1° The person of the prophet.- Ezekiel (in Hebrew, Yehézqé'l, «God is strong», or «God comforts» (according to the Septuagint, ’'Άεζεχιήλ, (The form from which the Latin names Ezekiel and Hezechiel were derived) was, as he himself tells us (cf. 1:8), the son of Buzi, and belonged to the priestly line, and consequently to the aristocratic part of the Jewish nation. He had been deported to Chaldea with King Joachim (cf. 1:2; 33:21; 40:1) in 599, or, according to others, in 598, about eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem. We see him settled, with his fellow captives, at Tel Abiy, on the banks of the Shobar River (see 3:15). He was married; but he suffered the loss of his wife in the land of exile, nine years after their marriage (cf. 24:16 ff.).
He was about thirty years old, and five years had passed since his exile (cf. 1:2-3), when he was called to the prophetic ministry. He exercised this function for at least twenty-two years, until the twenty-second year of his captivity, the sixteenth since the capture of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (cf. 29:17), during the most disastrous period in Jewish history. In accordance with divine commands, he strove either to rid his exiled compatriots of the foolish illusions in which they were being entertained by false prophets concerning Jerusalem and the theocratic state, or to console them with holy and glorious promises. Thus, in Chaldea, among the exiles, he fulfilled a role entirely similar to that which Jeremiah exercised in Jerusalem. He enjoyed great influence among his fellow believers (Cf. 8, 1; 14, 1; 20, 1, etc.).
The other circumstances of his life are unknown. According to an ancient Jewish tradition (Cf. Pseudo-Epiphany, of Vitis prophet., 9; St. Isidore of Seville, of Vita and dead Sanctor., (c. 29), he was reportedly put to death by a prince of his people, whom he accused of idolatry. At least, it is certain that he died in a foreign land, without ever seeing his homeland again. «The energy and strong character of his being, rooted in faith, enabled him to endure the trials of captivity with patience and courage. Deeply attached to the religion of his fathers, filled with the most ardent patriotism, he was indeed the prophet needed to support his brothers taken into exile with him. He never behaved like an ordinary man; he always acted, thought, saw, and behaved like a prophet supported by the arm of God and filled with supernatural strength” (Vigouroux, Biblical Man, vol. 2; no. 1023). » The author of Book of Ecclesiasticus, 49, 10-11, gives him a fine eulogy. He was nicknamed "the prophet of divine faithfulness", because of the promises that fill the last part of his writing, just as Jeremiah was called "the prophet of divine justice".
2° The authenticity and integrity of the book of Ezekiel have never been seriously attacked. The rationalist school, usually so audacious, declares itself fully satisfied and marches in step with tradition. "The book of Ezekiel," says one of its principal leaders, "is among those which stand out, from beginning to end, for such unity of style and diction that one must dismiss even the slightest suspicion that any part whatsoever has been interpolated." (Compare this other statement by a Protestant commentator: "If there is one of the books of the Old Testament which bears the seal of authenticity on its forehead, and which still possesses for us the form in which it came from the hands of its author, it is the book of Ezekiel.") The author names himself very frequently, and, apart from two passages (1:3; 24:24), he always uses the first person when he speaks of himself. He is therefore constantly in the foreground, and his character as a prophet, his genre as a writer are so distinct, that it is hardly possible to be mistaken about him (One does not read at the beginning of the book of Ezekiel, as is done for those of most of the other prophets, a title designating the author, the time and the subject. Cf. Is. 1, 1; Jer. 1, 1, etc.).
However, scholars agree that the Hebrew text of Ezekiel has suffered more than that of many other parts of the Old Testament. This is undoubtedly due to the obscurity of a number of passages. The Septuagint translation allows for the correction of erroneous readings fairly frequently; but it cannot always be taken as a guide, as it is often arbitrary and inaccurate (it has taken liberties in many places with the text). Moreover, it reproduces some of the errors of the Hebrew.
3° The subject and division of the book. — The subject, as a whole, bears a strong resemblance to that addressed by Jeremiah; and this is not surprising, since the two prophets were contemporaries. On the one hand, there are reproaches and threats, both against the Jews and against the Gentiles: the theocratic nation, already so humiliated, will be further so; Jerusalem will be taken and destroyed, the people deported en masse; the Gentiles, too, will be punished for their crimes. On the other hand, there are promises of pardon and restoration to the Israelites, after they have been purified by suffering. The Lord will therefore have to punish, for his justice and holiness demand it; but he will not forget his ancient promises, and the day will come when he will faithfully fulfill them. This is the twofold theme of Ezekiel's prophecy: "the destruction of Jerusalem and the punishment of the Jewish people, the reconstitution of the theocratic nation on new foundations and its endless happiness."«
The book's structure conforms to this twofold idea. After a prologue (1:1–3:21) recounting how Ezekiel was called by God to exercise the prophetic ministry, we find two very distinct parts. The first (3:22–32:32) announces the terrible judgments by which God intends to punish, first his guilty people, then the Gentiles, whose crimes no less demand divine punishment. The second (33:1–48:35) foretells great consolation for Israel, regenerated and transformed. Each part is subdivided into two sections. Part One: 1) Ezekiel's prophetic ministry against the Jews (3:22–24:27); 2) his prophecies against the Gentiles (25:1–32:32). Part Two: 1) the resurrection of the Jewish people and the ruin of the enemies of the kingdom of God (33, 1 – 39, 29); 2° the institution of the new theocracy (40, 1 – 48, 35).
The prophecies contained in the first part predate the destruction of Jerusalem and the ruin of the Jewish state; those in the second part were revealed to Ezekiel only after these tragic events. «The destruction of the capital of Judea is therefore the central point of the entire book. Before the catastrophe, Ezekiel's aim is to incite those living in false security to repentance for their sins, to warn them against the blind trust they place in the help of Egypt (17:15–17; cf. Jer. 37:6), for it cannot save them from the hands of the Babylonians, and to assure them that the siege of the holy city is near and their misfortune inevitable. After this terrible event, he is primarily concerned with consoling the captives with the promise of future deliverance and return to the homeland; he encourages them at the same time with the assurance of messianic blessings.»Vigouroux, Biblical Manual, t. 2, n° 1026.)
Ezekiel usually dates his prophecies. Cf. 2:1; 8:1; 20:1; 24:1; 26:1, 17; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1, 17; 33:21, etc. Most often, their placement in his book follows their chronological order. However, this rule is sometimes broken, notably in the second section of Part One, chapters 25-32.
4° Ezekiel's special kind of writer. From the very beginning of the book, one is struck by the considerable number of visions and symbolic actions it recounts. These, in fact, constitute its core, for most of the prophecies it contains take this form (Ezekiel is very sparing with historical details). This circumstance gives it a very particular character. Not only do symbols abound in Ezekiel's writings, but "he expounds and develops them at greater length and in greater detail than any inspired writer. Moreover, a great number of his images are new, and drawn from the environment in which he lived."Vigouroux, Biblical Manual, t.2, n. 1024) ».
It naturally follows that it is often quite obscure and difficult to interpret. Saint Jerome (Praefat. In Ezech.In this respect, he calls it "the ocean of Scripture, the labyrinth of God's mysteries," adding that "the beginning and end of the volume are shrouded in (especially) great obscurities," because of which it was forbidden in the ancient synagogue to read Ezekiel's prophecies before the age of thirty. But, on the other hand, these visions and symbols impart remarkable vigor to his prophecies, which placed the announced events before the eyes of the Jews in the most vivid way.
Ezekiel's style is usually simple and unpretentious. He often displays "a sublimity, tenderness, beauty, and melody that are entirely his own." He is not lacking in variety; at times he becomes vehement, dramatic, full of energy and grandeur. His poetic passages are remarkable. He employs a number of expressions which, constantly interwoven throughout his writings, give them a distinctive character: such as the appellation "Son of Man," which recurs more than a hundred times (cf. 2:1, 3, 6, 8; 3:1, 3, 4, etc.); the phrases "They will know that I am the Lord" (more than seventy times, cf. 5:13; 6:10; 14:7, 27, etc.), and "The hand of the Lord was upon me" (cf. 1:3; 3:22, etc.). the formulas "Thus says the Lord God", and "oracle of the Lord God" or "oracle of the Lord" (the first, more than one hundred times; the second, more than ninety times)", I am alive! says the Lord (cf. 5:11; 14:16, 18:20; 16:48, etc.); the designation of the Jewish people by the epithet house of rebels (cf. 2, 5, 6, 8; 3, 9, 26, 27, etc.). It also has grammatical peculiarities, and it makes use, here and there, of Hebrew words that are not found anywhere else, or of Chaldean words, the presence of which in his writings is explained by his stay in the heart of Babylonia.
5° The best Catholic commentators Ezekiel's figures are, in antiquity, Theodoret of Cyrrhus and Saint Jerome; in modern times, Maldonatus (In Ezekiel commentary).
Ezekiel 1
1 And in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Shobar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 2 The fifth day of the month marked the fifth year of King Joachim's captivity., 3 The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Shobar, and there the hand of the Lord was upon him. 4 I saw, and behold, a stormy wind was coming out of the north, and a great cloud, and a mass of fire which was shining all around, and in the midst of it was seen something like the appearance of metal plunged into the fire. 5 And in the midst of them I saw the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: they had a human likeness. 6 Each one had four faces and each one had four wings. 7 Their feet were straight feet and the soles of their feet were like the soles of a calf's foot; they glittered like the appearance of polished bronze. 8 Men's hands were coming out from under their wings, on their four sides, and all four had their faces and their wings. 9 Their wings were joined together; they did not turn as they walked; each went straight ahead. 10 And this was the likeness of their faces: a man's face in front, a lion's face on the right side of each of the four, a bull's face on the left side of each of the four, and an eagle's face on each of the four. 11 And such were their faces. Their wings unfolded above them; each had two wings that joined those of the other and two wings that covered its body. 12 Each one went ahead of himself; wherever their mind made them go, they went; they did not turn around as they went. 13 The appearance of these living beings was like burning coals; it was like the appearance of lamps; the fire moved between the beings, the fire was dazzling, and flashes of light came out of the fire. 14 And the living creatures ran in all directions, like the appearance of lightning. 15 And I looked at the living creatures and behold a wheel on the ground beside them, before their four faces. 16 The appearance and shape of the wheels were like the stone of Tharsis, and all four were alike; their appearance and shape were as if one wheel were in the middle of another wheel. 17 As they moved forward, they went in all four directions and did not turn around while walking. 18 Their rims were frighteningly tall and the rims of all four wheels were filled with eyes all around. 19 When beings moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose as well. 20 Wherever the spirit impelled them to go, they went; the spirit impelled them, and the wheels rose with them; for the spirit of the living being was in the wheels. 21 When they went, they went; when they stopped, they stopped; and when they rose from the ground, the wheels rose with them; for the spirit of the living being was in the wheels. 22 Above the heads of living beings was what looked like a firmament, like dazzling crystal; it was stretched out above their heads. 23 And beneath the firmament their wings were raised, one towards the other, and each had two that covered its body on each side. 24 And I heard the sound of their wings as they went, like the sound of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a thundering sound like that of a camp; when they stopped, they lowered their wings. 25 And there was a noise, starting from the firmament spread over their heads; when they stopped, they let their wings fall back down. 26 Above the firmament that was over their heads, there was something like a sapphire stone, shaped like a throne, and on this resemblance to a throne, there seemed to be something like a man's figure above. 27 Within and around, I saw something like metal, something like the appearance of fire, from what appeared to be his loins and above, and from what appeared to be his loins and below, I saw something like the appearance of fire, and there was brilliance all around him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around him. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw this, I fell facedown and heard the voice of one speaking.
Ezekiel 2
1 He said to me, «Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you.» 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and made me stand on my feet, and I heard him who was speaking to me. 3 He said to me, «Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to the rebellious peoples who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have sinned against me even to this day. 4 These sons with shameless faces and hardened hearts, it is to them that I am sending you. And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God. 5 For them, whether they listen or not, for it is a house of rebels, they will know that there was a prophet among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not fear them or be afraid of their words, for you are among thistles and thorns and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or dread their faces, for they are a house of rebels. 7 And you will speak my words to them, whether they listen or not, for they are rebels. 8 »And you, son of man, listen to what I tell you: Do not be rebellious like the rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 I looked and behold, a hand was stretched out towards me, and behold, it held a rolled-up book. 10 He unrolled it in front of me and it was written inside and outside, and what was written on it were songs of mourning, lamentations, and complaints.
Ezekiel 3
1 And he said to me, «Son of man, eat what you find before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.» 2 I opened my mouth and he made me eat this book; 3 And he said to me, »Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.» So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. 4 And he said to me, «Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people with a strange speech and a barbarous language, but to the house of Israel. 6 It is not to many peoples with strange speech and a barbarous language, whose words you would not understand, but it is to them that I send you, they can understand you. 7 And the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they do not want to listen to me, for all the house of Israel has a hard forehead and an impudent heart. 8 But now I have made your face as hard as theirs, and your forehead as hard as theirs. 9 I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than rock. Do not fear them or tremble before them, for it is a rebellious house.» 10 And he said to me, «Son of man, receive all the words that I speak to you into your heart and listen to them with your ears. 11 Go, visit the captives, the children of your people, and speak to them, saying, »This is what the Sovereign Lord says,” whether they listen or not.» 12 The Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud crashing sound: «Blessed be the glory of the Lord in his dwelling place?» 13 And I heard the sound of the wings of living things beating against each other, and the sound of wheels beside them, and the sound of a great crash. 14 And the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went away with bitterness and anger in my soul, and the hand of the Lord was firmly upon me. 15 And I arrived at Tel-Abid, among the captives who were staying on the banks of the Chobar River, and in the place where they were staying, there I remained seven days in astonishment, in the midst of them. 16 After seven days, the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 17 «Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; you shall hear the word that comes out of my mouth and you shall warn them from me. 18 If I say to the wicked man, "You will surely die," and you do not warn him or speak out to warn him of his evil way, so that he may live, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will require his blood from your hand. 19 But if you warn the wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness and his evil way, he will die in his iniquity; but you will have saved your soul. 20 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a snare before them, they shall die; because you did not warn them, they shall die in their sin; their righteous deeds which they did shall not be remembered, and I will require their blood from your hand. 21 But if you warn a righteous person so that he does not sin, and he does not sin, he will surely live, because he was warned and you have saved your own soul. 22 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he said to me, «Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.» 23 Having risen, I went out into the plain and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I had seen by the river Chobar, and I fell upon my face. 24 The Spirit entered me and made me stand on my feet, and the Lord spoke to me and said, «Go shut yourself up in the middle of your house. 25 And you, son of man, behold, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, and you will not go out among them. 26 And I will bind your tongue to the roof of your mouth, you will be mute and you will not be a censor to them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 And when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Whoever wants to listen, let him listen, and whoever wants to refrain from listening, let him refrain, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 4
1 You, son of man, take a brick, place it in front of you and draw on it a city, Jerusalem. 2 Lay siege to her, build a siege tower against her, raise terraces against her, place camps against her, and position battering rams all around her. 3 And you, take an iron pan and place it like an iron wall between yourself and the city, and set your face against it; it shall be besieged, and you shall besiege it. Let this be a sign to the house of Israel. 4 And you, lie down on your left side and place there the iniquity of the house of Israel, and for the number of days that you lie there, you shall bear their iniquity. 5 And I have counted to you the years of their iniquity according to the number of days: for three hundred and ninety days you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when you have completed these days, you shall lie on your right side a second time and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah for forty days; I have counted one day for one year. 7 And you will turn your face and your bare arm against besieged Jerusalem and prophesy against it. 8 And behold, I have put ropes upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, until you have completed the days of your siege. 9 Take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a vessel and make bread for yourself, according to the number of days you lie on your side; you shall eat of it three hundred and ninety days. 10 And the food that you will eat will be twenty shekels by weight per day; you will eat it from time to time. 11 You shall drink water in small quantities, a sixth of a hin; you shall drink it from time to time. 12 You will eat this in the form of barley cakes, and you will cook it in their presence with human excrement.» 13 And the Lord said to me, «This is how the children of Israel will eat their defiled bread among the nations where I will drive them.» 14 I said, «Ah, Lord God, behold, my soul has never been defiled; I have not eaten anything that died of itself or was torn by beasts from my youth until now, and no defiled flesh has entered my mouth.» 15 He said to me, "Look, I'll give you cattle dung instead of human excrement, and you can bake your bread on it."« 16 And he said to me, «Son of man, behold, I am about to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and in anguish; they shall drink water by measure and in terror. 17 For they will lack bread and water; they will waste away and be consumed because of their iniquity.
Ezekiel 5
1 And you, son of man, take a sharp blade, take it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and your beard; then you will take scales to weigh and you will divide what you have cut off. 2 You shall burn a third of it in the fire in the middle of the city when the days of the siege are completed; you shall take a third and strike it with the sword around the city, and the other third you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw the sword after them. 3 And you will take a small amount, which you will tuck into the hanging part of your garment. 4 Of this remnant, you shall take some more and throw it into the midst of the fire, and burn it in the fire. From it shall come forth fire for all the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord God: This is the Jerusalem that I placed in the midst of the nations, with vast lands around it. 6 But in her wickedness, she resisted my decrees more than the nations and my laws more than the countries surrounding her; for they rejected my decrees and did not walk according to my laws. 7 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Because you have been more rebellious than the nations around you, because you have not walked according to my laws, because you have not observed my decrees, and because you have not acted according to the customs of the nations around you, 8 Because of this, the Lord God says: “Behold, I am coming against you. I will execute decrees in your midst before the eyes of the nations.” 9 and I will do against you something like I have never done before and will never do again, because of all your abominations. 10 Therefore fathers will devour their sons in your midst, and sons will devour their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter to the winds all that remains of you. 11 Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God: Because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your infamies and all your abominations, I too will break you, and my eye will have no pity and I will have no compassion. 12 A third of your children will die by plague and be consumed by famine in your midst, a third will fall by the sword all around you, and as for the other third I will scatter them to every wind and I will draw the sword after them. 13 And my anger will be satisfied, and I will appease my wrath upon them, and I will be satisfied, and they will know that I, the Lord, have spoken in my jealousy, when I have satisfied my wrath upon them. 14 I will deliver you to shame and desolation among the nations that surround you, in the sight of all who pass by. 15 You will be a reproach and a shame, a lesson and a subject of terror to the peoples around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger, in wrath and with the punishments of my wrath, I, the Lord, speak. 16 when I unleash upon them the deadly arrows of famine, which serve to destroy, and which I will unleash upon you to destroy you, for I will increase your famine even more and I will break your staff of bread 17 and I will send famine and wicked beasts upon you, which will deprive you of children; plague and bloodshed will pass over you, and I will bring the sword upon you; I, the Lord, have spoken.
Ezekiel 6
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. 3 You will say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: Behold, I am bringing the sword against you and I will destroy your high places. 4 And your altars will be devastated and your sun pillars will be broken, and I will cause your men to fall, struck down, before your idols. 5 I will place the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6 Wherever you live, the cities will be desolate and the high places devastated, so that your altars will be desolate and destroyed, your idols broken and annihilated, your sun pillars felled and your works ruined. 7 The mortally wounded will fall in your midst, and you will know that I am the Lord. 8 But I will leave you a remnant, survivors of the sword among the nations, when you are scattered throughout the countries. 9 And your survivors will remember me among the nations, where I will lead them captive, when I have broken their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and their adulterous eyes, which have turned to their idols, and they will loathe themselves for the evil they have done, in committing all their abominations. 10 And they will know that I am the Lord; it was not in vain that I spoke of bringing these calamities upon them. 11 Thus says the Lord God: Clap your hand and stamp your foot and say: Alas, over all the wicked abominations of the house of Israel, which shall perish by the sword, by famine, and by plague. 12 Those who are far away will die of the plague, and those who are near will fall by the sword; those who remain and are preserved will die of hunger, and I will vent my wrath on them. 13 And you will know that I am the Lord when their dead lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountain peaks, under every green tree and under every leafy oak, in the place where they offered sweet-smelling incense to all their idols. 14 I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land desolate and devastated, from the desert to Diblah, wherever they dwell, and they will know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 7
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 And you, son of man, this is what the Lord God says to the land of Israel: The end. The end is coming to the four corners of the earth. 3 Now the end is coming upon you; I will unleash my anger against you; I will judge you according to your deeds; I will bring down upon you all your abominations. 4 My eye will not spare you, and I will have no pity, for I will bring your deeds back upon you, and your abominations will be in your midst, and you will know that I am the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God: A unique calamity. A calamity. Behold, it is coming. 6 An end is coming. The end is arriving. It is rising against you. Here it comes. 7 Your fate has come, inhabitant of the land, the time is coming, the day is near. There will be turmoil, not shouts of joy on the mountains. 8 Now I will immediately pour out my wrath on you, I will vent my anger on you, I will judge you according to your ways, and I will bring down upon you all your abominations. 9 My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity; I will bring your deeds back upon you, your abominations will be in your midst, and you will know that it is I, the Lord, who strikes. 10 Here is the day, here it comes; your fate has arrived; the staff blossoms, pride blooms. 11 Violence arises, to be the staff of impiety. Nothing will remain of them, neither of their multitude, nor of their tumult, and they will have no more glory. 12 The time is coming, the day is approaching. Let the buyer not rejoice and let the seller not grieve, for wrath will break out upon all their multitude. 13 The seller will not get back what he has sold, even if he is still among the living, because the vision against all their multitude will not be revoked, and no one will secure his life through his sin. 14 The trumpet is sounded and everything is ready, but no one goes to battle, because my anger is against all their multitude. 15 Outside, the sword; inside, plague and famine; he who is in the field will die by the sword, and he who is in the city, famine and plague will devour him. 16 If any of them flee, they will wander on the mountains like doves in the valleys, all of them moaning, each for their own sin. 17 All hands are failing and all knees are melting into water. 18 They put on sacks and terror envelops them, confusion is on every face and every head is shaved. 19 They will throw their silver into the streets and their gold will be rubbish to them; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them on the day of the Lord’s anger; they will not satisfy their souls with them nor fill their bellies with them; for it is this that has caused them to fall into iniquity. 20 The jewels they adorned themselves with were their pride; they fashioned their abominations, their idols. Therefore, I will turn all of this into rubbish., 21 and I will give it up as plunder to foreigners, as prey to the wicked of the earth, and they will defile it. 22 I will turn my face away from them, and they will defile my treasure; violent men will enter it and defile it. 23 Prepare the chains; for the country is full of attacks and the city of violence. 24 And I will bring the most wicked of the peoples, and they will seize their houses, and they will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their holy places will be profaned. 25 Ruin is coming; they will seek peace And there won't be any. 26 Disaster will come upon disaster and news upon news, and they will seek visions from the prophets, but the law will fail the priest and counsel the elders. 27 The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed in sorrow, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their deeds, I will judge them according to their merits, and they will know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 8
1 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell upon me. 2 And I saw, and behold, a figure which had the appearance of fire; from what appeared to be his loins downward it was fire, and from his loins upward it was like the appearance of a brightness, like the appearance of metal. 3 And he stretched out a form of hand and took hold of me by the curls of my hair and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me to Jerusalem, in divine visions, to the entrance of the inner gate which faces north, where was placed the idol of jealousy which provokes jealousy. 4 And behold, there was the glory of the God of Israel according to the appearance that I had seen in the plain. 5 He said to me, «Son of man, lift up your eyes toward the north.» So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, at the entrance, was this idol of jealousy. 6 And he said to me, «Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here, so that I will be driven far from my sanctuary? And you will see even more great abominations.» 7 And he led me to the entrance of the courtyard, and I saw: and behold, there was a hole in the wall 8 And he said to me, «Son of man, break through the wall.» So I broke through the wall, and behold, there was a door. 9 And he said to me, "Come and see the horrible abominations they are committing here."« 10 And I came and saw: and behold, there were all kinds of figures of reptiles and unclean animals and all the horrors of the house of Israel drawn on the wall all around. 11 And seventy men from among the elders of the house of Israel, among whom was Jezoniah, son of Shaphan, stood before them, and each had his censer in his hand, from which rose the fragrance of a cloud of incense. 12 And he said to me, «Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each in his chamber covered with images, for they say: »The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’” 13 And he said to me, "You will see other great abominations that they commit."« 14 And he led me to the entrance of the gate of the house of the Lord which faces north, and behold, women They were sitting there, mourning the god Thammuz. 15 And he said to me, «Have you seen, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these.» 16 And he led me then into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and behold, at the entrance of the house of the Lord, between the portico and the altar, there were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were bowing down to the east before the sun. 17 And he said to me, «Have you seen this, son of man? Is it too little for the house of Judah to commit the abominations they are committing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke me to anger? Look, they are holding the branch to their noses. 18 And I too will act in anger; my eye will not spare, and I will show no mercy. They will cry out loudly in my ears, but I will not hear them.»
Ezekiel 9
1 And he shouted in a loud voice in my ears, saying: «Come forward, you who watch over the city, each with your instrument of destruction in hand.» 2 And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate which faces north, each with his instrument for striking, and among them was a man clothed in linen, with a scribe's writing case at his side. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3 And the glory of the God of Israel rose from above the cherub upon which it had stood and came to the threshold of the house. And the Lord called to the man clothed in linen, who had a writing case at his side. 4 And the Lord said to him, «Go through the middle of the city, through the middle of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.» 5 And he said to the others, in my ears: «Go through the city after him and strike, do not spare your eye and be without pity. 6 Old man, young man, young woman, child, woman, kill them all to utter destruction; but do not approach anyone who carries the Thau River. And begin at my sanctuary.» And they began with the elders who were in front of the house. 7 And he said to them, «Defile the house and fill the courts with the dead. Go out.» So they went out and struck down the people in the city. 8 And when they had struck, as I was left alone, I fell on my face, I cried out and said, «Ah. Lord God, will you destroy all that remains of Israel, pouring out your wrath on Jerusalem?» 9 He said to me, «The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is great, very great. The land is filled with blood and the city is full of injustice, for they say, «The Lord has abandoned the land, the Lord does not see anything.’. 10 My eye will not spare them, and I will show no mercy; I will make their deeds fall back upon their own heads.» 11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, who had a writing case at his belt, came and gave an account, saying, «I have done as you commanded me.»
Ezekiel 10
1 And I saw, and behold, on the firmament which was above the heads of the Cherubim, there was something like a sapphire stone, and something appearing to be like a throne appeared above them. 2 And he said to the man clothed in linen, «Go between the wheels, beneath the cherubim, fill your hands with burning coals taken from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city.» And he went there before my eyes. 3 Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the house when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 And the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and came to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the glory of the Lord. 5 The sound of the Cherubim's wings could be heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of the Almighty God when he speaks. 6 When he had given this order to the man clothed in linen: "Take fire from between the wheels, between the Cherubim," the man came and stood beside the wheels. 7 And the Cherub reached out his hand between the Cherubim, toward the fire that was between the Cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 Now, the Cherubim were seen to have the shape of a man's hand under their wings. 9 And I saw, and behold, four wheels beside the Cherubim, one wheel beside each Cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like that of the stone of Tarshish. 10 And as for their appearance, all four were alike, as if one wheel were in the middle of another wheel. 11 As they moved forward, they went in all four directions and did not turn around in their walk because they went towards the place where their heads turned and they did not turn around in their walk. 12 And the whole body of the Cherubim, their backs, their hands, and their wings, as well as the wheels, were full of eyes all around; all four had their wheels. 13 As for the wheels, they were called "agile."« 14 Each of the Cherubim had four faces: the face of the first was the face of a cherub; the face of the second was a man's face; the face of the third, a bull's face, and the face of the fourth, an eagle's face. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up; it was the living creature that I had seen by the river Chobar. 16 When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them, and when the cherubim raised their wings to rise from the earth, the wheels did not turn away from beside them. 17 When they stopped, they stopped; when they rose, they rose with them; for the Spirit of the living being was in them. 18 The glory of the Lord departed from above the threshold of the house and rested upon the cherubim. 19 The cherubim raised their wings and rose from the ground before my eyes, as they departed, and the wheels with them. They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel rested upon them above. 20 It was the living creature that I had seen below the God of Israel, at the river Shobar, and I knew that they were Cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and each one had four wings, and a resemblance to human hands was under their wings. 22 And as for the resemblance of their faces, they were the faces I had seen near the Chobar River; it was the same appearance, it was themselves. Each one went straight ahead.
Ezekiel 11
1 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the eastern gate of the house of the Lord, the one facing east. And behold, at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jezonijah son of Azzur and Pheltiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 And the Lord said to me, «Son of man, these are the men who devise wickedness and give evil advice in this city, 3 who say: Misfortune is not so near. Let us build houses. This city is the cooking pot and we are the meat. 4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man.» 5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me and said to me, «Say: This is what the Lord says: This is how you speak, O house of Israel. What comes into your mind, I know.”. 6 You have multiplied your murders in this city and filled its streets with corpses. 7 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Your dead, whom you have laid out in the midst of the city, are flesh and the city is the pot, but you will be brought out of the midst of it. 8 You fear the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, declares the Lord God. 9 I will bring you out of the middle of the city, I will hand you over to the hands of foreigners, and I will execute my judgments upon you. 10 You will fall by the sword, I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. 11 This city will not be the cooking pot for you, nor will you be the meat in the middle of it; it is at the border of Israel that I will judge you. 12 And you will know that I am the Lord, whose ordinances you have not followed, nor whose laws you have observed, but you have acted according to the laws of the nations around you.» 13 As I was prophesying, Pheltiah son of Benaiah died, and I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice, saying, «Ah, Lord God, will you destroy what remains of Israel?» 14 And the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 15 «Son of man, your brothers, your brothers, men of your kin, and all the house of Israel, are all those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem say, ‘Stay away from the Lord, for the land has been given to us as a possession. 16 Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Yes, I have sent them far away among the nations, I have scattered them in the countries, but I will be a sanctuary for them for a little while, in the countries where they have gone. 17 Therefore tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18 They will enter it and remove all its infamies and all its abominations. 19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and I will remove from their flesh their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they may follow my ordinances and keep my laws and practice them, and they shall be my people and I shall be their God. 21 As for those whose hearts follow the hearts of their abominable idols, I will bring their deeds back upon their own heads, declares the Lord God. 22 Then the cherubim spread their wings and the wheels moved with them, and the glory of the God of Israel rested above them. 23 And the glory of the Lord rose from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain which is east of the city. 24 And the Spirit lifted me up and took me to Chaldea to the captives, in a vision in the Spirit of God, and the vision that I had seen disappeared from before me. 25 And I told the captives all the things that the Lord had shown me.
