
{1}1{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{R}_{I}1_{/}On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth 
year when I was with the exiles by the river Kebar, the heavens 
opened and I had visions from Yahweh.
{R}_{I}2_{/}On the fifth of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile 
of King Jehoiakin) {R}_{I}3_{/}the word of Yahweh came to Ezekiel, son of 
Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans by the banks of the 
Kebar. 
There the hand of Yahweh was upon me.

{N}EZEKIEL SEES THE GLORY OF YAHWEH{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{I}4_{/}I looked: a windstorm came from the north bringing a 
great cloud. A fiery light inside it lit up all around it, while 
at the center there was something like a glowing metal.
{I}5_{/}In the center were what appeared to be four creatures with the 
same form; {I}6_{/}but each had four faces and four wings. {R}_{I}7_{/}Their 
legs were straight and their feet were like those of a calf, 
shining like polished bronze. [=]_{I}8_{/}Under their wings (on their 
four sides) they had human hands. The wings of one {I}9_{/}touched 
those of the other. Their faces did not turn as they advanced, 
because they were able to go forward in any of the four directions 
of their faces.
[=]_{I}10_{/}I saw they had human faces; but each one also had the 
face of a lion on the right, and on the left the face of an ox, 
and all four had the face of an eagle.
{I}11_{/}Their wings were spread upwards. Each had two wings meeting 
those of its neighbor and two covering its body; having four faces 
they could advance in any of the four directions. {R}_{I}12_{/}Wherever 
the spirit would go, they went without turning as they advanced.
{I}13_{/}Between these creatures could be seen glowing coals like 
torches moving between them. The fire blazed and flashed from 
thunderbolts. {I}14_{/}The creatures ran to and fro like thunderbolts.
{I}15_{/}While I looked at the creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground 
beside each of them, {I}16_{/}glittering as if made of chrysolite. The 
four wheels had the same shape: indeed each was double - two 
wheels placed crosswise, {I}17_{/}so they could follow any of the four 
directions without turning as they went. [=]_{I}18_{/}Their rims were 
lofty and looked terrifying, and the four of them were covered 
with eyes all the way round.
{I}19_{/}When the creatures moved forward the wheels moved along 
beside them and when the creatures rose from the ground the wheels 
rose, too.
{R}_{I}20_{/}Wherever the spirit was to go, there the creatures went and 
the wheels went with them for the spirit of the creatures was also 
in the wheels. {R}_{I}21_{/}When the creatures moved forward they did, 
too, stopping when they stopped, rising above the ground when they 
did, for the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels.
[=]_{I}22_{/}Over the heads of the creatures was a kind of platform; 
it looked like crystal.
{I}23_{/}Under the platform their wings were straight, one parallel to 
the other. (Each creature had two that covered its body). {I}24_{/}I 
heard the noise of their wings when they moved, similar to the 
roar of many waters, similar to the voice of the Most High, the 
noise of a multitude or of a camp. When they were not moving they 
lowered their wings.
{I}25_{/}I heard a noise above the platform over their heads. 
[=]_{R}_{I}26_{/}Above it was a throne resembling a sapphire and high on 
this throne was a figure similar to that of a man. Then I saw a 
light as of glowing bronze as if fire enveloped him {I}27_{/}from his 
waist upwards. And from his waist downwards it was as if fire gave 
radiance around him. 
{I}28_{/}The surrounding light was like a rainbow in the clouds after 
a day of rain. This vision was the likeness of Yahweh's Glory. On 
seeing it I fell on my face and then I heard a voice speaking.

