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Bible in 90 Days

An intensive Bible reading plan that walks through the entire Bible in 90 days.
Duration: 88 days
English Standard Version (ESV)
Version
Ezekiel 23:40-35:15

40 They even sent for men to come from afar, (A)to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, (B)painted your eyes, (C)and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on (D)a stately couch, with a table spread before it (E)on which you had placed my incense and (F)my oil. 42 The (G)sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards[a] were brought from the wilderness; and they put (H)bracelets on the hands of the women, and (I)beautiful crowns on their heads.

43 “Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!’[b] 44 For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women! 45 But righteous men (J)shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.”

46 For thus says the Lord God: (K)“Bring up a vast host against them, and make them (L)an object of terror and (M)a plunder. 47 (N)And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. (O)They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and (P)burn up their houses. 48 (Q)Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done. 49 And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and (R)you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and (S)you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

The Siege of Jerusalem

24 (T)In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (U)“Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. And (V)utter a parable to (W)the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:

“Set on (X)the pot, set it on;
    pour in water also;
put in it the pieces of meat,
    all the good pieces, (Y)the thigh and the shoulder;
    fill it with choice bones.
Take the choicest one of the flock;
    pile the logs[c] under it;
boil it well;
    seethe also its bones in it.

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: (Z)Woe to the bloody city, to (AA)the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice.[d] For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on (AB)the bare rock; (AC)she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! (AD)I also will make the pile great. 10 Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices,[e] and let the bones be burned up. 11 Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, (AE)that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. 12 (AF)She has wearied herself with toil;[f] its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! 13 On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, (AG)you shall not be cleansed anymore till (AH)I have satisfied my fury upon you. 14 (AI)I am the Lord. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; (AJ)I will not spare; (AK)I will not relent; (AL)according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel's Wife Dies

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 (AM)“Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. (AN)Bind on your turban, and (AO)put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, (AP)nor eat the bread of men.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and (AQ)at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did (AR)as I was commanded.

19 And (AS)the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21 ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: (AT)Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and (AU)your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And (AV)you shall do as I have done; (AW)you shall not cover your lips, (AX)nor eat the bread of men. 23 (AY)Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but (AZ)you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. 24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you (BA)a sign; (BB)according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then (BC)you will know that I am the Lord God.’

25 “As for you, (BD)son of man, surely on the day when I take from them (BE)their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26 (BF)on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27 On that day your mouth (BG)will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. (BH)So you will be a sign to them, and (BI)they will know that I am the Lord.”

Prophecy Against Ammon

25 The word of the Lord came to me: (BJ)“Son of man, (BK)set your face toward (BL)the Ammonites and prophesy against them. Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord God: (BM)Thus says the Lord God, Because you said, (BN)‘Aha!’ over my (BO)sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile, therefore behold, I am handing you over to (BP)the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. I will make (BQ)Rabbah a (BR)pasture for camels and Ammon[g] (BS)a fold for flocks. (BT)Then you will know that I am the Lord. For thus says the Lord God: Because (BU)you have clapped your hands (BV)and stamped your feet and (BW)rejoiced with all the (BX)malice within your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, (BY)I have stretched out my hand against you, and (BZ)will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Prophecy Against Moab and Seir

“Thus says the Lord God: Because (CA)Moab and (CB)Seir[h] said, ‘Behold, the (CC)house of Judah is like all the other nations,’ therefore (CD)I will lay open the flank of Moab from the cities, from its cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, (CE)Beth-jeshimoth, (CF)Baal-meon, and (CG)Kiriathaim. 10 I will give it (CH)along with the Ammonites (CI)to the people of the East as a possession, (CJ)that the Ammonites may be remembered no more among the nations, 11 (CK)and I will execute judgments upon Moab. (CL)Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Prophecy Against Edom

12 “Thus says the Lord God: Because (CM)Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended (CN)in taking vengeance on them, 13 therefore thus says the Lord God, (CO)I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from (CP)Teman even to (CQ)Dedan they shall fall by the sword. 14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom (CR)by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and (CS)they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord God.

