The Prophet Ezekiel

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 22 -

Moreover, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

Now thou sonne of man, wilt thou iudge, wilt thou iudge this bloody citie? wilt thou shew her all her abominations?

Then say, Thus sayth the Lord God, The citie sheddeth blood in the middes of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against her selfe to pollute her selfe.

Thou hast offended in thy blood, that thou hast shed, and hast polluted thy selfe in thine idols, which thou hast made, and thou hast caused thy dayes to draw neere, and art come vnto thy terme: therefore haue I made thee a reproch to the heathen, and a mocking to all countreys.

Those that be neere, and those that be farre from thee, shall mocke thee, which art vile in name and sore in affliction.

Beholde, the princes of Israel euery one in thee was ready to his power, to shed blood.

In thee haue they despised father and mother: in the middes of thee haue they oppressed the stranger: in thee haue they vexed the fatherlesse and the widowe.

Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast polluted my Sabbaths.

In thee are men that cary tales to shed blood: in thee are they that eate vpon the mountaines: in ye mids of thee they comit abomination.

In thee haue they discouered their fathers shame: in thee haue they vexed her that was polluted in her floures.

And euery one hath committed abomination with his neighbours wife, and euery one hath wickedly defiled his daughter in lawe, and in thee hath euery man forced his owne sister, euen his fathers daughter.

In thee haue they taken giftes to shed blood: thou hast taken vsurie and the encrease, and thou hast defrauded thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God.

Beholde, therefore I haue smitten mine hands vpon thy couetousnesse, that thou hast vsed, and vpon the blood, which hath bene in the middes of thee.

Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the dayes that I shall haue to doe with thee? I the Lord haue spoken it, and will doe it.

And I wil scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countreys, and will cause thy filthines to cease from thee.

And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thy selfe in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord.

The Refining Furnace

And the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

Sonne of man, the house of Israel is vnto me as drosse: all they are brasse, and tinne, and yron, and leade in the mids of the fornace: they are euen the drosse of siluer.

Therefore, thus sayth the Lord God, Because ye are all as drosse, beholde, therefore I will gather you in the middes of Ierusalem.

As they gather siluer and brasse, and yron, and leade, and tinne into the middes of the fornace, to blowe the fire vpon it to melt it, so wil I gather you in mine anger and in my wrath, and wil put you there and melt you.

I wil gather you, I say, and blowe the fire of my wrath vpon you, and you shalbe melted in the mids thereof.

As siluer is melted in the mids of the fornace, so shall ye be melted in the mids thereof, and ye shall knowe, that I the Lord haue powred out my wrath vpon you.

Israel’s Wicked Leaders

And the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,

Sonne of man, say vnto her; Thou art the land, that is vncleane, and not rained vpon in the day of wrath.

There is a conspiracie of her prophets in the mids thereof like a roaring lyon, rauening the praye: they haue deuoured soules: they haue taken the riches and precious things: they haue made her many widowes in the mids thereof.

Her Priests haue broken my Lawe, and haue defiled mine holy things: they haue put no difference betweene the holy and prophane, neither discerned betweene the vncleane, and the cleane, and haue hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am prophaned among them.

Her princes in the mids thereof are like wolues, rauening the praye to shed blood, and to destroy soules for their owne couetous lucre.

And her prophets haue dawbed them with vntempered morter, seeing vanities, and diuining lies vnto them, saying, Thus sayth the Lord God, when the Lord had not spoken.

The people of the land haue violently oppressed by spoyling and robbing, and haue vexed the poore and the needy: yea, they haue oppressed the stranger against right.

And I sought for a man among them, that should make vp the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

Therefore haue I powred out mine indignation vpon them, and consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their owne wayes haue I rendred vpon their heads, sayth the Lord God.

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.