The Lament of a Fallen House and the Sword of Judgment
Ezekiel 19
1 Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 and say, What was your mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3 She brought up one of her cubs: he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a young lion.
6 He went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
7 He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.
9 They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a vine, in your blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 It had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore rule, and its stature was exalted among the thick branches, and it was seen in its height with the multitude of its branches.
12 But it was plucked up in fury, it was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit: its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire has gone out of the rods of its branches; it has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a scepter to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
Ezekiel 20
1 It happened in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me.
2 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, The Lord Yahweh says: Have you come to inquire of me? As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.”
4 “Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers;
5 and tell them, The Lord Yahweh says: In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am Yahweh your God;
6 in that day I swore to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.
7 I said to them, ‘Cast away every man the abominations of his eyes, and don’t defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.’
8 But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me. They did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
9 But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
10 So I caused them to go out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11 I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them.
12 Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they didn’t walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.
14 But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
15 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
16 because they rejected my ordinances, and didn’t walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
17 Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I didn’t destroy them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Don’t walk in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.
19 I am Yahweh your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them;
20 and make my Sabbaths holy; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.’
21 But the children rebelled against me; they didn’t walk in my statutes, neither kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man does, he shall live in them; they profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
22 Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
23 Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;
24 because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.
25 Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live;
26 and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that opens the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Yahweh.
27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, The Lord Yahweh says: In this moreover have your fathers blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.
28 For when I had brought them into the land which I swore to give them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their sweet savor, and poured out there their drink offerings.
29 Then I said to them, What does the high place where you go mean? So its name is called Bamah to this day.
30 Therefore tell the house of Israel, The Lord Yahweh says: Do you pollute yourselves in the way of your fathers? Do you play the prostitute after their abominations?
31 When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, you pollute yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. Shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.
32 That which comes into your mind shall not be at all, in that you say, ‘We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.’
33 As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, will I be king over you.
34 I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out;
35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face.
36 Like as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you,” says the Lord Yahweh.
37 “I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
38 and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those who transgress against me; I will bring them out of the land where they live as foreigners, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and you shall know that I am Yahweh.
39 As for you, house of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says: Go, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.
40 For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh, “there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.
41 I will accept you as a sweet savor, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.
42 You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers.
43 There you shall remember your ways, and all your doings, in which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed.
44 You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, house of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.
45 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south, and drop your word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South;
47 and tell the forest of the South, Hear Yahweh’s word: The Lord Yahweh says: Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned by it.
48 All flesh shall see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”
49 Then I said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! They say of me, Isn’t he a speaker of parables?”
Ezekiel 21
1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and drop your word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
3 and tell the land of Israel, The Lord Yahweh says: Behold, I am against you, and will draw my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.
4 Seeing then that I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore my sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north;
5 and all flesh shall know that I, Yahweh, have drawn my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.
6 Sigh therefore, you son of man; with the breaking of your waist and with bitterness you shall sigh before their eyes.
7 It shall be, when they ask you, Why do you sigh? that you shall say, Because of the news, for it comes; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it comes, and it shall be done,” says the Lord Yahweh.
8 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
9 “Son of man, prophesy, and say, The Lord says: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also polished;
10 it is sharpened that it may make a slaughter; it is polished that it may be as lightning: shall we then make mirth? The rod of my son despises every tree.
11 It is given to be polished, that it may be handled: the sword, it is sharpened, yes, it is polished, to give it into the hand of the killer.
12 Cry and wail, son of man; for it is on my people, it is on all the princes of Israel: they are delivered over to the sword with my people. Strike therefore on your thigh.
13 For there is a trial; and what if even the rod that despises shall be no more?” says the Lord Yahweh.
14 You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great one who is slain, which enters into their private rooms.
15 I have set the threatening sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumbling blocks be multiplied. Ah! It is made as lightning, it is pointed for slaughter.
16 Gather yourself together, go to the right, set yourself in order, go to the left, wherever your face is set.
17 I will also strike my hands together, and I will cause my wrath to rest: I, Yahweh, have spoken it.
18 Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying,
19 “Also, you son of man, appoint two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come. They shall both come out of one land: and mark out a place, mark it at the head of the way to the city.
20 You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.
21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows back and forth, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver.
22 In his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, and to build forts.
23 It shall be to them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to memory, that they may be taken.
24 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken with the hand.
25 You, deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the iniquity of the end,
26 the Lord Yahweh says: Remove the turban, and take off the crown; this shall be no more the same; exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high.
27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it to him.
28 You, son of man, prophesy and say, The Lord Yahweh says concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach: Say, A sword, a sword is drawn, it is polished for the slaughter, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning;
29 while they see for you vanity, while they divine lies to you, to lay you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come in the time of the iniquity of the end.
30 Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your birth, I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my indignation on you; I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath; and I will deliver you into the hand of brutish men, skillful to destroy.
32 You shall be for fuel to the fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the land; you shall be no more remembered: for I, Yahweh, have spoken it.
Scripture: World English Bible Classic (WEB), a public-domain translation. Available for free copying and sharing at eBible.org.