Prophecy Against Philistia

15 “Thus says the Lord God: Because (CT)the Philistines (CU)acted revengefully and took vengeance (CV)with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity, 16 therefore thus says the Lord God, (CW)Behold, I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off (CX)the Cherethites and destroy the rest of the seacoast. 17 I will execute great vengeance on them (CY)with wrathful rebukes. (CZ)Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”

Prophecy Against Tyre

26 (DA)In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (DB)“Son of man, because (DC)Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, (DD)‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ therefore thus says the Lord God: (DE)Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up (DF)many nations against you, (DG)as the sea brings up its waves. They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and (DH)make her a bare rock. She (DI)shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, (DJ)for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. And she shall become plunder for the nations, and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. (DK)Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“For thus says the Lord God: (DL)Behold, I will bring against Tyre (DM)from the north Nebuchadnezzar[i] king of Babylon, (DN)king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers. He will kill with the sword (DO)your daughters on the mainland. (DP)He will set up a siege wall against you and throw up a mound against you, and raise (DQ)a roof of shields against you. (DR)He will direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. 10 His horses will be so many that their dust will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of the horsemen and wagons and chariots, when he enters your gates as men enter a city that has been breached. 11 With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground. 12 They will plunder (DS)your riches and loot (DT)your merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. Your stones and timber and (DU)soil they will cast into the midst of the waters. 13 (DV)And I will stop the music of your songs, and (DW)the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more. 14 (DX)I will make you a bare rock. (DY)You shall be a place for the spreading of nets. You shall never be rebuilt, (DZ)for I am the Lord; I have spoken, declares the Lord God.

15 “Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Will not (EA)the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, (EB)when the wounded groan, when slaughter is made in your midst? 16 Then all (EC)the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones and (ED)remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; (EE)they will sit on the ground and (EF)tremble every moment and (EG)be appalled at you. 17 And they will (EH)raise a lamentation over you and say to you,

“‘How you have perished,
    you who were inhabited from the seas,
O city renowned,
    (EI)who was mighty on the sea;
she and her inhabitants (EJ)imposed their terror
    on all her inhabitants!
18 Now the coastlands tremble
    on the day of your fall,
and the coastlands that are on the sea
    are dismayed at your passing.’

19 “For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a city laid waste, like the cities that are not inhabited, (EK)when I bring up the deep over you, and the great waters cover you, 20 then (EL)I will make you go down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you to dwell in the world below, among ruins from of old, (EM)with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set beauty (EN)in the land of the living. 21 I will bring you (EO)to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more. (EP)Though you be sought for, you will never be found again, declares the Lord God.”

A Lament for Tyre

27 The word of the Lord came to me: “Now you, (EQ)son of man, (ER)raise a lamentation over Tyre, and say to Tyre, who dwells at (ES)the entrances to the sea, (ET)merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord God:

“O Tyre, you have said,
    ‘I am (EU)perfect in beauty.’
Your borders are (EV)in the heart of the seas;
    your builders made perfect your beauty.
They made all your planks
    of fir trees from (EW)Senir;
they took (EX)a cedar from Lebanon
    to make a mast for you.
Of (EY)oaks of Bashan
    they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines
    from (EZ)the coasts of Cyprus,
    inlaid with ivory.
(FA)Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
    was your sail,
    serving as your banner;
blue and purple from (FB)the coasts of Elishah
    was your awning.
The inhabitants of Sidon and (FC)Arvad
    were your rowers;
your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you;
    they were (FD)your pilots.
The elders of (FE)Gebal and her skilled men were in you,
    (FF)caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you
    to barter for your wares.

