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Книга пророка Иезекииля

Главы 17-31

Ezekiel, Chapter 17

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of Israel a parable.

³ Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar,

⁴ he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.

⁵ " 'He took some of the seed of your land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,

⁶ and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.

⁷ " 'But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.

⁸ It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.'

⁹ "Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.

¹⁰ Even if it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it-wither away in the plot where it grew?' "

¹¹ Then the word of the LORD came to me:

¹² "Say to this rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Say to them: 'The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles, bringing them back with him to Babylon.

¹³ Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land,

¹⁴ so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty.

¹⁵ But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?

¹⁶ " 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD , he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.

¹⁷ Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.

¹⁸ He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

¹⁹ " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, I will bring down on his head my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke.

²⁰ I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there because he was unfaithful to me.

²¹ All his fleeing troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken.

²² " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

²³ On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.

²⁴ All the trees of the field will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.
" 'I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.' "

Ezekiel, Chapter 18

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

³ "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD , you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.

⁴ For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son-both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

⁵ "Suppose there is a righteous man
who does what is just and right.

⁶ He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of the house of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor's wife
or lie with a woman during her period.

⁷ He does not oppress anyone,
but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.

⁸ He does not lend at usury
or take excessive interest.¹
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
and judges fairly between man and man.

⁹ He follows my decrees
and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;
he will surely live,
declares the Sovereign LORD .

¹⁰ "Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things²

¹¹ (though the father has done none of them):

¹² He oppresses the poor and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.

¹³ He lends at usury and takes excessive interest.

¹⁴ "But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:

¹⁵ "He does not eat at the mountain shrines
or look to the idols of the house of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor's wife.

¹⁶ He does not oppress anyone
or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
but gives his food to the hungry
and provides clothing for the naked.

¹⁷ He withholds his hand from sin³
and takes no usury or excessive interest.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.

¹⁸ But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

¹⁹ "Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.

²⁰ The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.

²¹ "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.

²² None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live.

²³ Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD . Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

²⁴ "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.

²⁵ "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

²⁶ If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die.

²⁷ But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.

²⁸ Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die.

²⁹ Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

³⁰ "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD . Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.

³¹ Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?

³² For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD . Repent and live!

Ezekiel, Chapter 19

¹ "Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel

² and say:

³ She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he devoured men.

⁴ The nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.

⁵ " 'When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a strong lion.

⁶ He prowled among the lions,
for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he devoured men.

⁷ He broke down¹ their strongholds
and devastated their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.

⁸ Then the nations came against him,
those from regions round about.
They spread their net for him,
and he was trapped in their pit.

⁹ With hooks they pulled him into a cage
and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They put him in prison,
so his roar was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.

¹⁰ " 'Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard²
planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.

¹¹ Its branches were strong,
fit for a ruler's scepter.
It towered high
above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
and for its many branches.

¹² But it was uprooted in fury
and thrown to the ground.
The east wind made it shrivel,
it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
and fire consumed them.

¹³ Now it is planted in the desert,
in a dry and thirsty land.

¹⁴ Fire spread from one of its main³ branches
and consumed its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
fit for a ruler's scepter.'

Ezekiel, Chapter 20

¹ In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD , and they sat down in front of me.

² Then the word of the LORD came to me:

³ "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD .'

⁴ "Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their fathers

⁵ and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of the house of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, "I am the LORD your God."

⁶ On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

⁷ And I said to them, "Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

⁸ " 'But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.

⁹ But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations they lived among and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites by bringing them out of Egypt.

¹⁰ Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the desert.

¹¹ I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.

¹² Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.

¹³ " 'Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws-although the man who obeys them will live by them-and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the desert.

¹⁴ But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

¹⁵ Also with uplifted hand 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, most beautiful of all lands-

¹⁶ because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols.

¹⁷ Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the desert.

¹⁸ I said to their children in the desert, "Do not follow the statutes of your fathers or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols.

¹⁹ I am the LORD your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

²⁰ Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God."

²¹ " 'But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws-although the man who obeys them will live by them-and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the desert.

²² But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

²³ Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries,

²⁴ because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their fathers' idols.

²⁵ I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by;

²⁶ I let them become defiled through their gifts-the sacrifice of every firstborn¹ -that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the LORD .'

²⁷ "Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In this also your fathers blasphemed me by forsaking me:

²⁸ When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that provoked me to anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.

²⁹ Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?' " (It is called Bamah² to this day.)