Ezekiel 12
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, you live in the midst of a house of rebels, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a house of rebels. 3 And you, son of man, pack yourself into the baggage of a migrant and emigrate by day in their sight; emigrate in their sight from the place where you are to another place: perhaps they will see that they are a house of rebels. 4 Take out your luggage, like an emigrant's luggage, during the day, in their eyes, and you leave in the evening, in their eyes, as one leaves to emigrate. 5 In their eyes, dig a hole in the wall and take your luggage out through it. 6 In their sight, put it on your shoulder, carry it into the darkness; cover your face so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.» 7 I did so, as I had been ordered; I took out my luggage by day, like an emigrant's luggage; in the evening, I made a hole in the wall with my hand and took out the luggage in the darkness, I carried it on my shoulders, in their sight. 8 In the morning, the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 9 «Son of man, did not the house of Israel, the house of rebels, say to you: What are you doing? 10 Tell them: This is what the Lord God says: This oracle is for the prince who is in Jerusalem and for all the house of Israel who are in that city. 11 Say: I am an emblem for you; as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity. 12 The prince who is in the middle of them will put his baggage on his shoulder in the darkness and leave; a hole will be dug in the wall to let him out; he will veil his face so that he cannot see the earth with his eyes. 13 I will spread my net over him and he will be caught in my trap; I will take him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; but he will not see it and there he will die. 14 All those around him, his auxiliaries and all his battalions, I will scatter to the four winds and pursue them with my sword drawn. 15 And they will know that I am the Lord, when I have scattered them among the nations and dispersed them throughout the countries. 16 And I will leave a few men from among them who will escape the sword, famine, and plague, so that they may recount their abominations among the nations where they go, and they will know that I am the Lord.» 17 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 18 «Son of man, you will eat your bread in turmoil and drink your water in anxiety and distress. 19 And you shall say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord God to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread in anguish and drink their water in desolation, because the land shall be depopulated of all that is in it, because of the violence of all who dwell in it. 20 The inhabited cities will be deserted, the land will be desolate, and you will know that I am the Lord.» 21 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 22 «Son of man, what is this saying that you repeat in the land of Israel: ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?’” 23 Therefore, tell them: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this saying, and it will no longer be spoken in Israel. Instead, tell them: The days are near, and so is the fulfillment of every word of vision. 24 For there will be no more false visions or misleading divination in the midst of the house of Israel. 25 For I, the Lord, will speak; the word that I speak will be fulfilled; it will no longer be delayed. Yes, it is in your days, O rebellious house, that I will speak the word and I will execute it, declares the Lord God.» 26 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 27 «Son of man, behold, the house of Israel says: The vision which he sees is for days far off, and he prophesies for times far off. 28 Therefore, tell them: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; the word that I speak will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.»
Ezekiel 13
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy on their own: Hear the word of the Lord: 3 Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, without seeing anything. 4 Like foxes in ruins, so are your prophets, O Israel. 5 You did not go up into the breaches and you did not build a wall around the house of Israel to stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 They have vain visions and false divinations, those who say, "The oracle of the Lord," without the Lord having sent them, and they cannot expect the fulfillment of their word. 7 Are these not vain visions that you see, false divinations that you utter, when you say: The oracle of the Lord, and I have not spoken? 8 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Because you speak vanity and have false visions, behold, I come to you, declares the Lord God. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who have false visions and divinations: they will not be in the council of my people, they will not be written in the book of the house of Israel, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord God., 10 Because they misled my people by saying, "Peace," when there was no peace. My people built a wall, and now they have plastered it over. 11 Tell those who are plastering that the wall will fall. A violent rain will come: Fall, hailstones! Storm winds, burst forth!. 12 The wall has fallen. Won't people ask you: Where is the plaster you used to cover it? 13 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: In my anger I will unleash a stormy wind; in my anger I will bring torrential rain and, in my wrath, hailstones to destroy. 14 I will tear down the wall that you have covered with plaster, I will knock it down to the ground and its foundation will be exposed, it will fall and you will perish in the midst of its rubble and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 I will vent my anger against the wall and against those who plastered it over, and I will tell you: No more wall. No more of those people who plastered it over., 16 "From those prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and who saw visions of peace for it when there was no peace, declares the Lord God."» 17 «And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy on their own, and prophesy against them.” 18 And say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those who sew cushions for every joint of the hands and make pillows for every head of every size, to ensnare souls. You would ensnare the souls of my people, and your own souls would live. 19 You have dishonored me before my people, for a handful of barley and a piece of bread, causing to die souls that should not die and giving life to souls that should not live, thus deceiving my people who listen to the lie. 20 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “I am against your cushions, with which you trap souls, and I will make them fly away; I will tear these cushions from your arms and deliver the souls you trap, so that they may fly away.”. 21 I will tear your pillows and I will snatch my people from your hands and they will no longer be prey in your hands and you will know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you afflict the heart of the righteous with lies, when I myself have not afflicted him, and you strengthen the hands of the wicked, so that he cannot turn from his evil way to live, 23 Because of this, you will no longer have false visions or divinations; I will rescue my people from your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.»
Ezekiel 14
1 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 3 «Son of man, these people have set up their shameful idols in their hearts and put before their faces the stumbling block that causes them to sin: shall I let myself be questioned by them? 4 Therefore, speak to them and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Whoever of the house of Israel sets up in his heart his shameful idols and puts before his face the stumbling block that causes him to sin, and comes to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer him myself, as the multitude of his idols deserve, 5 in order to take hold of the house of Israel by its own heart, she who, with all her infamous idols, has turned away from me. 6 Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your shameful idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For whoever of the house of Israel or of the strangers residing in Israel turns away from me, sets up in his heart his shameful idols and puts before his face the stumbling block that causes him to sin, if he comes to the prophet so that he may inquire of me for him, I the Lord myself will answer him. 8 I will set my face against that man, I will destroy him to make him a sign and a proverb, I will cut him off from among my people and you will know that I am the Lord. 9 And if the prophet is deceived and utters any word, it is I, the Lord, who have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. 10 They will thus bear the penalty for their iniquity, like the iniquity of the questioner, like the iniquity of the prophet, 11 so that the house of Israel will no longer stray from me and defile itself with all its transgressions. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Lord God.» 12 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 13 «Son of man, if a country were to sin against me by rebelling, and if I were to stretch out my hand against it, breaking its staff of bread, and sending famine upon it, destroying both man and beast, 14 and that there were these three men in the midst of this land, Noah, Daniel and Job, they would save their souls by their righteousness, oracle of the Lord God. 15 If I were to unleash destructive beasts upon the land, and it were to become depopulated and a desert where no one would pass through because of the beasts, 16 And if these three men were in the midst of this land, I live, declares the Lord God: They would save neither sons nor daughters; they alone would be saved, but the land would be devastated. 17 Or if I were to bring the sword upon this land and say, “Let the sword sweep through the land, destroying both man and beast,”, 18 And if these three men were in the midst of this land, I live, declares the Lord God: They would save neither sons nor daughters, they alone would be saved. 19 Or if I were to send the plague upon this country and pour out my wrath upon it in blood, exterminating both men and beasts, 20 And even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the midst of this land, I live, declares the Lord God: They would save neither sons nor daughters, but they would save their own souls by their righteousness. 21 For thus says the Lord God: Even if I send against Jerusalem my four terrible punishments, the sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague, destroying both man and beast, 22 Behold, there will be a remnant that will escape, who will leave the city, sons and daughters. Behold, they will come to you, and you will see their conduct and their works, and you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, concerning all that I have brought upon it. 23 They will comfort you when you see their conduct and their deeds, and you will know that I have not done all that I have done to him without cause, declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 15
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «"Son of man, what is the wood of the vine worth more than any other wood, than the branch that is among the trees of the forest?" 3 Is wood taken from it to make something? Is a peg extracted from it to hang something on? 4 Here it is thrown into the fire to be consumed; the fire devours both ends and the middle burns: will it be of any use? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was not used for any work: how much less, when the fire has consumed and burned it, could it be used for any purpose? 6 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Like the wood of the vine among the woods of the forest, which I give to the fire to consume, so I will give to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 I will set my face against them; they have escaped the fire, and the fire will consume them, and you will know that I am the Lord when I set my face against them. 8 And I will make the land a desert, because they have been unfaithful, declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 16
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations” 3 and say: Thus says the Lord God, in Jerusalem: By your origin and birth you are from the land of the Canaanites, your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 As for your birth, on the day you were born, your umbilical cord was not cut and you were not bathed in water to be purified; you were not rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling clothes. 5 No eye took pity on you to give you a single one of these cares, out of compassion for you; but you were thrown, out of disgust for you, onto the face of the fields, on the day of your birth. 6 I passed by you and saw you struggling in your blood, and I said to you: Live in your blood. 7 I made you multiply like the grass of the field; you multiplied and grew; you acquired perfect beauty; your breasts were formed and you reached puberty; but you were naked, completely naked. 8 And I passed by you and saw you, and behold, your time had come, the time of love; I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, oracle of the Lord God, and you were mine. 9 I bathed you in water and washed your blood off you and anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you in embroidery and shod you with sealskin; I girded your head with a linen veil and covered you with silk. 11 I adorned you with finery: I put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck; 12 I put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears and a magnificent tiara on your head. 13 You adorned yourself with gold and silver and were clothed in linen, silk, and embroidery; wheat flower, honey, and oil were your food, you became extraordinarily beautiful, and you attained royal dignity. 14 Your name spread among the nations because of your beauty; for it was perfect, thanks to my splendor which I had poured out upon you, declares the Lord God. 15 But you trusted in your beauty and prostituted yourself because of your name; you lavished your love on every passerby, giving yourself to him. 16 And you took some of your clothes and made yourself into colorful high places and prostituted yourself on them: something that had never been done before and will never be done again. 17 You took your jewelry, made of my gold and silver that I had given you, and you made images of men out of them, to which you prostituted yourself. 18 You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you placed my oil and my incense before them. 19 My bread that I gave you, the fine wheat, the oil and the honey with which I fed you, you set before them as a pleasing aroma. This is what has been done, declares the Lord God. 20 You took your sons and daughters whom you had borne me; you offered them as a sacrifice to be devoured. Were your acts of prostitution too little?, 21 that you slaughtered my sons and handed them over to them, making them pass through the fire in their honor? 22 And in the midst of all your abominations and your prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked, completely naked, struggling in your blood. 23 After all your wicked deeds, woe, woe to you, declares the Lord God. 24 You built yourself a vault and made yourself a mound in every square. 25 At every crossroads you raised your mound; you defiled your beauty; you gave yourself to every passerby, you multiplied your acts of prostitution. 26 You have prostituted yourself to the sons of Egypt, your neighbors, with strong members, and you have multiplied your acts of prostitution to provoke me to anger. 27 And now I have stretched out my hand against you; I have reduced your portion; I have delivered you into the pleasure of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your wicked conduct. 28 And you prostituted yourself to the sons of Assur, because you were not satisfied, and after prostituting yourself to them, you were still not satisfied. 29 And you have multiplied your prostitution in the land of Canaan as far as Chaldea, and with that you have not yet been satisfied. 30 Oh, how weak your heart is, declares the Lord God, that you have done all these things, like the most shameless prostitute. 31 When you built your arch at every crossroads and made your mound in every square, you were not like the prostitute, for you disdained the wage. 32 You were the adulterous woman, who takes strangers instead of her husband. 33 Gifts are given to all prostitutes; but you gave gifts to all your lovers, you paid them, so that they would come to you from all around for your prostitution. 34 In your prostitution, the opposite happened to you compared to other women: nobody was looking for you. You were the one paying, and nobody was paying you; you did the opposite of everyone else. 35 Therefore, you prostitute, listen to the word of the Lord: 36 Thus says the Lord God: Because your money has been spilled and your nakedness has been exposed, in your prostitution with your lovers and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children whom you gave to them, 37 Therefore, I will gather all your lovers with whom you have had relations, all those you have loved, with all those you have hated; I will gather them against you from all sides; I will uncover your nakedness before them, and they will see all your nakedness. 38 I will judge you according to the law of adulterous women and those who shed blood, and I will make you a bloody victim of fury and jealousy. 39 I will deliver you into their hands; they will cut down your vault and demolish your high places; they will strip you of your clothes, take your jewels, and leave you naked, completely naked. 40 They will gather an assembly against you, they will stone you and pierce you with their swords. 41 They will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments against you, in the sight of many women; I will put an end to your prostitution and you will no longer pay wages. 42 I will vent my anger on you, and my jealousy will depart from you; I will be appeased and will no longer be angry. 43 Because you have not remembered the days of your youth and have angered me with all these excesses, behold, I will bring your conduct back upon your own head, declares the Lord God, and you shall no longer commit lewdness with all your abominations. 44 Behold, all who speak proverbs will speak proverbs about you, saying: 45 Like mother, like daughter. You are indeed the daughter of your mother who rejected her husband and children, and you are the sister of your sisters who rejected their husbands and children; your mother is a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46 Your older sister, who lives on your left, is Samaria with her daughters, and your younger sister, who lives on your right, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 Not only did you walk in their ways and act according to their abominations: that was too little; you corrupted yourself more than they in all your ways. 48 As I live, declares the Lord God, Sodom, your sister, and her daughters, did not do what you and your daughters have done. 49 This was the crime of Sodom, your sister: pride, abundance, and careless repose in which she lived with her daughters, and she did not support the hand of the unfortunate and the needy. 50 They became proud and committed an abomination in my sight, and I removed them when I saw this. 51 Samaria has not committed half of your sins; you have multiplied your abominations more than they had done, and you have justified your sisters by all your abominations that you have committed. 52 Therefore, you too must bear the shame you cast upon your sisters, because of your sins by which you made yourself more abominable than they; they are more righteous than you. You too must be ashamed and bear the shame you have shown, since you have justified your sisters. 53 I will bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and its daughters, the captives of Samaria and its daughters, and your captives among theirs, 54 so that you may bear your shame and be ashamed of all that you have done to comfort them. 55 Your sister Sodom and her daughters will return to their former state, Samaria and her daughters will return to their former state, and you and your daughters will return to your former state. 56 Your sister Sodom was not mentioned by your mouth in the days of your pride, 57 before your perversity was exposed, as in the time when you were outraged by the girls of the Syria and from all around it, by the daughters of the Philistines who insulted you around you. 58 Your crime and your abominations, you have borne the penalty, oracle of the Lord. 59 For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have dealt, you who have despised your oath by breaking the covenant. 60 But I will remember my covenant that I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant. 61 You will remember your conduct and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, those who are older than you and those who are younger than you, and I will give them to you as daughters, but not by virtue of your covenant. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 so that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 17
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, pose a riddle and tell a parable to the house of Israel, 3 and say: Thus says the Lord God: The great eagle, with large wings, a broad span, and multicolored plumage, came toward the Lebanon and removed the top of the cedar. 4 He plucked off the highest of its branches, carried it to a land of Canaan and placed it in a city of merchants. 5 Then he took some of the local plant and placed it in fertile soil, he put it near abundant water and planted it like a willow. 6 This shoot grew and became a spreading, low vine; its branches were turned towards the eagle and its roots were under it; it became a vine, produced shoots and put out branches. 7 There was another great eagle, with large wings and abundant plumage, and behold, this vine eagerly extended its roots towards it, and from the bed where it was planted, it sent out its branches towards it so that it might water it. 8 It was planted in good soil, near abundant water, so that it would grow foliage and bear fruit, becoming a magnificent vine. 9 Say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it prosper? Will its roots not be uprooted and its fruit cut down so that it withers? All its young leaves will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up from its roots. 10 And now it is planted, but will it thrive? As soon as the east wind touches it, will it not wither? In the flowerbed where it grew, it will wither.» 11 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 12 «Say to the rebellious house: Do you not know what this means? Say: Behold, the king of Babylon has gone to Jerusalem, and has taken its king and its officials and brought them to him in Babylon. 13 Then he took a man of royal lineage, made a covenant with him, and had him swear an oath. He had taken the powerful men of the land, 14 so that the kingdom would be in a state of humiliation, unable to rise, observing its covenant in order to subsist. 15 But he rebelled against him, sending messengers to Egypt to demand horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? He has broken the covenant, and yet he would escape. 16 As surely as I live, declares the Lord God, in the very city of the king who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, he will die in his own city, in Babylon. 17 And the pharaoh will not act for him, in the war, with a large army and a numerous people, when they raise siege ramps and build walls to kill many men. 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and now he had given his hand in marriage. He has done all this; he will not escape. 19 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, because he has despised my oath and broken my covenant, I will bring it back on his own head. 20 I will spread my trap over him and he will be caught in my net; I will bring him to Babylon and there I will put him on trial for the treachery he has shown towards me. 21 All his fugitives from all his troops will fall by the sword and those who remain will be scattered to every wind, and you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken. 22 Thus says the Lord God: I myself will take a branch from the top of the high cedar and plant it; from the tip of its branches I will cut off a tender shoot and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 I will plant it on the high mountain of Israel; it will put forth branches and bear fruit and become a majestic cedar; every sparrow and every bird will nest under it; they will dwell in the shade of its branches. 24 And all the trees of the field will know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree and raised up the low tree, that I have dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.»
Ezekiel 18
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Why then do you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel: «The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge»?” 3 As surely as I live, declares the Lord God, you will no longer have cause to utter this proverb in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine: the soul of the son as well as the soul of the father is mine; the soul that sins shall be the one that dies. 5 If a man is just and practices law and justice; 6 if he does not eat on the mountains and does not lift up his eyes to the shameful idols of the house of Israel, if he does not dishonor his neighbor's wife and does not approach a woman during her uncleanness; 7 if he does not oppress anyone, if he returns to the debtor his pledge, if he does not commit robbery, if he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment; 8 if he does not lend at usury and does not take interest; if he turns his hand away from iniquity; if he judges truthfully between one man and another; 9 If he follows my precepts and observes my laws, acting faithfully, he is righteous; he will live, declares the Lord God. 10 But this man fathers a violent son, who sheds blood and does some of these things to his brother, 11 but he himself has not done all these things; he eats on the mountains, he dishonors his neighbor's wife, he oppresses the poor and the unfortunate; 12 He commits robbery, he does not return the pledge, he lifts his eyes to idols, he commits an abomination; 13 He lends at usury and takes interest, and he would live? He will not live; he has committed all these abominations, he must die; his blood will be on his own head. 14 But behold, a man begot a son; this son saw all the sins which his father committed; he saw them, and did nothing like them. 15 He did not eat on the mountains, he did not lift his eyes to the shameful idols of the house of Israel; he did not dishonor his neighbor's wife; 16 He did not oppress anyone, nor did he take a pledge, nor did he commit robbery; he gave his bread to the hungry, he covered the naked with a garment; 17 He did not lay his hand on the poor, he took neither usury nor interest; he observed my laws and followed my precepts; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live. 18 His father, who multiplied violence, who practiced plunder against his brother, and who did what was not right in the midst of his people, behold, he will die for his iniquity. 19 And you say, «Why should the son not bear the iniquity of his father?» But the son has acted according to justice and righteousness, he has observed all my precepts and put them into practice: he shall surely live. 20 The soul that sins, it is the one that will die; the son will not bear the iniquity of the father and the father will not bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him. 21 As for the wicked, if he turns away from all his sins which he has committed, if he observes all my precepts and acts according to justice and righteousness, he shall live, he shall not die. 22 Of all the transgressions he committed, no one will remember them anymore; because of the righteousness he practiced, he will live. 23 Do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God? Is it not rather that they turn from their ways and live? 24 And if the righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, according to all the abominations that the wicked man commits, he shall do them and live? Of all his righteous works that he has done, no one will remember him; because of the transgression that he has committed and his sin that he has perished, he shall die. 25 You say, «The way of the Lord is not right?» Listen then, house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right? Are not your ways not right? 26 When a righteous person turns away from their righteousness and commits iniquity, and dies because of it, it is because of the iniquity they have committed that they die. 27 And if the wicked man turns from the wickedness he has practiced and acts according to justice and righteousness, he will save his soul. 28 If he opens his eyes and turns away from all the transgressions he has committed, he will certainly live and he will not die. 29 But the house of Israel says, «The way of the Lord is not right.» Are my ways not right, house of Israel? Are not your ways not right? 30 Therefore, I will judge each of you according to your ways, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God. Turn away and repent from all your transgressions, and iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions you have committed; make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; therefore repent and live.»
Ezekiel 19
1 And you, pronounce a lamentation over the princes of Israel and say: 2 «Why did your mother, like a lioness, lie down among lions? In the midst of the young lions she nursed her cubs.”. 3 She raised one of her cubs and it grew into a young lion; he learned to tear his prey apart, he devoured men. 4 The nations heard about him; he was taken from their pit. They brought him, with hooks in his jaws, to the land of Egypt. 5 And the lioness saw that she was waiting in vain and that her hope was lost; she took another of her cubs and made a lion out of it. 6 He walked among the lions and was a young lion; he learned to tear his prey; he devoured men. 7 He knew their widows and he ravaged their cities; the land and everything in it was terrified by the sound of his roar. 8 Then the peoples of the surrounding lands gathered up against him and spread their nets over him, and he was caught in their pit. 9 They put him in a cage, with hooks in his jaws, and brought him to the king of Babylon, and they took him to fortresses, so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel. 10 Your mother was like a vine in the days of your prosperity; she was planted by the waters; she bore fruit and put forth leaves because of the abundant waters. 11 It had vigorous branches, like scepters for sovereigns, and its height was great among the thick boughs. It appeared in its grandeur, with the multitude of its branches. 12 But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground, and the east wind withered its fruit. Its strong branches were broken and dried up; the fire devoured them. 13 And now it is planted in the desert, in dry and arid land. 14 Fire came from one of its branches and devoured its fruit; it no longer has strong branches, no scepter to rule over it.» This is a lament, and it will continue to be a lament.
Ezekiel 20
1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 3 «Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Have you come to consult me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord God.”. 4 Will you judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Make them know the abominations of their fathers, 5 and tell them: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel and raised my hand for the descendants of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, and raised my hand for them, saying, “I am the Lord your God,”, 6 On that day I raised my hand for them, swearing to bring them out of the land of Egypt and to a land I had explored for them, flowing with milk and honey; it was the jewel of all the lands. 7 And I said to them: Cast aside the shameful idols from your eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the abominations of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. 8 But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me. They did not each remove the vile idols from their eyes, nor did they abandon the abominations of Egypt. I considered pouring out my wrath upon them, exhausting my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they were, in whose sight I had made myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. 10 I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the desert. 11 I gave them my precepts and made known to them my ordinances, by which the man who practices them shall have life. 12 I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and rejected my ordinances, by which a person who observes them shall live, and they utterly profaned my Sabbaths. I considered pouring out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to annihilate them. 14 But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations from whose sight I had brought them out. 15 And I even raised my hand against them in the desert, swearing that I would not let them into the land I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, the jewel of all lands. 16 because they had rejected my ordinances and had not followed my laws and because they had profaned my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their shameful idols. 17 But my eye had pity on them, so as not to destroy them, and I did not exterminate them in the desert. 18 I said to their children in the desert: Do not follow the observances of your fathers, do not keep their customs and do not defile yourselves with their infamous idols. 19 I am the Lord your God; follow my precepts, observe my ordinances and practice them 20 and keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between me and you, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God. 21 But the sons rebelled against me; they did not follow my precepts, nor did they observe my ordinances by putting them into practice, by which the person who observes them shall live; and they profaned my Sabbaths. I considered pouring out my wrath upon them, spending my anger on them in the wilderness. 22 But I turned back my hand and acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the sight of the nations from whose sight I had brought them out. 23 I even raised my hand against them in the desert, swearing that I would scatter them among the nations and spread them throughout the countries, 24 because they had not practiced my ordinances, they had rejected my precepts and profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes had followed the infamous idols of their fathers. 25 And I even gave them precepts that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. 26 And I defiled them by their offerings, when they made every firstborn child pass through the fire, to destroy them, so that they might know that I am the Lord. 27 Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Yet in this your fathers insulted me; in that they were unfaithful to me. 28 When I had brought them into the land that I had sworn with my raised hand to give them, wherever they saw a high hill and a leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices and presented their offerings that aroused my anger; they brought their fragrant perfumes and poured out their libations. 29 And I said to them, "What is this high place to which you are going?" And it has been called the high place to this day. 30 Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: What! You defile yourselves in the manner of your fathers and you prostitute yourselves after their abominations. 31 By presenting your offerings, by making your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your infamous idols to this day, and I, house of Israel, am to let myself be consulted by you? I live, declares the Lord God: I will not let myself be consulted by you. 32 And the thought that comes into your mind, when you say, “We will be like the nations, like the other families of the countries, serving wood and stone.”. 33 As surely as I live, declares the Lord God, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with poured-out wrath I will reign over you. 34 I will bring you out from among the peoples and gather you from the countries where you were scattered, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by poured-out wrath. 35 And I will lead you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord God. 37 And I will bring you under the guidance and discipline of the covenant. 38 And I will separate from you the rebels and those who have separated themselves from me; I will bring them out of the land where they are strangers, but they will not come into the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. 39 And you, house of Israel, this is what the Lord God says: Go and serve your idols, each of you. But after this, you will surely listen to me and you will no longer profane my holy name with your offerings and your vile idols. 40 For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord God, there all the house of Israel, everything in the land, shall serve me. There I will delight in them; there I will seek your offerings and the firstfruits of your gifts in all that you dedicate to me. 41 I will take pleasure in you as in a pleasing aroma, when I bring you out from among the peoples and gather you from the countries where you are scattered, and I will sanctify myself in you in the sight of the nations. 42 And you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, to the land that I swore with my raised hand to give to your fathers. 43 There you will remember your ways and all the crimes by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil deeds you have committed. 44 And you will know that I am the Lord when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your detestable crimes, O house of Israel, declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 21
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, set your face toward Teman; send forth your word toward the south and prophesy against the forest of the southern countryside 3 and say to the southern forest: Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in the midst of you, and it shall consume in you every green tree and every dry tree; the consuming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces shall be scorched by it, from south to north. 4 And all flesh will see that it is I, the Lord, who kindled it, and it will not go out. 5 And I say, «Ah, Lord God, they say of me: Does he not speak in parables ? » 6 And the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 7 «Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and send down your word toward the holy places and prophesy against the land of Israel. 8 Say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am coming to you; I will draw my sword from its sheath and I will exterminate from your midst both righteous and wicked. 9 And because I will exterminate from your just and wicked bosom, because of this, my sword will come out of its sheath against all flesh, from south to north. 10 And all flesh will know that it is I, the Lord, who have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will not go back into it. 11 And you, son of man, groan until your loins break in bitterness; groan before them. 12 And when they ask you, »Why are you groaning?” you shall answer, “Because of a matter that is coming. Every heart will melt, every hand will be weak, every spirit will be troubled, every knee will go into water. Behold, it is coming; it is done, declares the Lord God.” 13 And the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 14 «Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord: Say: The sword, the sword is sharpened and polished: 15 It is sharpened for slaughter, polished to make lightning flash. Or shall we rejoice, saying, "My son's scepter despises all wood?"« 16 It was given to be polished so that it could be handled; it is a sharpened sword and it is polished, so that it may be placed in the hand of the slaughterer. 17 Cry out and shout, son of man, for it is for my people, it is for all the princes of Israel. They are given over to the sword with my people; so strike your thigh. 18 For the test has been done: and what then? If this scepter continues to despise, my threats will not come true, declares the Lord God. 19 And you, son of man, prophesy and strike hand against hand: Let the sword double, triple its blows. It is the sword of slaughter, the sword of great slaughter, which surrounds them. 20 To melt hearts and multiply victims, I have placed the deadly sword at every gate. Ah. It is prepared to unleash lightning, it is sharpened for carnage. 21 In position on the right. In position on the left. Facing in all directions. 22 I too will strike hand against hand and vent my wrath. I, the Lord, have spoken.» 23 And the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 24 «You, son of man, mark out two paths by which the sword of the king of Babylon may go; let both start from the same country and engrave a sign, engrave it at the entrance of the road to a city. 25 You will carve out a path with the sword to go to Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites, or to Judah, against Jerusalem, the fortified city. 26 For the king of Babylon stood at the crossroads, at the head of the two roads, to draw omens: he shook the arrows, he consulted the teraphim, he examined the liver. 27 In his right hand is the omen "Jerusalem," to set up battering rams against the walls, to break down an entrance, to raise a loud war cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to raise terraces, to build walls. 28 In their eyes, it is nothing but a false divination; they have the most sacred oaths on their side; but he will remind them of their iniquities when they are caught. 29 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Because you have reminded yourselves of your iniquity by showing your transgressions, by displaying your sins in all your actions, because you have reminded yourselves, you shall be caught by the hand. 30 And you, profane one, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, now that iniquity has reached its limit, 31 Thus says the Lord God: The turban will be removed and the crown taken off; everything will be overturned; what is low will be exalted, what is high will be brought low. 32 I will make it a ruin, a ruin, a ruin; it will be no more, until he comes to whom judgment belongs, and to whom I will give it. 33 And you, son of man, prophesy and say: This is what the Sovereign Lord says concerning the Ammonites and their transgressions: Say: The sword, the sword is drawn to kill; it is sharpened to devour, to hurl lightning. 34 while vain visions and lying omens are presented to you, to place you with the corpses of the wicked who were delivered to the sword, whose day has come when iniquity has reached its end. 35 Put your sword back in its sheath; it is in the place where you were created, on the earth where you were born, that I will judge you. 36 I will pour out my wrath upon you; with the fire of my fury I will blow upon you and deliver you into the hands of foolish men, of destroyers. 37 You will be food for the fire, your blood will be in the midst of the land, and you will not be remembered; for I, the Lord, have spoken.»
