Ezekiel 22

Israel's Shedding of Blood

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,2 "And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations.3 You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself!4 You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time oft your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries.5 Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult.

6 "Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood.7 Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you.8 You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths.9 There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst.10 In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity.11 One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter.12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profitt and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.

13 "Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst.14 Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you.16 And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord."

17 And the word of the Lord came to me:18 "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver.19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.20 As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you.21 I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it.22 As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have poured out my wrath upon you."

23 And the word of the Lord came to me:24 "Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation.25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.26 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 taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord God,' when the Lord has not spoken.29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God."

Ezekiel 22

The Sins of Jerusalem

1 The word of the Lord came to me:2 “As for you, son of man, are you willing to pronounce judgment,t are you willing to pronounce judgment on the bloody city?t Then confront her with all her abominable deeds!3 Then say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: O city, who spills blood within herself (which brings on her doom),t and who makes herself idols (which results in impurity),4 you are guilty because of the blood you shed and defiled by the idols you made. You have hastened the day of your doom;t the end of your years has come.t Therefore I will maket you an object of scorn to the nations, an object to be mocked by all lands.

5 Those both near and far from you will mock you, you with your bad reputation,t full of turmoil.
6 “‘See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood.t7 They have treated father and mother with contemptt within you; they have oppressed the foreigner among you; they have wronged the orphan and the widowt within you.8 You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths!9 Slanderous men shed blood within you.t Those who live within you eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains;t they commit obscene acts among you.s10 They have sex with their father’s wife within you;t they violate women during their menstrual period within you.t11 Onet commits an abominable act with his neighbor’s wife; another obscenely defiles his daughter-in-law; another violatest his sister – his father’s daughters – within you.

12 They take bribes within you to shed blood. You engage in usury and charge interest;t you extort money from your neighbors. You have forgotten me,s declares the sovereign Lord.t
13 “‘See, I strike my hands togethers at the dishonest profit you have made, and at the bloodshedt they have done among you.14 Can your heart endure,t or can your hands be strong when I deal with you?t I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it!15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you among various countries; I will remove your impurity from you.s

16 You will be profaned within yourselfst in the sight of the nations; then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
17 The word of the Lord came to me:18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become slag to me. All of them are like bronze, tin, iron, and lead in the furnace;t they are the worthless slag of silver.19 Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Because all of yout have become slag, look out! – I am about to gather you in the middle of Jerusalem.s20 As silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin are gathered in a furnace so that the fire can melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and in my rage. I will deposit you theret and melt you.21 I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted in it.

22 As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted in it, and you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my anger on you.’”
23 The word of the Lord came to me:24 “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that receives no rains or showers in the day of my anger.’t25 Her princest within her are like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they have devoured lives. They take away riches and valuable things; they have made many women widowst within it.26 Her priests abuse my law and have desecrated my holy things. They do not distinguish between the holy and the profane,t or recognize any distinction between the unclean and the clean. They ignoret my Sabbaths and I am profaned in their midst.27 Her officials are like wolves in her midst rending their prey – shedding blood and destroying lives – so they can get dishonest profit.28 Her prophets coat their messages with whitewash.t They see false visions and announce lying omens for them, saying, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says,’ when the Lord has not spoken.

29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy; they have oppressed the foreigner who lives among them and denied them justice.t
30 “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one.t

31 So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done,t declares the sovereign Lord.”