Category: Ezekiel

The Lord’s Sword of Judgment

1 Then this message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, turn and face Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries.

3 Tell her, ‘This is what theLordsays: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about to unsheath my sword to destroy your people—the righteous and the wicked alike.

4 Yes, I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked! I will draw my sword against everyone in the land from south to north.

5 Everyone in the world will know that I am theLord. My sword is in my hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its work is finished.’

6 “Son of man, groan before the people! Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart.

7 When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the SovereignLordsays: It is coming! It’s on its way!’”

8 Then theLordsaid to me,

9 “Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord:

“A sword, a sword

is being sharpened and polished.

10 It is sharpened for terrible slaughter

and polished to flash like lightning!

Now will you laugh?

Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power!

11 Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished;

it is being prepared for the executioner.

12 “Son of man, cry out and wail;

pound your thighs in anguish,

for that sword will slaughter my people and their leaders—

everyone will die!

13 It will put them all to the test.

What chance do they have?

says the SovereignLord.

14 “Son of man, prophesy to them

and clap your hands.

Then take the sword and brandish it twice,

even three times,

to symbolize the great massacre,

the great massacre facing them on every side.

15 Let their hearts melt with terror,

for the sword glitters at every gate.

It flashes like lightning

and is polished for slaughter!

16 O sword, slash to the right,

then slash to the left,

wherever you will,

wherever you want.

17 I, too, will clap my hands,

and I will satisfy my fury.

I, theLord, have spoken!”

Omens for Babylon’s King

18 Then this message came to me from theLord:

19 “Son of man, make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon’s king to follow. Put a signpost on the road that comes out of Babylon where the road forks into two—

20 one road going to Ammon and its capital, Rabbah, and the other to Judah and fortified Jerusalem.

21 The king of Babylon now stands at the fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He calls his magicians to look for omens. They cast lots by shaking arrows from the quiver. They inspect the livers of animal sacrifices.

22 The omen in his right hand says, ‘Jerusalem!’ With battering rams his soldiers will go against the gates, shouting for the kill. They will put up siege towers and build ramps against the walls.

23 The people of Jerusalem will think it is a false omen, because of their treaty with the Babylonians. But the king of Babylon will remind the people of their rebellion. Then he will attack and capture them.

24 “Therefore, this is what the SovereignLordsays: Again and again you remind me of your sin and your guilt. You don’t even try to hide it! In everything you do, your sins are obvious for all to see. So now the time of your punishment has come!

25 “O you corrupt and wicked prince of Israel, your final day of reckoning is here!

26 This is what the SovereignLordsays:

“Take off your jeweled crown,

for the old order changes.

Now the lowly will be exalted,

and the mighty will be brought down.

27 Destruction! Destruction!

I will surely destroy the kingdom.

And it will not be restored until the one appears

who has the right to judge it.

Then I will hand it over to him.

A Message for the Ammonites

28 “And now, son of man, prophesy concerning the Ammonites and their mockery. Give them this message from the SovereignLord:

“A sword, a sword

is drawn for your slaughter.

It is polished to destroy,

flashing like lightning!

29 Your prophets have given false visions,

and your fortune-tellers have told lies.

The sword will fall on the necks of the wicked

for whom the day of final reckoning has come.

30 “Now return the sword to its sheath,

for in your own country,

the land of your birth,

I will pass judgment upon you.

31 I will pour out my fury on you

and blow on you with the fire of my anger.

I will hand you over to cruel men

who are skilled in destruction.

32 You will be fuel for the fire,

and your blood will be spilled in your own land.

You will be utterly wiped out,

your memory lost to history,

for I, theLord, have spoken!”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/21-37e403f7a8e64c2a3a2398e524ac07ca.mp3?version_id=116—

The Sins of Jerusalem

1 Now this message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins,

3 and give her this message from the SovereignLord: O city of murderers, doomed and damned—city of idols,filthy and foul—

4 you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world.

5 O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near.

6 “Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder.

7 Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you.

8 You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest.

9 People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things.

10 Men sleep with their fathers’ wives and force themselves on women who are menstruating.

11 Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors’ wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters.

12 There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the SovereignLord.

13 “But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed.