Ezekiel 22
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the city of blood? Make it known all its abominations, 3 and say: Thus says the Lord God: City that sheds blood within itself, so that its time may come, and that covers itself with shameful idols to defile itself. 4 By the blood you have shed, you have made yourself a criminal; by the vile idols you have made, you have defiled yourself, and thus you have hastened your days and reached the end of your years. Therefore I have made you an object of reproach to the nations and a laughingstock in all the countries. 5 Those who are near you and those who are far from you will mock you, defiled by reputation, great in disorder. 6 Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his strength, are busy in your midst shedding blood. 7 In your midst, father and mother are despised; the stranger is mistreated; the orphan and the widow are oppressed. 8 You despise my sanctuary and you profane my Sabbaths. 9 There are people among you who slander to shed blood; among you, they eat on the mountains; they commit abominations in your midst. 10 In your country, one discovers the nakedness of one's father; in your country, one violates the woman during her defilement. 11 One commits an abomination with his neighbor's wife, another defiles his daughter-in-law with impurity in your house, another rapes his sister, his father's daughter. 12 In your home, you accept gifts to shed blood; you take usury and interest; you plunder your neighbor by violence, and you forget me, declares the Lord God. 13 But now I strike my hand because of the dishonest gain you have made and because of the blood that is in your midst. 14 Will your heart remain steadfast, will your hands be firm in the days when I act against you? I, the Lord, have spoken and I will act. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, I will sow you in the countries, and I will remove all your impurity from you, 16 And you will be profaned in your own home in the sight of the nations, and you will know that I am the Lord.» 17 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 18 «Son of man, the house of Israel has become for me like scrap metal; they are all bronze, tin, iron and lead in the furnace; they have become the residual waste of silver. 19 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Because you have all become rubbish, for this reason I am going to gather you together in the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin are put together in the middle of a furnace and fire is blown on the furnace to melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and wrath; I will put you there and melt you. 21 I will gather you together and I will breathe on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted in the midst of Jerusalem. 22 As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted in it, and you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my wrath upon you.» 23 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 24 «Son of man, say to him: You are a land that has not been purified, that has not been washed by rain, on a day of wrath. 25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst. Like a roaring lion tearing its prey, they devour souls, they seize possessions and treasures, they multiply her widows in her midst. 26 Her priests have violated my law and profaned my sanctuary; they do not distinguish between the holy and the profane; they do not teach the difference between the unclean and the clean; they close their eyes to my Sabbaths, and I am profaned in their midst. 27 Its leaders are in its midst like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, losing souls to make gains. 28 And his prophets fabricate all these crimes for them; they have vain visions and lying prophecies; they say, "Thus says the Lord God," but the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the country commit violence and engage in plunder; they trample on the unfortunate and the poor and do violence to foreigners without cause. 30 I looked among them for a man who would build a wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I did not find him. 31 And I poured out my wrath upon them and consumed them with the fire of my fury, and I brought their deeds back upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 23
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. 3 They prostituted themselves in Egypt, they prostituted themselves in their youth. There their breasts were seized, there their virginal chests were squeezed. 4 These are their names: Oollah, the elder, and Oholibah, her sister. They were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. These are their names: Oollah is Samaria; Oholibah is Jerusalem. 5 Oolla was unfaithful to me; she burned with love for her lovers, the Assyrians, her neighbors. 6 Dressed in purple, governors and magistrates, all handsome young men, horsemen mounted on horses. 7 It was towards them that she directed her prostitution, towards all the elite of the sons of Assyria; and near all those for whom she burned with love, she defiled herself with all their infamous idols. 8 And she did not abandon her prostitution in Egypt; for they had dishonored her in her youth; they had pressed her virgin breast and poured out their shamelessness upon her. 9 That is why I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the sons of Assyria, for whom she had burned with love. 10 They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and daughters; they slaughtered her with the sword. And she became notorious among women ; for justice had been done. 11 And her sister Ooliba saw it and more than her she perverted her loves and her prostitution surpassed those of her sister. 12 She burned with love for the sons of Assyria, governors and chiefs, her richly dressed neighbors, horsemen mounted on horses, all handsome young men. 13I saw that she too was defiling herself; they were both following the same path. 14 She added to her acts of prostitution: she saw men painted on the wall, images of Chaldeans painted in vermilion, 15 They wore belts around their waists, they had ample turbans on their heads, all appeared to be great lords. They were the figures of the sons of Babylon, whose land of origin was Chaldea. 16 She burned with love for them as soon as her eyes saw them, and she sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 And the sons of Babylon came to her in her bed of love and they defiled her with their prostitution, and she defiled herself with them; then her soul loathed them. 18 She exposed her prostitution, she revealed her nakedness, and my soul was disgusted with her, just as my soul had been disgusted with her sister. 19 She increased her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth when she prostituted herself in the land of Egypt. 20 She burned for her shameless ones, whose limbs are like the limbs of a donkey and whose lustful ardor is like that of stallions. 21 You have returned to the crimes of your youth, when the Egyptians squeezed your breasts because of your virginal bosom. 22 Therefore, Ooliba, this is what the Lord God says: Behold, I am going to stir up against you your lovers, those whom your soul has loathed, and I will bring them against you from every side, 23 the sons of Babylon and all the Chaldeans, princes, chiefs and lords and with them all the sons of Assyria, handsome young men, all governors and magistrates, dignitaries and illustrious persons, all mounted on horses. 24 Against you advance weapons, chariots and wheels, with a multitude of peoples; they arrange against you shields, shields and helmets; I place the judgment before them and they will judge you according to their laws. 25 I will direct my jealousy against you and they will treat you with fury; they will cut off your nose and ears and what remains of you will fall by the sword; they will take your sons and daughters and what remains of you will be devoured by fire. 26 They will strip you of your clothes and they will take away your jewelry. 27 I will put an end to your crime and your prostitution in the land of Egypt; you will no longer look at them and you will no longer remember Egypt. 28 For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am going to deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those whom your soul loathes. 29 They will treat you with hatred, they will take away everything you have earned and leave you naked, completely naked, and your shameless nakedness, your impurity, and your prostitution will be exposed. 30 You will be treated this way because you prostituted yourself to the nations, because you defiled yourself with their shameful idols. 31 You have walked in the way of your sister; I will place her cup in your hand. 32 Thus says the Lord God: You will drink from your sister’s cup, a deep and wide cup; it will cause laughter and mockery of you, so great is its capacity. 33 You will be filled with drunkenness and pain; it is a cup of desolation and devastation, the cup of your sister, Samaria. 34 You will drink it and drain it, you will bite its pieces and tear your breast apart, for I have spoken, oracle of the Lord God. 35 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: »Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, bear the consequences of your impurity and your prostitution.” 36 And the Lord said to me, «Son of man, will you judge Ullah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery and there is blood on their hands; they have committed adultery with their shameful idols and even their sons whom they bore me, they have made pass through the fire, so that they may eat them. 38 This is what they have done: They defiled my sanctuary on that day and profaned my Sabbaths. 39 And when they sacrificed their sons to their infamous idols, they entered my sanctuary on the same day to profane it: This is what they did in the midst of my house. 40 And they even sent for men from afar, and those to whom a messenger had been sent, behold, they came, those for whom you washed yourself, you painted your eyes, you adorned yourself with finery. 41 And you seat on a ceremonial bed, in front of which a table was set, where you placed my incense and my oil. 42 The sound of a comfortable crowd could be heard; to the people who came from the large groups of men were joined the desert drinkers, who placed bracelets on the hands of the two sisters and magnificent crowns on their heads. 43 And I say to this woman, worn out by adultery: Will she now continue her prostitution, too? 44 We go to her like we go to a prostitute. That's how we ended up at Oolla and Ooliba's, those criminal women. 45 But righteous men will condemn them to the punishment of adulterous women and to the punishment of those who shed blood; for they are adulterous and there is blood on their hands. 46 For thus says the Lord God: Bring up an assembly against them and give them over to terror and plunder; 47 and that the assembly should overwhelm them with stones and cut them to pieces with their swords; that their sons and daughters should be killed and their houses burned with fire. 48 And I will put an end to impurity in the land and all women They will receive a lesson and will not commit impurities like yours., 49 Your impurity will fall back upon you, and you will bear the penalty for your idolatry, and you will know that I am the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 24
1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, saying: 2 «Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day: on this very day the king of Babylon attacked Jerusalem. 3 Set forth a parable to the rebellious house and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Prepare the pot, prepare it and pour water into it. 4 Gather up its pieces, all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder, fill it with the best bones. 5 Take the best of the flock, pile the bones under the pot; boil it vigorously and let the bones in it cook as well. 6 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Woe to the city of blood, to the pot in which there is rust, and from which the rust has not been removed! Empty it piece by piece, without casting lots. 7 For the blood she shed is in her midst; she placed it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the earth to cover it with dust. 8 In order to arouse anger, in order to take revenge, I had the blood she shed poured out on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered. 9 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Woe to the city of blood! I too will raise up a great heap of wood. 10 Gather the wood, light the fire, melt the meat, boil the porridge and let the bones be consumed by the fire. 11 Then place the empty pot on its coals, so that it may heat up, its bronze may ignite, its filth may melt in the middle of it, and its rust may be consumed. 12 Its efforts are useless. Its mass of rust won't go away; its rust resists fire. 13 Your filth is enormous; because I have purified you and you have not become pure, you will never again be purified from your filth until I have laid my wrath upon you. 14 I, the Lord, have spoken; it will happen, and I will do it; I will not forsake, I will not spare, I will not relent. You will be judged according to your ways and your crimes, declares the Lord God.» 15 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 16 «Son of man, behold, I am about to take away from you with a sudden blow the delights of your eyes; you shall not mourn, you shall not weep, nor shall your tears flow. 17 Sigh in silence; do not mourn the dead; gird your head with your turban and put your shoe on your feet; do not cover your beard and do not eat the bread of consolation.» 18 I spoke to the people in the morning and my wife died in the evening; the next morning I did what I had been ordered to do. 19 And the people said to me, "Won't you explain to us what what you are doing here means for us?"« 20 I told them, «The word of the Lord came to me in these words: 21 Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am about to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes and the love of your souls, and your sons and daughters whom you have left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 Then you will do as I have done: you will not cover your beard and you will not eat the bread of consolation. 23 Your turbans will remain on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you will not lament or weep; but you will be consumed in your iniquities and groan to one another. 24 Ezekiel will be a sign to you: according to all that he has done, you shall act when it happens, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.» 25 «And you, son of man, on the day I take away from them their strength, their glory, and their joy, the delight of their eyes and the desire of their souls, their sons and their daughters, 26 On that day, a fugitive will come to you to bring the news. 27 On that day, your mouth will be opened when the fugitive arrives; you will speak and no longer be mute, and you will be a sign to them; they will know that I am the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 25
1 The word of God came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3 You shall say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God: Since you say, “Aha, aha, against my sanctuary because it has been desecrated, and against the land of Israel because it has been devastated, and against the house of Judah because they have gone into captivity,”, 4 Therefore, I am going to give you as a possession to the sons of the East; they will set up their camps among you and establish their dwellings among you; they are the ones who will eat your fruits, they are the ones who will drink your milk. 5 And I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and the land of the Ammonites a fold for sheep, and you will know that I am the Lord. 6 For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced in your soul with all your disdain, concerning the land of Israel, 7 »Because of this, I am going to stretch out my hand against you; I will give you as plunder to the nations, I will cut you off from the peoples and I will destroy you from the countries; I will annihilate you, and you will know that I am the Lord.” 8 «This is what the Lord God says: Because Moab and Seir are saying, «Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,»” 9 Because of this, I am going to open up the side of Moab, from its cities, from its cities, from its border, the glory of the land, Bethesda, Beelmeon and Cariathain. 10 I will open it to the sons of the East, as well as the land of the children of Ammon, and I will give it to them as a possession, so that the children of Ammon will no longer be remembered among the nations. 11 I will execute judgments in Moab, and they will know that I am the Lord.» 12 «This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because Edom took cruel revenge on the house of Judah and was greatly guilty in taking vengeance on them, 13 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it both man and beast; I will make it a desolate wasteland from Teman to Dedan; they shall fall by the sword. 14 »I will exact my revenge on Edom by the hand of my people Israel; they will deal with Edom according to my anger and my fury, and they will know my vengeance,” declares the Lord God.» 15 «This is what the Lord God says: Because the Philistines took revenge and exacted cruel vengeance, with disdain in their hearts, to destroy everything in their eternal hatred, 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, I will destroy the Cretans, and I will destroy the remnant who live on the seashore. 17 I will exact great vengeance upon them, punishing them with fury, and they will know that I am the Lord, when I unleash my vengeance upon them.»
Ezekiel 26
1 In the eleventh year, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 «Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem: ‘Aha, aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; they turn to me, I will be filled,’ it has become a desolate wasteland,”, 3 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “I am coming against you, Tyre. I will bring many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves.”. 4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and bring down its towers; I will sweep away its dust and make it a bare rock. 5 It will be, in the midst of the sea, a place where nets are spread; for I have spoken, declares the Lord God; it will be prey for the nations. 6 His daughters who are on the mainland will be killed by the sword, and it will be known that I am the Lord. 7 For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am going to bring from the north against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, horsemen and a multitude of troops and a great people. 8 He will kill your daughters with the sword on dry land, he will build walls against you, he will raise siege ramps against you and set up a shield against you. 9 He will direct the onslaught of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his hooks. 10 Such will be the multitude of his horses that their dust will cover you; at the noise of the riders, the wheels and the chariots, your walls will tremble, when he enters your gates, as one enters a city under siege. 11 With the hooves of his horses, he will trample all the streets; he will kill your people with the sword and your mighty columns will be thrown to the ground. 12 They will take away your riches, plunder your merchandise, tear down your walls, overthrow your beautiful palaces, and throw your stones, your wood, and your dust into the waters. 13 I will silence the noise of your songs and the sound of your lyres will no longer be heard. 14 I will make you a bare rock, you will be a place for spreading nets; you will not be rebuilt; for I, the Lord, have spoken, oracle of the Lord God. 15 Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: At the sound of your fall, when your wounded groan, when the slaughter rages in your midst, will not the islands tremble? 16 And they will come down from their thrones, all the princes of the sea; they will take off their robes and lay aside their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves in terror, they will sit on the earth; they will tremble at every moment and be in astonishment because of you. 17 And they will raise a lament over you and say to you, «How you have perished, you who once stood in the midst of the seas, O renowned city, once mighty upon the sea, you and your inhabitants, who inspired terror in all the inhabitants of the sea.» 18 Now the islands will tremble on the day of your fall, and the islands in the sea will be terrified at your end. 19 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like a city without inhabitants; when I bring up the deep and the great waters cover you, 20 I will make you go down with those who went down into the pit, to the peoples of old; I will make you dwell in the depths of the earth, in the eternal desolations, with those who went down into the pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited, and I will place an ornament on the land of the living. 21 »I will make you an object of terror, and you will be no more; you will be sought, but you will never be found again,” declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 27
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «You, son of man, pronounce a lamentation over Tyre, 3 and say to Tyre: O you who are seat to the entrances of the sea, which traded with the peoples, to many islands, thus says the Lord God: O Tyre, you have said: «I am perfect in beauty.» 4 Your domain is within the seas; those who built you perfected your beauty. 5 They built all your planks out of cypress from Sanir; they took a cedar from Lebanon, to make a mast out of it. 6 From Bashan oaks they made your oars; they made your benches of ivory inlaid in boxwood from the islands of Kittim. 7 The fine linen of Egypt, with its embroidery, formed your sails, it served as your pavilion; the hyacinth and scarlet of the islands of Elisa formed your hangings. 8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad served as your oarsmen; your wise men who were with you, O Tyre, were your pilots. 9 The elders of Giblium and its wise men were at your house, repairing your cracks. All the ships of the sea and their sailors were at your house, to trade your goods. 10 Persians, Lydians and Libyans were in your army, they were your warriors; they hung helmets and shields in your house and gave you splendor. 11 The sons of Arvad and your army were on your walls all around, and valiant men were on your fortresses; they hung their shields on your walls all around; they made you perfect in beauty. 12 Tharsis traded with you for her riches of all kinds, silver, iron, tin and lead, with which she paid for your goods. 13 Javan, Tubal and Mosoch traded with you; with human souls and copper vessels, they settled your debts. 14 Those from the house of Thogorma, with draft horses, racehorses and mules, paid for your goods. 15 The sons of Dedan traded with you; the trade of many islands was in your hand; they gave you ivory horns and ebony in payment. 16 Aram traded with you for the multitude of your products; with carbuncles, purple, embroidery, fine linen, coral, and rubies, he settled your debts. 17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you for wheat from Minnith, perfumes, honey, oil, and balm. 18 Damascus traded with you for the multitude of your products, for the multitude of your goods, which it exchanged for wine from Helbon and wool from Zachar. 19 Védan and Javan of Ouzzal paid for your goods with manufactured iron; cassia and fragrant reed settled your debt. 20 Dédan traded with you for horse-riding covers. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Cedar traded with you; they traded with you for sheep, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of Sheba and Reema traded with you; they paid for your goods with all the finest spices, with all kinds of precious stones, and with gold. 23 Haran, Chené and Eden, the merchants of Saba, Assur and Chelmad traded with you; 24 They traded with you in luxury goods; purple and brocade cloaks, chests for clothes, strong braided ropes, cedar planks for your expeditions. 25 The ships of Tharsis were your caravans, to transport your goods. You became quite opulent and glorious, within the seas. 26 But on the great waters where those who handled your oars were leading you, the east wind broke you in the heart of the seas. 27 Your riches, your trade, your merchandise, your sailors and pilots, those who repair your cracks, the brokers of your trade, all your warriors who are in your midst, with all the multitude that is in your midst, will fall into the heart of the seas on the day of your fall. 28 At the sound of your pilots' shouts, the beaches will tremble 29 And they will disembark from their ships, all those who handle an oar, the sailors, all the pilots of the sea, and they will stand on land. 30 They will raise their voices against you and utter bitter cries; they will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes. 31 For you they will shave their heads, they will put on sackcloth, and in the bitterness of their souls they will shed tears for you, bitter weeping. 32 In their grief they will utter a lamentation over you, they will mourn over you, saying: Who is like Tyre, like her who became mute in the midst of the sea? 33 When your merchandise came out of the seas, you satisfied many peoples; through the abundance of your riches and your trade, you enriched the kings of the earth. 34 Now that you have been broken by the seas and thrown to the bottom of the waters, your merchandise and all your multitude have sunk with you. 35 All the inhabitants of the islands are in awe because of you; their kings are seized with terror, their faces are contorted. 36 The merchants of the people hiss at you; you have become a source of terror and you are no more forever.»
Ezekiel 28
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: This is what the Lord God says: Because your heart is proud and you say, «I am a god; I sit on a throne of a god in the midst of the seas,» when you are a man and not a god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god: 3 Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; nothing secret is hidden from you; 4 Through your wisdom and intelligence, you have acquired wealth for yourself and have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries; 5 Through the greatness of your wisdom, through your trade, you have increased your wealth, and in your wealth your heart has become proud, 6 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Because you have made your heart like the heart of a god, 7 Because of this, I am bringing foreigners against you, fierce among all peoples; they will draw their swords against the masterpieces of your wisdom and they will profane your splendor. 8 They will bring you down into the pit, and you will die the death of those who are slain, in the midst of the seas. 9 Will you still say, "I am a god," in the presence of your murderer, when you are a man and not a god, in the hand of the one who slaughters you? 10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the Lord God.» 11 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, «Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre.” 12 and say to him: Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, in God’s garden; you were covered with precious stones, sardius, topaz and diamond, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, carbuncle, emerald and gold; you had tambourines and fifes at your service, prepared on the day you were created. 14 You were the anointed cherub to protect; I had placed you on the holy mountain of God; you were there; you walked among the stones of fire. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you. 16 By multiplying your trade, your interior was filled with violence and you sinned, and I banished you from the mountain of God and I caused you to perish, O guardian cherub, in the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you down to the ground; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 Through your iniquity, through the injustice of your trade, you profaned your sanctuaries, and I brought forth fire from among you, and it devoured you, and I reduced you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. 19 All those among the nations who knew you are astonished at you; you have become an object of horror, and you are no more forever.» 20 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 21 «Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, prophesy against it, 22 and say: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am coming to you, Sidon; I will glory in your midst. They will know that I am the Lord, when I execute judgments against her and consecrate myself in her. 23 I will send plague upon her and there will be blood in her streets; victims of the sword will fall in her midst, and they will know that I am the Lord. 24 Then there will no longer be for the house of Israel any harmful thorn or painful brier, among all its neighbors who despise it, and they will know that I am the Lord God. 25 Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from among the peoples among whom they are scattered, I will sanctify myself in them in the sight of the nations, and they will dwell in their own land, which I have given to my servant Jacob. 26 They will live there securely; they will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live there securely, when I have executed judgments on all their neighbors who despise them. And they will know that I am the Lord their God.»
Ezekiel 29
1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 «Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; 3 Speak and say: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am coming to you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, you great crocodile, lying in the midst of your rivers, who said: «My river is mine, and I made it for myself.» 4 I will put hooks in your jaws and I will make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales, and I will make you rise up from the midst of your rivers, you and all the fish of your rivers, clinging to your scales; 5 and I will throw you into the desert, you and all the fish of your rivers; you will fall on the face of the fields, you will not be raised up or gathered up; I will give you as food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the air; 6 and all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the Lord because they were a reed-like support for the house of Israel. 7 When they take your hand, you break and tear their whole shoulder apart, and when they lean on you, you break, you make them all stand on their backs. 8 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: I will bring the sword against you and will cut off both men and beasts from among you; 9 And the land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and they will know that I am the Lord. Because Pharaoh said, «The river is mine, and I made it.» 10 Because of this, behold, I am coming to you and to your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt a desolate and barren ruin, from Migdol to Syene and as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 No man's foot will pass through it and no beast's foot will pass through it, and it will be uninhabited for forty years. 12 I will make the land of Egypt a desolation, in the midst of desolate lands, and its cities, in the midst of ruined cities, will be a desolation for forty years; I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them in various countries. 13 For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years, I will gather the Egyptians from among the peoples among whom they have been scattered; 14 I will bring back the captives from Egypt and return them to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and they will be a humble kingdom there. 15 Egypt will be humble among the kingdoms and will no longer exalt itself above the nations; I will reduce their number, so that they will not rule over the nations. 16 They will no longer be a source of trust for the house of Israel; they will remind them of the iniquity they committed by turning to them, and they will know that I am the Lord God.» 17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 18 «Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, made his army perform a severe service against Tyre; every head became bald, every shoulder bruised, and he received no wages from Tyre, neither for himself nor for his army, for the service he performed against it. 19 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am giving the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he will carry off its riches; he will plunder what can be plundered, he will seize its spoils and take its spoils, and this will be the wages for his army. 20 As a reward for the work he did against Tyre, I give him the land of Egypt, because they worked for me, declares the Lord God. 21 On that day I will cause the house of Israel to grow a horn, and I will give you the power to open your mouth among them, and they will know that I am the Lord.»
Ezekiel 30
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God: Howl, Ah, this day, 3 For the day is near, the day is near for the Lord. A day of clouds. It will be the time of the nations. 4 A sword will come upon Egypt and there will be anguish in Ethiopia, when the mortally wounded fall in Egypt, when its riches are taken away and its foundations are overturned. 5 Ethiopians, Libyans and Lydians, foreigners of all kinds, Chub and the sons of the land of the covenant will fall with them by the sword. 6 Thus says the Lord: The supporters of Egypt will fall, and the pride of her strength will be humbled. From Migdol to Syene they will fall by the sword; declares the Lord God. 7 It will be desolate amidst desolate lands, and its cities will be ruined amidst ruined cities. 8 And they will know that I am the Lord, when I set fire to Egypt and all its helpers are destroyed. 9 On that day, messengers will go out from me in boats to disturb Ethiopia in her security, and there will be anguish in her, as in the day of Egypt, for behold, it is coming. 10 Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to all the commotion in Egypt, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. 11 He and his people with him, a fierce nation above all others, will be brought in to ravage the land; they will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the dead. 12 I will turn the rivers into barren places; I will deliver the land into the hands of wicked men and I will devastate the land and all that is in it, by the hand of foreigners. I, the Lord, have spoken. 13 Thus says the Lord God: I will exterminate the infamous idols and I will remove the false gods from Noph, and there will no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt, and I will spread fear in the land of Egypt. 14 I will grieve Pathros, I will set fire to Tsoan, I will execute judgments on No; 15 I will pour out my wrath on Sin, the fortress of Egypt, and I will exterminate the multitude of Noah. 16 I will set fire to Egypt; Sin will writhe in pain, No will be forced, and Noph will be assailed in broad daylight. 17 The young men of Aven and Bubaste will fall by the sword and they themselves will go into captivity. 18 At Taphne, the day will grow dark, when I break the yoke of Egypt there and the pride of her power comes to an end. A cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity. 19 I will execute judgments on Egypt, and they will know that I am the Lord.» 20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 21 «Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bandaged, with remedies applied, with dressings applied, to bind it up and make it strong enough to wield the sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am coming to Pharaoh king of Egypt; I will break both his arms, the one that is sound and the one that is already broken, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand; I will break Pharaoh's arms and he will groan before him, like a man groaning with a mortal wound. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh will fall. And they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon, and he turns it against the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries, and they will know that I am the Lord.»
Ezekiel 31
1 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 «Son of man, say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to his multitude: To whom are you like in your greatness?” 3 There was Assur, a cedar tree on the Lebanon, with beautiful branches, thick shade, a tall stature and its summit in the clouds. 4 The waters made it grow, the deep made it grow, making its rivers flow around the place where it was planted, and sending its streams to all the trees of the field. 5 That is why its height increased, higher than the trees of the fields; its branches had grown, its twigs had lengthened, thanks to the abundant waters of the time of its growth. 6 In its branches all the birds of the air nested; under its boughs all the beasts of the field gave birth, and in its shade many nations sat. 7 It was beautiful in its grandeur, in the length of its branches, for its roots plunged into abundant waters. 8 The cedars did not obscure it in the garden of God, the cypresses did not equal its branches, and the plane trees were not like its boughs; no tree in the garden of God equaled it in beauty. 9 I had made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches; all the trees of Eden envied it, all those that are in the garden of God. 10 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Because he has grown high, because he has raised his peak to the clouds, and because his heart is proud in his exaltation, 11 I have given him into the hands of the god of the nations, who will deal with him as he pleases; because of his wickedness, I have driven him out. 12 Foreigners cut it down, a fierce nation above all others, and left it there; on the mountains and in all the valleys, its branches fell; its broken boughs lie in all the ravines of the land; all the peoples of the earth turned away from its shade and forsook it. 13 On its ruins all the birds of the sky come to perch, and in its branches all the animals of the field have taken refuge: 14 so that no tree planted by the waters may grow tall and raise its top to the clouds, and that none of those who drink the water may lean on themselves in pride. For they are all destined for death, for the depths of the earth, mingled with the children of men, with those who go down to the pit. 15 Thus says the Lord God: On the day he descended into Sheol, I caused mourning; for his sake I covered the deep, I restrained the flow of its rivers, and the great waters stood still; for his sake I darkened the Lebanon And because of him, all the trees in the fields languished. 16 At the sound of his fall, I made the nations tremble, when I brought him down to Sheol, with those who go down to the pit. They were comforted in the depths of the earth, all the trees of Eden, the most beautiful and magnificent of them all. Lebanon, all those whom the waters nourished. 17 These also went down with him to Sheol, to the victims of the sword, who were his arm and sat in his shadow in the midst of the nations. 18 »So, to whom are you like in glory and majesty among the trees of Eden? You will be thrown down with the trees of Eden, to the depths of the earth, to lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This will be the fate of Pharaoh and all his multitude,” declares the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 32
1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 «Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say to him: Lion of the nations, you are destroyed. You were like the crocodile in the seas; you surged about in your rivers; with your feet you stirred up their waters and troubled their channels. 3 Thus says the Lord God: I will spread my net over you by means of a great assembly of peoples, and they will drag you out with my snare. 4 I will abandon you on the ground, I will throw you on the face of the fields, and I will cause all the birds of the air to perch on you, and the beasts of all the earth to be filled with you. 5 I will lay your flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains. 6 I will water the land with streams of your blood, even to the mountains, and the ravines will be filled with you. 7 When you are extinguished, I will veil the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with clouds, and the moon will no longer give its light. 8 I will clothe with mourning, because of you, all the stars that shine in the sky, and I will spread darkness over your land; declares the Lord God. 9I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I send word of your ruin to the nations, to countries you did not know. 10 I will strike many peoples with astonishment because of you; because of you, their kings will shudder when I brandish my sword before them, and they will tremble at every moment, each for his life, on the day of your ruin. 11 For thus says the Lord God: The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. 12 I will cause your multitude to fall by the sword of valiant men, fierce among all peoples; they will strike down the pride of Egypt and all its multitude will be exterminated. 13 I will make all his cattle disappear from the shores of the great waters; the foot of man will no longer trouble them, nor the hoof of cattle trouble them anymore. 14 Then I will make its waters rest and its rivers flow like oil, declares the Lord God., 15 when I reduce the land of Egypt to a desolate wasteland and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike all who dwell in it, and they will know that I am the Lord. 16 This is the lamentation, and it will be uttered; the daughters of the nations will utter it; they will utter it over Egypt and all its multitude, declares the Lord God.» 17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me in these words: 18 «Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt; bring her down, and the daughters of the illustrious nations, into the depths of the earth, with those who go down into the pit. 19 Whom did you surpass in beauty? Go down and lie down with the uncircumcised. 20 They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is given; drag Egypt and all its multitudes away. 21 The most powerful among the heroes will speak to him from the midst of Sheol, with his supporters: They have gone down and are lying down, the uncircumcised pierced by the sword. 22 There is Assyria with all his people, around him are his tombs; all were pierced, all fell by the sword. 23 His tombs are placed in the deepest part of the pit; his people are lined up around his tomb; all were pierced, all fell by the sword; they who had spread terror on the land of the living. 24 There is Elam and all his multitude, around his tomb; all were pierced, all fell by the sword, these uncircumcised who went down into the depths of the earth, they who had spread terror on the land of the living; they bore their shame with those who went down into the pit. 25 In the midst of those who were pierced, they prepare his bed for him with all his multitude; around him are his tombs; all are uncircumcised, all were pierced by the sword; for their terror was spread over the land of the living and they bore their shame, with those who went down into the pit; they were placed among the slaughtered. 26 There are Mosoch, Thubal and all his multitude; around him are his tombs; all are uncircumcised, all were pierced by the sword; for they had spread terror on the land of the living. 27 They will not lie down with the valiant, who fell from among the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol, with their weapons of war and under whose heads their swords were placed; but their iniquities are upon their bones, for they were the terror of the valiant in the land of the living. 28 You too will be broken among the uncircumcised, and you will lie with those who were pierced by the sword. 29 There is Edom, its kings and all its princes, who, despite their valor, were put with those who were pierced by the sword; they too lie with the uncircumcised and with those who went down into the pit. 30 There lie the princes of the north, all of them and all the Sidonians; they have gone down with the slain, despite the terror they inspired; despite their valor, they are put to shame. These uncircumcised men lie with those pierced by the sword, and they bear their disgrace with those who have gone down to the pit. 31 Pharaoh will see them and be comforted concerning all his multitude; Pharaoh is pierced by the sword with all his army, oracle of the Lord God. 32 For I had spread his terror throughout the land of the living, and now he lies among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword—he, Pharaoh, and all his multitude, declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 33
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, speak to the children of your people and say to them: When I bring the sword against a land, and the inhabitants of that land take someone from among them and appoint him as a watchman, 3 and that this man, seeing the sword coming against the country, should sound the trumpet and warn the people, 4 If the one who hears the sound of the trumpet does not heed the warning, and the sword comes and takes him by surprise, his blood will be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not heed the warning; his blood will be on him; but if he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life. 6 If the watchman, seeing the sword coming, does not sound the trumpet so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes one of them by surprise, that man will be caught in his iniquity, but I will require the watchman to account for his blood. 7 And you, son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel: when you hear a word from my mouth, you shall warn them from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, «You wicked person, you will surely die,» if you do not speak out to warn the wicked person to turn from their way, that person, being wicked, will die in their iniquity; but I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways and they do not turn from their ways, they will die in their iniquity; but you will have saved your soul. 10 And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel: Behold, you speak in these words: «Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and it is because of them that we are wasting away; how can we live?» 11 Tell them: As surely as I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from their ways and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why should you die, people of Israel? 12 And you, son of man, say to the children of your people: The righteousness of the righteous will not save him on the day of his transgression, and the wicked will not fall for his wickedness on the day he turns from his wickedness, just as the righteous will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day he sins. 13 When I have said to the righteous that he will certainly live, if, trusting in his righteousness, he does evil, none of his righteous works will be remembered, and because of the evil he has done, he will die. 14 And when I say to the wicked, "You will surely die," if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right; 15 If this wicked man returns the pledge, if he restores what he has stolen, if he follows the precepts that give life, without doing evil, surely he will live; he will not die. 16 His sins will no longer be remembered; he has done what is right and just; he will surely live. 17 The children of your people have said, "The way of the Lord is not right." It is their way that is not right. 18 When a righteous person turns away from their righteousness and does evil, they die because of it; 19 And when a wicked person turns from their wickedness and does what is right and just, because of that they live. 20 And you say, «The way of the Lord is not right.» I will judge each of you according to your ways, O house of Israel.» 21 In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me, saying, "The city has fallen."« 22 But the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the arrival of the fugitive, and it had opened my mouth before he came to me in the morning, and so my mouth was opened and I was no longer mute. 23 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 24 «Son of man, those who dwell in these ruins in the land of Israel say this: «Abraham was only one, and he received the land as his inheritance; we are many, and the land has been given to us as our possession.»” 25 Therefore, tell them: Thus says the Lord God: You eat flesh with the blood, you lift up your eyes to your infamous idols, you shed blood, and you would possess the land? 26 You relied on your sword, you committed an abomination; you dishonored each other's wives, and you would possess the land? 27 This is what you will tell them: Thus says the Lord God: As surely as I live, those in the ruins will fall by the sword; those in the open country I will give as food to wild beasts, and those in the strongholds and caves will die of the plague. 28 I will make the land a desolate wasteland, and the pride of its strength will end, and the mountains of the land will be desolate, with no one passing through them. 29 And they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate wasteland because of all the abominations they have committed.» 30 «And you, son of man, the children of your people talk about you along the walls and at the doors of the houses; they speak to one another, saying, «Come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.»” 31 And they come to you like a crowd; my people sit before you; they listen to your words but do not put them into practice; they do what pleases their mouths; their hearts pursue their own gain. 32 And behold, you are to them a pleasing singer, who has a beautiful voice and plays his instrument well; they hear your words but do not put them into practice. 33 When these things happen—and behold, they are happening—then they will know that a prophet was among them.»