10 (FG)“Persia and (FH)Lud and (FI)Put were in your army as your men of war. (FJ)They hung the shield and helmet in you; they gave you splendor. 11 Men of (FK)Arvad and Helech were on your walls all around, and men of Gamad were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they made (FL)perfect your beauty.

12 (FM)“Tarshish did (FN)business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your (FO)wares. 13 (FP)Javan, (FQ)Tubal, and (FR)Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. 14 From (FS)Beth-togarmah they exchanged horses, war horses, and mules (FT)for your wares. 15 The men of (FU)Dedan[j] traded with you. Many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony. 16 Syria (FV)did business with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares (FW)emeralds, (FX)purple, (FY)embroidered work, (FZ)fine linen, coral, and (GA)ruby. 17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise (GB)wheat of (GC)Minnith, meal,[k] honey, oil, and (GD)balm. 18 (GE)Damascus did business with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind; wine of Helbon and (GF)wool of Sahar 19 and casks of wine[l] from Uzal they exchanged for your wares; wrought iron, (GG)cassia, and (GH)calamus were bartered for your merchandise. 20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of (GI)Kedar were your favored dealers (GJ)in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you. 22 The traders of (GK)Sheba and (GL)Raamah traded with you; they exchanged (GM)for your wares (GN)the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold. 23 (GO)Haran, Canneh, (GP)Eden, traders of Sheba, (GQ)Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you. 24 In your market these traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of (GR)blue and (GS)embroidered work, and in carpets of colored material, bound with cords and made secure. 25 (GT)The ships of (GU)Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden (GV)in the heart of the seas.

26 “Your rowers have brought you out
    into the high seas.
(GW)The east wind has wrecked you
    in the heart of the seas.
27 Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
    your mariners and (GX)your pilots,
(GY)your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
    and all your men of war who are in you,
with all your crew
    that is in your midst,
sink into the heart of the seas
    (GZ)on the day of your fall.
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots
    (HA)the countryside shakes,
29 and down from their ships
    (HB)come all who handle the oar.
The mariners and all the pilots of the sea
    stand on the land
30 (HC)and shout aloud over you
    and cry out bitterly.
(HD)They cast dust on their heads
    (HE)and wallow in ashes;
31 they (HF)make themselves bald for you
    and put sackcloth on their waist,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
    with bitter mourning.
32 In their wailing they (HG)raise a lamentation for you
    and lament over you:
(HH)‘Who is like Tyre,
    like one destroyed in the midst of the sea?
33 When your wares came from the seas,
    (HI)you satisfied many peoples;
with your abundant wealth and merchandise
    (HJ)you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now (HK)you are wrecked by the seas,
    in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your crew in your midst
    have sunk with you.
35 (HL)All the inhabitants of the coastlands
    are appalled at you,
and (HM)the hair of their kings bristles with horror;
    their faces are convulsed.
36 (HN)The merchants among the peoples (HO)hiss at you;
    (HP)you have come to a dreadful end
    and shall be no more forever.’”

Prophecy Against the Prince of Tyre

28 The word of the Lord came to me: (HQ)“Son of man, say to (HR)the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God:

(HS)“Because your heart is proud,
    and (HT)you have said, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of the gods,
    in the heart of the seas,’
yet (HU)you are but a man, and no god,
    (HV)though you make your heart like the heart of a god—
(HW)you are indeed wiser (HX)than (HY)Daniel;
    no secret is hidden from you;
by your wisdom and your understanding
    (HZ)you have made wealth for yourself,
and have gathered gold and silver
    into your treasuries;
by your great wisdom in your trade
    you have increased your wealth,
    and (IA)your heart has become proud in your wealth—
therefore thus says the Lord God:
(IB)Because you make your heart
    like the heart of a god,
therefore, behold, I will bring (IC)foreigners upon you,
    the most ruthless of the nations;
and they shall draw their swords against (ID)the beauty of your wisdom
    and defile (IE)your splendor.
(IF)They shall thrust you down into the pit,
    (IG)and you shall die the death of the slain
    in the heart of the seas.
(IH)Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’
    in the presence of those who kill you,
though (II)you are but a man, and no god,
    in the hands of those who slay you?
10 (IJ)You shall die the death of the uncircumcised
    by the hand of foreigners;
    (IK)for I have spoken, declares the Lord God.”