14 How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, theLord, have spoken, and I will do what I said.

15 I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness.

16 And when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you,you will know that I am theLord.”

The Lord’s Refining Furnace

17 Then this message came to me from theLord:

18 “Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over—a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead.

19 So tell them, ‘This is what the SovereignLordsays: Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem.

20 Just as silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin are melted down in a furnace, I will melt you down in the heat of my fury.

21 I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you,

22 and you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I, theLord, have poured out my fury on you.’”

The Sins of Israel’s Leaders

23 Again a message came to me from theLord:

24 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain.

25 Your princesplot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land.

26 Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.

27 Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money!

28 And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the SovereignLord,’ when theLordhasn’t spoken a single word to them.

29 Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.

30 “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.

31 So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the SovereignLord, have spoken!”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/22-2ef76d5497430b2840bb25ddc4834f9a.mp3?version_id=116—

The Adultery of Two Sisters

1 This message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother.

3 They became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts.

4 The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5 “Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers.

6 They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses.

7 And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idolsand defiling herself.

8 For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute.

9 “And so I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers, whom she desired so much.

10 They stripped her, took away her children as their slaves, and then killed her. After she received her punishment, her reputation was known to every woman in the land.

11 “Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution.

12 She fawned over all the Assyrian officers—those captains and commanders in handsome uniforms, those charioteers driving their horses—all of them attractive young men.

13 I saw the way she was going, defiling herself just like her older sister.

14 “Then she carried her prostitution even further. She fell in love with pictures that were painted on a wall—pictures of Babylonianmilitary officers, outfitted in striking red uniforms.

15 Handsome belts encircled their waists, and flowing turbans crowned their heads. They were dressed like chariot officers from the land of Babylonia.

16 When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her.

17 So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust.

18 “In the same way, I became disgusted with Oholibah and rejected her, just as I had rejected her sister, because she flaunted herself before them and gave herself to satisfy their lusts.

19 Yet she turned to even greater prostitution, remembering her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt.

20 She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey’s and emissions like those of a horse.

21 And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled.

The Lord’s Judgment of Oholibah

22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the SovereignLordsays: I will send your lovers against you from every direction—those very nations from which you turned away in disgust.

23 For the Babylonians will come with all the Chaldeans from Pekod and Shoa and Koa. And all the Assyrians will come with them—handsome young captains, commanders, chariot officers, and other high-ranking officers, all riding their horses.

24 They will all come against you from the northwith chariots, wagons, and a great army prepared for attack. They will take up positions on every side, surrounding you with men armed with shields and helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment so they can do with you as they please.

25 I will turn my jealous anger against you, and they will deal harshly with you. They will cut off your nose and ears, and any survivors will then be slaughtered by the sword. Your children will be taken away as captives, and everything that is left will be burned.

26 They will strip you of your beautiful clothes and jewels.

27 In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt.

28 “For this is what the SovereignLordsays: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected.

29 They will treat you with hatred and rob you of all you own, leaving you stark naked. The shame of your prostitution will be exposed to all the world.

30 You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols.

31 Because you have followed in your sister’s footsteps, I will force you to drink the same cup of terror she drank.

32 “Yes, this is what the SovereignLordsays:

“You will drink from your sister’s cup of terror,

a cup that is large and deep.

It is filled to the brim

with scorn and derision.

33 Drunkenness and anguish will fill you,

for your cup is filled to the brim with distress and desolation,

the same cup your sister Samaria drank.

34 You will drain that cup of terror

to the very bottom.

Then you will smash it to pieces

and beat your breast in anguish.

I, the SovereignLord, have spoken!

35 “And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the SovereignLordsays: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution.”

The Lord’s Judgment on Both Sisters

36 TheLordsaid to me, “Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins.

37 They have committed both adultery and murder—adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me.

38 Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day!

39 On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.

40 “You sisters sent messengers to distant lands to get men. Then when they arrived, you bathed yourselves, painted your eyelids, and put on your finest jewels for them.

41 You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you.

42 From your room came the sound of many men carousing. They were lustful men and drunkardsfrom the wilderness, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your heads.

43 Then I said, ‘If they really want to have sex with old worn-out prostitutes like these, let them!’

44 And that is what they did. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, these shameless prostitutes.

45 But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are—adulterers and murderers.

46 “Now this is what the SovereignLordsays: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered.

