Ezekiel 20-36

New Catholic Bible

Chapter 20

History of Israel’s Infidelity. ¹ In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to consult the Lord and were sitting with me.

² Then this word of the Lord came to me: ³ Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to consult me? As I live, I will refuse to be consulted by you, says the Lord God.

⁴ Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Then make clear to them the abominations of their ancestors, ⁵ and say to them: The Lord says: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to the land of Egypt, declaring: I am the Lord, your God.

⁶ On that day I swore that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had personally chosen for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands. ⁷ And I said to them, “Each one of you must cast away the loathsome things upon which your eyes have feasted and refuse to defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God.”

⁸ However, they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me. Not a single one of them cast aside the loathsome things that seemed so desirable, nor did any of them forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out my wrath on them, and to vent my anger against them in the land of Egypt. ⁹ However, for the sake of my name I acted in such a way that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, and I promised to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ Therefore, I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the desert. ¹¹ I gave them my laws and made known to them my ordinances according to the observance of which they would live. ¹² And I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between me and them so that they would know that I, the Lord, made them holy.

¹³ However, the house of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They refused to obey my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances whose observance is necessary for life. Furthermore, they profaned my Sabbaths. I then resolved to pour out my fury on them in the desert and destroy them. ¹⁴ But I acted for the sake of my name so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose presence I had brought them out.

¹⁵ Furthermore, I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the fairest of all lands, ¹⁶ because they rejected my ordinances, they did not observe my statutes, and they desecrated my Sabbaths, for their hearts were devoted to their idols. ¹⁷ Nevertheless, I pitied them too much to destroy them, and I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸ Then I gave this warning to their children in the desert: Do not follow the statutes of your parents or observe their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. ¹⁹ I, the Lord, am your God. You must obey my laws and be careful to observe my ordinances. ²⁰ Keep holy my Sabbaths as a sign between me and you so that you will know that I am the Lord, your God.

²¹ However, the children rebelled against me. They did not observe my statutes or keep my ordinances, even though observance of them would lead to life. Moreover, they profaned my Sabbaths. Then I again resolved to pour forth my wrath against them and vent my anger on them in the wilderness. ²² But I restrained my hand and acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose presence I had brought them out.

²³ Nevertheless, I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them over the earth, ²⁴ because they had rejected my laws and profaned my Sabbaths and had regard only for the idols of their ancestors. ²⁵ Furthermore, I imposed on them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could never live. ²⁶ I also defiled them through their offerings, making them sacrifice their firstborn son, in order to fill them with revulsion. Thus they would know that I am the Lord.

²⁷ Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: In this way also your ancestors blasphemed me by dealing treacherously with me. ²⁸ For when I had brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and made offerings that aroused my anger; there they sent up offerings of pleasing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings. ²⁹ I then said to them, “What is this high place to which you go?” And ever since it has been called Bamah.

³⁰ Therefore, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their loathsome gods? ³¹ When you offer your gifts and burn your children as sacrifices, you defile yourselves with all your idols even to this day. Shall I allow myself to be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I swear that I will not allow myself to be consulted by you.

³² When you say to yourselves, “We shall become like the nations and peoples of foreign lands, worshiping wood and stone,” you are making plans for something that will never occur. ³³ As I live, says the Lord God, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with my wrath poured out, I shall reign over you. ³⁴ I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you have been dispersed with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with my wrath poured out.

³⁵ Then I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will bring you to judgment face to face. ³⁶ As I judged your ancestors in the Desert^[a] of Egypt, so will I judge you, says the Lord God. ³⁷ I will make you pass under the staff and bring you into the bond of the covenant. ³⁸ I will purge out those of you who revolt and rebel against me. I will bring them out of the land where they reside as aliens, but they will not set foot on the soil of Israel. Thus, you will know that I am the Lord.

³⁹ As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Continue, each one of you, to serve your idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me. But later on you will listen to me and never again profane my name with your gifts and your idols. ⁴⁰ For on my holy mountain, on the mountain heights of Israel, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your presents and your choicest offerings and all your consecrated gifts. ⁴¹ I will accept you as a pleasing odor when I bring you back from the peoples and gather you out of the countries to which you have been scattered. Through you I will manifest my holiness in the sight of all the nations.

⁴² You shall know that I am the Lord when I bring you back to the land of Israel, to the country that I swore to give to your ancestors. ⁴³ There you will remember your past conduct and all the deeds by which you have defiled yourselves. Then you will loathe yourselves for all the wickedness you have committed. ⁴⁴ You will know that I am the Lord when I deal with you thus for your name’s sake, and not as your wicked behavior and corrupt deeds deserve, O house of Israel, says the Lord God.

⁴⁵ The word of the Lord came to me: ⁴⁶ Son of man, turn your face to the south. Preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land of the Negeb. ⁴⁷ Say to the forest of the Negeb: Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will burn up every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and from south to north every face shall be scorched by it. ⁴⁸ All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it, and it will not be extinguished. ⁴⁹ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God, they are always saying of me, ‘He only speaks in riddles.’ ”

Chapter 21^[b]

The Unsheathed Sword. ¹ Then the word of the Lord was addressed to me: ² Son of man, turn your face in the direction of Jerusalem; preach against the sanctuaries and prophesy against the land of Israel. ³ Say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am coming against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the upright and the wicked.