³⁰ "Therefore say to the house of Israel: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images?

³¹ When you offer your gifts-the sacrifice of your sons in³ the fire-you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD , I will not let you inquire of me.

³² " 'You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen.

³³ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD , I will rule over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.

³⁴ I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered-with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.

³⁵ I will bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.

³⁶ As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD .

³⁷ I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

³⁸ I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD .

³⁹ " 'As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.

⁴⁰ For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD , there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts,⁴ along with all your holy sacrifices.

⁴¹ I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.

⁴² Then you will know that I am the LORD , when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your fathers.

⁴³ There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.

⁴⁴ You will know that I am the LORD , when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD .' "

⁴⁵ The word of the LORD came to me:

⁴⁶ "Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland.

⁴⁷ Say to the southern forest: 'Hear the word of the LORD . This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it.

⁴⁸ Everyone will see that I the LORD have kindled it; it will not be quenched.' "

⁴⁹ Then I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD ! They are saying of me, 'Isn't he just telling parables?' "

Ezekiel, Chapter 21

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel

³ and say to her: 'This is what the LORD says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.

⁴ Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.

⁵ Then all people will know that I the LORD have drawn my sword from its scabbard; it will not return again.'

⁶ "Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.

⁷ And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD ."

⁸ The word of the LORD came to me:

⁹ "Son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord says:

¹⁰ sharpened for the slaughter,
polished to flash like lightning!

¹¹ " 'The sword is appointed to be polished,
to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
made ready for the hand of the slayer.

¹² Cry out and wail, son of man,
for it is against my people;
it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.

¹³ " 'Testing will surely come. And what if the scepter of Judah , which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign LORD .'

¹⁴ "So then, son of man, prophesy
and strike your hands together.
Let the sword strike twice,
even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter-
a sword for great slaughter,
closing in on them from every side.

¹⁵ So that hearts may melt
and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter¹
at all their gates.
Oh! It is made to flash like lightning,
it is grasped for slaughter.

¹⁶ O sword, slash to the right,
then to the left,
wherever your blade is turned.

¹⁷ I too will strike my hands together,
and my wrath will subside.
I the LORD have spoken."

¹⁸ The word of the LORD came to me:

¹⁹ "Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city.

²⁰ Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem.

²¹ For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver.

²² Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works.

²³ It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive.

²⁴ "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do-because you have done this, you will be taken captive.

²⁵ " 'O profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax,

²⁶ this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.

²⁷ A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! It will not be restored until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs; to him I will give it.'

²⁸ "And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says about the Ammonites and their insults:

²⁹ Despite false visions concerning you
and lying divinations about you,
it will be laid on the necks
of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
whose time of punishment has reached its climax.

³⁰ Return the sword to its scabbard.
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,
I will judge you.

³¹ I will pour out my wrath upon you
and breathe out my fiery anger against you;
I will hand you over to brutal men,
men skilled in destruction.

³² You will be fuel for the fire,
your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered no more;
for I the LORD have spoken.' "

Ezekiel, Chapter 22

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her detestable practices

³ and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols,

⁴ you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.

⁵ Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, O infamous city, full of turmoil.

⁶ " 'See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.

⁷ In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.

⁸ You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.

⁹ In you are slanderous men bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts.

¹⁰ In you are those who dishonor their fathers' bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean.

¹¹ In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor's wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father's daughter.

¹² In you men accept bribes to shed blood; you take usury and excessive interest¹ and make unjust gain from your neighbors by extortion. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign LORD .

¹³ " 'I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst.

¹⁴ Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.

¹⁵ I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries; and I will put an end to your uncleanness.

¹⁶ When you have been defiled² in the eyes 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 to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver.

¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem.

²⁰ As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into a furnace to melt it with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.

²¹ I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.

²² As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath upon you.' "

²³ Again the word of the LORD came to me:

²⁴ "Son of man, say to the land, 'You are a land that has had no rain or showers³ in the day of wrath.'

²⁵ There is a conspiracy of her princes⁴ within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her.

²⁶ Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

²⁷ Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.

²⁸ Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says'-when the LORD has not spoken.

²⁹ The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.

³⁰ "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.

³¹ So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD ."

Ezekiel, Chapter 23

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.

³ They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.

⁴ The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

⁵ "Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians-warriors

⁶ clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen.

⁷ She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after.

⁸ She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust upon her.

⁹ "Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted.