A Lament over the King of Tyre

11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12 (IL)“Son of man, (IM)raise a lamentation over (IN)the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,[m]
    (IO)full of wisdom and (IP)perfect in beauty.
13 You were in (IQ)Eden, the garden of God;
    (IR)every precious stone was your covering,
(IS)sardius, topaz, and diamond,
    beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire,[n] (IT)emerald, and carbuncle;
    and crafted in gold were your settings
    and your engravings.[o]
(IU)On the day that you were created
    they were prepared.
14 You were an anointed (IV)guardian cherub.
    I placed you;[p] you were on (IW)the holy mountain of God;
    in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
15 You were blameless in your ways
    (IX)from the day you were created,
    till unrighteousness was found in you.
16 In the abundance of (IY)your trade
    you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;
so I cast you as a profane thing from (IZ)the mountain of God,
    and I destroyed you,[q] (JA)O guardian cherub,
    from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 (JB)Your heart was proud because of (JC)your beauty;
    you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
    I exposed you before kings,
    to feast their eyes on you.
18 By the multitude of your iniquities,
    in the unrighteousness of your trade
    you profaned your sanctuaries;
so (JD)I brought fire out from your midst;
    it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
    (JE)in the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who know you among the peoples
    are appalled at you;
(JF)you have come to a dreadful end
    and shall be no more forever.”

Prophecy Against Sidon

20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 (JG)“Son of man, (JH)set your face toward (JI)Sidon, and (JJ)prophesy against her 22 and say, Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, (JK)I am against you, O Sidon,
    and (JL)I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And (JM)they shall know that I am the Lord
    (JN)when I execute judgments in her
    and (JO)manifest my holiness in her;
23 for I will send (JP)pestilence into her,
    and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
    by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.

24 “And for the house of Israel (JQ)there shall be no more a brier to prick or (JR)a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors (JS)who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.

Israel Gathered in Security

25 “Thus says the Lord God: (JT)When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and (JU)manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, (JV)then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 26 (JW)And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, (JX)when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors (JY)who have treated them with contempt. (JZ)Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.”

Prophecy Against Egypt

29 (KA)In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (KB)“Son of man, (KC)set your face against (KD)Pharaoh king of Egypt, (KE)and prophesy against him and (KF)against all Egypt; speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God:

(KG)“Behold, I am against you,
    Pharaoh king of Egypt,
(KH)the great dragon that lies
    in the midst of his streams,
(KI)that says, ‘My Nile is my own;
    I made it for myself.’
I will (KJ)put hooks in your jaws,
    and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales;
and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams,
    with all the fish of your streams
    that stick to your scales.
(KK)And I will cast you out into the wilderness,
    you and all the fish of your streams;
you shall fall (KL)on the open field,
    and (KM)not be brought together or gathered.
To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens
    (KN)I give you as food.

Then all the inhabitants of Egypt (KO)shall know that I am the Lord.

“Because you[r] have been (KP)a staff of reed to the house of Israel, (KQ)when they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake.[s] Therefore thus says the Lord God: (KR)Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast, and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. (KS)Then they will know that I am the Lord.

(KT)“Because you[t] said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’ 10 therefore, (KU)behold, I am against you and (KV)against your streams, and (KW)I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, (KX)from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. 11 (KY)No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 (KZ)And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. (LA)I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries.

13 “For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years (LB)I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, 14 and (LC)I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to (LD)the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, (LE)and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. 16 And it shall never again be (LF)the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. (LG)Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”

17 (LH)In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 (LI)“Son of man, (LJ)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: (LK)Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; (LL)and he shall carry off its wealth[u] (LM)and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20 (LN)I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord God.

