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III. Prophecies Against Foreign Nations[a]

Chapter 25[b]

Against Ammon. The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, turn toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them.(A) Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: Because you jeered at my sanctuary when it was desecrated, at the land of Israel when it was destroyed, and at the house of Judah when they went into exile, therefore I am giving you to people from the east[c] as a possession. They shall set up their encampments among you and pitch their tents in your midst; they shall eat your produce and drink your milk.(B) And I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and all of Ammon into a grazing place for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

For thus says the Lord God: Because you rejoiced over the land of Israel with scorn in your heart, clapping your hands and stamping your feet, therefore, see, I am stretching out my hand against you and giving you up as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and wipe you out of the lands. I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the Lord.(C)

Against Moab. (D)Thus says the Lord God: Because Moab said, “See! the house of Judah is like all the other nations,” therefore, I am exposing the whole flank of Moab[d] with its cities, the jewels of its land: Beth-jesimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim. 10 I will hand it over, along with the Ammonites, to the people from the east that it may not be remembered among the nations. 11 I will execute judgment upon Moab that they may know that I am the Lord.(E)

Against Edom. 12 (F)Thus says the Lord God: Because Edom took vengeance on the house of Judah and incurred terrible guilt by taking vengeance on them, 13 therefore thus says the Lord God: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it human being and beast alike. I will turn it into ruins from Teman to Dedan; they shall fall by the sword.(G) 14 I will put my vengeance against Edom into the hands of my people Israel; they will deal with Edom in accord with my furious anger. Thus they shall know my vengeance!—oracle of the Lord God.(H)

Against the Philistines. 15 Thus says the Lord God: Because the Philistines acted vengefully and exacted vengeance with intentional malice, destroying with undying hostility,(I) 16 therefore thus says the Lord God: See! I am stretching out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites[e] and wipe out the remnant on the seacoast. 17 Thus I will execute great acts of vengeance on them, punishing them furiously. Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I wreak my vengeance on them.

Footnotes

  1. 25:1–32:32 These chapters form a body of oracles directed against foreign nations. They follow the prophet’s condemnation of Judah and oracles announcing its destruction. The unit precedes the announcement of Judah’s salvation in chaps. 33–48.
  2. 25:1–17 Ezekiel condemns four nations for their reactions to Judah’s destruction and exile: Ammon to the east (vv. 2–7); Moab to the southeast (vv. 8–11); Edom to the south (vv. 12–14); Philistia to the west (vv. 15–17). Their hostility was not unprovoked; at one time or another, each one either lost territory to Israel or had been under Israelite control.
  3. 25:4 People from the east: nomadic tribes from the desert east of Ammon and Moab (cf. Is 11:14; Jer 49:28), often a threat to outlying towns and villages.
  4. 25:9 The whole flank of Moab: the eastern edge of the Moabite plateau, perhaps lightly fortified because the vast desert to the east provided a natural barrier to invasion.
  5. 25:16 Cherethites: people from the island of Crete in the Aegean, the Philistines’ point of origin. In Zep 2:5, the terms “Philistines,” “Cherethites,” and “seacoast people” describe the same group of people.

A Prophecy Against Ammon

25 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against(A) the Ammonites(B) and prophesy against them.(C) Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!(D)” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated(E) and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile,(F) therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East(G) as a possession. They will set up their camps(H) and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.(I) I will turn Rabbah(J) into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep.(K) Then you will know that I am the Lord. For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands(L) and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,(M) therefore I will stretch out my hand(N) against you and give you as plunder(O) to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy(P) you, and you will know that I am the Lord.(Q)’”

A Prophecy Against Moab

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab(R) and Seir(S) said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth(T), Baal Meon(U) and Kiriathaim(V)—the glory of that land. 10 I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered(W) among the nations; 11 and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”(X)

A Prophecy Against Edom

12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom(Y) took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand(Z) against Edom and kill both man and beast.(AA) I will lay it waste, and from Teman(AB) to Dedan(AC) they will fall by the sword.(AD) 14 I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger(AE) and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”(AF)

A Prophecy Against Philistia

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines(AG) acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice(AH) in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16 therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines,(AI) and I will wipe out the Kerethites(AJ) and destroy those remaining along the coast.(AK) 17 I will carry out great vengeance(AL) on them and punish(AM) them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord,(AN) when I take vengeance on them.(AO)’”

25 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;

And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;

Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.

And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

For thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;

Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;

Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim,

10 Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.

11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

12 Thus saith the Lord God; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;

13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.

14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.

15 Thus saith the Lord God; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.

17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.