Ezekiel 14-22

1. Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2. Then the word of the LORD came to me: 3. "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 4. Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry.5. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.'6. "Therefore say to the people of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! 7. "'When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their face and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer them myself. 8. I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 9. "'And if the prophet s enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.10. They will bear their guilt-the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him.11. Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all thier sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereing LORD.'"12. The word of the LORD came to me: 13. "Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, 14. even if these three men-Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save only themselves by their righeousness, declares the Sovereign LORD. 15. "Or if I send wild beasts through that country and leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts,16. as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughter. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate. 17. "Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, 'Let the sword pass throughout the land,' and I kill its people and their animals, 18. as surely as I live, declares the Soveriegn LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. 19. "Or if I send a plauge into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals,20. as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by thier righteousness.21. "For this is what teh Soverieng LORD says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgements-sword and famine and wild beasts and plague-to kill its men and their animals!22. Yet there will be some survivors-sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem-every disaster I have brought on it.23. You will be consoled when you see their sonduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign LORD." 1. The word of the LORD came to me: 2. "Son of mn, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest?3. Is wood every taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? 4. And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then usefl for anything? 5. If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?6. "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem.7. I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fir will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the LORD. 8. I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign LORD." 1. The word of the LORD came to me: 2. "Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices 3. and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4. On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.5. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you wer thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. 6. "'Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" 7. I made you grow like aplant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked. 8. "'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you. declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. 9. "'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you.10. I clothed you with an embroidered dress adn put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. 11. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck,12. and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil ad the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. 14. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, becasue the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD. 15. "'But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his.16. You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where  you carried on your prostitution. You went to him, and he possessed your beauty. 17. You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourslelf male idols and engaged in rpostitution with them.18. And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them.19. Also the food I provided for you- the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat-you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign LORD. 20. "'And you took your sons and daugters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? 21. You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. 22. In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kcicking about in your blood. 23. "'Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness,24. you build a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. 25. At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.26. You engaged in prositution with the Egyptians, your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity. 27. So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughter of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28. You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. 29. Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but evne with this you were not satisfied. 30. "'I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!31. WHen you built your mounds at every street corner an made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment. 32. "'You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! 33. All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing hem to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. 34. So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you. 35. "'Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the LORD!36. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lover, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children's blood, 37. therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.38. I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.39. Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewlery and leace you stark naked. 40. They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41. They will burn down your houses and inflict punishement on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers.42. Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry. 43. "'Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereing LORD. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices? 44. "'Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: "Like mother, like daughter." 45. Youare a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and er children; and you are a true sister you your sisters, who despised thie rhusbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your fahter an Amorite. 46. Your older sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister you lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom. 47. You not only followed their ways and copies their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraced than they. 48. As surely as I live, declares the Soverieng LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. 49. "'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. 50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. 51. Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sister seem righteous by all these things you have done. 52. Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous. 53. "'However, I will resotre the fortunes of Sodom and hre daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,54. so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. 55. And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before. 56. You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride. 57. before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are noe scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistintes-all those around you who despise you.58. You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detesable practices, declares the LORD. 59. "'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath my breaking the covenant.60. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.61. Then you will rmember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sister, bot those who are older ahn you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. 62. So I will esablish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD.63. Then, when I make atonement and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign LORD.'"  1. The word of the LORD came to me: 2. "Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable. 3. Say to them, 'This is what the Soveriegn LORD says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold o the top of a cedar,4. he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders. 5. "'He took one of the seedlins of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water, 6. and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and producted branches and put out leafy boughs.7. "'But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The wine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot wher eit was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water. 