

Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

Footnotes

(a)22:7 Literally, made light of father and mother.