Ezekiel 34
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, prophesy concerning the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to these shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have only taken care of themselves! Should not the flock be taken care of by the shepherds?” 3 You ate the fat, you clothed yourselves in wool, you slaughtered the fattened animals; you did not tend the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak sheep, you have not cared for the sick, you have not bandaged the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost; but you have ruled over them with violence and cruelty. 5 And they were scattered, for lack of a shepherd; they became prey for all the beasts of the field and they were scattered. 6 My sheep have wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; over all the face of the earth my sheep have been scattered, and no one cares for them or seeks them. 7 Therefore, O pastors, listen to the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, declares the Lord God: Because my sheep have been plundered and have become prey for all wild beasts, for lack of a shepherd, and because my shepherds did not care for my sheep, but fed themselves and did not feed my sheep, 9 Therefore, O pastors, listen to the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am coming to the shepherds; I will demand my sheep from their hand, and I will leave them no more flocks to graze, and the shepherds shall no longer graze themselves; I will snatch my sheep from their mouths, and they shall no longer be prey for them to devour. 11 For thus says the Lord God: Here I am; I myself will take care of my sheep and I will examine them. 12 As a shepherd reviews his flock on the day he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so I will review my sheep and bring them out of all the places where they have been scattered, on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from the various countries; I will bring them back to their own land and I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in good pastures and their fold will be on the high mountains of Israel; there they will lie down in a good fold and they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will shepherd my sheep, I will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, I will bring back the strayed, I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak; but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will shepherd them with justice. 17 And you, my sheep, this is what the Lord God says: I am going to judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 18 Is it too little for you to graze on good pasture, that you trample the rest of your pasture with your feet; or to drink clear waters, that you muddy the rest with your feet? 19 And my sheep should graze on what your feet have trampled and drink what your feet have muddied. 20 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Here I am; I will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have rammed your flank and shoulder and gored all the weak sheep until you had driven them out, 22 I will save my sheep and they will no longer be plundered, and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will raise up for them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will shepherd them; he will shepherd them and he will be their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken. 25 I will make a covenant of peace with them; I will remove the wild beasts from the land and they will live safely in the desert and sleep in the forests. 26 I will make them and the surroundings of my hill a blessing; I will make the rain fall in its season, and it will be a blessing rain. 27 And the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its produce; they will be secure in their land and they will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and deliver them from the hand of those who enslave them. 28 They will no longer be plunder for the nations, nor will the beasts of the earth devour them anymore, and they will live securely, with no one to frighten them. 29 I will cause a renowned vegetation to grow for them; they will no longer be carried off by famine in the land, nor will they bear the reproach of the nations anymore. 30 And they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. 31 »And you, my sheep, the flock I feed, are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 35
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 «Son of man, set your face toward Mount Seir and prophesy against it and say to it: 3 Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am coming to you, Mount Seir, I am going to stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate wasteland. 4 I will reduce your cities to ruins, you will be a desolate place, and you will know that I am the Lord. 5 Because you harbor an eternal hatred and delivered the children of Israel to the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time of final iniquity, 6 Because of this, I live, declares the Lord God: I will make you bleed, and the blood will pursue you; because you did not hate blood, the blood will pursue you. 7 And I will make Mount Seir a desolate wasteland and a desert, and I will cut off from it those who travel through it in every direction. 8 I will fill its mountains with its slain; on your hills, in your valleys, and in all your ravines will fall the men slaughtered by the sword. 9 I will reduce you to eternal desolations and your cities will no longer be inhabited, and you will know that I am the Lord. 10 Because you said, "The two nations and the two countries will be mine, and we will take possession of them," and the Lord was there. 11 Because of this, I live, declares the Lord God: I will act according to your anger and your jealousy, which you have shown in your hatred against them, and I will make myself known in their midst when I judge you. 12 And you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all your insults, which you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, «They are desolate, they are given to us as prey to devour.» 13 You have defied me with your speeches and you have multiplied your words against me; I have heard. 14 Thus says the Lord God: When all the earth rejoices, I will make you a desolate place. 15 Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was devastated, I will do the same to you: you will be devastated, Mount Seir, and all of Idumea. Then they will know that I am the Lord.»
Ezekiel 36
1 «And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord: 2 Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy has said of you, «Ha, ha, the eternal heights have become our possession,» 3 Therefore prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God: Since you have been devastated and trampled underfoot on every side, so that you have become a possession for what remains of the nations, and since you have been the object of slanderous tongues and malicious talk from people, 4 Because of this, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have been given over to plunder and to the ridicule of what remains of the surrounding nations; 5 Because of this, this is what the Lord God says: Yes, in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the remnant of the nations and against all of Edumea, who have taken possession of my land, in joy with all their heart and in contempt of their soul, to plunder it; 6 Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because you have borne the reproach of the nations. 7 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I have raised my hand. The nations around you will also bear their disgrace. 8 And you, mountains of Israel, will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for my people Israel, for they are near to come. 9 For behold, I come to you and I turn my face toward you, and you shall be cultivated and sown. 10 I will multiply men upon you, the whole house of Israel; the cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11 I will multiply men and beasts among you; they will be numerous and multiply; I will inhabit you as before; I will do you more good than in your beginning, and you will know that I am the Lord. 12 I will bring men upon you, my people Israel, and they will possess you; you will be their inheritance, and you will no longer deprive them of their children. 13 Thus says the Lord God: Because they say to you, “You have devoured men and deprived your nation of its children,”, 14 Because of this, you will no longer devour men, nor will you deprive your nation of its children, declares the Lord God. 15 »I will no longer let you hear the insults of the nations, you will no longer bear the reproach of the peoples, and you will no longer cause your nation to stumble,” declares the Lord God.» 16 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 17 «Son of man, the people of the house of Israel, when they lived in their own land, defiled it by their conduct and by their deeds; their conduct was before me like the uncleanness of a woman. 18 And I poured out my wrath on them, because of the blood they shed on the land and because they defiled it with their vile idols. 19 I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their works. 20 When they arrived among the nations where they went, they dishonored my holy name, when it was said of them, "They are the Lord's people, they came from his land."« 21 And I had mercy on my holy name, which those of the house of Israel have dishonored among the nations to which they have gone. 22 Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake that I am doing this, house of Israel; it is for my holy name which you have dishonored among the nations to which you have gone. 23 I will sanctify my great name, which is dishonored, among the nations in whose midst you have dishonored it, and the nations will know that I am the Lord God, declares the Lord God, when I sanctify myself in you, in their sight. 24 I will take you from among the nations, I will gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you back to your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; from all your impurities and all your abominations I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you, and I will cause you to follow my ordinances, to observe my laws and to practice them. 28 You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your defilements; I will call for the grain and make it abundant, and I will no longer send famine upon you. 30 I will multiply the fruits of the trees and the produce of the fields, so that you will no longer bear reproach and famine among the nations. 31 You will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves because of your iniquities and your abominations. 32 It is not for your sake that I am doing this, declares the Lord God, know this; be ashamed and blush for your conduct, house of Israel. 33 Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I cleanse you of all your iniquities, I will restore to the cities their inhabitants and what is ruined will be rebuilt. 34 The devastated land will be cultivated, which was nothing but desolation in the eyes of all passers-by. 35 It will be said: This land, which was devastated, has become like a garden of Eden, and the ruined, desolate, and overturned cities are inhabited like fortresses. 36 And the nations that remain around you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was destroyed, replanted what was ruined. I, the Lord, speak and I do. 37 Thus says the Lord God: I will also allow myself to be sought out by the house of Israel, to do it in their favor: I will multiply men like flocks. 38 »Like the flocks of holy sheep, like the flocks of Jerusalem in its solemnities, so flocks of men will fill the devastated cities, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel 37
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and the Lord brought me out in the spirit and placed me in the middle of the plain, and it was covered with bones. 2 He led me past them, all around; they were very numerous on the face of the plain and behold, they were completely dried up. 3 And he said to me, «Son of man, will these bones live?» I answered, «Lord God, you know.» 4 He said to me, «Prophesy over these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will make the spirit enter into you and you shall live. 6 I will give you muscles, I will make flesh grow on you, and I will cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will live, and you will know that I am the Lord.» 7 I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound; then a loud noise, and the bones came together, one after another. 8 And I saw, and behold, muscles and flesh had grown above them, and skin had spread over them; but there was no spirit in them. 9 And he said to me, «Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, breath, and breathe on these slain men, that they may live.» 10 And I prophesied as he commanded me, and the spirit entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet: a great, very great army. 11 And he said to me, «Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say: Our bones are dried up, our hope is dead, we are cut off.”. 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my Spirit within you and you will live, and I will give you rest in your own land, and you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and I have done it, declares the Lord.» 15 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 16 «And you, son of man, take a piece of wood and write on it: «To Judah and to the children of Israel who are united with him.» Take another piece of wood and write on it: «To Joseph»; it shall be the wood of Ephraim and of all the house of Israel who are united with him. 17 Bring them closer together so that you have only one piece of wood and they are one in your hand. 18 And when the sons of your people speak to you, saying, «Will you not explain to us what these things mean to you?» 19 Tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Ephraim who are joined to him, and I will join them to the stick of Judah and make them one stick, and they will be one in my hand. 20 The wood on which you write will be in your hand, in their sight. 21 And tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from all sides and bring them back to their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; one king will reign over them all; they will no longer be two nations nor will they be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their infamous idols, their abominations, and all their crimes; I will save them from all their rebellions by which they have sinned, and I will purify them; they will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 My servant David will be their king, and there will be one shepherd for them all; they will follow my ordinances, they will observe my commandments and put them into practice. 25 And they will dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, in which their fathers dwelt; they and their children and their children’s children will dwell there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will establish them and multiply them, and I will erect my sanctuary in their midst forever. 27 My dwelling place will be above them; I will be their God and they will be my people. 28 And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forever.»
Ezekiel 38
1 The word of the Lord came to me in these terms: 2 Son of man, set your face toward Gog, in the land of Magog, the sovereign prince of Mosoch and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say: 3 Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I come to you, Gog, sovereign prince of Mosoch and Thubal. 4 I will take you away; I will put fangs in your jaws and I will bring you out, you and all your army, horses and riders, all magnificently equipped, a large troop, with shield and shield, all wielding swords. 5 Persians? Ethiopians and Libyans will be with them, all with shields and helmets. 6 Gomer and all his battalions, the house of Thogorma, from the northern borders and all its battalions, many peoples, will be with you. 7 Get ready, make preparations, you and all the multitude that has gathered around you; be their leader. 8 After many days you will be visited; at the end of the years you will come against the nation rescued from the sword, gathered from many peoples on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate, the nation brought back from among the peoples and which dwells entirely in security. 9 You will rise, you will arrive like a hurricane, you will be like the cloud that will cover the earth, you and all your battalions and many peoples with you. 10 Thus says the Lord God: On that day thoughts will arise in your heart and you will conceive an evil plan. 11 You will say: I will go up against an open country; I will come against these tranquil people who live securely, who all have dwellings without walls, who have neither bars nor gates. 12 You will go to plunder and take spoil, to lay your hand on ruins now inhabited, on a people gathered from among the nations, who raise flocks and acquire goods and who dwell in the center of the earth. 13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tharsh, and all its young lions will say to you, «Have you come to plunder? Have you assembled your troops to take spoils, to carry off silver and gold, to seize livestock and goods, to plunder great spoils?» 14 Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Is it not so? In that day, when my people live in safety, you will know,”, 15 and you will come from your country, from the northern borders, you and many peoples with you, all mounted on horses, a great troop and a powerful army. 16 And you will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, when I prove holy in you before their eyes, O Gog. 17 Thus says the Lord God: Are you not the one I spoke of in days of old, through my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days, for years, that I would bring you against them? 18 And it will come to pass on that day, the day when Gog enters the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will rise in my nostrils, 19 And in my jealousy, in the fire of my fury, I said, there will be on that day a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 Before me will tremble the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the beasts of the field, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man that is on the face of the earth; the mountains will crumble, and the rocks will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 And I will call down the sword against him on all my mountains, declares the Lord God, and each one will turn his sword against his brother. 22 I will execute my judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will rain down torrents of rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone, on him and on his troops and on the many peoples who will be with him. 23 I will show myself to be great and holy, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations, and they will know that I am the Lord.»
Ezekiel 39
1 «And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am coming to you, Gog, sovereign prince of Mosoch and Thubal. 2 I will take you, I will lead you, and I will bring you up from the northern borders and bring you to the mountains of Israel. 3 There I will strike down your bow with your left hand and I will make your arrows fall from your right hand. 4 You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your battalions and the peoples who will be with you; I have given you as food to the birds of prey, to birds of every kind and to the beasts of the field. 5 You will fall on the face of the fields, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. 6 I will send fire upon the land of Magog and upon those who dwell securely in the islands, and they shall know that I am the Lord. 7 And I will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will no longer profane my holy name, and the nations will know that I am the Lord, holy in Israel. 8 These things are coming and will be fulfilled, declares the Lord God; this is the day of which I have spoken. 9 Then the inhabitants of the cities of Israel shall go out; they shall burn and set on fire the weapons, the shield, the buckler, the bow, the arrows, the staff and the javelin; they shall make fire of them for seven years. 10 They will no longer bring wood from the countryside and they will not cut it down in the forests because they will make fire with weapons; they will plunder those who plundered them, they will plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord God. 11 And it will happen on that day: I will give Gog a place in Israel for his tomb, the Valley of the Passersby, east of the sea, and this tomb will block the way for passersby. There Gog and all his multitude will be buried, and the place will be called the Valley of Hamon-Gog. 12 The house of Israel will bury them, in order to purify the land, for seven months. 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and it will be a glorious day for them; the day on which I will have revealed my glory, declares the Lord God. 14 And they will appoint men whose charge it will be to go through the land, burying those who have passed through, those who remain on the face of the earth, to cleanse it; after seven months they will make their search. 15 And when these men travel through the country, if one of them sees human bones, he will set up a signal next to them, until the buryers have put them in the ground in the valley of Hamon-Gog. 16 And Hamona will even be the name of a city, and that is how they will purify the country. 17 And you, son of man, this is what the Lord God says: Say to all the birds and to all the beasts of the field, “Gather together and come. Assemble from all around to my sacrifice that I am making for you, a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel; you will eat flesh and drink blood.”. 18 You will eat the flesh of heroes, you will drink the blood of princes of the earth, rams, lambs and goats, young bulls, fat oxen of Bashan, all together. 19 You will eat fat to your heart's content, you will drink blood until you are drunk, for my sacrifice that I made for you. 20 You will be filled at my table with steeds and horsemen, with heroes and warriors of every kind, declares the Lord God. 21 I will manifest my glory among the nations, and all nations will see my judgment that I will execute and my hand that I will extend over them. 22 And the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord, their God, from this day forward. 23 and the nations will know that it is because of their iniquity that the house of Israel was led into exile, because they were unfaithful to me; therefore I hid my face from them, I delivered them into the hands of their enemies, so that they all fell by the sword. 24 It is because of their defilement and their transgression that I have treated them thus and hidden my face from them. 25 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob, and I will have compassion on all the house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my name. 26 They will bear their shame and all the infidelities they have committed against me, when they live safely on their land, without anyone worrying them. 27 When I bring them back from the peoples, and gather them from the countries of their enemies, and have sanctified myself in them in the sight of many nations, 28 They will know that I am the Lord their God, because I took them captive among the nations and then gathered them back into their own land, and I will no longer leave any of them there. 29 And I will no longer hide my face from them, because I will have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 40
1 In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city had been destroyed, on that very day the hand of the Lord was upon me and he brought me to that place. 2 In divine visions he took me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain, and on this mountain there was something like a city building to the south. 3 When he had brought me there, I saw a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, in his hand was a linen cord and a measuring rod, and he was standing in the portico. 4 This man said to me, «Son of man, look with your eyes and listen with your ears, and apply your heart to all that I am going to show you, for it is to be shown it that you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel all that you are going to see.» 5 And behold, an outer wall surrounded the house on all sides, and the man had in his hand a measuring rod of six cubits, each cubit being one cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the width of this structure: it was one reed, and the height: it was one reed. 6 Then he went to the portico whose facade was in the direction of the east and he went up its steps and he measured the threshold of the portico, which was one reed wide; namely, the first threshold, one reed wide. 7 Each lodge was one reed long and one reed wide; between the lodges there were five cubits. The threshold of the portico, on the side of the portico's vestibule, on the side of the house, was made of a reed. 8 He measured the vestibule of the portico, on the side of the house; it was made of a reed. 9 He also measured the vestibule of the portico: it was eight cubits long, and its pillars were two cubits long. The vestibule of the portico was on the side of the house. 10 The lodges of the eastern portico were three in number on one side and three on the other side; all three had the same measurement and the pillars on each side also had the same measurement. 11 He measured the width of the portico opening: it was ten cubits and the length of the portico was thirteen cubits. 12 In front of the lodges there was a fence one cubit wide on each side, and each lodge had six cubits on one side and six on the other. 13 And he measured the portico from the roof of one lodge to the roof of the other: twenty-five cubits in width, from one door to the other door. 14 He measured sixty cubits for the pillars, and the courtyard surrounding the portico touched these pillars. 15 The space between the front of the entrance gate and the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. 16 At the lodges, on their pillars, there were grilled windows on the inside of the portico, all around; the same was true of the vestibules and thus there were windows all around, giving in and on the pilasters there were palm trees. 17 Then he led me to the outer court: and behold, there were chambers and a pavement arranged all around the court; there were thirty chambers along the pavement. 18 The paving ran along the porticoes, corresponding to the length of the porticoes; this was the lower paving. 19 He measured the width from the front of the lower portico to the front of the inner courtyard: one hundred cubits, to the east and to the north. 20 As for the portico of the outer forecourt, whose facade faces north, he measured its length and width, 21its lodges, three on one side and three on the other; its pillars and its vestibule having the same measurements as those of the first portico, fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width. 22 Its windows, vestibule and palm trees were the same size as those of the portico whose facade faces east; it was accessed by seven steps and its vestibule was opposite the steps. 23 There was a portico in the inner court, opposite the northern portico as well as opposite the eastern one; he measured from one portico to the other: one hundred cubits. 24 He then led me south, and there was a portico in that direction; he measured its pilasters and vestibule, which were the same size. 25 It had windows all around it, as well as its vestibule, similar to the other windows: fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width. 26 It was ascended by seven steps and its vestibule was opposite the steps; there were palm trees at its pilasters, one on one side, the other on the other. 27 The inner courtyard also had a portico in the direction of the south; he measured from one portico to the other in the direction of the south: one hundred cubits. 28 He led me into the inner courtyard through the southern portico and measured the portico that was to the south, which had the same dimensions. 29 Its loggias, pilasters and vestibule were of the same dimensions and it, as well as its vestibule, had windows all around: fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width. 30 There were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. 31 Its vestibule was on the side of the outer courtyard; it had palm trees at its pilasters and eight steps to climb up. 32 Then he led me into the inner courtyard, facing east, and measured the portico, which had the same dimensions., 33 Its loggias, pilasters and vestibule were of the same dimensions and it, as well as its vestibule, had windows all around, fifty cubits in length and twenty-five cubits in width. 34 Its vestibule adjoined the outer courtyard; it had palm trees at its pilasters, on one side and on the other, and eight steps to climb up. 35Then he led me to the north portico and measured the same dimensions there. 36 There were windows all around its loggias, pilasters and vestibule: fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. 37 Its pillars touched the outer courtyard; there were palm trees on its pilasters and eight steps to climb up. 38 There was a room, with its door, near the pilasters of the porticoes; it was there that the burnt offerings were washed. 39 In the vestibule of the portico, there were two tables on one side and two tables on the other, on which the victims destined for the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the crime offering were to be immolated. 40 On the outside, to the north for the one who went up to the entrance of the portico, there were two tables and on the other side, towards the vestibule of the portico, two tables. 41 Thus, on either side of the door, there were four tables on one side and four tables on the other; in all eight tables, on which the sacrifice was to be made. 42 There were also four tables used for burnt offerings, made of hewn stone, one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide and one cubit high, on which were placed the instruments with which the victims intended for burnt offering and other sacrifices were immolated. 43 Hooks of a palm were fixed all around the building and the flesh of the sacrifices had to be placed on the tables. 44 Outside the inner portico, there were the singers' rooms in the inner courtyard; the one next to the portico on the north side had its facade facing south; the other next to the eastern portico had its facade facing north. 45 He told me: "This room, whose facade faces south, is for the priests who are in charge of the service of the house. 46 And the chamber whose facade faces north is for the priests who serve at the altar.» These are the sons of Zadok who, among the children of Levi, approach the Lord to serve him. 47 Then he measured the courtyard, which was square, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide. The altar was in front of the house. 48 He then led me to the vestibule of the house and measured the vestibule pillar: five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other, and the width of the portico: three cubits on one side and three cubits on the other. 49 The vestibule was twenty cubits long and eleven cubits wide, at the steps by which one went up to it, and there were columns near the pillars, one on one side, the other on the other.
Ezekiel 41
1 Then he led me into the temple and measured its pillars: six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side, the width of the tent. 2 The width of the gate was ten cubits; the side walls of the gate were five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other. He measured the length of the temple: forty cubits, and the width: twenty cubits. 3 He then went inside and measured the gateposts: two cubits, the gate itself: six cubits, and the width of the gate: seven cubits. 4 He measured the length of the temple side to be twenty cubits and its width to be twenty cubits, and he said to me, "This is the Holy of Holies."« 5 He measured the wall of the house: six cubits and the width of the side building, four cubits, all around the house. 6 As for the side cells, there were three cells superimposed and this thirty times; they ended at the wall built for these cells all around the house, so that they leaned against it without being embedded in the wall of the house. 7 The space widened for circulation at each floor of cells, because the building had a circular corridor at each floor all around; this is why this part of the building widened at each floor and thus the lower corridor was narrower than the upper one and the middle corridor in proportion to the other two. 8 I saw that the house all around was on a rise; the foundation of the side cells was of a solid reed, six cubits towards the corner. 9 The outer wall of the side building was five cubits wide; next to it came the foundation of the side building of the house. 10 From there to the rooms, there was a width of twenty cubits all around the house. 11 The entrance to the side building was on the foundation, one door in the north direction and one door in the south direction; the width of the foundation was five cubits all around. 12 The building that was opposite the empty space on the west side was seventy cubits wide; the wall of the building was five cubits wide all around and its length was ninety cubits. 13 He measured the house: width: one hundred cubits; the empty space, the building and its walls: length, one hundred cubits; 14 and the width of the front of the house and the open space, towards the east: one hundred cubits. 15 He measured the length of the building opposite the open space at the rear of the building and its galleries on either side: one hundred cubits. Within the temple, both inside and in the vestibule of the courtyard, 16 The thresholds, the barred windows, and the galleries all around, for all three, were covered, up to the height of the threshold, with plain wood all around. The floor up to the windows and the windows themselves were closed., 17 Up to the top of the door and to the back of the house, and outside on every wall all around, inside and out, everything was covered with tapestries. 18 and cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between two cherubim, and each cherub having two faces, 19 a man's face turned towards the palm tree on one side and a lion's face turned towards the palm tree on the other side; they had depicted them all over the house. 20 From the ground up to above the door, cherubs and palm trees had been depicted on the temple wall. 21 The temple had quadrangular pillars. And in front of the Holy of Holies there was something that looked like 22 of a wooden altar; its height was three cubits and its length two cubits; its corners and its sides were made of wood along its entire length. And he said to me, «This is the table that is before the Lord.» 23 The temple and the Holy of Holies each had a door, 24 and each door had two leaves, two leaves that folded into panels, two panels for one leaf, two panels for the other leaf. 25 On the temple doors were depicted cherubim and palm trees, like those that were depicted on the walls, and there was a wooden canopy on the facade of the vestibule outside. 26 There were barred windows and palm trees on either side of the vestibule's side walls and the side cells of the house and awnings.
Ezekiel 42
1 The man led me out to the outer courtyard in the direction of the north and he guided me to the apartment which was opposite the empty space and opposite the wall, to the north. 2 It was one hundred cubits long at the north gate, and fifty cubits wide., 3 opposite the twenty cubits of the inner courtyard and opposite the paving of the outer courtyard, gallery against gallery with three stories. 4 In front of the chambers there was an alley ten cubits wide and, to go inside, a path one cubit wide and their doors faced north. 5 The upper rooms were narrower, because the galleries encroached upon them, narrower than the lower and middle rooms of the building; 6 because they were three stories high and they did not have columns like the columns of the courtyards; that is why the upper rooms were narrower than the lower and middle ones. 7 The outer wall parallel to the chambers, on the side of the outer courtyard, was, for the portion opposite the chambers, fifty cubits long. 8 For the length of the chambers on the side of the outer court was fifty cubits, and behold, on the side of the temple there were one hundred cubits. 9 Below these rooms, there was an entrance facing east for those arriving from the outer courtyard. 10 Along the width of the courtyard wall, on the eastern side, opposite the open space and facing the wall, there were also rooms, 11 and before them a path, like what appeared to the rooms on the north side; their length and width were the same, as were all their exits and arrangements; 12 as the doors of those were also the doors of the rooms which were on the south side; there was also a door at the entrance of the path, along the corresponding wall, to the west for the one who entered. 13 He said to me, "The northern chambers and the southern chambers that are opposite the empty space are the sanctuary chambers, where the priests who approach the Lord eat the most holy things; there they place the most holy things, the offerings and the victims for sin and for the crime; for the place is holy. 14 Once inside, the priests shall not leave the holy place to go to the outer court without first leaving there the garments in which they performed the service, for these garments are holy. They shall put on other garments, and then they shall approach matters concerning the people.» 15 When he had finished measuring the inside of the house, he took me out to the portico whose facade faces east and he measured the enclosure all around it. 16 He measured the eastern side with the measuring reed: five hundred reeds with the measuring reed all around. 17 He measured the north side: five hundred reeds with the measuring reed all around. 18 He measured the south side: five hundred reeds with the reed to be measured. 19 He turned to the west and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. 20 He measured the enclosure on all four sides; there was a wall all around the temple; the length was five hundred and the width five hundred, to separate the sacred from the profane.
