abominations of their fathers; 5and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD* In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up My hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made My- self known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up My hand unto them, saying: I am the LORD your God; 6in that day I lifted up My hand unto them, to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had sought out for them, flow- ing with milk and honey, which is the beauty of all lands; 7and I said unto them: Cast ye. away every man the detestable things of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. 8But they rebelled against Me, and would not hearken unto Me; they did not every man cast away the de- testable things of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt; then I said I would pour out My fury upon them, to spend My anger upon them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9But I wrought 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 unto them, so as to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt. 10So I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
"And I gave them My statutes, and taught them Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them. "Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. 13But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they walked not in My statutes, and they rejected Mine ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them, and EZEKIEL My sabbaths they greatly profaned, then. I said I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness, to con- sume them. 14But I wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. 15Yet also I lifted up My hand unto 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 beauty of all lands; 16becausej they rejected Mine ordinances, and walked not in My statutes, and profaned My sabbaths — for their heart went after their idols. "Nevertheless Mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make a full end of them in the wil- derness. 18And I said unto their chil- dren in the wilderness: Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols; 19I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; 20and hallow My sab- baths, and they shall be a sign be- tween Me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. 21But the children rebelled against Me; they walked not in My statutes, neither kept Mine ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live by them; they profaned My sabbaths, then I said I would pour out My fury upon them, to spend My anger upon them in the wilderness. ^Neverthe- less I withdrew My hand, and wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth. »I lifted up My hand, unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the coun- tries; 24because they had not executed Mine ordinances, but had rejected My statutes, and had profaned My sab- baths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. 2fiWherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and ordinances whereby they ^ should not live; 26and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they set apart all that openeth the womb, that I might destroy them, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.
"Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: In this moreover have your fathers blas- phemed Me, in that they dealt treach- erously with Me. 28For when I had brought them into the land, which I lifted up My hand to give unto 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 savour, and there they poured out their drink-offerings. 29Then I said unto them: What meaneth the high place whereunto ye go? So the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.
30Wherefore say unto the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord GOD: When ye pollute yourselves after the manner of your fathers, and go astray after their abominations, 31and when, in offering your gifts, in making your sons to pass through the fire, ye pol- lute yourselves with all your idols, unto this day; shall I then be in- quired of by you, 0 house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you; 32and that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all; in that ye say: We will be as the nations, as the 'amilies of the countries, to serve wood and stone. ^As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I be king over you; wand I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out; 36and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I plead with you face to face. 86Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD 37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; 88and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me; I will bring them forth out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. S9As for you, 0 house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD: Go ye, serve every one his idols, even because ye will not hearken unto Me; but My holy name shall ye no more pro- fane with your gifts, and with your idols. 40For in My holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, 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 heave- offerings, and the first of your gifts, with all your holy things. ^Withyour sweet savour will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries where- in ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations. ^And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the coun- try which I lifted up My hand to give unto your fathers. ^And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have polluted your- selves; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. ^And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought • with you for My name's sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your cor- rupt doings, 0 ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD/ 0 1 And the word of the LORD came u -*- unto me, saying: 2'Son of man, set thy face toward the South, and preach toward the South, and proph- esy against the forest of the field in the South; 3and say to the forest of the South: Hear the word of the LORD: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree, it shall not be quenched, even a flaming flame; and all faces from the south to the north shall be seared thereby. 4And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be quenched/ 5Then said I: 'Ah Lord GOD! they say of me: Is he not a maker of parables?'
6Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 7'Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel; 8and say to the land of Israel: Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I am against thee,' and will draw forth My sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. 9Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north; 10and all flesh shall know that I the LORD have drawn forth My EZEKIEL sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more. "Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy^loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes. 12And it shall be, when they say unto thee: Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say: Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be slack, and every spirit shall be faint, and all knees shall drip with water; behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.'
13And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 14'Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the LORD: Say: A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, And also furbished: 15It is sharpened that it may make a sore slaughter, It is furbished that it may glitter — Or shall we make mirth? — Against the rod of My son, con- temning every tree. 16And it is given to be furbished, That it may be handled; The sword, it is sharpened, Yea, it is furbished, To give it into the hand of the slayer.
17Cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon My people, it is upon all the princes of Israel; they are thrust down to the sword with My people; smite therefore upon thy thigh. 18For there is a trial; and what if it contemn even the rod? It shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD. 19Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of those to be slain; it is the sword of the great one that is to be slain, which compasseth them about. 20I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied; ah! it is made glittering, it is sharpened for slaughter. 21Go thee one way to the right, or direct thyself to the left; whither is thy face set? MI will also smite My hands together, and I will satisfy My fury; I the LORD have spoken it.?