¹⁰ They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.

¹¹ "Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister.

¹² She too lusted after the Assyrians-governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men.

¹³ I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.

¹⁴ "But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans¹ portrayed in red,

¹⁵ with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea.²

¹⁶ As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

¹⁷ Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust.

¹⁸ When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister.

¹⁹ Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt.

²⁰ There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

²¹ So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.³

²² "Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from 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, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses.

²⁴ They will come against you with weapons,⁴ chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards.

²⁵ I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire.

²⁶ They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry.

²⁷ So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.

²⁸ "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to hand you over to those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust.

²⁹ They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you naked and bare, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity

³⁰ have brought this upon you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.

³¹ You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.

³² "This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

³³ You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,
the cup of ruin and desolation,
the cup of your sister Samaria.

³⁴ You will drink it and drain it dry;
you will dash it to pieces
and tear your breasts.

³⁵ "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and thrust me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution."

³⁶ The LORD said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices,

³⁷ for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me,⁵ as food for them.

³⁸ They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths.

³⁹ On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.

⁴⁰ "They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewelry.

⁴¹ You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that belonged to me.

⁴² "The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; Sabeans⁶ were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the arms of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads.

⁴³ Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, 'Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.'

⁴⁴ And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah.

⁴⁵ But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.

⁴⁶ "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder.

⁴⁷ The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.

⁴⁸ "So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.

⁴⁹ You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD ."

Ezekiel, Chapter 24

¹ In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.

³ Tell this rebellious house a parable and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

⁴ Put into it the pieces of meat,
all the choice pieces-the leg and the shoulder.
Fill it with the best of these bones;

⁵ take the pick of the flock.
Pile wood beneath it for the bones;
bring it to a boil
and cook the bones in it.

⁶ " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

⁷ " 'For the blood she shed is in her midst:
She poured it on the bare rock;
she did not pour it on the ground,
where the dust would cover it.

⁸ To stir up wrath and take revenge
I put her blood on the bare rock,
so that it would not be covered.

⁹ " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

¹⁰ So heap on the wood
and kindle the fire.
Cook the meat well,
mixing in the spices;
and let the bones be charred.

¹¹ Then set the empty pot on the coals
till it becomes hot and its copper glows
so its impurities may be melted
and its deposit burned away.

¹² It has frustrated all efforts;
its heavy deposit has not been removed,
not even by fire.

¹³ " 'Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.

¹⁴ " 'I the LORD have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign LORD .' "

¹⁵ The word of the LORD came to me:

¹⁶ "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.

¹⁷ Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners ."

¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.

¹⁹ Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to do with us?"

²⁰ So I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me:

²¹ Say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary-the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.

²² And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners .

²³ You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of¹ your sins and groan among yourselves.

²⁴ Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD .'

²⁵ "And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well-

²⁶ on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news.

²⁷ At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD ."

Ezekiel, Chapter 25

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them.

³ Say to them, 'Hear the word of the Sovereign LORD . This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you said "Aha!" over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile,

⁴ therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East as a possession. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

⁵ I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD .

⁶ For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,

⁷ therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD .' "

⁸ "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because Moab and Seir said, "Look, the house of Judah has become like all the other nations,"

⁹ therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns-Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim-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 among the nations;

¹¹ and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the LORD .' "

¹² "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because Edom took revenge on the house of Judah and became very guilty by doing so,

¹³ therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill its men and their animals. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword.

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 and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign LORD .' "

¹⁵ "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice 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, and I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast.

¹⁷ I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the LORD , when I take vengeance on them.' "

Ezekiel, Chapter 26

¹ In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, 'Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,'

³ therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves.

⁴ They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock.

⁵ Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD . She will become plunder for the nations,

⁶ and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD .

⁷ "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar¹ king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army.

⁸ He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you.

⁹ He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.

¹⁰ His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the war horses, wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through.

¹¹ The hoofs of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground.

¹² They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.

¹³ I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more.

¹⁴ I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD .

¹⁵ "This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you?

¹⁶ Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled at you.

¹⁷ Then they will take up a lament concerning you and say to you:

¹⁸ Now the coastlands tremble
on the day of your fall;
the islands in the sea
are terrified at your collapse.'

¹⁹ "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths over you and its vast waters cover you,

²⁰ then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place² in the land of the living.

²¹ I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more. You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign LORD ."