Ezekiel 43
1 He then led me to the door, the door which faced east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the direction of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. 3 The appearance of the image that I saw was like the image that I had seen when the Lord came to destroy the city, and what was seen was like the image that I had seen by the river Chobar, and I fell on my face. 4And the glory of the Lord entered the house by way of the gate whose front faced east. 5 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the house was filled with the glory of the Lord. 6 And I heard them talking to me from inside the house; a man was standing next to me. 7 He said to me, «Son of man, this is the place of my throne, the place where I will set the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the children of Israel forever. The house of Israel, they and their kings, will no longer defile my holy name with their prostitution, with the corpses of their kings, and with their high places, 8 by placing their threshold next to my threshold and their doorpost next to my doorpost, so that there was only the wall between them and me, thus defiling my holy name by their abominations which they committed, and I exterminated them in my anger. 9 Now they will remove from me their prostitution and the corpses of their kings, and I will dwell among them forever. 10 You, son of man, make known to the house of Israel this house, so that they may be ashamed of their sins and understand the pattern. 11 If they are confused about all they have done, teach them the layout of the house, its order, its exits and entrances, its forms, all its regulations, all its forms and all its laws; put all this in writing before them, and let them keep all its forms and all its regulations and put them into practice.» 12 This is the law of the house: At the top of the mountain, its territory all around is holy of holies. This is the law of the house. 13 «"These are the measurements of the altar in cubits, the cubit being one cubit and one palm: The gutter is one cubit high and one cubit wide, and the rim that is around its perimeter is one span. This is the base of the altar. 14 From the gutter that is on the ground to the lower frame there are two cubits and the width is one cubit; from the small frame to the large frame there are four cubits and the width is one cubit. 15 Harel is four cubits long, and from Ariel on top rise the four horns. 16 The Ariel is twelve cubits long by twelve cubits wide; it forms a perfect square. 17 The frame is fourteen cubits long on its four sides and fourteen cubits wide, and the rim around it is half a cubit wide; it has a gutter all around it of one cubit; its steps face east. 18 And he said to me, «Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: These are the laws for the altar on the day it is built, for offering burnt offerings and sprinkling blood on it. 19 You shall give to the Levite priests who are of the descendants of Zadok and who approach me, declares the Lord God, to serve me, a young bull as a sin offering. 20 You shall take some of his blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the frame and on the rim all around, and you shall make atonement for the altar and its propitiation. 21 You shall take the bull that was offered for sin and burn it in the place set aside in the house, outside the sanctuary. 22 On the second day, you shall offer for sin a young goat without blemish, and atonement shall be made for the altar as it was made for the bull. 23 When you have finished making atonement, you shall offer a young bull without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish. 24 You shall present them before the Lord; the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to the Lord. 25 For seven days you shall offer a goat as a sin offering each day; also a bull and a ram from the flock without blemish shall be offered. 26 For seven days the altar shall be made atoned for, purified and consecrated. 27 »When the seven days are over, on the eighth day and from now on, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar, and I will be favorable to you,” declares the Lord God.»
Ezekiel 44
1 Then he led me back towards the outer portico of the sanctuary which faced east; it was closed. 2 And the Lord said to me, «This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened and no one shall enter through it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it and it shall be shut. 3 As for the prince, being the prince, he will sit there to eat the meal before the Lord; he will enter by the way of the portico vestibule and leave by the same way.» 4 He then led me in the direction of the north portico, in front of the house, and I saw and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house, and I fell on my face. 5 And the Lord said to me, «Son of man, apply your heart, see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I am going to tell you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord and all its laws. Apply your heart to what is to enter the house, by all the entrances of the sanctuary. 6 Say to the rebels, to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Enough of all your abominations, house of Israel, 7 It is enough that you have brought in foreign sons, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane my house, when you offered the foods that belong to me, the fat and the blood, and thus they broke my covenant by all your abominations. 8 You have not performed the service of my holy things, and you have appointed these foreigners to perform my service in my sanctuary for your own benefit. 9 Thus says the Lord God: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter my sanctuary; no foreigner who is among the children of Israel. 10 Moreover, the Levites who strayed from me in the days of Israel's straying, who strayed far from me to follow their shameful idols, will bear their iniquity. 11 They shall be in my sanctuary servants appointed to the gates of the house and to perform the service of the house; they shall slaughter for the people the victims for burnt offering and other sacrifices and they shall stand before the people to minister to them. 12 Because they served him before his infamous idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, for this reason I have raised my hand against them, declares the Lord God, swearing that they shall bear their iniquity. 13 They will not approach me to perform the functions of the priesthood before me, to approach all my holy things in the most holy places; they will bear their shame and the penalty for the abominations they have committed. 14 I will charge them with the service of the house, for all its work and for everything that needs to be done there. 15 But the Levite priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the observances of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they are the ones who will approach me to minister to me and who will stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord God. 16 They are the ones who will enter my sanctuary, they are the ones who will approach my table to serve me, and they will keep my observances. 17 When they pass through the porticoes of the inner court, they shall wear linen garments; they shall have no wool on them when they minister in the porticoes of the inner court and within. 18 They shall have linen miters on their heads and linen loincloths, and they shall not gird themselves with anything that would cause perspiration. 19 But when they go out to the outer court, to the outer court to the people, they shall take off the garments in which they have served, and place them in the chambers of the sanctuary, and put on other garments, and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments. 20 They shall not shave their heads nor let their hair grow long; they shall have their heads shaved. 21 No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 They shall not take as wives a widow or a divorced woman, but only virgins of the race of the house of Israel; they may take a widow who is the widow of a priest. 23 They will instruct my people to distinguish between what is holy and what is profane; they will teach them to distinguish between what is defiled and what is pure. 24In disputes, they will sit down for judgment and will judge according to the law I have established. They will observe my laws and ordinances at all my feasts and keep my Sabbaths holy. 25 None of them shall go near a dead man to defile themselves; they may defile themselves only for a father or a mother, for a son or a daughter, for a brother or a sister who has no husband. 26 After his purification, seven days will be counted for him., 27 and on the day he enters the holy place, the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he will offer his sacrifice for sin, declares the Lord God. 28 This is the inheritance they will have: I will be their inheritance; you shall not give them any possession in Israel, I am their possession. 29 They shall eat of the offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and all that has been devoted as an atonement in Israel shall be for them. 30 The firstfruits of all the first produce of every kind and all the offerings of every kind of everything you offer shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priests the firstfruits of your grindings, so that the blessing may rest on your house. 31 »Any dead or torn animal, whether bird or other beast, the priests shall not eat.”
Ezekiel 45
1 «When you divide the land by lot to possess it, you shall set aside as an offering to the Lord a holy portion of the land; its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits and its width ten thousand; it shall be holy throughout its entire extent, all around. 2 There will be five hundred by five hundred for the sanctuary, in a square, all around, and fifty cubits for its suburbs, all around. 3 On this measured space, you shall measure a length of twenty-five miles and a width of ten miles; there shall be the sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. 4 This will be a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests who minister in the sanctuary, who approach to serve the Lord; it will be for them a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width shall be for the Levites, who do the service of the house; they shall possess cities there to live in. 6 As a possession of the city, you shall put five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand cubits long, parallel to the holy portion set aside; this shall belong to the house of Israel. 7 For the prince, you shall reserve a space on both sides of the sacred portion taken and of the city's possession, along the sacred portion and along the city's possession, from the west side to the west and from the east side to the east, for a length corresponding to one of the parts, from the western border to the eastern border. 8 This will be his domain, his possession in Israel, and my princes will no longer oppress my people, and they will leave the land to the house of Israel, according to its tribes. 9 Thus says the Lord God: Enough, princes of Israel. Put away violence and plunder. Do what is just and right; remove your oppression from my people, declares the Lord God. 10 Have fair scales, a fair ephah, and a fair bath. 11 The ephah and the bath shall have the same capacity, so that the ephah contains one-tenth of the homer and the bath one-tenth of the homer; their capacity shall be according to the homer. 12 The shekel will be worth twenty gerahs. The mine will be worth twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels at your place. 13 This is the offering you shall take: one-sixth of an ephah from the homer of wheat and one-sixth of an ephah from the homer of barley. 14 Rule for oil, for the bath of oil: one tenth part of a bath on a horn, which is equal to a homer of ten baths, because a homer makes ten baths. 15 One sheep from the flock shall be given from two hundred of the rich pastures of Israel, for the grain offering, the burnt offering and the peace offerings, to make atonement for them, oracle of the Lord God. 16 All the people of the land must contribute this offering to the prince of Israel. 17 But the prince shall be in charge of the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings at the festivals, new moons, and Sabbaths, at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel; he shall provide the sin offerings, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.» 18 Thus says the Lord God: «In the first month, on the first of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and make atonement for the sanctuary. 19 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorpost of the house, on the four corners of the altar frame, and on the doorpost of the inner court. 20 You shall do the same on the seventh of the month for the one who sins unintentionally or unknowingly, and you shall make atonement for the house. 21 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you will have the Passover, a festival of one week. Unleavened bread will be eaten. 22 The prince will offer on that day, for himself and for all the people of the land, a bull as a sin offering. 23And during the seven days of the festival, he shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams without blemish, each of the seven days, and a male goat as a sin offering each day. 24 He will also make the offering, one ephah of flour per bull and one ephah per ram, with one hin of oil per ephah. 25 In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, during the festival, he shall offer for seven days the same sin offerings, the same burnt offerings, the same grain offerings, and the same amount of oil.»
Ezekiel 46
1 Thus says the Lord God: «The portico of the inner court, which faces east, shall remain closed on the six days on which work is done, but it shall be opened on the Sabbath day; it shall also be opened on the day of the new moon. 2 The prince will come from outside to the vestibule of the portico and stand beside the portico post; the priests will offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings. He will prostrate himself on the threshold of the portico and withdraw, and the portico will not be closed until evening. 3 The people of the land shall bow down at the entrance of this portico, on Sabbaths and at new moons, before the Lord. 4 The burnt offering that the prince shall offer to the Lord shall be, on the Sabbath day, six lambs without blemish and one ram without blemish; 5 and, as an offering, he shall offer an ephah of flour for the ram and, as an offering for the lambs, whatever he wants to give, with a hin of oil per ephah. 6 On the day of the new moon, it will be a young bull, without blemish, six lambs and a ram without blemish. 7 And he shall give as an offering one ephah per ram and for the lambs what he can give, with one hin of oil per ephah. 8 When the prince enters, he will enter through the vestibule of the portico and exit by the same route. 9 When the people of the land enter before the Lord in solemnity, he who enters by the north portico to prostrate himself shall exit by the south portico, and he who enters by the south portico shall exit by the north portico; they shall not return by the portico by which they entered, but shall exit by the one opposite them. 10 The prince will also enter among them when they enter and will leave as they leave. 11 At festivals and solemnities, the offering shall be one ephah for the bull and one ephah for the ram and, for lambs, whatever the prince wishes to give, with one hin of oil per ephah. 12 When the prince offers a freewill offering, a burnt offering or a peace offering, a freewill offering to the Lord, the gate facing east shall be opened to him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his peace offering, as he does on the Sabbath day, and he shall go out, and the gate shall be closed after he has gone out. 13 You shall offer a lamb a year old without blemish as a daily burnt offering to the Lord; you shall offer it every morning. 14 You shall offer with him every morning an offering, namely a sixth of an ephah and a third of a hin of oil to sprinkle on the fine flour, as an offering to the Lord; these are permanent statutes, forever. 15 Every morning they will offer the lamb, the offering with the oil; it is the perpetual burnt offering.» 16 Thus says the Lord God: «If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons, that gift shall be the inheritance of his sons; they shall possess it as an inheritance. 17 But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, that gift shall belong to the servant until the year of redemption; then it shall return to the prince; only his inheritance shall remain with his sons. 18 The prince will not take anyone's inheritance by forcibly expelling them from their property; it is from his own property that he will give an inheritance to his sons, so that my people will not be driven from their possessions.» 19 He led me, through the entrance which is on the side of the portico, into the holy chambers intended for the priests, those which face north and behold there was a place there at the far end, on the western side. 20 He told me, "This is the place where the priests will boil the guilt offerings and the sin offerings, and bake the grain offering, so that they will not have to be carried out into the outer court to sanctify the people."« 21 Then he brought me out into the outer court and led me to the four corners of the court, and behold, at each corner of the court there was a court. 22 At the four corners of the forecourt, there were enclosed courtyards, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide: the same dimensions for these four corner courtyards. 23 An enclosure surrounded all four of them, and cooking hearths were set up at the bottom of these enclosures, all around. 24 He told me, "These are the kitchens where the servants of the house will boil the meat for the people's sacrifices."«
Ezekiel 47
1 He then brought me back to the entrance of the house. And behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house, on the east side (for the front of the house faced east). And the water was flowing down from under the right side of the house, south of the altar. 2 He led me out through the north portico and around to the outer portico which faced east, and behold, the waters were flowing on the right side. 3 When the man went out towards the east, with the measuring line that was in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits and made me pass through this water: the water came up to my ankles. 4 He measured another thousand and made me go into the water: water up to my knees. He measured another thousand and made me go into the water: water up to my waist. 5 He measured another thousand: it was a torrent that I could not cross, for the waters had risen; it was waters to be crossed by swimming, a torrent that could not be crossed. 6 And he said to me, «Son of man, have you seen?» Then he brought me back to the bank of the stream. 7 As I turned around, I saw a great many trees on both sides of the stream. 8 And he said to me, «These waters are going towards the eastern district; they will go down into the Plain and enter the sea; they will be directed towards the sea and the waters will become fresh. 9 Every living thing that moves, wherever the double stream enters, will live, and the fish will be very abundant; for as soon as these waters reach it, the waters of the sea will become fresh, and there will be life wherever the stream reaches. 10 Fishermen will stand by the shores of this sea; nets will be spread from Engaddi to Engallim; there will be fish of every kind, like those of the great sea, very numerous. 11 But its lagoons and ponds will not be cleaned up; they will be left to the salt. 12 Along the stream, on both sides of it, will grow all kinds of fruit trees, whose leaves will not wither and whose fruit will not fail. Every month they will bear new fruit, because its waters flow from the sanctuary; their fruit will be good for food and their leaves good for healing.» 13 Thus says the Lord God: «A valley shall be the border of the land which you shall enter into possession, according to the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall have two portions. 14 Each of you will have a share of this land that I promised, with my raised hand, to give to your fathers, and this land will fall into your possession. 15 This is the country's border. On the northern side: from the Great Sea, the road from Hethalon to Sedad. 16 The land of Hamath, Berothah and Sabarim between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hatzer-Tishon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 This is the border from the sea: Hatzer-Enon, the border of Damascus and, going north, the border of Hamath. This is the northern side. 18 And on the eastern side: From the border between Hauran and Damascus, the border runs between Gilead and the land of Israel: this is the Jordan River. You will measure from the northern border to the eastern sea. This is the eastern side. 19 The southern side will first run south from Tamar to the waters of Meribah of Kadesh; then it will be the torrent that flows into the great sea. This is the southern side towards the Negev. 20 The western side will be the great sea, from this border to the point opposite the entrance to Hamath. That is the western side.» 21 «You will divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.”. 22 You shall cast lots for the land to be possessed between you and the foreigners who reside among you and who have fathered children among you. They shall be to you as native-born Israelites; they shall cast lots for their allotment with you from among the tribes of Israel. 23 »In the tribe where the foreigner is settled, there you shall give him his share of the inheritance, declares the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 48
1 Here are the names of the tribes: From the northernmost point, along the road from Hethalon to Hamath, Hatzer-Enon, the border of Damascus northward, along Hamath, there will be for each tribe: From the eastern border to the western border: Dan, a portion. 2 On the border of Dan, from the eastern border to the western border: Asher, a portion. 3 On the border of Aser, from the eastern border to the western border, Naphtali, a part. 4 On the border of Naphtali, from the eastern border to the western border: Manasseh, a portion. 5 On the border of Manasseh, from the eastern border to the western border, Ephraim, a portion. 6 On the border of Ephraim, from the eastern border to the western border, Reuben, a portion. 7 And on the border of Reuben, from the eastern border to the western border: Judah, a portion. 8 On the border of Judah, from the eastern border to the western border, shall be the portion which you shall take, twenty-five thousand cubits wide and as long as one of the portions, from the eastern border to the western border: in the middle of it shall be the sanctuary. 9 The portion that you will set aside for the Lord will be twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand cubits wide. 10 This holy portion set aside shall belong to the priests, namely, to the north twenty-five thousand cubits, to the west ten thousand cubits in width, to the east ten thousand cubits in width and to the south twenty-five thousand cubits in length: the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the middle of it. 11 It will belong to the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who have fulfilled my service, who did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. 12 This will be their portion taken from the portion taken from the land, a most holy portion, on the border of the Levites. 13 The Levites shall have, along the territory of the priests, twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width; each length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits and each width ten thousand. 14 They may not sell or exchange any of it, and the first fruits of the land may not be alienated from it; for they are holy to the Lord. 15 The five thousand that will remain in width out of the twenty-five thousand will be a profane land for the city, both for dwellings and for the suburbs; the city will be in the middle. 16 Here are its dimensions: north side, four thousand five hundred cubits; south side, four thousand five hundred; east side, four thousand five hundred; west side, four thousand five hundred. 17 The city will have a suburb of two hundred and fifty cubits to the north, two hundred and fifty to the south, two hundred and fifty to the east and two hundred and fifty to the west. 18 It will remain in length, along the holy portion, ten thousand cubits on the east and ten thousand on the west, along the holy portion; the produce of it will be for the food of those who serve the city. 19 The city's ministers, taken from all the tribes of Israel, will cultivate this land. 20 Thus, the whole portion taken being twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five thousand, you will have taken for the city's domain a portion equal to one-quarter of the holy portion. 21 The rest will belong to the prince; on either side of the holy portion and the domain of the city, from the twenty-five thousand cubits of the portion taken, to the border of the east and, on the west, from the twenty-five thousand cubits to the border of the west, parallel to the portions it will belong to the prince; the holy portion and the sanctuary of the house will be in the middle. 22 Thus, from the domain of the Levites and the domain of the city, which are in the middle of the prince's portion, everything that is between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin will belong to the prince. 23 Part of the rest of the tribes: from the eastern border to the western border, Benjamin, one share. 24 At Benjamin's border, from the eastern limit to the western limit, Simeon, a part. 25 On the border of Simeon, from the eastern border to the western border, Issachar, a portion. 26 On the border of Issachar, from the eastern border to the western border, Zebulun, a portion. 27 On the border of Zebulun, from the eastern border to the western border, Gad, a part. 28 At the border of Gad, on the side of the Negev, towards the south, the border will go from Thamar to the waters of Meribah to Cades and to the torrent which goes to the great sea. 29 This is the land that you will cast lots to possess, according to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord God. 30 Here are the city's exits: On the north side, four thousand five hundred cubits in measurement, 31 The city gates will take the names of the tribes of Israel, and three gates on the north: the Reuben Gate, one; the Judah Gate, one; the Levi Gate, one. 32 On the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits and three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. 33 On the south side, four thousand five hundred cubits of measurement and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. 34 On the west side, four thousand five hundred cubits and three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. 35 Eighteen thousand cubits in circumference. And the name of the city will henceforth be: the-Lord-is-there.
Notes on the Book of Ezekiel
1.1 See Ezekiel 3:23; 10:20; 43:3. Thirtieth year According to some, it refers to Ezekiel; according to others, to the discovery of the Book of the Law under Josiah; or, according to still others, including the author of the Chaldean Paraphrase, to the beginning of the reign of Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar; a method of calculating years that was in use among the Babylonians. Fourth month of the sacred year, and the tenth of the civil year. It began at the new moon in June, according to the rabbis, but it was more likely at the one in July. Chobar ; in Hebrew Chêbar ; a river that rises in Mesopotamia and flows into the Euphrates. ― It is rather difficult to know exactly which river Chobar is, Kebar. This is not the Chaboras., Khabor, of Gozan, who throws himself into the Tigris, see 2 Kings 17, 6, since this name is written differently; it is, according to most ancient exegetes, the present-day Khabur, which waters upper Mesopotamia and flows into the Euphrates; however, it is more likely that this name here designates one of the canals of the Euphrates, in the vicinity of Babylon, because the text adds, verse 3, in the land of the Chaldeans, a designation that cannot be applied to the Khabur, which flows north of Babylon, while Chaldea was located south of that city.
1.3 The hand of the Lord ; That is to say, the action, the force, the energy of the Holy Spirit, says Theodoret.
1.4-28 The first three great prophets each received their mission in a vision that marks its special character, see Isaiah, chapter 6; Jeremiah, chapter 1; Ezekiel, From chapter 1 to chapter 3, verse 21. Far from the temple and the holy city, Ezekiel lived in exile near the Shobar River in Chaldea. There were some of the Jews who had been deported along with King Jehoiachin by Nebuchadnezzar during his second siege of Jerusalem. Providence's purpose in condemning its people to captivity was not to abandon them, but to convert and purify them. It therefore raised up a prophet to remind the captives that the God of their fathers would not forsake them, but would faithfully keep all the promises he had made to them, and would one day send their children the liberator he had foretold. — To the captives, God uses his Prophet to speak a new language. He still addresses them in Hebrew; But the images he will use are borrowed in large numbers from the new spectacle before their eyes, particularly from the monuments of Assyro-Chaldean art. God reveals himself to his Prophet in a human form quite similar to that by which the Assyro-Chaldeans represented the supreme God. He was carried on what has been improperly called a chariot, hence the name of tank view that the rabbis give to this theophany or divine manifestation. Angels of extraordinary form appear to Ezekiel as ministers of the Lord's will. He describes them as symbolic animals, without designating them by a particular name; he later learned that they were called cherubim. In the ruins of the palaces of Assyria, sculpted animals have been discovered that bear precisely the same name and bear a striking resemblance to the animals described by the Prophet. The cherubim had the form of four distinct animals. They had the body of a lion on the right and the body of a bull on the left, with straight feet; a human figure; and eagles for wings. They faced each other in pairs, as in the royal palaces and temples of Assyria, and thus produced the impression described by the Prophet: "They did not turn when they walked, but each one went straight ahead." "By combining within themselves the characteristics of the four kings of animated creation, they appear to us as the emblem of all physical and moral qualities.
1.4 A wind, etc. It was Nebuchadnezzar who was to come from the north into Judea to devastate it. Although Ezekiel was in Mesopotamia, God presented the objects to him as if he had been in Judea.
1.5 The resemblance, etc. The Prophet does not present these animals as real, but as spirits he describes in his hieroglyphic language, a language familiar to the Indians and many other ancient peoples, as well as the Hebrews. We ourselves give angels human heads and bird wings, which symbolize intelligence and swiftness. This animal likeness represented cherubim (see Ezekiel, 10, vv. 15, 20).
1.6 They didn't have four faces different, as is usually explained; but together they represented four distinct animals. The Hebrew word panîm does not mean only face, but also appearance, external shape. It is in this latter sense that Saint John seems to have understood it in the Apocalypse (see Apocalypse, 4, 6-7); this is how Prado rightly explained it in his great commentary of Ezekiel. ― We know that the four animals of Ezekiel are regarded as symbols of the four evangelists, and they have never been attributed with more than one face as such.
1.8 In Assyro-Chaldean sculptures where symbolic animals with human heads are depicted with arms and hands, these arms appear to emerge from beneath the wings.
1.9 They didn't turn around., etc.; that is to say, to go back and forth, each of the animals always went in front of one of its four faces without needing to turn around.
1.10 It was a face, etc. The face of a man signifies intelligence, that of a lion, devastation; that of an ox, strength, and that of an eagle, swiftness. These figures are easily understood if one considers that Ezekiel was speaking to Jews accustomed, like Orientals in general, to symbolic language, and at a time when hieroglyphic writing was in use. Right ; relates only to face or resemblance to lion, And on the left than face or resemblance to’eagle. The cherubim seen by Ezekiel had a human head and visible wings on all sides, but their body was that of a lion on the right side and that of a bull on the left side.
1.12 Each, etc. See verse 9.
1.15 that is, near each of the animals; thus there were four wheels for the four animals. Having four faces, they could go in four directions; it was like two wheels, one inside the other, which cut and crossed at the top and bottom at right angles; they were of the same size (see verse 16).
1.17 did not turn around. Unlike ordinary wheels, which only move forward by rotating around their axle, these could go in all directions without turning, because they had four faces. Compare to verses 9 and 20.
1.18 See Ezekiel 10:12.
2.1-9 The first chapter outlines God's manifestation to his Prophet; chapters 2 and 3, verse 22, explain in more detail Ezekiel's mission and the role he will fulfill (chapter 2, verses 3-7). He gives him a scroll containing his word to eat, so that the Prophet can nourish his brothers after having consumed it himself (chapter 2, verse 8 to chapter 3, verse 3). The contradictions, which are always reserved for God's minister, are discussed (chapter 3, verse 7); see Matthew, 10:24-26, will not fail him, but the Lord will make him stronger than diamond, chapter 3, verses 8 and 9. The scene of Ezekiel's calling ends strikingly with the thanksgiving that the cherubim offer to God, who has just chosen a prophet for himself, chapter 3, verses 12 and 13. After a sort of seven-day retreat, which was prescribed for the high priests for their consecration, see Exodus, 29, 30; Leviticus, In Ezekiel 8:33, Ezekiel becomes like the watchman of his people, responsible for the evil he failed to prevent or the good he failed to bring about when he could have. The two main ideas that form the subject of the entire book of Ezekiel's prophecies are already found in the account of his prophetic inauguration: the people are punished because they have been unfaithful to their God; this idea is developed in chapters 3 to 32; God will nonetheless keep his promises by sealing his covenant with the coming of the Messiah, as is explained from chapter 33 to chapter 48.
2.1 Son of man ; a poetic expression familiar to Ezekiel, and which means only a man, a mortal.
2.2 the Spirit This can only be divine inspiration.
2.3 The children of Israel; that is, the sons of Judah, who, by virtue of their origin, could be called sons of Israel, especially since this name could offer no ambiguity at that time when the kingdom of Israel no longer existed. This is why the sacred writer uses the first designation in his book instead of the second. Now, the Jews are treated like the Gentiles as a rebellious, apostate nation because they had abandoned the Lord; and, since the Prophet was sent by God, both to those who were then in captivity and to those who were still in Judea, he had to speak orally to the former and write to the latter.
2.8 Eat what I give you ; This book (see verse 9); that is, think about what you see and hear; meditate on it deeply. This is a fairly common metaphor (see Apocalypse, 10, 8-10). The Romans called Varro a bookworm. Moreover, the book was not actually presented to Ezekiel, but only in a vision.
2.9 See Revelation 5:1. A rolled-up book. The books of the ancients were generally rolled up and written only inside, that is, inside the roll.
3.1 Son of man. See Ezekiel, 2, 1. ― Eat this book. See Ezekiel, 2, 8. ― To the children of Israel. See Ezekiel, 2, 3.
3.3 See Revelation 10:9-10.
3.5 barbaric language. The Jewish captives, upon arriving in Babylonia, were not expected to understand the language.
3.12 The Spirit; the Spirit of God, according to some; an angel, according to others; the wind, according to many.
3.14 The Spirit. See verse 12. — indignant at the unfaithfulness of my people, angry at all their ungodliness. — The hand of the Lord. See Ezekiel, 1, 3.
3.17 See Ezekiel 33:7.
3.22-27 Part One: Prophecies Concerning God's People and Foreign Nations, from Chapter 3, verse 22 to Chapter 32. — Part One is divided into two very distinct sections: — 1. Prophecies Concerning Jerusalem and Israel, from Chapter 3, verse 22 to Chapter 24; — 2. Prophecies Against Foreign Nations, from Chapter 25 to Chapter 32. — 1D Section: Prophecies concerning Jerusalem and Israel, from chapter 3, verse 22 to chapter 24. — The first section, containing the prophecies against Jerusalem and Israel, can be subdivided into seven groups: — 1. Symbolic prophecy of the siege of Jerusalem and the misfortunes of its inhabitants, from chapter 3, verse 22 to chapter 5. — 2. Punishment of the land of Israel guilty of idolatry, chapter 6. — 3. Ruin of Israel, chapter 7. — 4. Vision of the ruin of Jerusalem, in a second theophany, from chapter 8 to chapter 11. — 5. Groups of undated prophecies that complement the preceding prophecies, from chapter 12 to chapter 19. — 6. Prophecies against Judah and Israel, from chapter 20 to chapter 23. — 7. Symbolic announcement of the siege of Jerusalem, Chapter 24. — 1° Symbolic prophecy of the siege and capture of Jerusalem, from chapter 3, verse 22 to chapter 5. — Immediately after his calling to the prophetic ministry, and in the same place, at Tell Abib, in the midst of the captives, Ezekiel had his first true prophetic vision, chapter 3, verses 22 to 24. It comprises three discourses that God addresses to him, all beginning with: And you, son of man, see Ezekiel, 3, 25; 4, 1; 5, 1. ― 1° In the first, God orders him to take on chains and to keep silent as if he were mute, to symbolize the misfortunes that will strike his people and the pain he feels, chapter 3, v.25 to 27.
3.22 The hand of the Lord. See Ezekiel, 1, 3.
3.23 See Ezekiel 1:3. The glory of the Lord ; it is a mysterious vision similar to the one described in chapter 1.
3.24 The Spirit. See, for this word and the following ones, Ezekiel, 2, 2.
3.26 I will force him to maintain absolute silence; the house of Israel has so exasperated me with its crimes that it does not deserve my further discussion.
3.27 Who wants to listen? ; Let whoever wants to listen. These are the last signs of the Lord's indignation, his final threats to leave Israel in its hardened state.
4.1-17 2. In the second discourse, he commands him to prophesy the siege of Jerusalem and its horrors through four signs: 1. the siege itself, by representing it, through drawing, on a brick (chapter 4, verses 1 and 2); 2. its fatal outcome, by taking up an iron pan, an image of the irrevocable sentence pronounced against his people by the Lord, who will not be swayed by prayer and will not save the city (see Isaiah, 59, 2; Lamentations of Jeremiah, 3, 44; Ezekiel, 4, 3; — 3. To show how great and numerous the sins of the people are, the Prophet is commanded to lie on his left side for 390 days, to symbolize the crimes of Israel, and on his right side for 40 days, to symbolize those of Judah: he will thus obtain a reduction of punishment for his brothers, chapter 4, verses 4 to 8; — 4. To signify the famine that will afflict besieged Jerusalem and the shortage of fuel from which it will suffer, God commands Ezekiel to eat very little food and to cook it using dried excrement. As this method of cooking arouses the Prophet's disgust, the Lord allows him to substitute ox dung for human excrement, verses 9 to 16.