21 “On that day (LO)I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and (LP)I will open your lips among them. (LQ)Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

A Lament for Egypt

30 The word of the Lord came to me: (LR)“Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God:

(LS)“Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’
    (LT)For the day is near,
    (LU)the day of the Lord is near;
it will be (LV)a day of clouds,
    a time of doom for[v] the nations.
(LW)A sword shall come upon Egypt,
    (LX)and anguish shall be in (LY)Cush,
when the slain fall in Egypt,
    and (LZ)her wealth[w] is carried away,
    and (MA)her foundations are torn down.

(MB)Cush, and (MC)Put, and Lud, and (MD)all Arabia, and Libya,[x] and the people of the land that is in league,[y] shall fall with them by the sword.

“Thus says the Lord:
(ME)Those who support Egypt shall fall,
    and (MF)her proud might shall come down;
(MG)from Migdol to Syene
    they shall fall within her by the sword,
declares the Lord God.
(MH)And they shall be desolated in the midst of desolated countries,
    and their cities shall be in the midst of cities that are laid waste.
(MI)Then they will know that I am the Lord,
    when (MJ)I have set fire to Egypt,
    and (MK)all her helpers are broken.

“On that day (ML)messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting (MM)people of Cush, and (MN)anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom;[z] for, behold, it comes!

10 “Thus says the Lord God:

(MO)“I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt,
    by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 He and his people with him, (MP)the most ruthless of nations,
    shall be brought in to destroy the land,
(MQ)and they shall draw their swords against Egypt
    and fill the land with the slain.
12 And (MR)I will (MS)dry up the Nile
    and will sell the land into the hand of (MT)evildoers;
(MU)I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it,
    by the hand of (MV)foreigners;
(MW)I am the Lord; I have spoken.

13 “Thus says the Lord God:

(MX)“I will destroy the idols
    and put an end to the images in (MY)Memphis;
(MZ)there shall no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt;
    so (NA)I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14 I will make (NB)Pathros a desolation
    and will set fire to (NC)Zoan
    (ND)and will execute judgments on (NE)Thebes.
15 And I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
    the stronghold of Egypt,
    and cut off the multitude[aa] of Thebes.
16 And I will set fire to Egypt;
    Pelusium shall be in great agony;
Thebes shall be breached,
    and (NF)Memphis shall face enemies[ab] by day.
17 The young men of On and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword,
    and the women[ac] shall go into captivity.
18 At (NG)Tehaphnehes (NH)the day shall be dark,
    when I break there the yoke bars of Egypt,
and (NI)her proud might shall come to an end in her;
    she shall be covered by a cloud,
    and her daughters shall go into captivity.
19 Thus (NJ)I will execute judgments on Egypt.
    (NK)Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Egypt Shall Fall to Babylon

20 (NL)In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 21 (NM)“Son of man, (NN)I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, (NO)it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword. 22 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and (NP)will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 (NQ)I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries. 24 And (NR)I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put (NS)my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him (NT)like a man mortally wounded. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. (NU)Then they shall know that I am the Lord, (NV)when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. 26 And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Pharaoh to Be Slain

31 (NW)In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (NX)“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to (NY)his multitude:

(NZ)“Whom are you like in your greatness?
    Behold, (OA)Assyria was a (OB)cedar in (OC)Lebanon,
with beautiful branches and (OD)forest shade,
    (OE)and of towering height,
    its top among the clouds.[ad]
The waters nourished it;
    the deep made it grow tall,
making (OF)its rivers flow
    around the place of its planting,
sending forth its streams
    to all the trees of the field.
So (OG)it towered high
    above all the trees of the field;
its boughs grew large
    and its branches long
    from (OH)abundant water in its shoots.
(OI)All the birds of the heavens
    made their nests in its boughs;
under its branches all the beasts of the field
    gave birth to their young,
and under its shadow
    lived all great nations.
It was (OJ)beautiful in its greatness,
    in the length of its branches;
(OK)for its roots went down
    to abundant waters.
(OL)The cedars (OM)in the garden of God could not rival it,
    nor the fir trees equal its boughs;
neither were the plane trees
    like its branches;
no tree (ON)in the garden of God
    was its equal in beauty.
I made it beautiful
    in the mass of its branches,
and all the trees of (OO)Eden envied it,
    that were in the garden of God.

