Open English Translation EZE Chapter 22

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 it understand all its disgusting behaviour. 3 Tell them that the master Yahweh says this: You’re a city that sheds blood right there in your centre, forcing your time of judgement to come—a city that makes idols to defile yourself. 4 You’ve become guilty because of the blood you’ve poured out, and you’ve become defiled by the idols you’ve made. You’ve brought 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, both people who are near and those who are far away 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 into 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 their fathers’ nakedness. Within you they’ve 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, you’ve harmfully oppressed your neighbours, and you’ve forgotten me. That’s 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 personally deal with you? Will your hands be able to resist trembling? I, Yahweh, am declaring this, and I will do it. 15 I’ll 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.’ ”

17 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 18 “Humanity’s child, the Israeli people have become like dross to me. They’re all just the leftovers of bronze, tin, iron, and lead among you—they’ll be like the dross from silver in your furnace. 19 Therefore the master Yahweh says this, ‘Because you people have become like dross, then listen: I’m about to gather you into the centre of Yerushalem. 20 Just like men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin, and put it into a furnace to melt it, then blast the fire onto it in order to melt it, that’s how I’ll gather you in my anger and my rage, and I’ll put you in there and melt you. 21 Yes, I’ll gather you and blow my fire of fury onto you, and you’ll be melted in the middle of it. 22 Just like silver’s melted in a furnace, you’ll be melted in it, and you’ll know that I, Yahweh, have poured my wrath out onto you!’ ”

23 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 24 “Humanity’s child, tell the land, ‘You’re a land that hasn’t been cleansed. When you’re judged, there won’t be any rain. 25 There’s a conspiracy of the land’s prophets in its midst, like a roaring lion tearing apart a victim. They consume life and take precious wealth—making many widows within it. 26 Its priests do violence to my law, and they profane my sacred things. They don’t distinguish between sacred and profane things, and don’t teach the difference between what God approved and what he didn’t. They ignore my rest days so I end up getting mocked among them.[ref] 27 Its leaders within it are like wolves tearing apart their victims. They pour out blood and destroy life, just to make a dishonest profit, 28 but its prophets have painted them over with whitewash. They see false visions and predict falsehoods to them, saying ‘The master Yahweh says this’ when Yahweh hasn’t spoken. 29 The land’s people have oppressed others through extortion and robbery, they mistreat the poor and needy, and they oppress foreigners by denying them justice. 30 Then I searched for an advocate from among them who’d build up a wall of righteousness and who’d admit the breaches made by the country and make an appeal on its behalf so I wouldn’t destroy it, but I didn’t find anyone. 31 So I’ll pour my indignation out onto them. I’ll finish them off with the fire of my indignation, and their own deeds will seal their fate. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.’ ”