⁴ Because I will cut off from you both the upright and the wicked, my sword shall be unsheathed against everyone from south to north, ⁵ and all people will know that I, the Lord, have drawn my sword from its sheath, and it will never again be sheathed.

Symbols of the City’s Fall. ⁶ As for you, son of man, groan. With a breaking heart grieve bitterly as they look on. ⁷ And when they ask you why you are groaning, you shall reply: Because of the news that is about to come. Every heart will melt and every hand will become feeble; every spirit will grow faint and all knees will turn to water. Behold, it is coming now. It will surely take place, says the Lord God.

Song of the Sword. ⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ Prophesy, son of man, and say: Thus says the Lord:

¹⁸ The King of Babylon at the Crossroads. The following word of the Lord was addressed to me: ¹⁹ Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take. Both roads shall begin from the same land. Then put up a signpost for the place where the roads diverge. ²⁰ Indicate the route which the sword should take for Rabbah of the Ammonites, and the one for Judah and the fortress of Jerusalem.

²¹ For the king of Babylon will stand at the fork where the two roads divide to seek an omen. He will shake the arrows, consult the household gods, and inspect the liver. ²² Into his right hand the arrow marked Jerusalem will fall. Here, then, he will issue the command for slaughter, sound the battle cry, post battering rams at the gates, cast up siege-ramps, and build siege-towers. ²³ The inhabitants who have sworn allegiance^[c] to him will believe that this is a false omen, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive.

²⁴ Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because your open rebellion has caused us to remember your guilt, in that you have paraded your misdeeds and flaunted your sins in all your deeds, you shall be taken into captivity.

²⁶ Thus says the Lord:

²⁸ The Ammonites’ Punishment. As for you, son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord in regard to the Ammonites and their insults:

Chapter 22

The Sins of Jerusalem. ¹ This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, are you ready to judge? Will you judge this city renowned for its bloodshed and confront her with all of her abominable deeds?

³ Say to her: Thus says the Lord: Woe to the city that sheds blood within itself. You thus hasten your doom, having made idols and thereby defiling yourself. ⁴ You have incurred guilt by the blood that you have shed, and you have become defiled by the gods that you have fashioned. Thus, you have shortened your lifespan; the end of your years are at hand. This is why you are now regarded by the nations as a disgrace. You have become a laughingstock to all foreign lands. ⁵ Those who are near you and those who are far off shall mock you because you have become infamous for your great perversity.

⁶ The princes of Israel who dwell in your land are there only for the purpose of shedding blood. ⁷ The fathers and the mothers within your borders are treated with contempt. The resident aliens are forced to endure extortion. Orphans and widows are oppressed. ⁸ You have spurned what is holy to me, and you have profaned my Sabbaths.

⁹ In you are those whose slander incites to bloodshed; in you are those who eat^[d] on the mountains and revel in their lewdness. ¹⁰ In you are men who have exposed the nakedness of their fathers and who violate women during their menstrual periods. ¹¹ In you are men who engage in abominable practices with their neighbors’ wives and lewdly defile their daughters-in-law. Still others among you ravish their sisters, the daughters of their fathers. ¹² In you are those who take bribes to shed blood. Others lend for profit and charge interest. Still others profit from extortion against their neighbors. You have forgotten about me, says the Lord God.

¹³ I will strike my hands together because of the unjust profits you have made and the unending bloodshed in your midst. ¹⁴ Will your courage endure and your hands remain strong in the days when I will deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I intend to act. ¹⁵ I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you throughout foreign countries, and I will thereby purge you of your filthiness. ¹⁶ When I shall be profaned through you in the sight 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 house of Israel has become dross in my eyes; all of them are nothing more than copper and tin, iron and lead, that have become dross in the midst of a furnace.

¹⁹ Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because all of you have become dross, I will gather you together inside Jerusalem. ²⁰ As one gathers silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin and smelts it in a blazing furnace, so I will gather you in my furious wrath and cause you to be melted down. ²¹ When I have assembled you, I will blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted down within the city. ²² As silver is smelted in a furnace, so shall you be melted down within the city, and you will know that I, the Lord, have poured forth my wrath upon you.

²³ This 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 upon in the day of my anger. ²⁵ Your princes have been like a roaring lion tearing apart its prey. They have devoured people, absconded with their wealth and precious treasures, and caused many women within it to become widows.

²⁶ Your priests have violated my law and made profane my holy things. They have failed to make any distinction between the sacred and the profane, nor have they taught the difference between the clean and the unclean. They have completely ignored my Sabbaths, and I have been profaned in their midst. ²⁷ Your priests are like wolves tearing apart their prey, shedding blood, and killing people in the pursuit of dishonest gain. ²⁸ Your prophets whitewash their deeds by revealing false visions and offering lying prophecies asserting that the Lord God has spoken when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹ Meanwhile the people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and forced resident aliens to submit to injustice.