47 For their enemies will stone them and kill them with swords. They will butcher their sons and daughters and burn their homes.

48 In this way, I will put an end to lewdness and idolatry in the land, and my judgment will be a warning to all women not to follow your wicked example.

49 You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution—your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the SovereignLord.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/23-e313d5cb261fae5a2d5f70ec3b476705.mp3?version_id=116—

The Sign of the Cooking Pot

1 On January 15,during the ninth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, write down today’s date, because on this very day the king of Babylon is beginning his attack against Jerusalem.

3 Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the SovereignLord:

“Put a pot on the fire,

and pour in some water.

4 Fill it with choice pieces of meat—

the rump and the shoulder

and all the most tender cuts.

5 Use only the best sheep from the flock,

and heap fuel on the fire beneath the pot.

Bring the pot to a boil,

and cook the bones along with the meat.

6 “Now this is what the SovereignLordsays:

What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,

the city of murderers!

She is a cooking pot

whose corruption can’t be cleaned out.

Take the meat out in random order,

for no piece is better than another.

7 For the blood of her murders

is splashed on the rocks.

It isn’t even spilled on the ground,

where the dust could cover it!

8 So I will splash her blood on a rock

for all to see,

an expression of my anger

and vengeance against her.

9 “This is what the SovereignLordsays:

What sorrow awaits Jerusalem,

the city of murderers!

I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.

10 Yes, heap on the wood!

Let the fire roar to make the pot boil.

Cook the meat with many spices,

and afterward burn the bones.

11 Now set the empty pot on the coals.

Heat it red hot!

Burn away the filth and corruption.

12 But it’s hopeless;

the corruption can’t be cleaned out.

So throw it into the fire.

13 Your impurity is your lewdness

and the corruption of your idolatry.

I tried to cleanse you,

but you refused.

So now you will remain in your filth

until my fury against you has been satisfied.

14 “I, theLord, have spoken! The time has come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change my mind, and I will have no pity on you. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the SovereignLord.”

The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife

15 Then this message came to me from theLord:

16 “Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears.

17 Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.”

18 So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do.

19 Then the people asked, “What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?”

20 So I said to them, “A message came to me from theLord,

21 and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the SovereignLordsays: I will defile my Temple, the source of your security and pride, the place your heart delights in. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind in Judah will be slaughtered by the sword.

22 Then you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not mourn in public or console yourselves by eating the food brought by friends.

23 Your heads will remain covered, and your sandals will not be taken off. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins. You will groan among yourselves for all the evil you have done.

24 Ezekiel is an example for you; you will do just as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the SovereignLord.”

25 Then theLordsaid to me, “Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold—their joy and glory, their heart’s desire, their dearest treasure—I will also take away their sons and daughters.

26 And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened.

27 And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that I am theLord.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/24-4819c03a3a9f1bbd0e764bba8baefd5a.mp3?version_id=116—

A Message for Ammon

1 Then this message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, turn and face the land of Ammon and prophesy against its people.

3 Give the Ammonites this message from the SovereignLord: Hear the word of the SovereignLord! Because you cheered when my Temple was defiled, mocked Israel in her desolation, and laughed at Judah as she went away into exile,

4 I will allow nomads from the eastern deserts to overrun your country. They will set up their camps among you and pitch their tents on your land. They will harvest all your fruit and drink the milk from your livestock.

5 And I will turn the city of Rabbah into a pasture for camels, and all the land of the Ammonites into a resting place for sheep and goats. Then you will know that I am theLord.

6 “This is what the SovereignLordsays: Because you clapped and danced and cheered with glee at the destruction of my people,

7 I will raise my fist of judgment against you. I will give you as plunder to many nations. I will cut you off from being a nation and destroy you completely. Then you will know that I am theLord.

A Message for Moab

8 “This is what the SovereignLordsays: Because the people of Moabhave said that Judah is just like all the other nations,

9 I will open up their eastern flank and wipe out their glorious frontier towns—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.

10 And I will hand Moab over to nomads from the eastern deserts, just as I handed over Ammon. Yes, the Ammonites will no longer be counted among the nations.

11 In the same way, I will bring my judgment down on the Moabites. Then they will know that I am theLord.

A Message for Edom

12 “This is what the SovereignLordsays: The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah.