10 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because (OP)it[ae] towered high and set its top among the clouds,[af] and (OQ)its heart was proud of its height, 11 I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out. 12 (OR)Foreigners, (OS)the most ruthless of nations, have cut it down and left it. (OT)On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs have been broken in all (OU)the ravines of the land, and (OV)all the peoples of the earth have gone away from its shadow and left it. 13 (OW)On its fallen trunk dwell all the birds of the heavens, and on its branches are all the beasts of the field. 14 (OX)All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to towering height or set their tops among the clouds,[ag] and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, (OY)to the world (OZ)below, among the children of man,[ah] with those who go down to the pit.

15 “Thus says the Lord God: On the day (PA)the cedar[ai] went down to Sheol I caused mourning; I closed the deep over it, and restrained its rivers, and many waters were stopped. I clothed Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. 16 (PB)I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, (PC)when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. (PD)And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, (PE)were comforted in the world below. 17 They also went down to Sheol with it, (PF)to those who are slain by the sword; yes, (PG)those who were its arm, (PH)who lived under its shadow among the nations.

18 (PI)“Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness (PJ)among the trees of Eden? (PK)You shall be brought down with (PL)the trees of Eden to the world below. (PM)You shall lie among the uncircumcised, (PN)with those who are slain by the sword.

(PO)“This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God.”

A Lament over Pharaoh and Egypt

32 (PP)In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (PQ)“Son of man, (PR)raise a lamentation over (PS)Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:

“You consider yourself (PT)a lion of the nations,
    but you are like (PU)a dragon (PV)in the seas;
(PW)you burst forth in your rivers,
    trouble the waters with your feet,
    and foul their rivers.
Thus says the Lord God:
    (PX)I will throw my net over you
    with a host of (PY)many peoples,
    and (PZ)they will haul you up in my dragnet.
And (QA)I will cast you on the ground;
    on the open field I will fling you,
and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle on you,
    and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you.
I will strew your flesh (QB)upon the mountains
    and fill the valleys with your carcass.[aj]
I will drench the land even to the mountains
    with your flowing blood,
    and the ravines will be full of you.
(QC)When I blot you out, (QD)I will cover the heavens
    and make their stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
    and the moon shall not give its light.
All the bright lights of heaven
    will I make dark over you,
    and (QE)put darkness on your land,
declares the Lord God.

“I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries that you have not known. 10 (QF)I will make many peoples appalled at you, and the hair of their kings shall bristle with horror because of you, when (QG)I brandish my sword before them. (QH)They shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the day of your downfall.

11 “For thus says the Lord God: (QI)The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. 12 I will cause (QJ)your multitude to fall by the swords of mighty ones, all of them (QK)most ruthless of nations.

(QL)“They shall bring to ruin the pride of Egypt,
    and all its multitude[ak] shall perish.
13 I will destroy all its beasts
    from beside many waters;
(QM)and no foot of man shall trouble them anymore,
    nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them.
14 Then (QN)I will make their waters clear,
    and cause their rivers to run like oil,
declares the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt desolate,
    and when the land (QO)is desolate of all that fills it,
when I strike down all who dwell in it,
    then (QP)they will know that I am the Lord.

16 (QQ)This is a lamentation that shall be chanted; the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over (QR)all her multitude, shall they chant it, declares the Lord God.”