³⁰ I searched among my people for someone who could build a barricade and stand before me in the breach to keep me from destroying the land, but I found no one. ³¹ Therefore, I poured forth my fury upon them and consumed them with my fiery wrath. I have brought down their conduct upon their heads, says the Lord God.

Chapter 23^[e]

The Sins of Two Sisters. ¹ This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, there once were two women, the daughters of the same mother. ³ Even as young girls they became prostitutes in Egypt. There the Egyptians caressed their bosoms and fondled their virginal breasts. ⁴ The older was named Oholah,^[f] and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

⁵ Oholah became a whore even though she belonged to me. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians— ⁶ warriors dressed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men and skilled horsemen. ⁷ She offered herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians, and she defiled herself with the idols of all those for whom she lusted. ⁸ Nor did she discontinue the harlotry she had begun in Egypt, where men had slept with her as a young girl, fondling her virginal breasts and pouring out their lust upon her.

⁹ Therefore, I abandoned her to her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she had lusted. ¹⁰ They stripped her naked, and after they took away her sons and her daughters, they slew her with the sword. She became a byword among women for the justice that was inflicted upon her.

¹¹ Her sister Oholibah saw all this, but she was even more depraved in her lust than her sister, and she surpassed her in harlotry. ¹² She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors arrayed in full armor, skilled horsemen, all of them handsome young men. ¹³ Then I realized that she, too, had been defiled. Both she and her sister had traveled the same path.

¹⁴ However, this younger sister went even further in her harlotry. When she saw male figures carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, ¹⁵ with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like Babylonian officers, natives of Chaldea; ¹⁶ as soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers^[g] to them in Chaldea. ¹⁷ Then the Babylonians came to her, shared her bed of love, and defiled her with their lust. And after she had defiled herself with them, she turned away from them in disgust.

¹⁸ After she had flaunted her harlotry so openly and her nakedness was revealed, I turned from her in disgust as I had withdrawn from her sister. ¹⁹ Yet she became even more promiscuous, remembering the days of her youth when she had played the whore in Egypt ²⁰ and lusted for her lecherous paramours there, whose members were like those of donkeys and whose ejaculations were like those of stallions.

²¹ You longed for the lewdness of your youth when the Egyptians fondled your bosom and caressed your breasts. ²² Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: I will now stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned away in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: ²³ the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, officers and warriors, and all of them mounted on horses. ²⁴ They shall come against you from the north with chariots and wagons and a host of people, and they will position themselves against you on every side with bucklers, shields, and helmets. I shall authorize them to pass judgment upon you, and they will judge you according to their own ordinances.

²⁵ I will direct my jealous wrath against you so that they will vent their fury against you. They will cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors will perish by the sword. They will seize your sons and your daughters, and what remains of your family will be consumed by fire.^{[h] 26} They shall also strip off your clothes and rob you of your jewels. ²⁷ Thus, I will put an end to the debauchery and lewdness you instituted in Egypt. You will not look back in fond remembrance on the wicked acts you committed or think of Egypt ever again.

²⁸ For thus says the Lord God: I intend to hand you over to those whom you hate, to those whom you regard with disgust. ²⁹ They shall treat you with hatred and seize all the fruit of your labors and leave you stark naked. Your lewdness and your promiscuity ³⁰ have brought this upon you because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.

³¹ Because you have followed in the path of your sister, I will place her cup into your hand. ³² Thus says the Lord God:

Thus I have spoken, says the Lord God.

³⁵ Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and your harlotry.

³⁶ Then the Lord said to me: Son of man, are you willing to pass judgment on Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their abominable deeds. ³⁷ For they have committed adultery, and their hands are stained with blood. They have committed adultery with their idols and offered to them as food the children whom they bore to me.

³⁸ Furthermore, they have also done this to me: At that same time, they defiled my sanctuary and profaned my Sabbaths. ³⁹ For when they had slaughtered my children for their idols, they entered my sanctuary on the same day to desecrate it. That is what they did in my house.

⁴⁰ They even sent messengers to invite men to come from distant lands. And when they arrived, you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewels. ⁴¹ Then you reclined on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it upon which you had placed my incense and my oil. ⁴² Meanwhile, the shouts of a raucous mob were heard in the city, and they were brought in together with many of the rabble who had arrived from the wilderness in a drunken stupor. They put bracelets on the arms of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads.

⁴³ Then I thought: This woman is worn out with endless acts of adultery, but nevertheless they carry on relentlessly their sexual acts with her. ⁴⁴ For they came to her as men come to a prostitute. Thus, they came to Oholah and Oholibah, those wanton women. ⁴⁵ However, righteous judges will declare them guilty of adultery and of bloodshed, because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

⁴⁶ Thus says the Lord God: Convoke an assembly against them and deliver them over to terror and plunder. ⁴⁷ The assembly shall stone them and slay them with their swords. They shall kill their sons and daughters and set their houses afire. ⁴⁸ Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, so that all women will be solemnly warned not to commit any lewd acts as you have done. ⁴⁹ They will inflict upon you the penalty for your lewdness, and you will suffer the consequences for your sins of idolatry. Thus, you will know that I am the Lord God.