23And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 24<Now, thou son of man, make thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they twain shall come forth out of one land; and mark a sign-post, mark it clear at the head of the way to the city. 26Thou shalt make a way, that the sword may come to Kabbah of the children of.A "mm on, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified. 26For the king of Babylon standeth at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shaketh the arrows to and fro, he inquireth of the teraphim, he looketh in the liver. 27In his right hand is the lot Jerusalem, to set batter- ing rams, to open the mouth for the slaughter, to hft up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build forts. 28And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, who have weeks upon weeks! but it bringeth iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
2 therefore thus saith the Lord GOD- Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that your sins do appear in all your doings; because that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand. 30And thou, O wicked one, that art to be slain, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the inicfuity of the end; 31thus EZEKIEL saith the Lord GOD: The mitre shall be removed, and the crown taken off, this shall be no more the same: that which is low shall be exalted, and that which is high abased. 32A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, will I make it; this also shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him.
^And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their taunt; and say thou: 0 sword, 0 sword keen-edged, Furbished for the slaughter, To the uttermost, because of the glitterings; 34While they see falsehood unto thee, While they divine lies unto thee, To lay thee upon the necks of the wicked that are to be slain, Whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end! — 35Cause it to return into its sheath! — In the place where thou wast created, in the land of thine origin, WiU I judge thee.
36And I will pour out Mine indigna- tion upon thee, 1 will blow upon thee with the fire of My wrath; And I will deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, Skilful to destroy. 37Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; Thy blood shall be in the midst of the land, Thou shalt be no more remembered; For I the LORD have spoken it.'
OO Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 2'Now, thou, son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? then cause her to know all her abominations. 3And thou shalt say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: 0 city that sheddest blood in the midst of thee, that thy tune may come, and that makest idols unto thyself to defile thee; ^hou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and art defiled in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years; therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the nations, and a mocking to all the countries r ^hose that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall mock thee, thou defiled of name and full of tumult^ 6Behold, the princes of Israel, every one according to his might, have been in thee to shed blood. 7In thee have they made light of father and mother; in the midst oi thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger; in thee have ^ they wronged the fatherless and the widow. 8Thou hast despised My holy things, and hast profaned My sabbaths. 9In thee have been talebearers to shed blood; and in thee they have eaten upon the mountains; in the midst of thee they have committed lewdness. 10In thee have they uncovered their fathers' nakedness; in thee have they humbled her that was unclean in her impurity. "And each hath mitted abomination with his bour's wife; and each hath Iew3 defiled his daughter-in-law; and in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter. 12In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by oppression, and hast forgotten Me, saith the Lord GOD.
13Behold, therefore, I have smitten My hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood com- EZEKIEL which hath been in the midst of thee. 14Can thy heart endure, or can thy hands be strong, in the days that J shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it, and will do it. 15And I will scatter thee among the nations, and disperse thee through the coun- tries; and I will consume thy filthiness out of thee. 16And thou shalt -be profaned in thyself, in the sight of the nations; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.'
17And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying- 18£Son of man, the house of Israel is become dross unto Me; all of them are brass and tin and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are the dross of silver. 19Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD Because ye are all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20As they gather silver and brass and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in Mine anger and in My fury, and I will cast you in, and melt you. 21Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you with the fire of My wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out My fury upon you.
the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: ^'Son of man, say unto her: Thou art a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of t indignation. 25There is a con- spiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls, they take treasure and precious things, they have made her widows many in the midst thereof.
priests have done violence to My law, and have profaned My holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and the common, neither have they taught difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey: to shed blood, and to destroy souls. so as to get dishonest gain. 28And her prophets have daubed for them with whited plaster, seeing falsehood, and divining lies unto them, saying: Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. 29The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have wronged the poor and needy, and have oppressed 30And I pressed 30And I the stranger sought for unlawfully. man among * That is, Her tent. b That is, My tent « m her.
them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the breach before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. 8lTherefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their ^own way have I brought upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.' O Q And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 2'Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; 3and they committed harlotries in Egypt; they ^committed harlotries in their youth; there were their bosoms pressed, and there their virgin breasts were bruised. lAnd the names of them were Oholah the elder, and Oholibah her sister; and they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is aOholah, and Jerusalem bOhohbah.
5And Oholah played the harlot when she was Mine; and she doted EZEKIEL on her lovers, on the Assyrians, war- riors, 6clothed with blue, governors and rulers, handsome young men all of them, horsemen riding upon horses. 7And she bestowed her harlotries upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them; and on whomsoever she doted, with all their idols she defiled herself. 8Neither hath she left her harlotries brought from Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised her virgin breasts; and they poured out their lust upon her. 9Wherefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyri- ans, upon whom she doted. 10These uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, and her they slew with the sword; and she became a byword among women, for judgments were executed upon her.