8. It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.' 9. "Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stipped of its fruit so that it withers? Al its new growth wil wither. It will not take a strong arm or man people to pull t up by the roots. 10. It hasbeen plated, but wil it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it-wither away in the plot where it grew?'"11. Then teh word of the LORD came to me:12. "Say to this rebellious people, 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Say to them: 'The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles, bringing them back with him to Babylon. 13. Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land, 14. so that the kingdom would be brought low, unabe ot rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. 15. But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horse and a large army. Will he succeed? Will hewho does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape? 16. "'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.17. Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives. 18. He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape. 19. "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant. 20. I will spraed my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to babylon and exeute judgement on him there because he was unfaithful to me.21. All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken. 22. "'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.23. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will product branches bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. 24. All the trees of the forest will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. "'I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.'" 1. The word of the LORD came to me:2. "What do you people mean by quoting this prover about the land of Israel: "'The parents eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?3. "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child-both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die. 5. "Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. 6. He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.7. He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 8. He does not lend to them at interest or take a profot from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. 9. He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD. 10. "Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11. (though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He deiles his neighbor's wife. 12. He oppresses the poor adn needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detesable things. 13. He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detesable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head. 14. "But suppose this son has a son wo sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he oes not do such things: 15. "He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife.16. He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robberybut gives his food to the hungry and provides clothinng for the naked. 17. He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interes or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. 18. But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. 19." Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.20. The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. 21. "But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surley live; they will not die. 22. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered agianst them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?24. "But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the rigtheou things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die. 25. "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord s not just.' Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?26. If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27. But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28. Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29. Yet teh Israelites say, 'The way of the LORD is not just.' Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 30. "Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you accordin to your own ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! TUrn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31. Rid yourselves of al the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32. For  take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!  1. "Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel 2. and say: "'What a lioness was your mother among the lioins! She lay down among the and reared her cubs.3. She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater. 4. The nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt. 5. "'When she saw her hope unfulfilled, her expectation gone, she took another of her cubs and made him a strong lion. 6. He prowled among the lions, for he was not a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater. 7. He broke down their strongholds and devastated their towns. The land and all who were in it were terrified by his roaring. 8. Then the nations came against him, those from regions round about. They spread their net for him, and he was trapped in their pit. 9. With hook they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel. 10. "'Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. 11. Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler's scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches. 12. But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground. The east wing made it shrivel, it was stirpped of its fruit; its strong branches withered and fire consumed them. 13. Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land. 14. Fire spreaad from one of its main branches and consumed its fruit. No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler's scpeter.' "This is a lament and is to be used as a lament."  1. In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me. 2. Then the word of the LORD came to me: 3. "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.'4. "Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors 5. and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, "I am the LORD your God."6. On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 7. And I said to them, "Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."8. "'But they rebelled aianst me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. 9. But or the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profanes in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had recealed myself to the Israelites. 10. Therefore I led them out of EGypt and brough them into the wilderness. 11. I gave them my decrees an made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. 12. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy. 13. "'Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees butrejected my laws-by which the person who obeys them will live-and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. 14. But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.15. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them-a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands-16. because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their herts were devoted to their idols. 17. Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness. 18. I said to their children in the wilderness, "Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. 19. I m the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 20. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God."21. "'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my law, of which I said, "The person who obeys them will live by them," and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wildernes. 2. But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight  had brought them out. 23. Also with upliftd hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, 24. because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents' idols. 