Chapter 24^[i]

Allegory of the Boiling Pot. ¹ In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, this word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, write down the date of this day. For the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. ³ Therefore, propose this parable to this tribe of rebels and say to them: Thus says the Lord God:

⁶ Therefore, thus says the Lord God:

⁹ Therefore, thus says the Lord God:

¹⁴ I, the Lord, have spoken. The time is coming, and I will take action. I will not refrain, nor will I spare, nor will I relent. You will be judged by your conduct and by what you have done, says the Lord God.

¹⁵ Death of Ezekiel’s Wife. This word of the Lord was addressed to me: ¹⁶ Son of man, with a single blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. However, you are not to lament or weep or shed any tears. ¹⁷ Groan in silence, and do not mourn for the dead. Wrap your turban around your head, and put sandals on your feet. Do not cover your beard or eat the bread of mourners.

¹⁸ Therefore, I spoke to the people in the morning; in the evening my wife died. And on the following morning I did as I had been commanded. ¹⁹ Thereupon, the people said to me, “Will you not explain to us what all these things you are doing mean for us?”

²⁰ Then I said to them: This is what the Lord God said to me, ²¹ “Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: I am prepared to desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold in which you take such pride, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword.

²² “Then you shall do as I have done. You shall not cover your upper lip or eat the bread of mourners. ²³ Your turbans shall remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You shall not mourn or weep. Further, you will waste away because of your iniquities and groan to one another. ²⁴ Thus, Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you shall do just as he has done. When this occurs, then you will know that I am the Lord God.”

²⁵ End of Ezekiel’s Muteness.^[k] As for you, son of man, on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their crowning joy, the delight of their eyes, the joy of their hearts, as well as their sons and daughters, ²⁶ on that day, a fugitive will come and report this news to you. ²⁷ On that day, your mouth will be opened and you shall no longer be mute. Thus, you shall be a sign for them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Prophecies against Foreign Nations^[l]

Chapter 25

Against Ammon. ¹ The following word of the Lord was addressed to me: ² Son of man, turn toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them. ³ Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God: Because you raised shouts of joy over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it suffered devastation, and over the house of Judah when it went into exile, ⁴ therefore I am handing you over to the people of the East^[m] to be their possession. They will establish their camps among you and pitch their tents in your midst. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. ⁵ I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and the towns of Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

⁶ For thus says the Lord: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and taken malicious delight in the fall of the land of Israel, ⁷ I therefore have stretched out my hand against you, and I will hand you over as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from other peoples and obliterate you as a country. I intend to completely destroy you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

Against Moab. ⁸ Thus says the Lord God: Because Moab said that the house of Judah is like all other nations, ⁹ therefore, I will lay open the flank of Moab, beginning with the towns on its frontier—Beth-jesimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim—the jewels of the country. ¹⁰ I will give both Moab and Ammon to the people of the East as their possession. As a result, Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. ¹¹ Moreover, I will render judgment upon Moab, so that they will know that I am the Lord.

¹² Against Edom. Thus says the Lord God: Since Edom has acted with vengeance against the house of Judah and has committed a grievous offense in taking vengeance upon them, ¹³ the Lord God has made this decision: I will stretch forth my hand against Edom and remove from it both people and animals. I will lay it waste from Teman as far as Dedan, and they will all fall by the sword. ¹⁴ I will wreak my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will treat Edom according to my anger and my fury. Thus they will know my vengeance, declares the Lord God.

¹⁵ Against Philistia. Thus says the Lord God: Inasmuch as the Philistines have engaged in endless hostilities with vengeance, and with malice in their hearts took revenge in destruction, ¹⁶ therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will stretch forth my hand against the Philistines, cut off the Cherethites, and destroy those remaining along the seacoast. ¹⁷ I will execute great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Therefore, they will know that I am the Lord when I exact my vengeance on them.

Chapter 26

Against Tyre.^{[n][o] 1} In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, Tyre has said in regard to Jerusalem:

³ Therefore, thus says the Lord God:

⁷ For thus says the Lord God: From the north I will bring against Tyre King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a large and powerful army.

¹⁵ Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Will not the islands quake at the noise of your fall, amid the groaning of your wounded and the slaughter taking place in your midst? ¹⁶ Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones, remove their robes, and take off their embroidered garments. Their bodies having been overcome with incessant trembling, they will sit on the ground, totally appalled at you. ¹⁷ Then they will raise a lament over you:

¹⁹ For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a ruined city, like other deserted cities, when I raise the deep over you and its mighty waters cover you, ²⁰ then I will thrust you down with those who have descended into the pit, to the people of past ages, and I will force you to live in the netherworld, in the ruins of primeval times, with those who have gone down into the pit, so that you will never again be inhabited or take your place in the land of the living. ²¹ I will bring you to a horrible end, and you will be no more. People will search for you, but you will never be found again.

Chapter 27

Lamentation over Tyre. ¹ This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, raise lament over Tyre, ³ and say to Tyre which is enthroned at the entrance to the sea and serves as the center of trade between the nations and many coastlands: Thus says the Lord God:

^12 [t]Tarshish^[u] traded with you because of the vast abundance of your wealth, exchanging silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares. ^13 [v]Javan, Tubal, and Meshech also traded with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your merchandise.

