8And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying: *' Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee: What doest thou? "Say thou unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Con- cerning the prince, even this burden, in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are, usay: I am your sign: tike as I have done, so shall it be done unto them — they shall go into exile, into captivity. 12And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder, and go forth in the darkness; they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby; he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. 13My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in My snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. 14And I will disperse toward every wind all that are round about him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them. 15And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. 16But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.'
"Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 18'Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with anxiety; 19and say unto the people of the land: Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with appalment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell there- in. 20And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD/ 21And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 22'Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying: The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? ^Tell them therefore: Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will make this prov- erb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them: The days are at hand, and the word of every vision. 24For there shall be no more any vain vision nor smooth divination within the house of Israel. 25For I am *he LORD; I will speak, what word so- ever it be that I shall speak, and it shall be performed; it shall be no more delayed; for in your days, 0 rebellious house, will I speak the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.'
^Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 27'Son of man, be- hold, they of the house of Israel say: The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of times that are far off. 28Therefore say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: There shall none of My words be delayed any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, saith the Lord GOD.'
EZEKIEL EZEKIEL "j O And the word of the LORD came A unto me, saying: 2'Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own heart: Hear ye the word of the LORD: 3Thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe unto the vile prophets, that follow their own spirit, and things which they have not seen! 40 Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in ruins, ^e have not gone up into the breaches, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. 6They have seen vanity and lying divination, that say: The LORD saith; and the LORD hath not sent them, yet they hope that the word would be confirm- ed! 7Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divina- tion, whereas ye say: The LORD saith; albeit I have not spoken?
therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD. 9And My hand shall be against the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies; they shall not be in the council of My people, neither shall they be written in the register of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. "Because, even because they have Led My people astray, saying Peace, a,nd there is no buildeth up a peace; and when it tit wall, behold, they iaub it with whited plaster; nsay un- to them that daub it with whited plas- ter, that it shall fall; there shall be an jverflowing shower, and ye, 0 great lailstones, shall fall, and a stormy vind shall break forth, ^and, lo, when lie wall is fallen, shall it not be said into you: Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: I will even cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be an over- flowing shower in Mine anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. 14So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with whited plas- ter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered; and it t shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst there- of; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 15Thus will I spend My fury upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with whited plaster; and I will say unto you: The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; 16to wit, the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.
17And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them, 18and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the women that sew cushions upon all elbows, and make pads for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of My people, and save souls alive for yourselves? 19And ye have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for crumbs of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to My people that hearken unto Bcs.
VTierefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your cushions, wherewith ye hunt the souls as birds, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt as birds. 21Your pads also will I tear, and deliver My people out of your hand, and they EZEKIEL EZEKIEL shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. ^Because with lies ye have cowed the heart of the righteous, when I have not grieved him; and strength- ened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, that he be saved alive; ^there- fore ye shall no more see vanity, nor divine divinations; and I will deliver My people out of your hand; and ye shall know that I am the LORD/ 1 A Then came certain of the elders x of Israel unto me, and sat be- fore me. 2And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: ''Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their mind, and put the stumbling- block of their iniquity before their face; should I be inquired of at all by them? therefore speak unto them, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his mind, and putteth the stumbling- block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet — I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; ^that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all turned away from Me through their idols. * therefore say unto the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord GOD* Return ye, and turn* yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from Me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, that he inquire for him of Me — I the LORD, will answer him by Myself, *and I will set My face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 9And when the prophet is enticed and speaketh a word, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel. 10And they shall bear their iniquity; the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that inquireth; nthat the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither defile themselves ^ any more with all their transgressions: but that they may be My people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD/ 12And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: ^'Son of man, when a land sinneth against Me by tres- passing grievously, and I stretch out My hand upon it, and break the staff of the bread thereof, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast; 14though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. 15If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they bereave it, and it be desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the beasts; 16though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. 170r if I bring a sword upon that land, and say: Let the sword go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and beast; "though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall de- liver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered them- 22 EZEKIEL 22 EZEKIEL test adultery, that takest strangers instead of thy husband— 33to all harlots gifts are given; but thou hast given thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hast bribed them to come unto thee from every side in thy harlotries. 84And the contrary is in thee from other women, in that thou didst so- licit to harlotry, and wast not solicit- ed; and in that thou givest hire, and no hire is given unto thee, thus thou art contrary.