13 Therefore, says the SovereignLord, I will raise my fist of judgment against Edom. I will wipe out its people and animals with the sword. I will make a wasteland of everything from Teman to Dedan.

14 I will accomplish this by the hand of my people of Israel. They will carry out my vengeance with anger, and Edom will know that this vengeance is from me. I, the SovereignLord, have spoken!

A Message for Philistia

15 “This is what the SovereignLordsays: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of bitter revenge and long-standing contempt.

16 Therefore, this is what the SovereignLordsays: I will raise my fist of judgment against the land of the Philistines. I will wipe out the Kerethites and utterly destroy the people who live by the sea.

17 I will execute terrible vengeance against them to punish them for what they have done. And when I have inflicted my revenge, they will know that I am theLord.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/25-e78a0f6099a85f00c3f5def6a691c879.mp3?version_id=116—

A Message for Tyre

1 On February 3, during the twelfth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,this message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, Tyre has rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Ha! She who was the gateway to the rich trade routes to the east has been broken, and I am the heir! Because she has been made desolate, I will become wealthy!’

3 “Therefore, this is what the SovereignLordsays: I am your enemy, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the waves of the sea crashing against your shoreline.

4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down its towers. I will scrape away its soil and make it a bare rock!

5 It will be just a rock in the sea, a place for fishermen to spread their nets, for I have spoken, says the SovereignLord. Tyre will become the prey of many nations,

6 and its mainland villages will be destroyed by the sword. Then they will know that I am theLord.

7 “This is what the SovereignLordsays: From the north I will bring King Nebuchadnezzarof Babylon against Tyre. He is king of kings and brings his horses, chariots, charioteers, and great army.

8 First he will destroy your mainland villages. Then he will attack you by building a siege wall, constructing a ramp, and raising a roof of shields against you.

9 He will pound your walls with battering rams and demolish your towers with sledgehammers.

10 The hooves of his horses will choke the city with dust, and the noise of the charioteers and chariot wheels will shake your walls as they storm through your broken gates.

11 His horsemen will trample through every street in the city. They will butcher your people, and your strong pillars will topple.

12 “They will plunder all your riches and merchandise and break down your walls. They will destroy your lovely homes and dump your stones and timbers and even your dust into the sea.

13 I will stop the music of your songs. No more will the sound of harps be heard among your people.

14 I will make your island a bare rock, a place for fishermen to spread their nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, theLord, have spoken. Yes, the SovereignLordhas spoken!

The Effect of Tyre’s Destruction

15 “This is what the SovereignLordsays to Tyre: The whole coastline will tremble at the sound of your fall, as the screams of the wounded echo in the continuing slaughter.

16 All the seaport rulers will step down from their thrones and take off their royal robes and beautiful clothing. They will sit on the ground trembling with horror at your destruction.

17 Then they will wail for you, singing this funeral song:

“O famous island city,

once ruler of the sea,

how you have been destroyed!

Your people, with their naval power,

once spread fear around the world.

18 Now the coastlands tremble at your fall.

The islands are dismayed as you disappear.

19 “This is what the SovereignLordsays: I will make Tyre an uninhabited ruin, like many others. I will bury you beneath the terrible waves of enemy attack. Great seas will swallow you.

20 I will send you to the pit to join those who descended there long ago. Your city will lie in ruins, buried beneath the earth, like those in the pit who have entered the world of the dead. You will have no place of respect here in the land of the living.

21 I will bring you to a terrible end, and you will exist no more. You will be looked for, but you will never again be found. I, the SovereignLord, have spoken!”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/26-74743a968ce171bda39872a95cab0961.mp3?version_id=116—

The End of Tyre’s Glory

1 Then this message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, sing a funeral song for Tyre,

3 that mighty gateway to the sea, the trading center of the world. Give Tyre this message from the SovereignLord:

“You boasted, O Tyre,

‘My beauty is perfect!’

4 You extended your boundaries into the sea.

Your builders made your beauty perfect.

5 You were like a great ship

built of the finest cypress from Senir.

They took a cedar from Lebanon

to make a mast for you.

6 They carved your oars

from the oaks of Bashan.