4.1 Son of man. — See, on this expression, Ezekiel, 2, 1. ― A brick. Many believe it to be made of soft, unfired clay, because of the designs the Prophet must have drawn on it; moreover, on a fired brick he could have drawn them with a chisel or with chalk. It was common practice in Chaldea to draw plans of cities, fields, etc., on soft brick. It could then be fired if desired. Bricks containing designs of this kind have been found. One of them depicts a part of the city of Babylon.
4.3 That is to say, to protect you, or to show that there is an iron wall between them and me, and that their sins have made me inexorable towards them. An iron frying pan ; iron plate that was heated to bake bread or flatbreads on it.
4.4 By this posture, the Prophet represented the punishment due to the Israelites; this can be understood as referring to captivity, since captives cannot turn from side to side. According to some, the Prophet actually lay down in the manner indicated for the specified time, while during the day, many believe, he went about his ordinary business; according to others, everything took place in a vision. There is also disagreement about the meaning of the numbers 390 and 40; they designate years of iniquity, chapter 4, verses 5 and 6. The 390 years of Israel are roughly those that had passed from the schism of the ten tribes until then, 976 – 595 = 381; the 40 of Judah, from the 18the the year of Josiah, when the covenant of the people with God was renewed, at the capture of Jerusalem in 588.
4.5 This number is by no means impossible if it was merely a vision. Moreover, there is nothing to prevent us from believing that Ezekiel remained in this position only during the day, when he could be seen by those whom this spectacle was intended to instruct. Furthermore, he was obliged to attend to his various needs, to prepare and procure his food, etc. (see verses 9 to 15; chapter 5, verse 2).
4.5-6 Numbers The discrepancies of 390 and 40 years are easily explained if we consider that the iniquities of Israel dated from the division of the ten tribes and ceased with the fall of Jerusalem, for, according to chronologists, this interval is 390 years. As for the transgressions of Judah, it is probable that they date from the time when Jeremiah began to prophesy; now, from that time until the fall of Jerusalem, 40 years elapsed. Indeed, the siege of Jerusalem lasted 540 days; but Scripture tells us that the siege was interrupted by the arrival of the Egyptians, who lifted it. Now, it is very likely that this interruption lasted 100 days; for the Jews, who could not so easily forget a period so familiar to them, would not have failed to contradict Ezekiel if he had made a false calculation.
4.6 See Numbers, 14, 34.
4.11 Hin ;approximately six liters.
4.12You will cook it in front of them with human excrement.. It is common knowledge that in the poor countries of the East, dried cow, camel, and other animal dung is often used for cooking food due to a lack of wood. Thus, God wills that the prophet make a fire for baking his bread, not with animal dung, but with human excrement, which even the poorest are not usually forced to use. This is to signify that the extreme misery to which the Jews will be reduced as punishment for their crimes will be so profound that they will be forced to use something that abhors humankind in preparing their food.
4.13 See Hosea, 9, 4.
4.15 The practice of using dried animal excrement as fuel is common in many parts of the East where wood is scarce or lacking. «In various places in Palestine,» says Korte, «I saw bread baked using ox and camel dung, less because wood was too scarce or too expensive in those places, as is the case in Egypt and the Arabian deserts, than because this fuel is found more convenient.» — D’Arvieux describes in the following terms how bread is made in this way: “[The Arabs] eat three kinds of bread… The second kind of bread is baked under the ashes or between two fires of burning cow dung, which burn slowly and bake the bread at its leisure.” This bread is as thick as our cakes, and the crumb is good when eaten the same day… It's not only among the Arabs that this kind of bread and cow dung are used to bake it; peasants use it too, and all the villagers in places where there is little wood take great care to store it. Small children gather it fresh and apply it to the walls to dry; they take off the amount they need to bake bread or to keep warm; it burns little by little and retains a fire for a long time, similar to that of the tanners' lumps; they make small lumps of it and leave them to dry in the sun.” This type of fuel is not unknown in France. It is used, for example, in Le Croisic (Loire-Inférieure), where cow dung is also dried, as d'Arvieux says, by applying it to the walls of the fields. Voltaire made the most tasteless jokes about what he called Ezekiel's lunch; he supposed that God ordered the prophet to eat excrement; but the Hebrew text contains nothing of the sort; it only says that the food must be cooked. on this fuel.
4.16 See Ezekiel 5:16; 14:13. — The bread is called stick, because it is the support of life, just as the staff is the support of the body. cf. Leviticus, 26, 26.
5.1-17 4. In the third discourse, God predicts what will happen after the capture of Jerusalem: Ezekiel is ordered to shave his head and beard, and to burn almost all the shaved hair and hair to mark the destruction of the inhabitants of the city, chapter 5, v.1 to 4; the Lord announces that the small number that will survive will be taken into captivity and will become the reproach of the Gentiles, v.5 to 17.
5.1 Son of man. See Ezekiel, 2, 1.
5.2 I will shoot, etc.; I will pursue them with my sword drawn.
5.4 which can be understood from the misfortunes that befell the Jews after the death of Godolias (see Jeremiah, 41, verse 2 and following), or the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes during the time of the Maccabees (see 1 Maccabees, Chapter 1; 2 Maccabees, chapters 6 and 7), or finally, the current non-acceptance of Jesus by the Jews.
5.5 Jerusalem was situated roughly at the center of the ancient world. "To the east," says Saint Jerome, explaining this passage, "lies Asia; to the west is Europe; to the south, Libya and Africa; to the north, Scythia, Armenia, Persia, and all the nations of Pontus."«
5.7 The pagan people around you are attached to their religion and observe it; something you yourselves are far from doing.
5.9 There was no catastrophe in the Old Testament similar to the desolation of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar.
5.10 Fathers will devour their sons. See Lamentations, 4, 10.
5.11 I am alive ; Oath formula. See Jeremiah, 46, 18.
5.12 I will shoot, etc. See verse 2.
5.16 See Ezekiel 14:13. The breadstick. See Ezekiel, 4, 16.
5.17 Malevolent beasts could, according to Theodoret's remark, refer to the Chaldeans themselves, who, like wild and cruel beasts, were to ravage Judea.
6.1-14 2. Punishment and ruin of Israel guilty of idolatry, chapter 6. — The preceding prophecy is against the city of Jerusalem; those of chapters 6 and 7 are against the entire land of Israel. — A first prophecy announces that the sanctuaries and idolatrous symbols covering Palestine will be destroyed, and its inhabitants killed, chapter 6, verses 1 to 7; the small number who survive will be deported and converted, verses 8 to 10. The punishment thus inflicted on the guilty is just and deserved, verses 11 to 14.
6.2 Son of man. See Ezekiel, 2, 1.
6.3 See Ezekiel 36:1. From Israel ; That is, of Judah. See Ezekiel, 2, 3. ― The mountains and the valleys are placed here for their inhabitants. The mountains represent the great among the people, and the valleys, the lesser. Your landmarks ; elevated places dedicated to the worship of idols.
6.9 Their adulterous hearts. Scripture usually refers to idolatry as adultery.
6.14 Diblahest, according to some, is the same as Diblâtaïm (see Numbers, 33, 46) and Beth Diblâtaïm (see Jeremiah, 48, 22), city of the Moabites; and, according to others, this word is a copyist's error, used for Rébla, a city located in northern Palestine (see Numbers, 34, 11); but we must say that all the manuscripts and all the ancient versions unanimously read Diblah.
7.1-27 3. Approach of the punishment announced in the previous prophecy, chapter 7. — A second prophecy complements the previous one and announces that the punishment is near: the end is coming, chapter 7, v.1 to 4; ruin is inevitable. The Prophet laments the fate of Israel in an elegy in four stanzas, v.5 to 9; 10 to 14; 15 to 22; 23 to 27.
7.2 Son of man. See Ezekiel, 2, 1. ― The four, etc.; that is to say, the whole land of Israel.
7.3 The end is coming for you. ; Your end has come.
7.5 This verse is usually explained to mean that as soon as one affliction has come, another arises.
7.9 Your abominations ; the punishments due to your abominations. ― You will know. See, regarding this plural, Ezekiel, 6, 11.
7.11 the staff of impiety, after having blossomed, bore iniquity as its fruit.
7.13 Will not return, etc.; he will not regain possession of what he has sold, even if he lives until the Jubilee year, since at that time he will be a captive in a foreign land. It is known that, according to Mosaic law, an Israelite who sold his inheritance had the right to return to it in the Jubilee year (see Leviticus, 25, verse 13 and following).
7.17 The fear that will seize us will make it impossible to control our urine. cf. Ezekiel, 21, 7.
7.18 See Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 48:37.
7.19 See Proverbs 11:4; Zephaniah 1:18; Ecclesiasticus 5:10.
7.21 To the wicked of the earth ; of this country, where we live today, to the Chaldeans. ― They will defile it ; That is to say, they will treat it as something profane and defiled.
7.22 my treasure; my sanctuary.
7.23 Prepare the chains ; to represent, no doubt, the captivity of the king and the people. cf. Jeremiah, 27, 2.
7.26 visions ; likely to console them. ― The law ; intelligence, the interpretation of the law.
8.11-18 4. Vision of the ruin of Jerusalem, from chapter 8 to chapter 11. — Two years and two months after his calling to the prophetic ministry, Ezekiel again saw the glory of the Lord and the cherubim. He was transported in the Spirit to Jerusalem, to the temple courtyard, chapter 8, verses 1 to 4, and there he saw the four kinds of idolatrous acts in which men and women of Israel, v.5 to 18; the first ones probably worshipped Baal or Moloch, the sun and the sacred animals of Egypt; women They wept for the death of Adonis, as was done in Phoenicia. ― Then seven angels appear to punish the inhabitants of Jerusalem, chapter 9; the city is burned and the temple of God abandoned, chapter 10; Ezekiel is charged with announcing these misfortunes and the death of Pheltias, chapter 11, v.1 to 13, and with predicting to the captives their future deliverance, v.14 to 21; he is finally transported again in spirit to Chaldea, and tells his brothers what he has just seen, v.22 to 25.
8.1 The sixth year of the captivity of Ezekiel, who was taken to Babylon with King Jehoiachin. The sixth month of the sacred year, and the twelfth of the civil year. It began at the new moon of August, according to the rabbis, but it was more likely at that of September. The hand of the Lord. See Ezekiel, 1, 3.
8.3 See Daniel 14:35. the inner door ; in the outermost courtyard. ― The idol of jealousy ; according to Saint Jerome and most exegetes, the idol of Baal, which had been erected in the temple by Manasseh (see 2 Kings 21, 7; 2 Chronicles 33, 7), and which, having been destroyed by Josiah (see 2 Chronicles 34, 4), had been restored by his successors. D. Calmet thinks that it was the idol of Adonis, mentioned in verse 14.
8.7 Forecourt of the people, simply called forecourt, as opposed to that of the priests and the Levites, named inner courtyard (see verse 16). cf. 1 Kings 6, 36.
8.10 This description seems to indicate that the Jews, who relied on the help of the Egyptians against the Chaldeans, worshipped the gods of Egypt., reptiles And animals, as we see them painted on the walls Egyptian temples.
8.11 And seventy, etc.; presumably the members of the great council (Sanhedrin) of the Jews. Jezonia appears to be the leader of these seventy. ― Saphan ; scribe during the reign of Josiah (see 2 Kings 22, verse 3 and following).
8.14 Thammuz, Assyro-Babylonian deity, meaning unknown, Semitic version of’Adonis The sensual cult of Adonis was ancient in Phoenicia and Canaan. The voluptuous rites of this cult were one of the most popular forms of the worship of Baal. The name of Adonis does not differ in meaning from that of Baal; both mean the same thing. master, lord, in the Semitic languages. In the time of Saint Jerome, there was still a sacred grove of Adonis in the vicinity of Bethlehem. The prophet Jeremiah, see Jeremiah, Ezekiel 22:18 seems to allude, though less clearly than Ezekiel, to the cult that women Israelites paid homage to Adonis. He was especially worshipped at Gebal or Byblos, because the river Adonis, which bore his name, flowed there. Women They would go there to mourn his death, at the time of year when the river turns red, which was taken to be his blood. The death of Adonis is depicted on these monuments. Two sculpted rocks show him with a spear in his hand, awaiting the bear's attack. The bas-reliefs represent women who mourned him. To commemorate the god's death, they planted lettuce, barley, and fennel in a vase, which they displayed on the terraces of their houses. Incense burned in the sanctuaries. There lay the effigy of Adonis, which was buried. On the sixth day, the god was resurrected, and then hideous bacchanals began. Women They sacrificed their hair to Tammouz. These festivals took place at two times of the year, in spring and autumn.
8.16 The inner courtyard. See verse 7. About twenty-five men, etc. There were always twelve priests and twelve Levites in the temple who served each week, and the high priest. with their backs turned to the temple. To protest against solar cults, the sanctuary of the true God was towards the west, instead of being oriented towards the east, like the idolatrous temples.
9.1 that is to say, each person carries within themselves the cause of their own ruin.
9.2 Six men, etc. These six men represent the Chaldeans who were to come into Judea from the north (see Jeremiah, 1, 13-14). ― The upper door ; The priests' gate, whose courtyard was indeed higher than that of the people. A man dressed in linen, as was the high priest at the Feast of Atonement (see Leviticus, (16, 4), was a messenger of peace and mercy. at the waist. A kind of writing case was worn at the belt, containing all the small writing implements necessary for the task. This man's writing was to be used to mark the Israelites who would be spared. The bronze altar ; the altar of burnt offerings, placed in the courtyard of the priests, on which blood sacrifices were offered.
9.3; 9.6 The house ; that is to say, the temple.
9.4 See Exodus 12:7; Revelation 7:3. Thau is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet; it originally had the shape of a cross, which, among the Egyptians, was the symbol of life. Thus, at least in its moral and figurative sense, this thau would mark the cross of the Savior, a sign of redemption.
9.10 I will make their deeds fall back on their heads. ; That is to say, I will bring upon them the evils they have deserved by their conduct.
10.3 The house of the Lord, the temple. ― The cloud ; the one that is being discussed in Ezekiel, 1, 4. ― The inner courtyard ; that of the priests.
10.5 Outdoor forecourt ; that of the people.
10.7 The cherub ; no doubt because one of the cherubs.
10.8 a man's hand shape. The human torso of Assyrian cherubs sometimes had two arms and two human hands. See above., Ezekiel, 1, 8, and, in general, for this description, chapter 1.
10.20 See Ezekiel, 1, vv. 1, 3.
11.10 You will fall, etc. See 2 Kings 25, vv. 19, 21; Jeremiah, 39, 5-6; 52, 9-10.
11.16 I will be a sanctuary for them ; I will be a small sanctuary for them, since they will no longer gather in this vast temple dedicated to me in Jerusalem.
11.19 See Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh. The Egyptians always placed a large stone scarab in place of the heart of the mummified deceased. Some commentators believe that Ezekiel is alluding to this practice.
11.23 The mountain, That is the Mount of Olives.
12.1-28 5. Series of prophecies complementing the preceding prophecies, from chapter 12 to chapter 19. — Chapters 12 to 19 contain a series of undated prophecies, closely related to and complementing the preceding ones. They pertain to the eleven months that elapsed between the prophecy of’Ezekiel 8, 1, and that of’Ezekiel 20, 1. ― 1° Chapter 12 symbolizes the failed escape of the Jewish king from the besieged city, v.3 to 16, and the distress into which this siege will throw the people, v.17 to 20; it finally announces that the prophecy will soon be fulfilled, v.21 to 28.
12.3 Make yourself, etc.; make the preparations of a man going into exile. All of this could have taken place in a vision. Moreover, through the transport of his belongings, Ezekiel depicted the captivity in the clearest and most effective way to impress the Jews.
12.11 I am a sign to you of what will happen to you and to your brothers. Compare to verse 6.
12.12 The prince ; Zedekiah, king of Judah.
12.13 See Ezekiel 17:20. And he won't see it.. cf. Jeremiah, 39, 7; 52, 11.
12.22 These unfortunate days of which we are threatened will be so delayed that when they arrive, we will no longer exist, and all predictions will therefore be without effect.
12.23 the realization of every word of vision: the events predicted in the visions.
13.1-23 2° Chapter 13 speaks out against the false prophets and false prophetesses, v.1 to 7 and 17 to 19; it predicts what the punishment of both will be, v.8 to 16 and 20 to 23.
13.3 See Jeremiah 23:1; Ezekiel 14:9; 34:2.
13.4 Your prophets They flee at the approach of danger, like foxes.
13.11 hailstones, large hailstones, cf. Joshua, 10, 11.
13.18 This is probably an allusion to the cushions that Orientals use on their sofas to sit, rest and rest their elbow.
14.1-23 3. Chapter 14 contains two prophecies. The first, verses 1-11, is directed against idolaters who, despite their unfaithfulness, go to God; they will receive no other answer than punishment or the deceptive words of false prophets. The second, verses 12-23, declares to the guilty that the intercession of the saints—Noah, Daniel, and Job—will save the good, but not the wicked in Jerusalem.
14.3 That is to say, they are still attached in their hearts to their idolatry, and they still have their eyes turned towards those idols which have been stumbling blocks and causes of falling for them (v. 6). They nevertheless come to consult, as if their hearts were upright, and their intentions pure.
14.4 The prophet ; That is to say, the false prophet.
14.7 THE foreigners, are the Canaanites, whom the Israelites preserved among themselves, on condition that they renounce idolatry, and that they serve them.
14.9 See Ezekiel 13:3. who would have seduced this prophet, This means that God abandons him to the depravity of his heart, allowing a corrupt people to be seduced. According to Saint Jerome, God often uses this language so that the people are not deceived by the particular virtue of false prophets, but rather so that it is recognized that it is an effect of God's wrath that allows men with corrupt hearts to close their ears to the warnings of his prophets, opening them instead to the lies of those who deceive them.
14.13 See Ezekiel 5:16. the breadstick. See Ezekiel, 4, 16.
14.16; 14.18 I am alive. See Jeremiah, 46, 18.
14.22 To you who are here now in captivity.
15.1-8 4° In chapter 15, Jerusalem is compared to a wild vine whose cut wood is only good for being thrown into the fire.
15.2 Sacred writers often compare the Jewish people to a vine, which is of great use when it bears fruit, while it is only good for being thrown into the fire when it is barren.
15.7 They will come out of one fire only to fall into another fire, which will consume them.
16 In this chapter, Ezekiel represents Jerusalem and Samaria as two prostitutes. Unbelievers have protested against the supposed obscenity of this allegory. But they should have considered that obscenity lies not in the representation of things themselves, but in the intention to arouse sensual emotions, which is not the case here.
16.1-63 5° Chapter 16. Jerusalem is ungrateful, having despised God's blessings, v.1 to 34; she will be punished for her idolatry, v.35 to 52; however, the remnant that will be saved will return to grace, v. 53 to 63.
16.3 Hethean ; THE Hetheans were one of the peoples who inhabited the land of Canaan before it was possessed by the Hebrews. It is known that the race of Canaan was cursed and condemned (Genesis 9, 25; Exodus, 23, 32-33; 34, 15-16; Deuteronomy, 7, 1-3).
16.4 You weren't bathed., etc. The ancients used to wash newborns in cold water. ― Not salty, the practice in the East of rubbing newborn children with salt, to purify them and firm their flesh.
16.8 I took you for my wife. cf. Ruth, 3, 9, the husband puts a veil over the wife, to signify that from this moment she will live under his protection.
16.12 a ring on your nose, in certain parts of the East, women They pierce their noses and put a ring through them.
16.14 The beautiful order and wise administration of the Hebrew government aroused the admiration of the peoples, and in particular of the Queen of Sheba (see 1 Kings chapter 10).
16.17 your jewelry ; That is to say, according to several exegetes, the temple vessels that the impious Ahaz took to make idols (see 2 Chronicles 28, 24); others understand it to mean ornaments and finery of which women they take pride in it; but the first interpretation is more probable. cf. Osée, 2, 8.
16.18 You covered them with it, cf. Jeremiah, 10, 9; Baruch, 6, 12.
16.20 You took your sons, etc. cf. 2 Kings 16, 3; 17, verse 17 and following.
16.27 The Philistines were often the instruments of the Lord's vengeance against the Jews.
16.37 See Ezekiel 23:10.
16.38 the fury of a jealous husband.
16.41 See 2 Kings 25:9.
16.43 See Ezekiel, 11, 21.
16.45 Hethean. See verse 3.
16.46 sister. The Prophet here considers Samaria and Sodom as still existing, although Sodom was burned by fire from heaven in the time of Abraham and Samaria was ruined long before Ezekiel by Shalmaneser; his purpose in this is solely to establish a comparison between these three cities with regard to their crimes. Similarly, if he calls Samaria the elder sister of Jerusalem, it is not because she was older, but because she was her closest relative, the most powerful, the most populous, and the one Jerusalem first imitated, not having suddenly fallen into the depravity of Sodom, as Theodoret observes. to your left… to your right. Saint Jerome explains this expression by saying that if someone looked eastward from the Temple in Jerusalem, they would see the city of Samaria on their left and Sodom on their right. Samaria. See 1 Kings note 16.24. ― Sodom. See Genesis, note 13.10.
16.48 I am alive ; That is to say, I swear by myself. See Ezekiel, 5, 11.
16.49 See Genesis 19:24.
16.51-52 You have justified it ; You made them less guilty than yourself: they were righteous in your eyes.
16.53 Samaria and Jerusalem were restored and found themselves in a very prosperous state. As for Sodom, it is no less certain that God had declared through the mouth of Jeremiah (see Jeremiah, (48, 47; 49, 6), that he would bring back from captivity the Moabites and the Ammonites. Now these two peoples originated from Sodom through the daughters of Lot.
16.54 to console them. Irony: The magnitude of your punishment will be a source of consolation for Samaria and Sodom, in that they are less guilty than you.
16.56-57 You looked upon Sodom, your sister, with horror and contempt; you would not even pronounce her name because of her crimes. But this was before you yourself became as criminal as you have since become, and before you became an object of reproach to the cities of Syria, etc.
16.61 I will give them to you, etc. Samaria and Sodom, in the sense we explained them in verse 53, truly became the daughters of Jerusalem. The land of Samaria was ceded to the Jews by Alexander the Great, says the historian Josephus. (App. Control)., (Book II), although they did not enjoy it for long. Under the Maccabees, the kings of Syria they dismembered some cities of the same country to join them to Judea (see 1 Maccabees 10, vv. 28, 34). Finally, all of Samaria was completely subjugated to the Jews under John Hircan, who captured and destroyed its capital (see 4th book of Maccabees [aprocryphal book] chapter 6; Jos. Antiq., (Book XIII, Chapter XVII). As for Sodom, that is, the Moabites and Ammonites, descendants of Lot, they too were brought under the obedience of the Jews by Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, as well as Idumea and what was around the Asphaltite Lake (see 1 Maccabees 5, vv. 3, 26 and following; Jos. Antiq., (Book 12, Chapter 12). Finally, the Gentile peoples, symbolized by Samaria and Sodom, became the children of Jerusalem through the new and eternal covenant in which Jesus Christ graciously included foreigners with children, Jews with Gentiles (see Isaiah, 56, 3; Romans, 3, verse 9 and following; Galatians, 4, verse 24 and following, 5, 6).
17.1-24 6. Chapter 17. — 1. Ezekiel presents the riddle or parable of the two eagles and the vine, verses 1 to 10. — 2. The two eagles are the king of Babylon and the king of Egypt; the vine is the king of Judah, Jeconiah; its descendants are his uncle Zedekiah, see Jeremiah, 41, 1; 1 Kings 11:14; Jeconiah is taken captive to Chaldea by Nebuchadnezzar; Zedekiah makes an alliance with Egypt; he too will fall into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, vv. 11–21; see 2 Kings 24, 11; Jeremiah, 24, 1 ; 29, 2 ;― 3° but nevertheless from this plant God will bring forth the Messiah, v.22 to 24.
17.3 This enormous eagle represents Nebuchadnezzar; the size of its body and wings, its plumage of various colors, signify his strength, his power, the grandeur of his empire, the large number of his subjects, and the speed of his conquests; the Lebanon The temple is represented by some, Judea by others, and Jerusalem by still others; the cedar is the Jewish people, the top of the cedar, that is to say, what was best, marks King Jeconiah or Joachim, with his mother, his princes, his officers (see 2 Kings 24, 12; Esther, 2, 6, etc.).
17.4 the highest of its branches ; that is to say, the royal family with the noblest part of the people.
17.5 from the country's plant, etc.; this is Zedekiah, uncle of King Jehoiachin (see verse 43): Nebuchadnezzar established him as king in Judea.
17.7 Another great eagle ; That is to say, the king of Egypt, a great and powerful prince, but less so than the king of Babylon. See verse 3 for the meaning of the wings and feathers. The king of Judah appealed to the king of Egypt for help against the Chaldeans. This help is represented by the image of irrigation as it was practiced in Egypt, that is, by drawing water from the Nile.
17.12 his king Jeconiah of Jerusalem. This part of the parable was fulfilled when Ezekiel told it.
17.16; 17.19 I am alive. Jeremiah, 46, 18.
17.17 Pharaoh did indeed set out to relieve Jerusalem; but Nebuchadnezzar went to meet him and forced him to retreat (see Jeremiah, 37, verse 4 and following).
17.20 See Ezekiel 12:13; 32:3.
17.22 Some apply this prophecy to Zerubbabel or the Maccabees, but the very terms in which it is formulated can only apply to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who descended from Jeconiah and David; his Church is a high mountain and is above all other societies by the divine prerogatives that distinguish it. cf. Isaiah, 2, 2; Micah, 4, 1.
18.1-32 Chapter 18. Each person bears the weight of their own iniquities; children are not punished for the sins of their fathers. Let Israel repent and be saved.
18.2 This proverb is already found in Jeremiah (see Jeremiah, 31, 29); it appears that in those times the practice was very common in Israel. The reason for this was what we read in the Exodus that God punishes the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation (see Exodus, 20, 5, etc.).
18.3 I am alive, etc.; that is to say, I swear by my life, by myself, that this parable will no longer be a proverb among you; you will no longer have cause to use it, because each one will bear the penalty for his sin.
18.6 if he doesn't eat. The sacrifices offered to the idols on the heights were always accompanied by feasts.
18.7 See Isaiah 58:7; Matthew 25:35.
18.11 eaten, etc. See verse 6.
18.20 See 2 Kings 14:6; 2 Chronicles 25:4. A sonetc. It has been claimed that a contradiction has been found here with what is said in the Exodus (see Exodus(20:5), that God punishes the iniquity of the fathers in the children, to the fourth generation. But this contradiction is only apparent. Indeed, in the ExodusIt was not a question of a single individual personally committing a crime, but rather of all Israel, which abandoned the worship of its Creator to worship foreign gods, a crime which, when passed down to their descendants, made them guilty like their fathers. Here, on the contrary, it is a question only of the personal faults of individuals, and consequently of equally personal punishments. Moses himself says, in Deuteronomy (see Deuteronomy(24:16), that fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers, but that each shall die for their own sin, because in this passage of Deuteronomy, as in that of Ezekiel, it only concerns the faults of individuals. Thus, the Jews, taken captive, were not punished because of the sins of Manasseh, their king, but because they imitated his criminal conduct.
18.23 See Ezekiel, chapter 33; 2 Peter, 3, 9.
18.25 See Ezekiel 33:20.
18.30 See Matthew 3:2; Luke 3:3.
18.32 See Ezekiel, chapter 33; 2 Peter, 3, 9.
19.1-14 8. Chapter 19. Elegy on the misfortunes of the royal house of Judah. — 1. Jerusalem, the lioness, raised lion cubs; one of them, Jehoahaz, verse 4; see 2 Kings 23, 31-33, was taken from Egypt; the other, Jehoiachin, vv. 5-7; see 2 Kings 24, 12; in Babylon, v.8 and 9. ― 2° The mother herself, Jerusalem, is compared in the second part of the elegy to a vine which is uprooted and transplanted, that is to say that its inhabitants are led into captivity, v.10 to 14.
19.2 A lioness ; That is to say, Jerusalem. Lions : the kings of the nations. ― young lions ; the princes who succeeded King Josiah (see 2 Kings 23, 34; 24, 12).
19.3 She placed Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, on the throne (see 2 Kings 23, 30-31).
19.8 Against him ; against Joachim according to some (see 2 Kings 24, vv. 10, 12, 15; 25, 27); against Zedekiah, according to others, because the circumstances recounted here and in the following verse by the prophet can be applied quite naturally to this prince. — The king of Babylon assembled his army, composed of different peoples, and came to besiege Jerusalem, which defended itself strongly and surrendered only after wounding its conqueror.
19.12 See Hosea 13:15. Furiously. Nebuchadnezzar was indeed angered by the infidelity of Zedekiah, who, without regard for his promises and oaths, had allied himself with the king of Egypt.
19.13 What the Prophet here puts in the past tense was not yet fully accomplished; it was not truly accomplished until after King Zedekiah had been captured, Jerusalem had been destroyed, and the rest of its inhabitants transported to Babylon.
19.14 A fire, etc.; this is Ishmael, son of Nathanaias, whose story is told in Jeremiah (see Jeremiah, 40, verse 8 and following; 41, 1, verse 1 and following).
20.1-44 6. Prophecies against Judah and Israel, from chapter 20 to chapter 23. — Chapters 20 to 23 contain four prophecies from the same period, chapter 20, verse 1; see Ezekiel, 24, 1; they are distinguished from one another, except for chapter 21, by the words: Will you judge them?, indicating that the Prophet must judge his people, that is, reproach them for their crimes and announce their punishment, see Ezekiel, 20, 4; 22, 2; 23, 36. — 1° The occasion for the prophecy, chapter 20, verses 1 to 44, is a visit from the elders of the people who come to the prophet to consult the Lord, chapter 20, verses 1 to 3, as in Ezekiel, Ezekiel reminds them of their ancestors' rebellions against their God in Egypt (verses 5-9) and in the desert (verses 10-26). If the Lord did not completely exterminate them, it was only for the sake of his name (verses 27-31). Since Israel did not renounce idolatry in the Promised Land, he will no longer answer them, but will punish and scatter them (verses 32-38), and will choose for himself from among the captives a people after his own heart (verses 39-44). This prophecy is analogous to that of chapter 16.