35Wherefore, 0 harlot, hear the word of the LORD! 36Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness uncovered through thy harlotries with thy lovers; and because of all the idols of thy abominations, and for the blood of thy children, that thou didst give unto them; 37therefore, behold, I will gather all thy lovers, unto whom thou hast been pleasant, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them against thee from every side, and will uncover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.
38And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will bring upon thee the blood of fury and jealousy. 39I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and break down thy lofty places; and they shall strip thee of thy clothes, and take thy fair jewels; and they shall leave thee naked and bare.
40They shall also bring up an assembly against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. ^And they shall burn thy houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women; and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou shalt also give no hire any I more. 42So will I satisfy My fury upon thee, and My jealousy shall de- part from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. ^Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted Me in all these things; lo, therefore I also will bring thy way upon thy head, saith the Lord GOD; or hast thou not committed this lewdness above all thine abominations?
^Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying: As the mother, s6 her daughter. 46Thou art thy mother's daughter, that loatheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, who loathed their husbands and their Children; your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46And thine elder sister is Samaria, that dwelleth at thy left hand, she and her daughters; and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom 'and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked in their ways, nor done after their abominations; but in a very little while thou didst deal more corruptly than they in all thy ways. 4SAs I five, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daugh- ters. 49Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and careless ease was m her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50And they were haughty, and committed abomination before Me; therefore I removed them when I saw it. 61Neither hath Samaria committed even half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abomina- tions more than they, and hast justi- fied thy sisters by all thine abomina- tions which thou hast done. MThou EZEKIEL also, bear thine own shame, in that thou hast given judgment for thy sisters; through thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous than thou; yea, be thou also confound- ed, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.
^And I will turn their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Sa- maria and her daughters, and the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them; ^that thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be ashamed because of all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them. 66And thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, and thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate. ^For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride; 57be- fore thy wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of the taunt of the daughters of Aram, and of all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, that have thee in dis- dain round about. 68Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the'LoRD.
69For thus saith the Lord GOD: I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in break- ing the covenant. 60Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. 61Then shalt thou remem- ber thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder sisters and thy younger; and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not because of thy covenant. I will establish My covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD; ^hat thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame; when I have forgiven thee all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.' 1 H1 And the word of the LORD came -1- * unto me, saying: 2< Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel, 3and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings And long pinions, Full of feathers, which had divers colours, Came unto Lebanon, And took the top of the cedar; 4He cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, And carried it into a land of traffic; He set it in a city of merchants. 5He took also of the seed of the land,.
And planted it in a fruitful soil; He placed it beside many waters, He set it as a slip.
6And it grew, and became a spreading vine Of low stature, Whose tendrils might turn to- ward him, And the roots thereof be under him; So it became a vine, and brought forth branches, And shot forth sprigs.
7There was also another great eagle with great wings And many feathers; And, behold, this vine did bend Its roots toward him, And shot forth its branches toward Mm, from the beds of its plan- tation, That he might water it.
*It was planted in a good soil By many waters, EZEKIEL That it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, That it might be a stately vine. 9Say thou: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up the roots there- of, And cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither, Yea, wither in all its sprouting leaves? Neither shall great power or much people be at hand When it is plucked up by the roots thereof. 10Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? In the beds where it grew it shall wither.7 "Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: ^'Say now to the rebellious house: Know ye not what these things mean? tell them: Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon; 13and he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him, and brought him under an oath, and the mighty of the land he took away; 14that his might be a lowly kingdom, that it mjg;ht not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it ^ might stand. 16But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Snail he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape? 16As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. "Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company suc- cour him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts, to cut off many souls; 18seemg he hath de- spised the oath by breaking the cov- enant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape. "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: As I live, surely Mine oath that he hath despised, and My covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it upon his own head. 20And I will spread My net upon him, and he shall be taken in My snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his treachery that he hath committed against Me. 21And all his mighty men in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scat- tered toward every wind; and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it. ^Thus saith the Lord GOD: Moreover I will take, even I, of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I wifi crop off from the topmost of its yotmg twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high mountain and eminent; ^in the^ mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit,* and be a stately cedar; and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing, in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. 24And aU the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish; I the LORD have spoken and have done it.' •f Q And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 2'What mean ye, that ye use this proverb in the land of Israel, saying: EZEKIEL The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge?