¹⁴ Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, steeds, and mules for your wares. ¹⁵ The Rhodians dealt with you; many islands engaged in trade with you and paid you with ivory tusks and ebony. ¹⁶ Edom traded with you because of the large variety of your products; for your wares they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. ¹⁷ Judah and the land of Israel also traded with you, exchanging for your goods wheat, figs, honey, oil, and balm.

¹⁸ Damascus traded with you because of your great wealth, offering to you wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar. ^19 [w]Danites and Javanites traded wrought iron, cassia, and aromatic cane from Uzal for your wares, ²⁰ while Dedan traded with you for saddle blankets.

²¹ Arabia and all the sheikhs of Kedar were your customers, paying you with lambs, rams, and goats. ²² Merchants from Sheba and Raamah traded with you, offering in exchange the finest spices, every kind of precious stones, and gold.

²³ Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you,^{[x] 24} offering in return rich garments, embroidered purple cloaks, and materials of many colors bound with cords that were firmly woven.

Chapter 28

The Prince of Tyre. ¹ This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord God:

⁶ Therefore, thus says the Lord God:

I have spoken, declares the Lord God.

¹¹ This word of the Lord was then addressed to me: ¹² Son of man, raise a lament for the king of Tyre and say to him: Thus says the Lord God:

²⁰ Against Sidon. This word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ Son of man, turn toward Sidon^[z] and prophesy against her, and say: ²² Thus says the Lord God:

²⁴ No longer will the people of Israel have to endure thorns that wound, or briars that tear from hostile neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

²⁵ Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of all the nations, then they will live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob. ²⁶ They will live there in safety, building houses and planting vineyards. They will live there in security while I inflict punishments upon all their neighbors who have despised them. Thus they will know that I am the Lord, their God.

Chapter 29

Against Egypt.^{[aa] 1} In the tenth year, on the twelfth day of the tenth month, this word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man set your face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against the whole of Egypt. ³ Speak to him and say: Thus says the Lord:

⁸ Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will bring a sword against you and cut off from your presence both man and animal. ⁹ The land of Egypt will become a desolate waste, and the inhabitants will know that I am the Lord.

Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I was the one who made it,” ¹⁰ therefore I am against you and your tributaries. I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste, from Migdol^[ab] to Syene, and even beyond to the frontiers of Ethiopia. ¹¹ No human foot shall pass through it, nor shall any animal foot do so. It shall remain uninhabited for forty years. ¹² I shall make Egypt the most desolate of countries, and its cities will be the most deserted of all those that have been laid waste for forty years. Moreover, I intend to scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them over foreign lands.

¹³ However, thus says the Lord God: After forty years have passed, I will gather the Egyptians back from the peoples among whom they were scattered. ¹⁴ I shall restore the fortunes of Egypt and resettle her people in the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they will become a lowly kingdom.

¹⁵ Egypt will be the most insignificant of kingdoms and never again will exalt itself above the nations. I will make them few in number so that it will never again rule over the nations. ¹⁶ Egypt will no longer be a nation for the house of Israel to trust in, but will rather be for Israel a reminder of its guilt when they turned to Egypt for help. Thus they will know that I am the Lord God.

¹⁷ Nebuchadnezzar’s Payment. In the twenty-seventh year, on the first day of the first month, this word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁸ Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has led his army in an exhausting campaign against Tyre. Everyone’s head was rubbed bare and the skin of every shoulder was raw, yet neither he nor his army derived any profit from the campaign he led against Tyre.

¹⁹ Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I now intend to hand over the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He shall carry off its wealth, despoil and plunder it, and amass the wages for his army. ²⁰ As regards payment for his toil, I have given him the land of Egypt because he and his army did it for me, says the Lord God.

²¹ On that day, I will make a horn sprout up for the house of Israel, and I will empower you to speak out in their midst. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Chapter 30

The Lord’s Vengeance on Egypt.¹ This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God:

⁶ Thus says the Lord:

⁹ On that day, I will commission messengers to hasten forth by ship at my command to strike terror into the hearts of the complacent Ethiopians, and anguish will afflict them on the day of Egypt’s destruction, which is near at hand.

¹⁰ Thus says the Lord God:

¹³ Thus says the Lord God:

²⁰ Pharaoh’s Broken Arm. In the eleventh year, on the seventh day of the first month, this word of the Lord came to me: ²¹ Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. As you can see, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage to make it strong enough to wield a sword.

²² Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I am prepared to move against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the uninjured one and the one that was broken, and make the sword fall from his hand. ²³ I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. ²⁴ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand. However, I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will lie wounded and groaning before him like a dying man.

²⁵ I will strengthen even more the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon for him to wield against the land of Egypt. ²⁶ I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them in foreign countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Chapter 31

Allegory of the Great Cypress. ¹ In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, this word of the Lord was addressed to me: ² Son of man, say to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to his hordes:

¹⁰ Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because it grew to a towering stature, with its top reaching the clouds, and then became arrogant with pride about its height, ¹¹ I handed it over to the prince of the nations.^[ae] I empowered him to deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have rejected it.