Ezekiel, Chapter 27

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre.

³ Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

⁴ Your domain was on the high seas;
your builders brought your beauty to perfection.

⁵ They made all your timbers
of pine trees from Senir¹ ;
they took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.

⁶ Of oaks from Bashan
they made your oars;
of cypress wood² from the coasts of Cyprus³
they made your deck, inlaid with ivory.

⁷ Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail
and served as your banner;
your awnings were of blue and purple
from the coasts of Elishah.

⁸ Men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;
your skilled men, O Tyre, were aboard as your seamen.

⁹ Veteran craftsmen of Gebal⁴ were on board
as shipwrights to caulk your seams.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came alongside to trade for your wares.

¹⁰ " 'Men of Persia, Lydia and Put
served as soldiers in your army.
They hung their shields and helmets on your walls,
bringing you splendor.

¹¹ Men of Arvad and Helech
manned your walls on every side;
men of Gammad
were in your towers.
They hung their shields around your walls;
they brought your beauty to perfection.

¹² " 'Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.

¹³ " 'Greece, Tubal and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged slaves and articles of bronze for your wares.

¹⁴ " 'Men of Beth Togarmah exchanged work horses, war horses and mules for your merchandise.

¹⁵ " 'The men of Rhodes⁵ traded with you, and many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.

¹⁶ " 'Aram⁶ did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies for your merchandise.

¹⁷ " 'Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith and confections,⁷ honey, oil and balm for your wares.

¹⁸ " 'Damascus, because of your many products and great wealth of goods, did business with you in wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.

¹⁹ " 'Danites and Greeks from Uzal bought your merchandise; they exchanged wrought iron, cassia and calamus for your wares.

²⁰ " 'Dedan traded in saddle blankets with you.

²¹ " 'Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.

²² " 'The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; for your merchandise they exchanged the finest of all kinds of spices and precious stones, and gold.

²³ " 'Haran, Canneh and Eden and merchants of Sheba, Asshur and Kilmad traded with you.

²⁴ In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.

²⁵ " 'The ships of Tarshish serve
as carriers for your wares.
You are filled with heavy cargo
in the heart of the sea.

²⁶ Your oarsmen take you
out to the high seas.
But the east wind will break you to pieces
in the heart of the sea.

²⁷ Your wealth, merchandise and wares,
your mariners, seamen and shipwrights,
your merchants and all your soldiers,
and everyone else on board
will sink into the heart of the sea
on the day of your shipwreck.

²⁸ The shorelands will quake
when your seamen cry out.

²⁹ All who handle the oars
will abandon their ships;
the mariners and all the seamen
will stand on the shore.

³⁰ They will raise their voice
and cry bitterly over you;
they will sprinkle dust on their heads
and roll in ashes.

³¹ They will shave their heads because of you
and will put on sackcloth.
They will weep over you with anguish of soul
and with bitter mourning.

³² As they wail and mourn over you,
they will take up a lament concerning you:
"Who was ever silenced like Tyre,
surrounded by the sea?"

³³ When your merchandise went out on the seas,
you satisfied many nations;
with your great wealth and your wares
you enriched the kings of the earth.

³⁴ Now you are shattered by the sea
in the depths of the waters;
your wares and all your company
have gone down with you.

³⁵ All who live in the coastlands
are appalled at you;
their kings shudder with horror
and their faces are distorted with fear.

³⁶ The merchants among the nations hiss at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.' "

Ezekiel, Chapter 28

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

³ Are you wiser than Daniel¹ ?
Is no secret hidden from you?

⁴ By your wisdom and understanding
you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
in your treasuries.

⁵ By your great skill in trading
you have increased your wealth,
and because of your wealth
your heart has grown proud.

⁶ " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

⁷ I am going to bring foreigners against you,
the most ruthless of nations;
they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom
and pierce your shining splendor.

⁸ They will bring you down to the pit,
and you will die a violent death
in the heart of the seas.

⁹ Will you then say, "I am a god,"
in the presence of those who kill you?
You will be but a man, not a god,
in the hands of those who slay you.

¹⁰ You will die the death of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners.

¹¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

¹² "Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

¹³ You were in Eden,
the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire,² turquoise and beryl.³
Your settings and mountings⁴ were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.

¹⁴ You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.

¹⁵ You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.

¹⁶ Through your widespread trade
you were filled with violence,
and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.

¹⁷ Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.