3As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
6But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 6and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled Ms neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her impurity; 7and hath not wronged any, but hath restored his pledge for a debt, hath taken nought by robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; 8he that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase^ that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true justice between man and man, 9hath walked in My statutes, and hath kept Mine ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOB.
10If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth to a brother any of these things, uwhereas he himself had not done any of these things, for he hath even eaten upon the mountains, and de- filed his neighbour's wife, ^hath wronged the poor and needy, hath taken by robbery, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, 13hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase; shall he then live? he shall not live — he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely be put to death, his blood shall be upon him.
14Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins, which he hath done, and eonsidereth, and doeth not such like, 15that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, 16neither hath wronged any, hath not taken aught to pledge, neither hath taken by robbery, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, 17that hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath ex- ecuted Mine ordinances, hath walked in My statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. 18As for Ms father, be- cause he cruelly oppressed, commit- ted robbery on Ms brother, and did that which is not good among Ms people, behold, he dieth for his in- iquity. 19Yet say ye: Why doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father with Mm? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all My statutes, ^and hath done them, he shall surely live. 20The soul that sinneth, it shall die; the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father with Mm, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son with him; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon Mm.
^But if the wicked turn from all Ms sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that wMch is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. ^None of Ms transgressions that he hath com- mitted shall be remembered against Mm; for Ms righteousness that he hath done he shall live. ^Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD; and EZEKIEL not rather that he should return from his ways, and live?
24But when the righteous turneth away from ^his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth ac- cording to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered; for his trespass that he trespassed, and for his sin that he hath sinned, for them shall he die. 2GYet ye say: The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, 0 house of Israel: Is it My way that is not equal? is it not your ways that are unequal? 26When the right- eous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth in- iquity, he shall die therefor; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. 27Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28Because he con- sidereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath com- mitted, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29Yet saith the house of Israel: The way of the Lord is not equal. 0 house of Israel, is it My ways that are not equal? is it not your ways that are unequal? there- fore I will judge you, 0 house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your trans- gressions; so shall they not be a stumblingblock of iniquity unto you. 31Cast away from you all your trans- gressions, wherein ye have trans- gressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel? ^For I have no pleasure in the death of -him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD; wherefore turn yourselves, and live.
1 O Moreover, take thou up a lamen- tation for the princes of Israel, 2and say: How was thy mother a lioness; Among lions she couched, In the midst of the young lions She reared her whelps!
3And she brought up one of her whelps, He became a young lion; And he learned to catch the prey, He devoured men.
4Then the nations assembled against him, He was taken in their pit; And they brought him with hooks Unto the land of Egypt.
5Now when she saw that she was disappointed, And her hope was lost, Then she took another of her whelps, And made him a young lion. 6And he went up and down among the lions, He became a young lion; And he learned to catch the prey, He devoured jnen. 7And he knew their castles, And laid waste their cities; And the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, Because of the noise of his roaring.
8Then the nations cried out against him On every side from the provinces; And they spread their net over him, He was taken in their pit. 9And they put him in a cage with hooks, And brought him to the king of Babylon; That they might bring him into strongholds, EZEKIEL So that his voice should no more be heard Upon the mountains of Israel.
10Thy mother was like a vine, in thy likeness, Planted by the waters; She was fruitful and full of branches By reason of many waters. nAnd she had strong rods To be sceptres for them that bore rule; And her stature was exalted Among the thick branches, And she was seen in her height With the multitude of her tendrils 12But she was plucked up in fury, She was cast down to the ground, And the east wind dried up her fruit; Her strong rods were broken off and withered, The fire consumed her. 13And now she is planted in the wil- derness, In a dry and thirsty ground. 14And fire is gone out of the rod of her branches, It hath devoured her fruit, So that there is in her no strong rod To be a sceptre to rule.' This is a lamentation, and it was for a lamentation.
OA And it came to pass in the ^ u seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. 2And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 3<Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Are ye come to inquire of Me? As I five, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. 4Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the