¹² Foreigners from the most barbarous nations cut it down and abandoned it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys, and its boughs lie broken in every ravine throughout the land. All the peoples of the land fled from its shade and abandoned it.

¹⁴ Thus, never again will any tree by the waters grow to a lofty height and stretch its top to the clouds, nor will any well-watered tree ever attain such a height.

¹⁵ Thus says the Lord God: On the day it went down to Sheol, I closed the deep over it. I stopped its streams, and its mighty waters were held back. I cast gloom over Lebanon because of it, and all the trees of the countryside began to wither. ¹⁶ I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I hurled it down to Sheol with those who go down to the abyss. All the trees of Eden, the loveliest and the best of Lebanon, were consoled, all that were well watered. ¹⁷ Those who dwelt in its shade, its allies among the nations, went down with it to Sheol, to those killed by the sword.

¹⁸ Which among the trees of Eden was your equal in glory and greatness? Yet you have been hurled down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie in the company of the uncircumcised who have been slain by the sword. Thus, it will be for Pharaoh and all his hordes, says the Lord God.

Chapter 32

Lamentation over Pharaoh.^{[af] 1} In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, this word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, raise a lament for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt:

³ Thus says the Lord God:

¹¹ For thus says the Lord God:

¹⁷ Lamentation over Egypt. On the fifteenth day of the first month in the twelfth year, this word of the Lord came to me:

²⁰ They shall fall in the midst of those slain by the sword, and room will be made to accommodate them and their hordes. ²¹ From the depths of Sheol, the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and its allies, “They have come down, they and their allies; they lie there, the uncircumcised dead, slain by the sword.”

²² Assyria is there with all her hordes. Their graves surround her on all sides, all of them slaughtered, victims of the sword. ²³ Their graves are located in the farthest depths of the pit, and her army lies around Egypt’s grave, all of them slain by the sword, after spreading terror in the land of the living.

²⁴ Elam is there with all her hordes around Egypt’s grave, all of them slain by the sword. Having spread terror in the land of the living, they descended uncircumcised into the world below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. ²⁵ A bed has been made for Elam among the slain with all her hordes’ graves surrounding it. All of them were uncircumcised, and they were slain by the sword for having spread terror in the land of the living. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit, and they have been placed among the slain.

²⁶ Meshech and Tubal^[ai] are there with the graves of their followers all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for they spread terror in the land of the living. ²⁷ They do not lie with the fallen warriors of ages past who went down to the netherworld with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads and whose shields were placed over their bones, since they filled the land of the living with terror. ²⁸ Therefore, you will lie broken among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword.

²⁹ Edom is there, with her kings and all her princes; who, despite their might, have been placed with those slain by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.

³⁰ All of the princes of the north and all the Sidonians are there. They descended in shame with the slain because of all the terror that they caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those who were killed by the sword, and they bear their shame with those who descend into the pit.

³¹ When Pharaoh sees them, he will be comforted for all his hordes slain by the sword—Pharaoh and all his army, says the Lord God. ³² Since he spread terror throughout the land of the living, he will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword—Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God.

Israel’s Restoration^[aj]

Chapter 33

Ezekiel as Sentry. ¹ This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, speak to your fellow countrymen and say to them: When I bring the sword upon a country, and the people of that country designate one of their number to be their watchman, ³ and if he sees the sword coming against that country and blows his trumpet to warn the people, ⁴ then if any who hear the sound of the trumpet pay no attention to the warning, and the sword comes against them and destroys them, they shall bear the responsibility for their own death.

⁵ Since they had heard the sound of the trumpet and nevertheless ignored the warning, their blood will be on their own heads. But if they had heeded the warning, they would have saved their lives. ⁶ However, if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the trumpet to warn the people, and the sword then comes and slays anyone, I will hold the watchman responsible for that person’s death.

⁷ I have appointed you, son of man, as a watchman for the house of Israel. Therefore, whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must pass along my warning to them. ⁸ If I say to the wicked person, “You shall surely die,” and you do not speak up to warn that person to renounce his evil ways, he will die because of his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. ⁹ However, if you warn a wicked person to renounce his ways and repent, and he fails to do so, then he will die for his guilt, but you will have saved your life.

¹⁰ Message of Conversion.^[ak] Son of man, say to the house of Israel: You continually complain, “Our crimes and our sins weigh heavily upon us, and we are wasting away because of them. How are we to go on living?” ¹¹ Say to them: As I live, says the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather in their decision to turn from their evil ways and live. Repent and turn from your evil ways. Why should you die, O house of Israel?

¹² As for you, son of man, say to your countrymen: The virtue of a righteous man will not save him when he transgresses. Nor will the evil deeds of a wicked man cause his downfall once he renounces his wickedness, any more than the righteous will be able to live by their righteousness when they sin.

¹³ If I say to the righteous that they will surely live, but then they presume on their righteousness and commit iniquity, none of their righteous deeds will be remembered. Because of the wrong they have done, they will die.

¹⁴ Again, if I say to the wicked that they will surely die, and then they turn away from sin and do what is lawful and upright, ¹⁵ give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, adhere to the practices that ensure life, and commit no wrongful acts, they shall surely live; they shall not die. ¹⁶ None of the previous sins they committed will be remembered against them. Because they have done what is lawful and upright, they shall surely live.