Your deck of pine from the coasts of Cyprus

was inlaid with ivory.

7 Your sails were made of Egypt’s finest linen,

and they flew as a banner above you.

You stood beneath blue and purple awnings

made bright with dyes from the coasts of Elishah.

8 Your oarsmen came from Sidon and Arvad;

your helmsmen were skilled men from Tyre itself.

9 Wise old craftsmen from Gebal did the caulking.

Ships from every land came with goods to barter for your trade.

10 “Men from distant Persia, Lydia, and Libyaserved in your great army. They hung their shields and helmets on your walls, giving you great honor.

11 Men from Arvad and Helech stood on your walls. Your towers were manned by men from Gammad. Their shields hung on your walls, completing your beauty.

12 “Tarshish sent merchants to buy your wares in exchange for silver, iron, tin, and lead.

13 Merchants from Greece,Tubal, and Meshech brought slaves and articles of bronze to trade with you.

14 “From Beth-togarmah came riding horses, chariot horses, and mules, all in exchange for your goods.

15 Merchants came to you from Dedan.Numerous coastlands were your captive markets; they brought payment in ivory tusks and ebony wood.

16 “Syriasent merchants to buy your rich variety of goods. They traded turquoise, purple dyes, embroidery, fine linen, and jewelry of coral and rubies.

17 Judah and Israel traded for your wares, offering wheat from Minnith, figs,honey, olive oil, and balm.

18 “Damascus sent merchants to buy your rich variety of goods, bringing wine from Helbon and white wool from Zahar.

19 Greeks from Uzalcame to trade for your merchandise. Wrought iron, cassia, and fragrant calamus were bartered for your wares.

20 “Dedan sent merchants to trade their expensive saddle blankets with you.

21 The Arabians and the princes of Kedar sent merchants to trade lambs and rams and male goats in exchange for your goods.

22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah came with all kinds of spices, jewels, and gold in exchange for your wares.

23 “Haran, Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad came with their merchandise, too.

24 They brought choice fabrics to trade—blue cloth, embroidery, and multicolored carpets rolled up and bound with cords.

25 The ships of Tarshish were your ocean caravans. Your island warehouse was filled to the brim!

The Destruction of Tyre

26 “But look! Your oarsmen

have taken you into stormy seas!

A mighty eastern gale

has wrecked you in the heart of the sea!

27 Everything is lost—

your riches and wares,

your sailors and pilots,

your ship builders, merchants, and warriors.

On the day of your ruin,

everyone on board sinks into the depths of the sea.

28 Your cities by the sea tremble

as your pilots cry out in terror.

29 All the oarsmen abandon their ships;

the sailors and pilots stand on the shore.

30 They cry aloud over you

and weep bitterly.

They throw dust on their heads

and roll in ashes.

31 They shave their heads in grief for you

and dress themselves in burlap.

They weep for you with bitter anguish

and deep mourning.

32 As they wail and mourn over you,

they sing this sad funeral song:

‘Was there ever such a city as Tyre,

now silent at the bottom of the sea?

33 The merchandise you traded

satisfied the desires of many nations.

Kings at the ends of the earth

were enriched by your trade.

34 Now you are a wrecked ship,

broken at the bottom of the sea.

All your merchandise and crew

have gone down with you.

35 All who live along the coastlands

are appalled at your terrible fate.

Their kings are filled with horror

and look on with twisted faces.

36 The merchants among the nations

shake their heads at the sight of you,

for you have come to a horrible end

and will exist no more.’”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/27-72638e16cd172868e03aac56d011b93d.mp3?version_id=116—

A Message for Tyre’s King

1 Then this message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, give the prince of Tyre this message from the SovereignLord:

“In your great pride you claim, ‘I am a god!

I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.’

But you are only a man and not a god,

though you boast that you are a god.

3 You regard yourself as wiser than Daniel

and think no secret is hidden from you.

4 With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth—

gold and silver for your treasuries.

5 Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich,

and your riches have made you very proud.

6 “Therefore, this is what the SovereignLordsays:

Because you think you are as wise as a god,

7 I will now bring against you a foreign army,

the terror of the nations.

They will draw their swords against your marvelous wisdom

and defile your splendor!

8 They will bring you down to the pit,

and you will die in the heart of the sea,

pierced with many wounds.