17 (QS)In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month,[al] on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 (QT)“Son of man, (QU)wail over (QV)the multitude of Egypt, and (QW)send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, (QX)to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit:

19 (QY)‘Whom do you surpass in beauty?
    Go down and (QZ)be laid to rest with the uncircumcised.’

20 They shall fall amid those (RA)who are slain by the sword. Egypt[am] is delivered to the sword; drag her away, and (RB)all her multitudes. 21 The mighty chiefs (RC)shall speak of them, (RD)with their helpers, out of the midst of Sheol: ‘They have come down, they lie still, (RE)the uncircumcised, (RF)slain by the sword.’

22 (RG)“Assyria is there, and all her company, (RH)its graves all around it, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, 23 whose graves are set in (RI)the uttermost parts of the pit; and her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, (RJ)who spread terror (RK)in the land of the living.

24 (RL)“Elam is (RM)there, and all her multitude around her grave; all of them (RN)slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into (RO)the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the living; and (RP)they bear their shame (RQ)with those who go down to the pit. 25 (RR)They have made her a bed among the slain with all her multitude, (RS)her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for terror of them was spread in the land of the living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are placed among the slain.

26 (RT)“Meshech-Tubal is (RU)there, and all her multitude, (RV)her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 And (RW)they do not lie with the mighty, the fallen from among the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads, and whose iniquities are upon their bones; for the terror of the mighty men was in the land of the living. 28 But as for you, you shall be broken (RX)and lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword.

29 (RY)“Edom is (RZ)there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.

30 “The princes (SA)of the north are there, all of them, and all the (SB)Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, (SC)for all the terror that they caused by their might; they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and (SD)bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.

31 “When Pharaoh sees them, he (SE)will be comforted for (SF)all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord God. 32 (SG)For I spread terror (SH)in the land of the living; and he shall be laid to rest among (SI)the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God.”

Ezekiel Is Israel's Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: (SJ)“Son of man, speak to (SK)your people and say to them, If (SL)I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their (SM)watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and (SN)blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, (SO)his blood shall be upon his own head. (SP)He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. (SQ)But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, (SR)that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

(SS)“So you, (ST)son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. (SU)Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. (SV)If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, (SW)and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, (SX)that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. (SY)But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, (SZ)that person shall die in his iniquity, (TA)but you will have delivered your soul.

Why Will You Die, Israel?

10 “And you, (TB)son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and (TC)we rot away because of them. (TD)How then can we live?’ 11 Say to them, (TE)As I live, declares the Lord God, (TF)I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; (TG)turn back, turn back from your evil ways, (TH)for why will you die, O house of Israel?

12 (TI)“And you, son of man, say to (TJ)your people, (TK)The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, (TL)and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, (TM)and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness[an] when he sins. 13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet (TN)if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. 14 Again, (TO)though I say to the wicked, (TP)‘You shall surely die,’ yet (TQ)if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, 15 if the wicked (TR)restores the pledge, (TS)gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks (TT)in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 (TU)None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.

17 “Yet (TV)your people say, (TW)‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. 18 (TX)When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. 19 And (TY)when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, (TZ)I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

Jerusalem Struck Down

21 In the (UA)twelfth year (UB)of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, (UC)a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, (UD)“The city has been struck down.” 22 (UE)Now (UF)the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

23 The word of the Lord came to me: 24 (UG)“Son of man, the inhabitants of these (UH)waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, (UI)‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but (UJ)we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’ 25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: (UK)You eat flesh with the blood and (UL)lift up your eyes to your idols and (UM)shed blood; shall you then possess the land? 26 (UN)You rely on the sword, (UO)you commit abominations, and (UP)each of you defiles his neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land? 27 Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: (UQ)As I live, surely those who are in (UR)the waste places shall fall by (US)the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to (UT)the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in (UU)strongholds and in caves shall die by (UV)pestilence. 28 (UW)And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and (UX)her proud might shall come to an end, and (UY)the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through. 29 (UZ)Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.

