22 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 2 “Now you, humanity’s child, will you judge the city of blood? Will you judge Yerushalem? Make her understand all her disgusting behaviour. 3 Tell them that the master Yahweh says this: You’re a city that sheds blood right there in her centre, forcing her time of judgement to come—a city that makes idols to defile herself. 4 You’ve become guilty by the blood that you’ve poured out, and you’ve become defiled by the idols that you’ve made. You’ve drawn your days to a close, and the end of your years has come, so I’ll allow the other nations to laugh at you and mock you. 5 You unclean city full of confusion, those who’re both near and far will deride you.

6 Listen, each of Yisrael’s rulers has used their own resources to go to you, Yerushalem, to shed blood. 7 They’ve dishonoured the fathers and mothers within you, and they’ve oppressed the foreigners there among you. They’ve mistreated the orphans and the widows within you.[ref] 8 You’ve despised my sacred things and disrespected my rest days.[ref] 9 Slanderous men have come within you in order to pour out blood, and they eat at the hilltop shrines. They do wicked things right there in your centre. 10 Within you men uncover the nakedness of their father. Within you they have violated women during their ‘unclean’ menstrual period.[ref] 11 Men who sleep with their neighbours’ wives, and men who sleep with their own daughters-in-law, even men who abuse their own sisters or half-sisters. All these are done within you. 12 Those men are involved in paid assassinations within you, plus you’ve taken interest and gained too much profit, and you’ve damaged your neighbours through oppression, and you’ve forgotten me. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.[ref]

13 Listen, Yerushalem. I’ve reached out and taken away the dishonest gain that you’ve made, and the bloodshed that’s done in your centre. 14 Will your heart keep beating when I deal with you myself? Will your hands be be able to resist trembling? I, Yahweh, am declaring this, and I will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the lands—that’s how I’ll purge your uncleanness from you, 16 and you’ll become unclean in the eyes of the nations. Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh.’ ”