¹⁸ By your many sins and dishonest trade
you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you,
and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.

¹⁹ All the nations who knew you
are appalled at you;
you have come to a horrible end
and will be no more.' "

²⁰ The word of the LORD came to me:

²¹ "Son of man, set your face against Sidon; prophesy against her

²² and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

²³ I will send a plague upon her
and make blood flow in her streets.
The slain will fall within her,
with the sword against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the LORD .

²⁴ " 'No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD .

²⁵ " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.

²⁶ They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.' "

Ezekiel, Chapter 29

¹ In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the 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 all Egypt.

³ Speak to him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

⁴ But I will put hooks in your jaws
and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.
I will pull you out from among your streams,
with all the fish sticking to your scales.

⁵ I will leave you in the desert,
you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open field
and not be gathered or picked up.
I will give you as food
to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air.

⁶ Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the LORD .

⁷ When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.¹

⁸ " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will bring a sword against you and kill your men and their animals.

⁹ Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the LORD .
" 'Because you said, "The Nile is mine; I made it,"

¹⁰ therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush.²

¹¹ No foot of man or animal will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.

¹² I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

¹³ " 'Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered.

¹⁴ I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,³ the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom.

¹⁵ It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations.

¹⁶ Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD .' "

¹⁷ In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me:

¹⁸ "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre.

¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army.

²⁰ I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign LORD .

²¹ "On that day I will make a horn⁴ grow for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD ."

Ezekiel, Chapter 30

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

³ For the day is near,
the day of the LORD is near-
a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.

⁴ A sword will come against Egypt,
and anguish will come upon Cush.¹
When the slain fall in Egypt,
her wealth will be carried away
and her foundations torn down.

⁵ Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya² and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

⁶ " 'This is what the LORD says:

⁷ " 'They will be desolate
among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
among ruined cities.

⁸ Then they will know that I am the LORD ,
when I set fire to Egypt
and all her helpers are crushed.

⁹ " 'On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt's doom, for it is sure to come.

¹⁰ " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

¹¹ He and his army-the most ruthless of nations-
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain.

¹² I will dry up the streams of the Nile
and sell the land to evil men;
by the hand of foreigners
I will lay waste the land and everything in it.

¹³ " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

¹⁴ I will lay waste Upper Egypt,³
set fire to Zoan
and inflict punishment on Thebes.⁴

¹⁵ I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,⁵
the stronghold of Egypt,
and cut off the hordes of Thebes.

¹⁶ I will set fire to Egypt;
Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
Memphis will be in constant distress.

¹⁷ The young men of Heliopolis⁶ and Bubastis⁷
will fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves will go into captivity.

¹⁸ Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes
when I break the yoke of Egypt;
there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
and her villages will go into captivity.

¹⁹ So I will inflict punishment on Egypt,
and they will know that I am the LORD .' "

²⁰ In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to me:

²¹ "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up for healing or put in a splint so as to become strong enough to hold a sword.

²² Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.

²³ I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

²⁴ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.

²⁵ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the LORD , when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.

²⁶ I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD ."

Ezekiel, Chapter 31

¹ In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me:

² "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

³ Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon,
with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
its top above the thick foliage.

⁴ The waters nourished it,
deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed
all around its base
and sent their channels
to all the trees of the field.

⁵ So it towered higher
than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased
and its branches grew long,
spreading because of abundant waters.

⁶ All the birds of the air
nested in its boughs,
all the beasts of the field
gave birth under its branches;
all the great nations
lived in its shade.

⁷ It was majestic in beauty,
with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down
to abundant waters.

⁸ The cedars in the garden of God
could not rival it,
nor could the pine trees
equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees
compare with its branches-
no tree in the garden of God
could match its beauty.

⁹ I made it beautiful
with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
in the garden of God.

¹⁰ " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because it towered on high, lifting its top above the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height,

¹¹ I handed it over to the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,

¹² and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.

¹³ All the birds of the air settled on the fallen tree, and all the beasts of the field were among its branches.

¹⁴ Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortal men, with those who go down to the pit.

¹⁵ " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day it was brought down to the grave¹ I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away.

¹⁶ I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the grave with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the trees that were well-watered, were consoled in the earth below.

¹⁷ Those who lived in its shade, its allies among the nations, had also gone down to the grave with it, joining those killed by the sword.

¹⁸ " 'Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.
" 'This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign LORD .' "

Читать далее:Ezekiel, Chapter 32


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