¹⁷ Yet your countrymen say, “The way of the Lord is not just,” when it is their own way that is not just. ¹⁸ When a virtuous man turns away from his righteous ways and does wrong, he shall die for it. ¹⁹ And when a wicked man turns from his wicked ways and does what is lawful and right, he shall live. ²⁰ Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” I will judge each one of you according to your ways, O house of Israel.

²¹ The Fugitive from Jerusalem.^[al] In the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth day of the tenth month, a fugitive arrived from Jerusalem and said to me, “The city has fallen.” ²² The evening before the fugitive had arrived, the hand of the Lord had come on me, but he had opened my mouth by the time the fugitive had come to me in the morning. Therefore, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer unable to speak.

²³ Desolation in Judah. This word of the Lord then came to me: ²⁴ Son of man, those people who live in the ruins of the land of Israel say repeatedly, “Even though he was merely one person, Abraham received possession of this country. But we are many in number. Surely the land has been given to us as our possession.”

²⁵ Tell them this in response: Thus says the Lord God: You consume meat with the blood still in it, you raise your eyes to worship idols, and you shed blood. Should you then be permitted to possess the land? ²⁶ You rely on your swords, you engage in abominable practices, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then be permitted to possess the land?

²⁷ Give them this message: Thus says the Lord God: As I live, I swear that those who dwell in the ruins shall fall by the sword, those who live in the countryside I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those who inhabit dens and caves will die of the plague. ²⁸ I will make the land a desolate waste, and its proud strength will come to an end. Furthermore, the mountains of Israel will be so desolate that no one will cross them. ²⁹ Then they will know that I am the Lord when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the abominable deeds that they have committed.

³⁰ Ezekiel’s False Popularity. As for you, son of man, your fellow countrymen gossip incessantly about you along the walls and in the doorways of houses, saying to one another, “Let us go to hear what message the Lord has to give us.” ³¹ My people come to you, as they are accustomed to do. They sit down in front of you and listen to your words, but they refuse to obey them. They flatter you with their lips, but their hearts are only interested in dishonest gain.

³² To them you are like a singer of lovely songs with a beautiful voice and skill in playing a musical instrument. They listen to your words, but they refuse to obey them. ³³ But when all this comes to pass—and that moment is soon approaching—they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.

Chapter 34^[am]

The Shepherds of Israel.^{[an] 1} This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to you shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves. Should not shepherds rather feed their flock?

³ You have fed on their milk, you have clothed yourselves with their wool, and you have slaughtered the fatlings, but you have not fed the sheep. ⁴ You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, and you have not bandaged those who were injured. Nor have you bothered to bring back those who strayed or searched for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them with cruelty and harshness.

⁵ Therefore, they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and thus they became the prey of all the wild beasts. ⁶ My sheep were scattered, wandering aimlessly over all the mountains and on every high hill. My flock has been scattered over the entire world, with no one to inquire about them or search for them.

⁷ Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸ As I live, says the Lord God, because my sheep are without a shepherd and thus have been ravaged and have become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds have not gone forth in search of my sheep, but have fed themselves and not been concerned about feeding my sheep, ⁹ therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.

¹⁰ Thus says the Lord God: I intend to punish the shepherds. I will remove the sheep from their charge and not allow them to feed the flock. As a result, the shepherds will no longer be able to feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths so that they will no longer use them for their food.

^11 [ao]For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd goes forth in search of his flocks when they are scattered from him in every direction, so I will go forth in search of my sheep. I will retrieve them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

¹³ I will bring them back from among the peoples and gather them from foreign lands, I will lead them back to their own land and pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the inhabited areas of the country. ¹⁴ I will feed them in fertile pastures, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing grounds. There they will lie down on good grazing land and feed in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel.

¹⁵ I, myself, will pasture my sheep, and I, myself, will give them rest, says the Lord God. ¹⁶ I will search for those who are lost; I will bring back those who have strayed away. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong, I will destroy. I will shepherd my flock with justice.

¹⁷ Judgment of the Sheep.^[ap]As for you, my flock, the Lord God says this: I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. ¹⁸ Is it not sufficient for you to graze on the best pasture land? Must you also trample with your feet on the rest of the pastures? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also foul the rest with your feet? ¹⁹ As a result, my sheep must graze on what you have trampled underfoot and drink what you have befouled with your feet.

²⁰ Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ²¹ Because you have shoved with flank and shoulder and butted all the weak sheep with your horns until you have scattered them in every direction, ²² I will save my flock, and they will never again be treated unfairly. I will judge between one sheep and another.

^23 [aq]I will raise up one shepherd, my servant David, to care for them. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. ²⁴ I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince in their midst. I, the Lord, have spoken.

²⁵ I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild animals so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the woods free from danger. ²⁶ I will make them and the region surrounding my hill a blessing, and I will send them rain in due season that will be showers of blessing.

²⁷ The trees of the field shall bear their fruit, and the soil will yield its crops. My people will be secure on their own soil and they will know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the power of those who enslaved them.