"And her sister Oholibah saw this, yet was she more corrupt in her doting than she, and in her harlotries more than her sister in her harlotries. 12She doted upon the Assyrians, gov- ernors and rulers, warriors, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them handsome young men. 13And I saw that she was defiled; they both took one way. 14And she increased her harlotries; for she saw; men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion, 15girded with girdles upon their loins, with pendant turbans upon their heads, all of them captains.to look upon, the likeness of the sons of Babylon, even of Chaldea, the land of their nativity. 16And as soon as she saw them she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea. 17And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their lust; and she was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them. 18So she un- covered her harlotries, and uncovered her nakedness; then My soul was alienated from her, like as My soul was alienated from her sister. 19Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remem- bering the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20And she doted upon con- cubinage with them, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 2lThus thou didst call to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, when they from Egypt bruised thy breasts for the bosom of thy youth.
^Therefore, 0 Oholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy soul is alienated, and I will bring them against^ thee on every side: "the Babylonians and all the Chal- deans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, governors and rulers all of them, captains and councillors, all of them riding upon horses. ^Aiid they shall come against thee with hosts, chariots, and wheels, and with an assembly of peoples; they shall set themselves in array against thee with buckler and shield and helmet round about; and I will commit the judgment unto them, and they shall judge thee according to their judg- ments. 25And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal with thee in fury; they shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy residue shall fall by the sword; they shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. 26They shall also strip thee of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. 27Thus will I make thy lewdiess to cease from thee, and thy harlotry brought from the land of EZEKIEL Egypt, so that thou shalt not lift up thane eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.
28For thus saith the Lord GOD Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whoir thy soul is alienated; 29and they shal deal with thee in hatred, and shal take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare; and the nakedness of thy harlotries shall be uncovered, both thy lewdness and thy harlotries. 30These things shall be done unto thee, for that thou hast gone astray after the nations, and because thou art polluted with their idols. 31In the way of thy sister hast thou walked; therefore will I give her cup into thy hand. ^Thus saith the Lord GOD: Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup, Which is deep and large; Thou shalt be for a scorn and a derision; It is full to the uttermost. ^Thou shalt be filled with drunken- ness and sorrow, With the cup of astonishment and appalment, With the cup of thy sister Samaria. MThou shalt even drink it and drain it, And thou shalt craunch the sherds thereof, And shalt tear thy breasts; For I have spoken it, Saith the Lord GOD. therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thou hast forgotten Me, and cast Me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy harlotries.1 36The LORD said moreover unto me: 'Son of man, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? then declare unto them their abominations. 37For they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery; and their sons, whom they bore unto Me, they have also set apart unto them to be devoured. 88Moreover this they have done unto Me: they have de- filed My sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned My sabbaths. 39For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of My house. 40And furthermore ye have sent for men that come from far; unto whom a messenger was sent, and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paint thine eyes, and deck thyself with ornaments; ^and sattest upon a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon thou didst set Mine incense and Mine oil. nd the voice of a multitude being at ease was therein; and for the sake of men, they were so many, brought drunken from the wilderness, they put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads. ^Then said I of her that was worn out by adulteries: Still they commit harlotries with her, even her. * -"For every one went in unto her, as men go in unto a harlot; so went they in unto Oholah and unto Oholibah, the iewd women. 45But righteous men, they shall judge them as adulteresses ire judged, and as women that shed :>lood are judged; because they are adulteresses, and blood is in their ' iands.
46For thus saith the Lord GOD: An ^ assembly shall be brought up against them, and they shall be made a horror and a spoil. 47And the as- sembly shall stone them with stones, EZEKIEL and despatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire. 48Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. 49And your lewdness shall be recompensed upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.'
O4. And the word of the LORD came unto me in the ninth year, in the -tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, saying: 2'Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this selfsame day; this selfsame day the king of Babylon hath invested Jerusalem. 3And utter a parable con- cerning the rebellious house, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Set on the pot, set it on, And also pour water into it; ^Gather into it the pieces belonging to it, Even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; Fill it with the choice bones.
Take the choice of the flock, And pile also the bones under it; Make it boil well, That the bones thereof may also be seethed in the midst of it.
6Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose filth is therein, and whose filth is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; no lot is fallen upon it. 7For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the bare rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with 'dust; ^hat it might cause fury to come up, that vengeance might be taken, I have set her blood upon the bare rock, that it should -not be covered. Therefore thus