9 Will you then boast, ‘I am a god!’

to those who kill you?

To them you will be no god

but merely a man!

10 You will die like an outcast

at the hands of foreigners.

I, the SovereignLord, have spoken!”

11 Then this further message came to me from theLord:

12 “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the SovereignLord:

“You were the model of perfection,

full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.

13 You were in Eden,

the garden of God.

Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone—

red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone,

blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper,

blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—

all beautifully crafted for you

and set in the finest gold.

They were given to you

on the day you were created.

14 I ordained and anointed you

as the mighty angelic guardian.

You had access to the holy mountain of God

and walked among the stones of fire.

15 “You were blameless in all you did

from the day you were created

until the day evil was found in you.

16 Your rich commerce led you to violence,

and you sinned.

So I banished you in disgrace

from the mountain of God.

I expelled you, O mighty guardian,

from your place among the stones of fire.

17 Your heart was filled with pride

because of all your beauty.

Your wisdom was corrupted

by your love of splendor.

So I threw you to the ground

and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.

18 You defiled your sanctuaries

with your many sins and your dishonest trade.

So I brought fire out from within you,

and it consumed you.

I reduced you to ashes on the ground

in the sight of all who were watching.

19 All who knew you are appalled at your fate.

You have come to a terrible end,

and you will exist no more.”

A Message for Sidon

20 Then another message came to me from theLord:

21 “Son of man, turn and face the city of Sidon and prophesy against it.

22 Give the people of Sidon this message from the SovereignLord:

“I am your enemy, O Sidon,

and I will reveal my glory by what I do to you.

When I bring judgment against you

and reveal my holiness among you,

everyone watching will know

that I am theLord.

23 I will send a plague against you,

and blood will be spilled in your streets.

The attack will come from every direction,

and your people will lie slaughtered within your walls.

Then everyone will know

that I am theLord.

24 No longer will Israel’s scornful neighbors

prick and tear at her like briers and thorns.

For then they will know

that I am the SovereignLord.

Restoration for Israel

25 “This is what the SovereignLordsays: The people of Israel will again live in their own land, the land I gave my servant Jacob. For I will gather them from the distant lands where I have scattered them. I will reveal to the nations of the world my holiness among my people.

26 They will live safely in Israel and build homes and plant vineyards. And when I punish the neighboring nations that treated them with contempt, they will know that I am theLordtheir God.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/28-d79b7e3f2e682e1a3b08a4230ea42cc9.mp3?version_id=116—

A Message for Egypt

1 On January 7,during the tenth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, turn and face Egypt and prophesy against Pharaoh the king and all the people of Egypt.

3 Give them this message from the SovereignLord:

“I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt—

you great monster, lurking in the streams of the Nile.

For you have said, ‘The Nile River is mine;

I made it for myself.’

4 I will put hooks in your jaws

and drag you out on the land

with fish sticking to your scales.

5 I will leave you and all your fish

stranded in the wilderness to die.

You will lie unburied on the open ground,

for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds.

6 All the people of Egypt will know that I am theLord,

for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds.

7 When Israel leaned on you,

you splintered and broke

and stabbed her in the armpit.

When she put her weight on you,

you collapsed, and her legs gave way.

8 “Therefore, this is what the SovereignLordsays: I will bring an army against you, O Egypt, and destroy both people and animals.

9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and the Egyptians will know that I am theLord.

“Because you said, ‘The Nile River is mine; I made it,’

10 I am now the enemy of both you and your river. I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate wasteland, from Migdol to Aswan, as far south as the border of Ethiopia.

11 For forty years not a soul will pass that way, neither people nor animals. It will be completely uninhabited.

12 I will make Egypt desolate, and it will be surrounded by other desolate nations. Its cities will be empty and desolate for forty years, surrounded by other ruined cities. I will scatter the Egyptians to distant lands.

13 “But this is what the SovereignLordalso says: At the end of the forty years I will bring the Egyptians home again from the nations to which they have been scattered.

14 I will restore the prosperity of Egypt and bring its people back to the land of Pathros in southern Egypt from which they came. But Egypt will remain an unimportant, minor kingdom.