²⁸ They will no longer be plundered by the nations or devoured by the wild animals of the land. They will live in safety, and no one ever again will terrify them. ²⁹ I will make their land bring forth abundant crops so that they will never again be the victims of famine or have to suffer the insults of the nations.

³⁰ Thus, they will be assured that I, the Lord, their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord God. ³¹ You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord God.

Chapter 35^[ar]

Against Edom. ¹ This word of the Lord came to me: ² Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir and prophesy against it. ³ Say to it: Thus says the Lord God:

¹⁰ Because you said, “These two nations and the two lands will be mine, and we will take possession of them,” even though I, the Lord, was there, ¹¹ therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, I will act with the same anger and jealousy that you showed in your hatred for them, and I will make myself known among you when I judge you.

¹² You will know that I, the Lord, have heard of all the contemptible things you have uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They have been laid waste and have been given to us to devour.” ¹³ You made insolent remarks about me and showed no restraint in your insults, and I have heard them.

¹⁴ Thus says the Lord God: I will make you a desolate wasteland, and the entire earth will rejoice. ¹⁵ As you were unable to conceal your joy over the devastation of the heritage of the house of Israel, so will I treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Thus, they shall know that I am the Lord.

Chapter 36

Restoration of the Land.^{[as] 1} Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. ² Thus says the Lord God, The enemy has gloated over you, saying: “Aha! These ancient heights have become our possession.”

³ In reply, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God: Since you have been ravaged and hounded from all sides, and thus have become the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people’s gossip and slander, ⁴ therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God and what the Lord God says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and the deserted towns which have been plundered and have become a source of ridicule to the surrounding nations.

⁵ Therefore, thus says the Lord God: With seething jealousy I am speaking against the rest of the nations, and against the whole of Edom, who, with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, took my country as their possession so that they might plunder its pastures.

⁶ Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys: Thus says the Lord God: I am speaking with jealous fury because you have been forced to endure the insults of the nations. ⁷ Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I raise my hand and swear that the nations all around you will have to endure insults.

⁸ As for you, mountains of Israel, you shall grow branches and bear fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon return home. ⁹ Behold, I am coming to you. It is to you that I shall turn. You will be tilled and sown, ¹⁰ and I will multiply your population, that of the whole house of Israel. The towns will again be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

¹¹ Furthermore, I will settle large numbers of human beings and animals upon you. They will multiply and be fruitful, and I will make you as populous as in your former times. Moreover, I will make you more prosperous than ever before. Thus you will know that I am the Lord. ¹² I will cause my people Israel to tread your soil once again. They will possess you, and you will be their heritage. Never again will they be left childless.

¹³ Thus says the Lord God: Because it has been said of you, “You are a land that devours people, and you bereave your nation of children,” ¹⁴ therefore, you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, says the Lord God. ¹⁵ I will never again let you hear the taunts of the nations; no longer will you be forced to endure the insults of the peoples; no longer will your people be deprived of their children, says the Lord God.

¹⁶ Restoration of the People.^[at]This word of the Lord was addressed to me: ¹⁷ Son of man, when the people of the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it with their conduct and their deeds. In my eyes, their conduct was like the uncleanness of a woman during her menstrual period.

¹⁸ Therefore, I poured out my wrath upon them because of the blood that they had shed upon the land, and because of their idols with which they had defiled it. ¹⁹ I scattered them throughout the nations, and they were dispersed in many lands. I passed sentence on them in accordance with their conduct and their deeds.

²⁰ But whenever they came to the nations, they profaned my holy name, so that the people there would say about them, “These are the people of the Lord, yet they have been banished from his land.” ²¹ However, I have relented because of my concern about my holy name which the house of Israel has profaned among the nations where they have gone.

²² Therefore, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am acting, but for the sake of my holy name which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. ²³ I intend to prove the holiness of my great name which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. Thus, the nations will know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I will display my holiness in their sight.

²⁴ I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the foreign lands, and I will bring you back to your own land. ²⁵ I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from everything that defiles you. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

²⁶ I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you. I will remove from your body a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh in its place. ²⁷ I will put my Spirit in you and make you follow my statutes and my ordinances.

²⁸ Then you will live in the land that I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people, but I shall be your God. ²⁹ I will save you from everything that defiles you. I will command the grain to be abundant and not allow any famine to afflict you. ³⁰ I will make abundant the fruit of the trees and the crops in your fields, so that you will never have to suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.

³¹ Then you will remember your evil conduct and your wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and your abominable deeds. ³² I assure you that it is not for your sake that I am doing all this, says the Lord God. Let that be clearly understood. Be ashamed and feel intense disgrace for your conduct, O house of Israel.

³³ Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I cleanse you from all your sins, I will repopulate your towns, and your ruins will be rebuilt. ³⁴ The wasteland will be cultivated instead of being a desolate sight to all who walk past it.

³⁵ People will say, “The land that was desolate is now like the Garden of Eden, and the towns that were once in ruins, desolate wastelands, are now inhabited once again and fortified.” ³⁶ Then the neighboring nations that are still left around you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was destroyed and replanted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.