30 “As for you, (VA)son of man, (VB)your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 (VC)And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for (VD)with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. 32 And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and (VE)plays[ao] well on an instrument, for (VF)they hear what you say, but they will not do it. 33 (VG)When this comes—and come it will!—(VH)then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel

34 The word of the Lord came to me: (VI)“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: (VJ)Ah, shepherds of Israel (VK)who have been feeding yourselves! (VL)Should not shepherds feed the sheep? (VM)You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, (VN)you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. (VO)The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, (VP)the injured you have not bound up, (VQ)the strayed you have not brought back, (VR)the lost you have not sought, and with force and (VS)harshness you have ruled them. (VT)So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and (VU)they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, (VV)with none to search or seek for them.

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: (VW)As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because (VX)my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, (VY)Behold, I am against the shepherds, and (VZ)I will require my sheep at their hand and (WA)put a stop to their feeding the sheep. (WB)No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. (WC)I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

The Lord God Will Seek Them Out

11 “For thus says the Lord God: (WD)Behold, I, I (WE)myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on (WF)a day of clouds and (WG)thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples (WH)and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on (WI)the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 (WJ)I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. (WK)There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 (WL)I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, (WM)and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 (WN)I will seek the lost, (WO)and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and (WP)the fat and the strong I will destroy.[ap] I will feed them in justice.

17 “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: (WQ)Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and (WR)male goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of (WS)clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and (WT)thrust at all the (WU)weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue[aq] my flock; (WV)they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And (WW)I will set up over them one shepherd, (WX)my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And (WY)I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. (WZ)I am the Lord; I have spoken.

The Lord's Covenant of Peace

25 (XA)“I will make with them a covenant of peace and (XB)banish wild beasts from the land, (XC)so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill (XD)a blessing, and (XE)I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be (XF)showers of blessing. 27 (XG)And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, (XH)and they shall be secure in their land. And (XI)they shall know that I am the Lord, when (XJ)I break the bars of their yoke, and (XK)deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 (XL)They shall no more be a prey to the nations, (XM)nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. (XN)They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will provide for them (XO)renowned plantations so that (XP)they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer (XQ)suffer the reproach of the nations. 30 And they shall know that (XR)I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. 31 And you are my sheep, (XS)human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

Prophecy Against Mount Seir

35 The word of the Lord came to me: (XT)“Son of man, (XU)set your face (XV)against (XW)Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say to it, Thus says the Lord God: (XX)Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and (XY)I will stretch out my hand against you, (XZ)and I will make you a desolation and a waste. (YA)I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Because (YB)you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword (YC)at the time of their calamity, (YD)at the time of their final punishment, therefore, (YE)as I live, declares the Lord God, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; (YF)because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you. (YG)I will make Mount Seir a waste (YH)and a desolation, and I will cut off from it (YI)all who come and go. And I will fill (YJ)its mountains with the slain. On your hills and in your valleys and in all (YK)your ravines (YL)those slain with the sword shall fall. (YM)I will make you a perpetual desolation, and (YN)your cities shall not be inhabited. Then (YO)you will know that I am the Lord.

10 “Because you said, (YP)‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and (YQ)we will take possession of them’—although the (YR)Lord was there— 11 therefore, (YS)as I live, declares the Lord God, I will deal with you (YT)according to the anger and (YU)envy that you showed because of your hatred against them. And (YV)I will make myself known among them, when I judge you. 12 And you shall know that I am the Lord.

(YW)“I have heard all the revilings that you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are laid desolate; (YX)they are given us to devour.’ 13 And (YY)you magnified yourselves against me (YZ)with your mouth, and multiplied your words against me; I heard it. 14 Thus says the Lord God: (ZA)While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate. 15 As you (ZB)rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, (ZC)Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then (ZD)they will know that I am the Lord.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.