15 It will be the lowliest of all the nations, never again great enough to rise above its neighbors.

16 “Then Israel will no longer be tempted to trust in Egypt for help. Egypt’s shattered condition will remind Israel of how sinful she was to trust Egypt in earlier days. Then Israel will know that I am the SovereignLord.”

Nebuchadnezzar to Conquer Egypt

17 On April 26, the first day of the new year,during the twenty-seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from theLord:

18 “Son of man, the army of King Nebuchadnezzarof Babylon fought so hard against Tyre that the warriors’ heads were rubbed bare and their shoulders were raw and blistered. Yet Nebuchadnezzar and his army won no plunder to compensate them for all their work.

19 Therefore, this is what the SovereignLordsays: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, plundering everything it has so he can pay his army.

20 Yes, I have given him the land of Egypt as a reward for his work, says the SovereignLord, because he was working for me when he destroyed Tyre.

21 “And the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive,and then, Ezekiel, your words will be respected. Then they will know that I am theLord.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/29-534f97b2861c531753d3183fb0367f6a.mp3?version_id=116—

A Sad Day for Egypt

1 This is another message that came to me from theLord:

2 “Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the SovereignLord:

“Weep and wail

for that day,

3 for the terrible day is almost here—

the day of theLord!

It is a day of clouds and gloom,

a day of despair for the nations.

4 A sword will come against Egypt,

and those who are slaughtered will cover the ground.

Its wealth will be carried away

and its foundations destroyed.

The land of Ethiopiawill be ravished.

5 Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all Arabia,

and all their other allies

will be destroyed in that war.

6 “For this is what theLordsays:

All of Egypt’s allies will fall,

and the pride of her power will end.

From Migdol to Aswan

they will be slaughtered by the sword,

says the SovereignLord.

7 Egypt will be desolate,

surrounded by desolate nations,

and its cities will be in ruins,

surrounded by other ruined cities.

8 And the people of Egypt will know that I am theLord

when I have set Egypt on fire

and destroyed all their allies.

9 At that time I will send swift messengers in ships

to terrify the complacent Ethiopians.

Great panic will come upon them

on that day of Egypt’s certain destruction.

Watch for it!

It is sure to come!

10 “For this is what the SovereignLordsays:

By the power of King Nebuchadnezzarof Babylon,

I will destroy the hordes of Egypt.

11 He and his armies—the most ruthless of all—

will be sent to demolish the land.

They will make war against Egypt

until slaughtered Egyptians cover the ground.

12 I will dry up the Nile River

and sell the land to wicked men.

I will destroy the land of Egypt and everything in it

by the hands of foreigners.

I, theLord, have spoken!

13 “This is what the SovereignLordsays:

I will smash the idolsof Egypt

and the images at Memphis.

There will be no rulers left in Egypt;

terror will sweep the land.

14 I will destroy southern Egypt,

set fire to Zoan,

and bring judgment against Thebes.

15 I will pour out my fury on Pelusium,

the strongest fortress of Egypt,

and I will stamp out

the hordes of Thebes.

16 Yes, I will set fire to all Egypt!

Pelusium will be racked with pain;

Thebes will be torn apart;

Memphis will live in constant terror.

17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastiswill die in battle,

and the womenwill be taken away as slaves.

18 When I come to break the proud strength of Egypt,

it will be a dark day for Tahpanhes, too.

A dark cloud will cover Tahpanhes,

and its daughters will be led away as captives.

19 And so I will greatly punish Egypt,

and they will know that I am theLord.”

The Broken Arms of Pharaoh

20 On April 29,during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from theLord:

21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. His arm has not been put in a cast so that it may heal. Neither has it been bound up with a splint to make it strong enough to hold a sword.

22 Therefore, this is what the SovereignLordsays: I am the enemy of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt! I will break both of his arms—the good arm along with the broken one—and I will make his sword clatter to the ground.

23 I will scatter the Egyptians to many lands throughout the world.

24 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he will lie there mortally wounded, groaning in pain.

25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, while the arms of Pharaoh fall useless to his sides. And when I put my sword in the hand of Babylon’s king and he brings it against the land of Egypt, Egypt will know that I am theLord.

26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, dispersing them throughout the earth. Then they will know that I am theLord.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/EZK/30-f2f15bf60339049ea92bf51f88516a6c.mp3?version_id=116—