25. So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; 26. I defiled them through their gifts-the sacrifice of every frstborn-that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD.' 27. "Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your ancestors blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me: 28. When I brought them into the land I had sword to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings. 29. THen I said to them: What is this high place you go to?'" (It is called Bamah to this day.) 30. "Therefore say to the Israelites: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: WIll you defile yourselves he way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? 31. When you offer your ggifts-the sacrifice of your children in the fire-you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to et you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will not let you inquire of me 32. "'You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen.33. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. 34. I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered-with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.35. I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgement upon you. 36. As I judged you, declares the Sovereign LORD.37. I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38. I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the and of Israel. Then you will konw that I am the LORD. 39. "'As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. 40. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There i will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. 41. I will accpet you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations. 42. Then you will konw that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel ,the land I had sword with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. 43. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. 44. You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.'"45. The word of the LORD came to me: 46."Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland. 47. Say to the southern forest: 'Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to set fire to you, nd it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. 48. Everyone will see that I the LORD have kindled it; it will not b quenched.'"49. Then I said, "Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, 'Isn't he just telling parables?'" 1. The word of the LORD came to me: 2. "Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel 3. and say to her: 'This is what the LORD says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 4. Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. 5.Then all people will konw that I the LORD have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will not return again.' 6. "Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. 7. And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and eveyr leg will be wet with urine.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD."8. The word of the LORD came to me: 9. "Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord says: "'A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished-10. sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! "'Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises eveyr such stick. 11. "'The sword is apointed to be polished, to be grasped with the hand; it is sharpeed and polished, made ready for the hand of the slayer. 12. Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against y people; it is agianst all the princes of Israel. They are thrown to the sword along with my people. Therefore beat your breast. 13. "'Testing will surely come.  And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign LORD.' 14. "So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times. It is a sword for slaughter-a sword for great slaughter, closing in on them from every side. 15. So that hearts may melt with fear and the fallen by many, I have stationed the sword for slaughter at all their gates. Look! It is forged to strike like lightning, it is grasped for slaughter. 16. Slash to the right, you sword, then to the left, wherever your blade is turned. 17. I too will strike my hands together, and my wrath will subside. I the LORD have spoken."18. The word of the LORD came to me:19. "Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. 20. Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonits and another agians tJudah and fortified Jerusalem. 21. For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in teh road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idol, he will examine the liver. 22. Into his right hand will ome the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works. 23. It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive. 24. "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do-because you have done this, you will be taken captive. 25. "'You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax.26. this is what the Soveriegn LORD says: Take off the turnban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the eexalted will be brought low. 27. A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.'28. "you you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about the Ammonites and thier insults: "'A sword, a sword, drawn for the slaughter, polished to consume and to flash like lightning! 29. Despite flase visions concerning you and lying divinations about you, it will be laid on the necks of the wicked who are to be slain, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax. 30. "'Let the sword return to its sheath. In the pace where you were created, in the land of your ancestry, I will judge you. 31. I will pour out my wrath on you and breathe out my fiery anger against you; I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men men skilled in estruction. 32. You will be fuel for the fire, your blood will be shed in your land, you will be remembered no ore; for I the LORD have spoken.'"  1. The word of the LORD came to me: 2. "Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then contront her with all her detestable practices 3. and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You city that bring on herself doom my shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself my making idols, 4. you have become guilty because o the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an obejct of scorn to the nations and a laughing stock to all the countries. 5. Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turnmoil. 6. "'See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood. 7. In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the foreigner and mistreated the fatherless and the widow. 8. You have despised my holy things ad desecrated my Sabbaths.9. In you are slanders who are bend on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts. 10. In you are those who dishonor their father's bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean. 11. In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor's wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father's daughter. 12. In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign LORD. 13. "'I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst. 14. Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. 15. I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries; and I will put an end to your uncleanness. 16. When you have been defiled in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the LORD.'"17. Then the word of the LORD came to me: 18. "Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are the dross of silver.19. Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem. 20. As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to me melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and m wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.21. I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.22. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath on you.'"23. Again the word of the LORD came to me: 24. "Son of man, say to the land, 'You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.'25. THere is a conspiracy of her princes within her like roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. 26. He priests do voilence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27. Her officials within her ar elike wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. 28. Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says'-when the LORD has not spoken. 29. The people of the land practice extoriton and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.30. "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. 31. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with me fiery anger, bringing down on thehir own heads all they have done, declares the Soveriegn LORD."  Our God is intimate with us and CARES what we do, where we are, what we think etc. Even at times when I feel like I'm alone and no one is near to look or judge me, there is God who loves me so much that He never leaves me and wants to have a closer relationship!! Never underestimate His love:)