20.1 The seventh year ; of the captivity of Jeconiah and Ezekiel. See Ezekiel, 8, 1. ― fifth month of the sacred year, and the eleventh of the civil year. It began at the new moon of July, according to the rabbis, but it was more likely at that of August.
20.5-6 I raised my hand ; That is to say, I promised with an oath.
20.11 See Leviticus 18:5; Romans 10:5.
20.12 See Exodus 20:8; 31:13; Deuteronomy 5:12. My Sabbaths ; That is to say, not only the rest of the seventh day, but also all the other holidays in which one had to observe the same rest as the seventh day of the week.
20.25 Since they rejected my precepts and ordinances that were meant to give them life and happiness, I allowed them to follow entirely different precepts and statutes, the cruel rites and detestable practices of idolatrous peoples. As we have already noted more than once, Scripture often says that God does what he only permits.
20.26 I defiled them ; I allowed them to defile themselves (see the previous verse), or I declared them defiled, as Saint Jerome explains, followed by a host of commentators.
20.30 You are committing idolatry. See Ezekiel 6, 9.
20.31 The Lord addressed the elders of his people who had come to consult him out of curiosity and with ill intentions. I am alive, I swear that. ― your children by fire, offering them as a sacrifice to the god Moloch.
20.39 Go serve your idols, each of you. ; worship now, if you dare, worship your idols, this will not prevent (see verse 40) the whole house of Israel from assembling on the holy mountain to offer me the homage of their adoration.
20.41 I will sanctify myself in you, I will demonstrate my holiness through my judgments, whose justice will be recognized.
20.42 I swore, with my hand raised. See verse 5.
21.2 south. This southern region is Judea, located south of Mesopotamia where Ezekiel was at the time.
21.5 Doesn't this man always speak in parables obscure, and which cannot be understood? A vain excuse put forward by the Jews for not changing their behavior.
21.17 So hit your thigh. This gesture is often made in admiration, but here it signifies pain. cf. Jeremiah, 31, 19.
21.19 triples its blows, etc. Saint Jerome sees in these words the three invasions of Nebuchadnezzar: one, which took place when this prince made Joakim a tributary (see 2 Kings 24, 1); the second, when he took Joachim captive (see 2 Kings 24, 15), and the third, when he transported Zedekiah to Babylon (see 2 Kings 25, 27).
21.25 Nebuchadnezzar wanted to go to Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites, because the Ammonites, the Edomites, and the Moabites had allied themselves with Zedekiah against the king of Babylon, as Jeremiah tells us (see Jeremiah, 27, 3).
21.26 the arrows. When a general wanted to know which city he should attack first, he would write the names of the different cities he wanted to attack on the arrows in a quiver, place them in the quiver, and the one he drew indicated which city should be taken first. Thus, the arrow bearing the name of Jerusalem having been drawn first, Nebuchadnezzar immediately set out for that city.
21.32 until the one to whom judgment belongs comes,This remarkable verse announces the coming of the Messiah; these words allude to the prophecy of Jacob, see Genesis, 49, 10: "Until Shiloh comes"; see Galatians, 3:19; they announce that the Savior will be justice itself and will render justice. See Psalm 71; Isaiah, 9, 6; 42, 1; Jeremiah, 23, 5 ; 33, 17.
21.35-37 This last prophecy refers in part to Nebuchadnezzar, and in part to his successors and the very monarchy of the Babylonians, which, after having been the instrument of the Lord's vengeance against so many peoples, was itself subsequently destroyed by Cyrus.
22.1-31 3. The Crimes of Jerusalem and Israel, Chapter 22. After announcing the punishment for Judah's sins, Ezekiel returns to the account of its infidelities to show how just this punishment is. This prophecy contains three prophecies: 1. The blood shed by Jerusalem and its idolatry hasten its ruin (verses 1-16); 2. The house of Israel is now nothing but dross; God will throw it into the furnace (verses 17-22); 3. All are corrupt—prophets, priests, princes, and people—all will be punished (verses 23-31).
22.2 the city of blood ; that is to say, one who sheds blood.
22.3-4 His time, your days, your years ; expressions which all signify the time of destruction, of the ruin of Jerusalem.
22.11 See Jeremiah 5:8.
22.13 I clap my hand. See Ezekiel, 21, vv. 14, 17.
22.18 They are all made of brass, etc. Metals of lesser value, brass, tin, lead, can be mixed with silver; they are separated from it in the crucible and thus become silver slag.
22.27 See Micah 3:11; Zephaniah 3:3.
22.30 A man who built a fence, etc.; that is to say, who, through his prayers and virtues, might stop my anger and suspend its effects, as Abraham tried to do for Sodom, and Moses, Aaron, and Phinehas for the Israelites (see Genesis, 18, verse 23 and following; Exodus, 32, verse 11 and following; Numbers, 16, 48; Psalms, 105, vv. 23, 30).
22.31 See Ezekiel, 9, 10.
23.4 Oollah and Oolibah, Samaria and Jerusalem, their crimes and their punishment.
23.2 The Hebrews, of a single lineage, born of Abraham and Sarah, formed one people and remained united until the schism that occurred after the death of Solomon. Then this kingdom was divided into two parts, one of which, composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, received the name of kingdom of Judah, of which Jerusalem was the capital; and the other, comprising the ten other tribes, was called the kingdom of Israel, subsequently Samaria for capital. These two kingdoms, originating from the same stock, are represented by the two sisters coming from the same mother. Oolla, the eldest, and whose name means tries on her, represents Samaria, or the kingdom of Israel, in the midst of which the tabernacle of the Lord was first placed until the death of the high priest Eli. Ooliba, who is the young one, and whose name means my tent is in it, represents Jerusalem, or the kingdom of Judah, in the midst of which the tabernacle of the Lord was placed after the death of the high priest Eli. These two great portions of ancient Israel have been compared to the two great portions of new Israel, the Eastern and the Western; the Greek church, which imitated the schism of Samaria, and the Latin Church, which enjoys the prerogatives of Jerusalem. As for the infidelities of the two sisters, Oolla And Ooliba, They can represent those of the misdeeding Christians, whose punishments are outlined beneath the punishments of these two sisters. Saint Jerome indeed applies this very chapter, as well as the sixteenth, to bad Christians, where the two sisters are also compared.
23.3 they prostituted themselves ; They have fallen into idolatry.
23.5 was unfaithful to me ; by failing to loyalty marital.
23.9 I delivered it, etc. The ten tribes suffered at the hands of Phul, Teglath-pileser, and finally Shalmaneser, who took captive everything his predecessors had spared and destroyed the kingdom of Samaria (see 2 Kings 15, vv. 19, 29; chapter 17).
23.10 See Ezekiel 16:37.
23.14-15 Men painted on the walls. It is in the way these two verses describe them that the Chaldeans and Assyrians are represented on the bas-reliefs found in the ruins of Assyrian palaces.
23.24 According to their own laws ; which was fulfilled to the letter in the person of Zedekiah, judged by Nebuchadnezzar at Reblatha (see 2 Kings 25, 6).
23.25 They will cut, mutilations used among the Chaldeans, and even among the Egyptians against adulterers.
23.26 your jewelry. See Ezekiel, 16, 17.
23.27 Towards them ; towards false gods, idols. cf. Ezekiel, 18, 6.
23.32 the cup It is usually used to describe the ills that one is forced to suffer.
23.37 to the god Moloch, in whose honor children were burned.
23.40 Men, etc.; the Assyrians, the Egyptians, etc., whom Jerusalem called upon for help. ― eyeshadow. See above, Jeremiah, 4, 30.
23.41 My incense and my oil. The law forbade the use of sacred perfume except in honor of the true God, see Exodus, 30, 32-33.
23.45 fair ; In contrast to these criminal women, God uses them as ministers of his just vengeance against them. This is how Samaria and Sodom are referred to above (see Ezekiel, 16, 51-52) justified by Jerusalem becoming much more guilty than its two sisters.
24.1-27 7. Prophecy of the Capture of Jerusalem, Chapter 24. — On the very day that Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem, Ezekiel announced to his brothers in Chaldea the calamities that were about to befall the holy city, verses 1 and 2. God commands his Prophet to represent to the captives, by means of a symbol—a large rusty vessel filled with meat, in which this meat is burned—the fate reserved for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, verses 3 to 14. Following this oracle, the Lord announces to Ezekiel the death of his wife and forbids him to mourn her, to signify that the exiled Jews should not weep for the fate that Jerusalem has justly suffered, verses 15 to 27. This is where the first section of the first part of Ezekiel ends.
24.1 The ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah and the captivity of King Jehoiachin, when Nebuchadnezzar began to lay siege to Jerusalem (see 2 Kings 25, 1). ― Tenth month of the sacred year, and fourth of the civil year. It began at the new moon of December, according to the rabbis, but it was more likely at that of January.
24.2 put it in writing, etc. Ezekiel, who was then in Mesopotamia, received from God the order to write on the same day the date of the formation of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, so that the Jews who were near him, and who could not fail to learn soon what would have happened to the capital of their country, would clearly see that Ezekiel was not prophesying in the air, and that they would no longer doubt his predictions.
24.4 the good parts, etc.; these were Jews of all classes and conditions, who were to either meet their death in Jerusalem during the siege, or be taken into captivity.
24.6 without drawing lots, etc., to see which ones would be preserved; an allusion to the inhabitants of Jerusalem who were all, without exception, to be thrown out of the city, some as corpses, others as exiles.
24.7 The Hebrews had an extreme horror of blood; hence their custom of immediately covering the blood of slaughtered animals with earth (see Leviticus, (17:13). In contrast, Jerusalem, which had shed not the blood of animals, but the blood of men, and innocent men at that, instead of covering it with earth so that at least it would not be visible, had spilled it out. on the bare rock, so that it would remain visible there longer.
24.9 See Nahum, 3, 1; Habakkuk, 2, 12.
24.16 What you hold most dear; that is, your wife. This is what is clear from verse 18.
24.17 gird your head ; a type of headband which the Hebrews wrapped around their heads; it was their only head covering.
24.21 the delights of your eyes ; probably your wives, whose death is symbolized by the death of Ezekiel's wife. Compare to verses 16 and 18.
24.23 You shall wear, as usual, the headband with which you gird your heads (see verse 17), which is nevertheless removed in mourning; the same shall apply to the shoe. you will be consumed, etc. cf. Ezekiel, 4, 17; Leviticus, 26, 39.
24.24 Ezekiel will be, etc. cf. Ezekiel, 12, 11.
24.25 The desire of their eyes. See versions 16 and 21.
25 The authenticity of this chapter, like that of chapters 32, 35, 36, 38 and 39, which, like this one, deal with foreign nations, has been attacked by some rationalist exegetes in Germany.
25.1 and following IIe Section: Prophecies against foreign peoples, from chapter 25 to chapter 33. — Ezekiel prophesied against seven foreign peoples: 1. Ammon; 2. Moab; 3. Idumea and 4. the Philistines, chapter 25; 5. Tyre and 6. Sidon, from chapter 26 to chapter 28; 7. Egypt, from chapter 29 to chapter 32. — These chapters are divided into thirteen prophecies, distinguished by the formula: The word of God was spoken to me.. The prophecies against Ammon, Moab, Idumea, and the Philistines form one oracle; those against Tyre, 4; against Sidon, 1; and against Egypt, 7. All of them, except for the fragment against Egypt (chapter 29, verses 17-21), date from the time of the siege and capture of Jerusalem, a time when Ezekiel was to remain silent about Israel; see Ezekiel, 24, 27, compared with Ezekiel, 3:26-27 and 33:21-22. — The prophecies against foreign peoples, especially those against Tyre and Egypt, are remarkable for the abundance and accuracy of their details. History attests that they were literally fulfilled. Some difficulties have been raised concerning the siege of Tyre by the Chaldeans, predicted by the Prophet, but Saint Jerome informs us that everything Ezekiel had foretold came to pass.
25.4 To the sons of the Orient ; that is to say, to the Arabs.
25.5 Rabbath ; capital of the Ammonites. ― The Arabs traveled on camels.
25.8 Séir ; mountainous part of Idumea; here it is taken to mean Idumea itself, the land of Edom (see verse 12 and following).
25.9 I'm going to open ; I will make it accessible, I will give access to. ― On its borders. It was primarily along the borders that Moab's best-fortified cities were located, such as Bethiesimoth, Beelmeon, Caryathaim.
25.10 To the sons of the Orient ; that is to say, to the Arabs.
25.13 Inside ; famous city of Idumea.
25.14 I will exercise, etc. This prophecy was fulfilled after the return from captivity, during the time of the Maccabees (see 1 Maccabees 5, 65; 2 Maccabees 10, 16). ― Edom ; it was Idumea, so called from Edom or Esau, who inhabited it.
25.16 The rest, etc. The Philistines are so named because they lived on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and because in earlier times the Assyrians and Egyptians had greatly reduced their population (see Isaiah, 14, 30; Jeremiah, 25, 20; 47, 1; Zephaniah, 2, 4).
26.1 The eleventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin and the reign of Zedekiah, in the very year of the capture of Jerusalem (see 2 Kings 25, verse 2 and following; ; Jeremiah, 52, verse 5 and following). ― Of the month ; The exegetes have indulged in various conjectures, none of which appears entirely satisfactory.
26.2 and following «If the prophet Ezekiel, announcing to the arrogant and proud city (Tyr) its future misfortunes, had not also described the grandeur from which it was about to fall, we would today,” said Admiral Julien de la Gravière, “have only an imperfect idea of the degree of opulence to which a trading post could aspire in antiquity. Tyre rejoiced at the sack of Jerusalem; the prophet foretold that its walls too would fall.”, shaken at the base by the battering rams. This rock was once the marketplace of the world. Fleets brought back immense riches from the most distant lands: from the ports of Libya, iron, tin, and lead; from Greece, slaves and horses. Ethiopia supplied ebony and ivory; the Syria, Precious stones, purple dye, linen and silk fabrics; from Judea, wheat, balsam, honey, oil, and resins. From the territory of Damascus came wool and wine; from Arabia, livestock; from Sheba, gold and perfumes. Africa, Asia, and Europe all contributed their share to the luxury of a city rich enough to adorn its oarsmen's seats with ivory, and where every shipowner lived surrounded by the splendor of a prince. For nearly six centuries, this marvelous prosperity experienced only a few fleeting interruptions. In the year 715, the king of Assyria came knocking unsuccessfully at the gates of Tyre; one hundred and forty-one years later, the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, broke them down. The siege, however, lasted fourteen years. More than one warrior lost his hair there and returned with bent shoulders. »"Tyre never recovered from its ruin. 'A few hundred crumbling, almost deserted houses, where the Arabs gather in the evening the large flocks of sheep and black goats with long, drooping ears, which parade before us across the plain—that is Tyre today,' said Lamartine. 'It no longer has a port on the seas, no longer any roads on land; the prophecies have long since been fulfilled upon it.'"«
26.2 The gateway of the peoples. These words, which apply to Jerusalem and are put in the mouths of the Tyrians, indicate that the Phoenicians had taken offense at the trade that the inhabitants of Jerusalem carried out with the neighboring peoples, and for this reason, they applauded the ruin of the holy city.
26.6 His daughters ; the cities under its jurisdiction.
26.12 Your dust ; that is to say, the dust from your buildings.
26.13 See Jeremiah 7:34.
26.14 You will not be rebuilt. Ancient Tyre, captured by Nebuchadnezzar, was never rebuilt. As for Isaiah's prediction (see Isaiah, 23, 17), that Tyre, after being forgotten for seventy years, would be visited by the Lord, and put in a state to start its first trade again, can be explained by applying it to the new Tyre, which was built by the inhabitants of the old one, when they took refuge on the island during the siege.
26.19 This is a figure representing the multitude of Nebuchadnezzar's troops. Armies are often represented in Scripture as the waves of the sea, as great waters.
26.20 The pit, the tomb. ― eternal solitudes ; which can be understood as referring to hell. ― I will add an ornament. When I have restored Israel to its former glory. The land of the living. The land of Israel is so called, either because the true God, the living God, was worshipped there, or because the righteous who were buried there were to be restored to eternal life in their time.
27.5 Sanir ; name that the Amorites gave to Mount Hermon. This mountain was located east of the Jordan River, on the borders of the Syria, as well as the Lebanon to the West.
27.6 Basan oaks. See Numbers, 21, 33. ― Islands Kittim, which refers to the islands of the Mediterranean and the countries of the West.
27.7 Elisa ; That is to say, Elisa, in the Peloponnese. your tapestries. Covers serve various purposes on boats.
27.8 Arvad ; famous island on the coasts of Phoenicia.
27.9 Giblium ; city of Phoenicia, called Biblos by the Greeks.
27.13 Tubal ; was the fifth son of Japheth, and Mosoch the sixth (see Genesis, 10, 2); but these names here represent two peoples, about whom there is little agreement. However, there is some probability that Tubal means the Tiberian people, neighbors of the southern shore of the Black Sea; and Mosoch, the Mosques on the eastern coast of the Black Sea.
27.14 Thogorma ; Phrygia according to some, Armenia according to others, Sarmatia according to still others. It is certain that the horses of these three countries are highly praised by ancient authors.
27.15 Inside ; son of Jecsan and grandson of Abraham and Kethura, settled in Arabia (see Genesis, 25, 5).
27.17 Balm. "The mountains of Gilead were covered with..."«Amyris, a shrub from which Judean balm or Gilead balm is derived, a perfume highly prized at the time. Amyris has become extremely rare nowadays, and the little balm that is harvested from it is reserved for the Sultan's use. Some authors have concluded from this that the aromatic riches of Judea were greatly exaggerated by the ancients, but it must not be forgotten that these trees were destroyed by the Turks when they invaded the country. (E. RIMMEL.)
27.20 Inside ; perhaps here marks the descendants of Dedan, son of Regma and grandson of Chus, different from those of verse 15.
27.21 Cedar. See Jeremiah, 49, 28.― Arabia, the country which extends east and southeast of Palestine to the Red Sea.
27.22 Saba and Rééma ; provinces located in Arabia Felix, near the Persian Gulf.
27.23 Haran and Chene ; place names of Mesopotamia. ― Eden ; province where the earthly paradise was located. ― Saba ; different from that of verse 22, was probably near Idumea. ― Assur ; the Assyrians. ― Chelmad ; is Carmania, according to the Septuagint, Media, according to the Chaldean paraphrase.
27.26 The East Wind ; it is generally understood to refer to Nebuchadnezzar, who came from the East to besiege Tyre.
27.30 signs of mourning and desolation.
28.3 You are wiser than Daniel ; These words were spoken ironically. Daniel was then living at the court of the king of Babylon, with the reputation of being the most enlightened man in that empire. Fourteen or fifteen years earlier, he had explained to Nebuchadnezzar the dream of the statue made of various metals (see Daniel, 2, 27-28), which had been the beginning of his great reputation.
28.10 On the death of the uncircumcised, of violent death.
28.12 Most of the Church Fathers viewed the description of the power of the king of Tyre as a figure of the glory and downfall of Lucifer.
28.14 You were the cherub, etc., an allusion to the cherubim who thus covered and protected the ark in the temple of the Lord, on his holy mountain. ― You were walking, etc.; it was the custom among the ancients to adorn the walls and floors of apartments not only with marble, but also with precious stones. D. Calmet cited several examples of this kind of splendor in his Literary commentary on the Book of Esther, 1, 6.
28.22 I'm going to glorify myself ; by the punishments I will inflict upon you. ― They will know ; that is to say, its inhabitants. ― against She. The Lord no longer addresses Sidon directly, but its prophet. This sudden change of addressee is very common in the prophetic style. I will sanctify myself in her ; see on this expression, Ezekiel 20, 41.
28.25 They ; that is to say the Israelites, designated by the expression the house of Israel. ― I will sanctify myself in them See this expression, Ezekiel, 20, 41.
28.26 They. See the previous note.
29.1 The tenth year ; of the captivity of Jeconiah and Ezekiel. cf. Ezekiel, 8, 1. ― Tenth month. See Ezekiel, 24, 1.
29.2 Against Pharaoh. Apries or Hophra, he who is called Ephreia, in Jeremiah, 44, 30. Apries died in 572 or 571.
29.3 In the midst of your rivers ; between the Nile and its tributaries.
29.4 the fish ; These are the subjects of the king of Egypt, who will cling to him, believing him to be invincible and impervious to the darts of his enemies; but they will be taken with him and led to a foreign land where they will perish.
29.6 See Isaiah 36:6.
29.10 From Migdol to Syene. The word migdol, which means round, was also a proper name of a town mentioned in the Exodus (see Exodus, 14, 2), in Numbers (see Numbers, 33, 7), and in Jeremiah (see Jeremiah, 44, 1; 46, 14). ― The expression, from the tower of Syene, is found again in Ezekiel (see Ezekiel, 30, 6). Migdol was to the north, and Syene to the south. ― Nebuchadnezzar pushed his conquests in Egypt as far as Syene, in Upper Egypt, now Aswan, near the first cataract of the Nile, almost under the tropic.
29.13 After forty years ; that is to say probably when Cyrus, at the beginning of his reign, gave freedom to all the peoples whom Nebuchadnezzar and his predecessors had taken captive beyond the Euphrates.
29.14 Pathros ; canton located in Upper Egypt, towards the Thebaid.
29.17 The twenty-seventh year of the captivity of Jeconiah (cf. Ezekiel, 8, 1); the very year of the fall of Tyre, or the following year. This prophecy is later than several others that follow. ― First month of the sacred year and the seventh of the civil year. It began at the new moon of March, according to the rabbis, but it was more likely at that of April.
29.18 Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Tyre for fourteen years. See above, Ezekiel, 26, 2. At the end of that time, the city was taken, but the king of Babylon did not withdraw any salary from Tyr, Because, says Saint Jerome, when the Tyrians saw that they could no longer resist, they carried their riches away in their ships.
29.19 See Jeremiah 46:2. — It has been objected to the veracity of this prophecy that secular authors say nothing about Nebuchadnezzar's conquests in Egypt. But Berossus and Megasthenes (300 years before Christ) did mention them.
29.21 Horn, synonymous with strength and power.
30.3 Time, etc.; that is to say, the time of the punishment of the nations.
30.5 Lydia ; very different from that of Asia. ― And all the rest of the people ; and all the other peoples allied with Egypt. cf. Ezekiel, 27, 10. ― Chub ; that is to say the Chubians, whom Ptolemy places in Mareote.
30.9 THE Egypt Day ; the day of punishment.
30.12 The rivers ; the Nile with its branches and numerous canals which, like so many rivers, water Egypt and make it rich.
30.13 See Zechariah 13:2. Noph ; one of the principal cities of Egypt, and the center of Egyptian idolatry. ― There will no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt. Since Nectanebo, the last native pharaoh, defeated in 354 by Artaxerxes III Ochus, king of Persia, Egypt has always been subject to foreigners: Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Arabs and Turks.
30.18 Taphnes ; a heavily fortified city in Egypt, where the Pharaoh had a residence (see Jeremiah, 43, 9), is different from that of verse 14; it is the one that geographers call Daphne of Pelusium. ― His daughters ; that is to say, the other cities.
30.20 The eleventh year of the captivity of King Jeconiah (cf. Ezekiel, (8:1) is that of the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Thus, this prophecy is much earlier than the one that begins in Ezekiel, 29, 17, and which continues to this day. ― First month. See Ezekiel, 29, 17.
30.21 I broke it, etc.; which can be understood as referring to Nebuchadnezzar's victory over Pharaoh, when he took everything he possessed between the Nile and the Euphrates (see 2 Kings 24, 7).
31.1 The eleventh year. See Ezekiel, 30, 20. ― Third month of the sacred year and the ninth of the civil year. It began at the new moon of May, according to the rabbis, but it was more often at that of June.
31.2 To Pharaoh, Apries. Ezekiel makes this prophecy against Egypt thirty-eight days before the capture of Jerusalem, to show the Jewish captives in Babylon, who still hoped that the Egyptian army would deliver Jerusalem, how vain their hope is.
31.3 Assur ; the king of Assyria and his kingdom.
31.4 The waters ; These are the riches and power of the Assyrians. The abyss, its rivers ; That is to say, the various nations that paid tribute to the kings of Assyria. Its streams ; They include the princes and governors whom he sent to the provinces, to whom he shared his wealth and authority.
31.8 God's Garden ; allusion to the earthly paradise (see Genesis, 2, 8).
31.13 On its ruins. The peoples subjected to the Assyrian empire remained in the same subjugation, but under a different master. They remained in their provinces and in their homes, but under a different prince.
31.15-17 Sheol, an underground place that the Hebrews regarded as the abode of souls after death.
31.18 Its multitude ; that is to say, his people.
32.1 The twelfth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin. cf. Ezekiel, 8, 1. ― Twelfth month of the sacred year and the sixth month of the civil year. It began at the new moon of February, according to the rabbis, but it was more likely at that of March.
32.2 crocodile, cf. Ezekiel, 29, 3.
32.3 See Ezekiel 12:13; 17:20.
32.6 From you ; that is to say, what will come out of you.
32.7 See Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10; 3:15; Matthew 24:29.
32.11 From the king of Babylon ; Nebuchadnezzar.
32.16 Its multitude ; his entire people.
32.17 The twelfth year. See verse 1. Of the month. This month is not named; it is apparently the twelfth mentioned in verse 1.
32.18 The multitude ; the entire people. ― The girls ; that is to say, the cities.
32.22 Assur ; the king of Assyria and his kingdom. ― his tombs ; THE tombs of all his people.
32.24 Elam ; That is to say, the king of the Elamites, a people neighboring the Assyrians, who were succeeded by the Persians. The Elamites had once been very powerful, as can be seen in Genesis, chapter 14 and following.
32.26 Mosoch, Thubal. See Ezekiel, 27, 13.
32.30 All the princes of the north ; probably the kings of Phoenicia, of Syria, of Tyre, of Sidon, etc., known in Scripture as the princes of the north.
33.1 and following Part Two: The Restoration of Israel and the Messianic Kingdom, from chapter 33 to chapter 48. — This second part is divided into two sections: 1. Prophecies concerning the deliverance and restoration of Israel and the ruin of the pagan empires, from chapter 33 to chapter 39; — 2. A prophetic vision of the future kingdom of God and its glory, from chapter 40 to chapter 48. These prophecies, being subsequent to the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, first announce the return of Israel to the Promised Land and the ruin of its enemies. The first part contained mainly threats; the second is full of promises. — 1. It opens with two discourses from God to his Prophet, chapter 33, verses 1 to 20 and 23 to 33, indicating what the purpose of Ezekiel's mission should be after the capture of Jerusalem. — 2. God foretells that the bad shepherds will be driven out, and that the sheep of Israel will be entrusted to a faithful shepherd, chapter 34. — 3. Idumea will be ravaged because of its hatred for Israel, chapter 35. — 4. On the contrary, Israel will be restored to the Promised Land, and it will flourish again, chapter 36, verses 1-15. — 5. All nations will be blessed in Israel, verses 16-38. — 6. Vision of the dry bones and the two pieces of wood joined together, symbol of the resurrection of the captive people under a single king, chapter 37. ― 7° Extermination of Gog and his army in the land of Israel, ch. 38 and 39.
33.1-33 1. Ezekiel's Mission After the Destruction of Jerusalem, Chapter 33. When Jerusalem and its temple are destroyed, the Prophet receives a new mission. The punishment he announced in the first part is now fulfilled; his brothers are overwhelmed by the blow, and he is charged with bringing them comfort and showing them the way to regain God's favor. This is the subject of the two discourses God addresses to him in chapter 33, verses 1-20 and 23-33. They are separated by a date and a historical note, verses 21 and 22. The main idea is expressed in verse 11: the core of the new preaching must be this: I do not desire the death of the wicked, but that he may live.
33.4 His blood, etc.; he alone will be responsible; no one else will answer for it.
33.7 See Ezekiel 3:17.
33.11 See Ezekiel 18:23, 32. I am alive ; oath formula; that is to say, I swear by myself.
33.20 See Ezekiel 18:25.
33.21 The twelfth year. See Ezekiel, 32, 1. ― Tenth month. See Ezekiel, 24, 1.
33.22 The hand of the Lord, etc. See Ezekiel, 1, 3. ― My mouth was opened. The Lord, in fact, had promised it to Ezekiel (see Ezekiel, 24, 27).
33.24 Those who live, etc.; the small number of Jews who had been left in the country. cf. Jeremiah, 40, 15-18. ― Abraham was still alone, and without descendants, when the land was promised to him.
34.1-31 2. The Faithful Shepherd, chapter 34. The first consolation that God gives to his people, after the great catastrophe, is the coming of the faithful shepherd, chapter 34. The bad shepherds who have lost Israel—that is, the faithless priests and kings, as Saint Ephrem and Theodoret explain—will be driven out, and the Lord's flock will be entrusted to a shepherd who will watch over them carefully, verses 22 and 23. This good shepherd is the Messiah, see Isaiah, 40, 11; Osée, 3, 5; Jeremiah, 23, 5-6; Jeans, 1, 45; 10, vv. 11, 14, 16; 1 Peter 2, 25.
34.2 See Jeremiah 23:1; Ezekiel 13:3. The pastors of Israel These are the priests, the Levites, the teachers of the law, the kings, the princes, the magistrates, and the judges. The herd ; that is to say, the peoples.
34.12 a day of clouds and darkness. Wolves take advantage of the fog and darkness to snatch and devour sheep.
34.18 It was not uncommon in the East to see people drinking water muddy from the feet of those in the current above them.
34.23 See Isaiah 40, 11; John 1, 45; 10, vv. 11, 14. ― One pastor ; That is to say, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, according to the unanimous interpretation of Jews and Christians. He is referred to as David ; as in Jeremiah (see Jeremiah, 30, 9), and in Hosea (see Osée, (3:5), because David was a type of the Messiah, who descended from him according to the flesh, and his very name, which in Hebrew means love, perfectly suits Jesus Christ, called by his heavenly Father my beloved son (see Matthew, 3, 17, etc.). The pastor is unique, because, according to the remark of Saint Augustine, all those whom he makes participants in his authority and his care for shepherding his sheep, form in him but one single shepherd.
34.26 This could mean either that the Jews will be filled with blessings or that, through their shepherd, they will be a source of blessings for their neighbors. Whatever meaning one gives to this verse, it relates, like the preceding and following ones, to the time of the Messiah.
34.31 See John 10:11.
35.1-15 3. The Ruin of Idumea and the Restoration of Israel, Chapter 35. — It will not only be the impious leaders who corrupted Israel who will be punished; the neighboring peoples who cooperated in or applauded its ruin (Chapter 35, verse 15) will also receive their punishment. Edom, whose devastation is foretold (Chapter 35), here represents the pagan nations, as in Isaiah, 63, 1-8; Ezekiel, 36, 5. He will be ravaged, v.1 to 4, because of his hatred for Israel, v.5 to 9, his desire to seize part of the kingdom of Judah and his blasphemies against God, v.10 to 15.
35.2 the mountain of Seir ; is taken here to represent all of Idumea.
35.5 and following For an explanation of the prophecy against Seir, see Ezekiel, 25, verse 3 and following.
35.6; 35.11 I am alive. See Ezekiel, 33, 11.
35.6 I'll bleed you dry. This was accomplished under Judah Maccabee (see 1 Maccabees 4, 15; 5, 3; 2 Maccabees 10, 16-17).
35.10 Two nations, etc.; Idumea and Israel, or Judah and Israel.
35.13 You have spoken outrageously against me, and you have dishonored me with your words.
36.1-15 4° Restoration of Israel, chapter 36, v.1 to 15. The land of Israel, which the pagans have seized, chapter 36, v.1 to 7; will be restored to its children and happy again, v.8 to 15.
36.1 See Ezekiel 6:3.
36.7 I raised my hand ; I swore.
36.12 In this verse and those that follow, the sacred text, when speaking of Israel, sometimes uses the singular and sometimes the plural, because it refers sometimes to the land, and sometimes to its inhabitants. Without them ; without your inhabitants.
36.15 Your people will no longer be driven out.
36.16-38 5. The happiness of Israel becomes universal happiness, chapter 36, verses 16-38. The happiness of Israel will become that of all. God will forgive his people their sins, verses 16-21; he will gather them from the places where they are scattered, he will make them walk in his commandments and give them a new spirit, verses 22-28; he will bless them, and all peoples will thus recognize that he is the only true God, verses 29-38.
36.20 See Romans 2:24. They have dishonored ; They gave foreign peoples who did not know me an occasion to blaspheme my name, seeing so impious and so corrupt a people who called themselves the chosen and privileged of the God who created heaven and earth. cf. Isaiah, 48, 11 ; 52, 5.
36.23 I will sanctify myself. See, regarding this expression, Ezekiel, 20, 41.
36.25 This alludes to the sprinkling rituals used by the ancient Hebrews to purify themselves from ritual impurities, which foreshadowed future purification through the blood of Jesus Christ. — The Church Fathers and most exegetes recognize that the great promises contained in this verse and those that follow received their full fulfillment only in the new covenant, of which Jesus Christ is the mediator, and whose distinctive characteristic is this teaching by which God, pouring out his spirit within us, gives us a new heart and a new mind—that is, new affections and new feelings in accordance with the truths that faith teaches us and the rules that the Gospel prescribes.
36.26 See Ezekiel 11:19.
37.1-28 6. Vision of the Dry Bones. In chapter 37, Ezekiel describes one of his most beautiful visions, that of the dry bones coming back to life (verses 1-14). This is accompanied by the vision of the two pieces of wood joined together, becoming one (verses 15-28). Both are symbols of the resurrection of the captive people under a single king, under the guidance of the Shepherd-Messiah who has already been announced above, see Ezekiel, 34, 23. — 1° Lines 1 to 10 describe the vision of the dry bones, lines 11 to 14 explain it. Theodoret rightly observed that the resurrection The creation of bodies occurs through two successive acts, like the creation of man in Genesis ; God first restores the body (vv. 7 and 8), and then he gives him back his soul (vv. 9 and 10). God even explains to Ezekiel the meaning of what he has shown: All these bones are the house of Israel, verse 11; she will rise again and be restored in the Holy Land. — The Church Fathers and Doctors saw in this magnificent vision proof, either direct or rather indirect and typical, of the resurrection general. ― 2° v.15 to 28. Not only will Israel recover its homeland, but it will no longer be divided: Judah and Ephraim will be like two pieces of wood inseparably joined.
37.1 The hand of the Lord. See Ezekiel, 1.3. This resurrection of the dry bones relates to the deliverance of the Jews from captivity and at the same time figures the resurrection future of the dead. For, as Tertullian, Saint Jerome, Theodoret, and several others after them note, the parable or figure drawn from the resurrection presupposes the existence of the thing from which it is taken; for one does not take a likeness of a thing that does not exist.
37.8 mind that animates and gives life.
37.16 to children of Israel who are united with him (Judah), This refers to the tribes of Benjamin and Levi, and several Israelites from other tribes, who, during the schism of the latter, not wanting to participate in the idolatry of Jeroboam's golden calves, withdrew to the kingdom of Judah and became part of Rehoboam's states. See 1 Kings 11, 13; 12, 17; 2 Chronicles 11, verse 13 and following.
37.17 Bring them closer, etc. This order given to the Prophet marks the reunion of the ten tribes with that of Judah; a reunion which indeed took place after the return from Babylon; so that Judah was no longer distinguished from Israel as forming two different kingdoms. In a higher sense, the joining of these two kingdoms signified the reunion of the peoples of all nations in the Church of Jesus Christ. cf. Galatians, 3, 28; Ephesians, 2, 14; Colossians, 3, 11.
37.19 Joseph's Wood, etc.; that is to say, Jeroboam, the first king of the ten tribes, being an Ephraimite, Joseph, or Manasseh, and the other tribes, were in the hand of Ephraim.
37.22 See John 10:16. One king. It is Jesus Christ, to whom alone this prophecy can be applied in the strictest sense.
37.24 See Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 23:5; Daniel 9:24; John 1:45. My servant David, etc. See Ezekiel, 34, 23.
37.26 See Psalms 110:4; 117:2; John 12:34. A peace alliance, etc. Nothing in Jewish history can justify the fulfillment of these promises; they can only refer to the new covenant of which Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, Jesus Christ is the mediator; he gives us true peace., peace interior, surpassing anything one could conceive. cf. Philippines, 4, 7; Colossians, 3, 15.
38.1 and following 1° Extermination of Gog and his army, ch. 38 and 39.
38.2 See Ezekiel 39:1; Revelation 20:7. — Gog is considered a place name, and Magog like a person's name, which is also consistent with Genesis (see Genesis, (10, 2), where he does indeed appear as one of the sons of Japheth. Therefore, Gog appears here in verse 3, and in several other passages, as a person; this is undoubtedly through a prosopopoeia very commonly used in Scripture, by which inanimate things, but especially places and countries, are personified. The land of Magog ; Perhaps Scythia or Great Tartary. As for the events to which the prophecy can more probably be applied, they are the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes against the Jews, or the rout of the army of Cambyses, king of the Persians, on his return from Egypt, and the death of this prince in the mountains of Judea.
38.3 Mosoch, Thubal. See Ezekiel, 27, 13.
38.6 Gomer, eldest son of Japheth (see Genesis, ( , 10, 2), was, according to some, the father of the Galatian peoples, who called themselves Gamares, before the Galatians took control of their lands; according to others, he was the father of the ancient Cimbri or Cimmerians, and he even inhabits the islands of the Mediterranean, Greece, Italy, and Gaul. ― Thogorma. See Ezekiel, 27, 14.― from the northern reaches ; in biblical style they mean the northern provinces of Mesopotamia, and even Chaldea, Mesopotamia, the Syria and Babylonia.
38.8 the mountains of Israel. The Holy Land is a mountainous and high country. Jerusalem, in particular, is 779 meters above sea level.
38.13 Saba. See Ezekiel, 27, 22. ― Inside. See Ezekiel, 27, 15.― Tharsis. See Isaiah, 2, 16.
38.15 from the northern reaches. See verse 6.
38.16 I will sanctify myself in you. Ezekiel 20, 41.
38.20 See Matthew 24:29; Luke 21:25.
38.21-22 against him ; that is, Gog, named in verse 18.
39.1 Gog, prince, etc. See this passage, Ezekiel, 38, 2. ― Mosoch, Thubal. See Ezekiel, 27, 13.
39.2 from the northern reaches. See Ezekiel, 38, 6.
39.7 I will make known, etc.; by the defeat of the enemies.
39.9 They will burn, etc.; that is to say, there will be such a large quantity of shields, etc., in the country that they will be used for heating for a long time. In these hot countries, fires are not very common. Seven ; several. The Hebrews quite often used this word to mean an indeterminate number.
39.11 The sea of Gennesaret or Tiberias, according to those who believe that this refers either to the victory that Simon, one of the brothers of Judas Maccabeus, won over the unfaithful nations in Galilee, or to all those that Judas and Jonathan won at the same time in the land of Gilead; or to the Mediterranean Sea, according to those who see in the prophecy the rout of the armies of Cambyses on his return from Egypt, this fierce and cruel prince having died and been buried in Ecbatana, at the foot of Mount Carmel, precisely to the east of the Mediterranean, where was the great passage to go from Assyria and all the northern countries, into Palestine and the southern regions, and vice versa.
39.12 He will bury them ; to obey the law (see Numbers, 19, vv. 11, 16; Deuteronomy, 21, vv. 1-2, 23), and to avoid the infection that such a large number of dead bodies could have caused. ― Seven. See verse 9.
39.14 After seven months, etc.; that is to say, after we have buried for seven months, we will start again this search, which will not be necessary before, because during the seven months we will encounter victims of death at every step.
39.27 I will have sanctified myself in them. See Ezekiel, 20, 41.
39.28 See Ezekiel 36:23. over there ; that is to say, among the nations. cf. Ezekiel, 36, 24.
40 Scholars acknowledge that this chapter presents the greatest difficulties. It should therefore come as no surprise if, after our explanations, much remains to be clarified, both regarding the precise meaning of words and the construction of sentences.
40.1 and following IIe Section: The New Kingdom of God, from chapter 40 to chapter 48. — This second section, although composed several years after the preceding prophecies, is closely connected with them. The first temple is destroyed; but God will restore his ancient sanctuary, see Ezekiel, Ezekiel has already told us, in chapter 37:26-28, that a new temple worthy of the Lord will be built and that he will take possession of it, as he will now tell us in chapter 43. The people of Israel will also recover their homeland, as the Prophet foretold (see Ezekiel, 37:25, and as he now develops it throughout. The last nine chapters describe the kingdom of God, the restoration of the Jewish religion and nationality. In a magnificent vision, Ezekiel is transported to the Holy Land in the twenty-fifth year of the captivity, the fourteenth year after the capture of Jerusalem (574), and there God shows him in advance what he will accomplish in the future: the new temple, the new worship that will be offered to it, and the new division of Palestine. This threefold subject forms the basis of the three subdivisions of the last section: 1. The future temple, from chapter 40 to chapter 42; 2. Worship, from chapter 43 to chapter 46; — 3. The happiness of the land of Canaan and its division among the twelve tribes, chapters 47 and 48. — This last part of Ezekiel has always been considered the most difficult to understand and explain. Some have understood it literally, others purely allegorically. Among the latter are most of the Church Fathers who studied it: they interpreted everything allegorically, unable to find a literal meaning in the Prophet's words. — To grasp the true meaning of these prophecies, one must distinguish between the various chapters. The last ones, which describe the future division of the Holy Land, chapters 47 and 48 (and probably also those that deal with the worship that will be given to God in the future, from chapter 43 to chapter 46), should certainly not be taken literally; These are merely symbols with a much higher meaning. The prophecy of the new kingdom of Israel undoubtedly foretells the return from captivity; but that is not its primary purpose: its main aim is to depict the reign of the Messiah and the blessings he will bring to the world. It is clear that the spring of the temple, chapter 47, verses 1-12, is merely a metaphor; the new land of Israel, the new Jerusalem, separated from the temple, which chapter 48 presents, are also purely symbolic. The interpretation given by the Church Fathers of this passage is indisputable. As for the temple itself, as described from chapter 40 to chapter 43, many have interpreted it as merely a symbolic temple, but it seems more natural to understand the Prophet's language literally on this point. He begins by describing real things, and then gradually rises from the real to the symbolic, from the edifice that the Jews will build after the end of the captivity to the reign of the Messiah.
40.1 At the beginning of the year ; That is to say, in the first month of the sacred year, which was the seventh month of the civil year. It began at the new moon of March, according to the rabbis, but it was more likely at that of April. The hand of the Lord. See Ezekiel, 1, 3. ― in that place ; in the city, in Jerusalem.
40.2 Most Church Fathers and exegetes recognize that this building represents, under mysterious symbols, the Church of Jesus Christ.
40.3 and following 1. The New Temple, from chapter 40 to chapter 42. — After briefly indicating in the introduction to the vision, chapter 40, verses 1 to 4, the time, place, and purpose for which it was granted to him, Ezekiel begins the description of the temple. — 1. He first describes the enclosures and courtyards with the gates and the dwellings, verses 5 to 47; — 2. then the sanctuary with its dependent buildings, from chapter 40, verse 48, to chapter 41, verse 26; — 3. finally, the buildings intended for the priests' meals after the sacrifices and for the storage of the priestly garments, chapter 42. — "The temple described to us by Ezekiel is, in all likelihood, the same one he had seen before his captivity and which had been burned by the Chaldeans fourteen years before this vision." Comparing the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles with Ezekiel, we notice the same dimensions in the rooms they describe; for example, the temple, or the place that included the sanctuary and the Holy Place, the vestibule in front of the temple—all of this is of equal size in both Kings (1-2 Samuel) and Ezekiel; the interior ornaments of the temple are all the same. In both, we see two courtyards, one inner for the priests and the other outer for the people. Therefore, there is reason to believe that in all other respects, Ezekiel's temple resembled the ancient temple, and that God's purpose, in recording his ideas in the prophet's memory, was to preserve the memory of the plan, dimensions, ornaments, and entire structure of this divine edifice, so that upon their return from captivity, the people could more easily rebuild it according to this model. The prophet's dedication to describing this edifice was a source of hope for the Jews that they would one day be delivered from captivity and see the temple rebuilt and their nation restored to its former inheritance. Ezekiel touches rather lightly on the description of the temple, or the house of the Lord, which included the Holy Place and the sanctuary, described in detail in the books of Kings (1 Samuel 1-2; Kings 1-2). He elaborates more on the gates, galleries, and chambers of the temple, which the history of the Kings had either not mentioned or only noted in passing. (CALMET.)
40.3 A man ; that is to say, an angel in the form of a man.― The staff measures 3.12 m and the cubit 52 cm.
40.5 The house ; that is to say, the temple.
40.6 The door that looked, etc. There were four great gates in the temple: the eastern gate, the one facing north, the southern gate, and the one on the western side.
40.7 The lodges (or rooms) were used to house the gatekeepers and guards. There were three on each side of the vestibule (see verse 10) and they were separated from each other by a wall 5 cubits thick.
40.13 The door ; that is to say, the space between one door and the other.
40.16 Palm trees ; but in relief, sculpted or chiseled, as it is said in verse 26. They were kinds of columns or pilasters which adorned the dividing wall, located between each room of the vestibule.
40.17 The forecourt is called outside, in relation to the priests' courtyard, called the inner courtyard. ― Rooms ; In several of these were stored the things necessary for the service of the temple, for example, wood, salt, wine, oil, etc., for sacrifices, and where the priests lodged during their service. Thirty rooms ; fifteen of which were apparently to the right of the vestibule and fifteen to the left.
40.20 From the outside forecourt ; that of the Israelites, who were between the court of the Gentiles and that of the priests. Compare to verse 17.
40.26 palm trees at its pilasters. Compare to verse 16.
40.30 five cubits wide. According to verses 15, 21, 25, 29, 33, and 36, which are parallel to this one, it should read fifty.
40.31 its vestibule, etc.; one passed through this vestibule to go from one courtyard to the other.
40.38 That's where we washed the feet and intestines of the animals that were to be burned as holocausts.
40.39 For sin, etc. cf. Leviticus, 5, 15; 6, 17; 7, 1; Numbers, 18, 9.
40.46 See Ezekiel, 43, 19; 44, 15; 48, 11.
40.49 Columns. A description of it can be found in 1 Kings 7, verse 15 and following; 2 Chronicles 3, verse 15 and following.
41.1 He (the Angel). See Ezekiel, 40, 3) in measures, etc. cf. Ezekiel, 40, 5.
41.5 From the house ; that is to say, of the temple.
41.9 the temple itself; it was surrounded to the north, west and south, by chambers which formed a second building.
41.19 From the house ; that is to say, of the temple.
42.1 He ; That is to say, the angel. See Ezekiel, 40, 3. ― The outer forecourt ; the priests' courtyard, called here the outer courtyard in relation to the temple enclosure.
42.2 He measured ; cf. Ezekiel, 40, 5.
42.13 Things most holy ; This expression refers to the meat of the sacrificial victims that had been offered on the altar and that only the priests had the right to eat, and only within the temple. cf. Leviticus, 6, verse 25 and following. ― For sin. See Ezekiel, 40, 39.
42.16 He measured, etc. see Ezekiel, 40, 5.
43.1 and following 2. The New Worship, from chapter 43 to chapter 46. — 1. When the new temple is finished, God takes possession of it. «The Lord appears, and he fills the house with his own glory, to show,» says Theodoret of Cyrrhus, “that not only will it be built, but also that it will be filled with divine power.” He announces to the Prophet that Israel will no longer profane his name, but will be faithful to his worship, chapter 43, verses 1 to 12. — 2. A new altar of burnt offerings will be erected; its measurements are given and the sacrifices to be offered for its inauguration are indicated, verses 13 to 27. — 3. The rules of the new worship are then outlined; We learn what the place is and what the duties of the princes are, chapter 44, verses 1 to 4, of the Levites and priests who serve the altar and the Holy Place, verses 5 to 31; — 4° what sums will be due to the ministers of the sanctuary and to the prince, after the future division of the country, chapter 45, verses 1 to 17; — 5° what sacrifices must be offered on the Sabbath days, the new moons, the feasts and every day, from chapter 45, verse 18 to chapter 46, verse 15. — 6° Finally, God regulates the property rights of the prince, chapter 46, verses 16 to 18, and outlines the plan of the kitchens intended for cooking the flesh of the victims offered on his altar, verses 19 to 24.
43.1 He ; That is to say, the Angel. See Ezekiel 40, 3.
43.2 The glory of the God of Israel, like the majesty of the Lord (see verse 4), it is the divinity manifesting itself in a sensible way, as in chapters 1, 8 and 9.
43.3 See Ezekiel 1:1.
43.7 Their prostitution ; That is to say, in the language of the prophets, their idolatries.
43.10 That they are confused ; upon seeing its grandeur and majesty. ― Of their sins, which were the cause of its destruction.
43.12 The law, etc.; the rule that must be observed when building the house of God.
43.15 Harel – Ariel ; is the name of the upper part or hearth of the altar. ― Four horns. cf. Exodus, 27, 2 ; 29, 12 ; Leviticus, 4, vv. 7, 18.
43.17 a kind of parapet all around the pit, which could mainly serve to collect the blood of the victims and prevent it from spilling into the vestibule. — As Mosaic law forbade priests to ascend to the altar by steps, so that their nakedness would not be exposed (see Exodus, (20, 26), Jewish exegetes claim that, by degrees, here we must understand an ascent of a gentle slope. The historian Josephus also says that in the temple repaired by Herod one ascended to the altar on the south side by an easy ramp which rose gently to the top.
43.19 To the Levite priests ; That is, from the tribe or race of Levi. There were no ordinary Levites in the family of Zadok, which was one of the priestly families. For sin. cf. Ezekiel, 40, 39.
43.20 This is addressed not to Ezekiel, but to the priest who was to consecrate at the altar. See Exodus, 29, 16; Leviticus, 16, 18.
43.21 you will take, etc. cf. Leviticus, 4, 12; 6, 30; 16, 27. ― outside the sanctuary ; outside the temple precinct, but nevertheless on the mountain where it is built.
43.22 A young goat ; who is still suckling his mother. cf. Daniel 8, vv. 5, 8, 21). ― For sin ; sacrifice offered in expiation of sins.
43.26 will dedicate; either the victims to be offered as sacrifices, or the sacred instruments of their ministry, were placed in their hands.
43.27 The peaceful hosts offered to God to praise Him, to acknowledge Him as sovereign Lord; in thanksgiving, out of pure devotion, to fulfill a vow. See Leviticus, 3, 12; 7, 12; 19, 5.
44.2 it will be closed during the six days of the week, but it shall be opened on the Sabbath days and the first days of the month. cf. Ezekiel, 46, verse 1 and following.
44.3 The kings of Judah had a special place in the temple, a kind of tribune opposite the eastern gate of the priests' court.
44.4 Home ; means the temple, here and throughout the chapter.
44.5 The sanctuary is also put, as throughout the chapter, for the temple.
44.10 The Levites ; that is to say the priests themselves, descendants of Levi (cf. Ezekiel, 43, 19), which Jeroboam led into his schism and idolatry.
44.11-14 The prophet describes the humiliating condition of these corrupt priests.
44.13 Near the most holy things. cf. Ezekiel, 42, 13.
44.15 As for the priests and Levites, the sons of Zadok. See Ezekiel, 43, 19.
44.16 who will place the breads of the proposition on my table.
44.17 Wool, in fact, could come from an animal with some defect, or from a dead animal; the sheep was, moreover, a pure animal.
44.18 Underwear. cf. Exodus, 28, 42.
44.19 When they come out, etc. cf. Ezekiel, 42, 14. ― will not sanctify the people, etc.; they will not put the people in the position of having to sanctify themselves, that is to say, to purify themselves; for the lay people who touched the sacred garments were obliged to purify themselves and atone for their sin.
44.22 See Leviticus 21:14.
44.26 We'll count on him, etc.; before he fulfills his duties.
44.28 See Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 18:1.
44.30 See Exodus 22:29.
44.31 See Leviticus 22:8.
45.1 Several exegetes have rightly observed that the division of the land of Israel did not take place after the return from the Babylonian captivity, as the Lord prescribes in these last chapters, either because the Jews were prevented from doing so by their enemies, or because God intended for us to understand that all these things were figurative and were to be fully realized only in the Christian Church, and in a spiritual way; as the best exegetes have thought. spell ; A well-established expression in the distribution of inheritances, but one which does not apply here, since this division takes place in the order and under the direction of God himself. Elbows. Verse 2 seems to prove that this was the measure used in the division of the land mentioned in the following account. Holy ; that is to say, consecrated to the Lord.
45.5 In the house ; in the temple.
45.10-11 The epha for grain and the bath for liquids are equivalent to approximately 40 liters.
45.11 The Cor corresponds to the Homer (for grain) which is equivalent to approximately 400 liters.
45.12 See Exodus 30:13; Leviticus 27:25; Numbers 3:47. — The century weighed 16 grams. mine It weighed 800 grams, or 50 shekels. (cf. Jerusalem Bible 1949)
45.15 peaceful sacrifices, also called Eucharistic, These were done either to thank God for the graces received from him, or to ask him for new ones.
45.18; 45.21 THE first month. See Ezekiel, 29, 17.
45.19; 45.22; 45.23 For sin. cf. Leviticus, 5, 15; 6, 17; 7, 1; Numbers, 18, 9.
45.23 A goat. See Ezekiel, 43, 22.
45.24 flour. cf. Exodus, 29, 40; Numbers, 15, vv. 4, 6, 9. ― the Hin is "one-sixth of a bath, about 6 liters". See Ezekiel, 4, 11.
46.1-2 The portico, etc. cf. Ezekiel, 44, 1-3.
46.2 peaceful sacrifices. See Ezekiel, 45, 15.
46.5; 46.7, etc. Hin. See Ezekiel, 4, 11.
46.5 Flour epha. See Ezekiel, 45, 10. cf. Exodus, 29, 40; Numbers, 15, vv. 4, 6, 9.
46.11 Easter, Pentecost, of Tabernacles.
46.17 See Leviticus, 25, 10-11.
46.19 He ; that is to say, the angel. Ezekiel 40, 3.
46.20 For sin, etc. cf. Leviticus, 5, 15; 6, 17; 7, 1; Numbers, 18, 9. ― sanctify the people. See Ezekiel, 44, 19.
46.24 that is to say, intended for the people.
47 The division of the land of Israel, as prescribed at the end of this chapter and in the following one, did not have a literal fulfillment upon the return of the Jews to Judea under the Persian kings, nor could it have, since the greater part of the twelve tribes did not return, and the foreign peoples who occupied Samaria were not expelled. This, therefore, remains a mysterious and symbolic description; and since it primarily concerns the twelve tribes of Israel, it appears that this division will only find its full realization in the future conversion of the Jews, with regard to whom all this must be understood, not in the literal and immediate sense, but in a spiritual sense veiled by the letter.
47.1 and following 3. The New Partition of the Holy Land, chapters 47 and 48. — 1. It is not only Jerusalem and the Temple that will be returned to Israel, but the entire Holy Land, once again fertile. It will become like the earthly paradise, as the prophet had already foretold, see Ezekiel, 36:35; a magnificent vision now symbolizes the new happiness of the ancient land of Canaan. In the old temple there was a spring that served the needs of worship; its waters, after being used by the priests, flowed through underground channels into the Kidron Valley and from there into the Dead Sea. God makes this spring, transfigured in the eyes of the prophet, see Joel 3, 18; Zacharie 14, 8, the emblem of messianic bliss, this living water of salvation that Jesus Christ will bring to the world, see Jeans 4, 14; 7, 37-38; The trickle of water from Mount Moriah swells and becomes a great river; it softens the salty waters of the Asphaltite Lake and makes its desolate shores verdant and fertile—a beautiful image of the marvelous changes the Gospel will bring to the world (chapter 47, verses 1-12). 2. The land of Israel, thus regenerated, will again be divided among the twelve tribes (chapter 47, verse 13 to chapter 48). 1. The Prophet first reveals to us the boundaries of this new kingdom, destined to be divided between the children of Israel and the proselytes who have joined them (chapter 47, verses 13-23). 2. He then lists, in an ideal distribution, the share of each of the twelve tribes (chapter 48, verses 1-29). 3. Finally, the vision and the entire book of his prophecies conclude with the description of the capital city of the new kingdom, whose name will be the-Lord-is-here, v.30 to 35.
47.1 From the house ; that is to say, of the temple. ― Water was coming out, etc. All exegetes agree that these waters were never actually in the temple, in the way they are described here. Therefore, according to all the Church Fathers, they must be understood as referring to the grace of Jesus Christ, the doctrine of the Gospel, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the sacred waters of baptism. Jesus Christ compared his doctrine to a spring of water. He himself said that he was the fountain of life. See Isaiah, 12, 3; Jeans, 4, 13-14; 7, 38.
47.10 Nets will be spread out. See Ezekiel, 26, 5. ― The great sea ; The Mediterranean, mentioned in several subsequent verses, is the Mediterranean Sea. From Engaddi to Engallim. Saint Jerome places Engallim at the point where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea. Engaddi was situated on the western shore of this sea, roughly equidistant from its northern and southern ends.
47.11 To the west of the Dead Sea, there are many completely barren areas because they are covered with salt.
47.12 These trees mysterious figures can represent the righteous, whom David represents under the same symbol (see Psalms, 1, 1-3).
47.13 See Psalms, 15, 6.
47.15 Hethalon, Sedad ; unknown cities. There is a city of Sadad north of Damascus, but it is unlikely to be Sedad.
47.17 the sea, the sea Mediterranean.
47.18 the eastern sea, the Dead Sea.
47.19 Thamar ; city south of the Dead Sea. ― At the waters, etc. See Number 20, 1 et seq.; 34, 5.
48.1-35 Summary of Ezekiel's final prophecies. It will be helpful to gather together, as if in a single table, the scattered features in Ezekiel's last great vision, from chapter 46 to chapter 48, and in the prophecies concerning the restoration of Israel, from chapter 34 to chapter 37. When God has settled the Israelites brought back from captivity in the land of Canaan, they will form a single people ruled by his servant David, that is, the Messiah. They will divide the Promised Land among themselves again, in the following manner: In the middle, they will leave an area roughly one-fifth of Palestine for the new temple and its ministers, as well as for the capital and its builders; on both sides, properties will be reserved for the prince. The temple will be built in the center, on a high mountain; it will occupy, with its dependencies, an area of 500 square cubits; The priests' possessions, 25,000 cubits long by 10,000 cubits wide, will be south of the Temple; those of the Levites to the north; those of the prince to the east and west; the capital will be located south of the priestly land. The rest of the land will be divided among the twelve tribes, seven in the north, five in the south, so that each tribe extends from the Jordan or the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean. The foreigners who live among Israel will receive their share like the children of Jacob; the Gentiles will be part of the Messiah's kingdom and will share in the blessings of the Gospel. — The people thus restored to the Holy Land must, following their prince, go to honor God in his Temple at the solemn feasts and offer him their gifts. The prince, at all the feasts, will be required to offer the victims for the sacrifices; the people will owe him for this the 60e part of the wheat harvest, the 100e part of the oil and the 200e flocks. The service of the altar and the Holy One can only be performed by the priests of Zadok's line, who remained faithful to the Lord when Israel sacrificed to idols; all the other children of Levi will be employed in lesser ministries; the uncircumcised will no longer enter the temple. When Israel worships its God in this way, it will be filled with the most abundant blessings: a spring of living water will flow from the threshold of the temple into the Jordan Valley and make the bitter waters of the Dead Sea sweet; its banks will be covered with fruit trees, bearing their fruit every month; their leaves will never wither and will themselves be useful. These are, in other images, the blessings of the coming of the Messiah, already foretold by Isaiah and the other prophets, the announcement of the marvelous changes that the Redeemer will bring about in the world by making fruitful, with the dew of his grace, the earth previously rendered barren by sin.
48.8 The cubit and the cane. See Ezekiel 40, 3.
48.19 The ministers, etc.; that is to say, workers and artisans of all kinds may come from the different tribes to work in the city; while the priests and Levites will be in Israel, like a noble and distinguished race (see Exodus, 19, 6), which should only concern itself with the worship of the Lord, the study of his law, and the instruction of the people.
48.28 Thamar, etc. See Ezekiel, 47, 19. ― The great sea ; That is to say, the Mediterranean. Cadès. See Numbers 20.1.
48.35 the-Lord-is-here. This name has never suited Jerusalem except imperfectly and for a very limited time. Only the Catholic Church can truly bear it, since it is to her alone that Jesus Christ promised, in the person of his apostles, to be with her until the end of the world (see Matthew, 28, 20).