{N}EZEKIEL RECEIVES HIS MISSION{/}

{1}2{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}He said to me, "Son of man, stand up for I am about to speak 
to you." {R}_{I}2_{/}A spirit came upon me as he spoke and kept me 
standing and then I heard him speak, 
[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}"Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a 
people who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have 
sinned against me to this day. [=]_{I}4_{/}Now I am sending you to 
these defiant and stubborn people to tell them 'this is the Lord 
Yahweh's word.'
[=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}So, whether they listen or not this set of rebels will 
know there is a prophet among them. [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}But you, son of man, 
do not fear them or what they say, for they will be as thorns for 
you and you will be sitting on a nest of scorpions. Don't be 
afraid of their words when you are facing this set of rebels. 
{I}7_{/}Tell them what I say whether they choose to listen or not, for 
they are rebels. {R}_{I}8_{/}Listen then, son of man, to what I say and 
don't be a rebel among rebels. Open your mouth and take in what 
I'm about to say."
[=]_{I}9_{/}I looked and saw a hand stretched out in front of me 
holding a scroll. {I}10_{/}He unrolled it before me; on both sides 
were written lamentations, groanings and woes.

{1}3{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}He said to me, "Son of man, eat what is given to you. Eat 
this scroll and then go; speak to the people of Israel." [=]_{I}2_{/}I 
opened my mouth and he made me eat the scroll and then {I}3_{/}he said 
to me, "Eat and fill yourself with this scroll that I'm giving 
you." I ate it and it tasted as sweet as honey.
{R}_{I}4_{/}He said, "Son of man, go to the Israelites; speak to them 
with my words. [=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}Indeed it is not a people with a difficult 
foreign language to whom you are sent; it is to the people of 
Israel. {I}6_{/}It's not to the many nations with difficult and 
obscure languages which you cannot understand. If I sent you to 
them they would listen to you.
{I}7_{/}But the Israelites will not listen to you because they are not 
willing to listen to me; all of them are defiant and stubborn of 
heart. [=]_{I}8_{/}See I am making your face as unyielding as theirs 
and your forehead as hard as theirs. {I}9_{/}I am making your forehead 
as hard as a diamond, harder than flint; so you shall not fear or 
tremble because of this set of rebels."
{R}_{I}10_{/}He said to me, "Son of man, listen and take to heart all I 
say to you, {I}11_{/}and then go to the exiles, your fellow 
countrymen, speak to them and tell them: 'This is what Yahweh 
says,' whether they listen or not."
{R}_{I}12_{/}Then the spirit lifted me up; behind me I heard a great 
acclamation, "Blessed be the Glory of Yahweh in his dwelling 
place" {I}13_{/}and I heard the noise of the animals' wings brushing 
against each other, and the noise of the wheels; it was a great 
uproar.
{R}_{I}14_{/}The spirit had lifted me up, and carried me off but I went 
in a bitter and feverish spirit because the hand of Yahweh was 
heavy upon me. {I}15_{/}I came to Tel Abib to the exiles living by the 
river Chebar and I stayed there seven days with them, overwhelmed.

{N}"I HAVE MADE YOU A WATCHMAN"{/}

[\u0095]_{I}16_{/}After seven days the word of Yahweh came to me, 
[=]_{R}_{I}17_{/}"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the House of 
Israel. With the word you hear from my mouth you will warn them in 
my name. {R}_{I}18_{/}When I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' if 
you do not speak to warn the wicked man to give up his evil ways 
and so live, he shall die for his sin, and I will hold you 
responsible for his death. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}But if you have warned the 
wicked man and he has not given up his wickedness and evil ways, 
he shall die for his sin but you will save yourself. 
[=]_{R}_{I}20_{/}When the righteous man turns from what is good to do 
evil I shall put an obstacle in his path: he shall die. Since you 
did not warn him, he will die for his sin. His good deeds will not 
be remembered and I shall hold you responsible for his death. 
{R}_{I}21_{/}But when you have warned the righteous man to keep him from 
sinning and he has not sinned, he will live for sure for he was 
warned and you will save your life."

{N}EZEKIEL BECOMES MUTE{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{I}22_{/}The hand of Yahweh was upon me and he said to me,"Get 
up! Go to the valley and there I shall speak to you."
{I}23_{/}I got up and went towards the valley and there was the Glory 
of Yahweh that I had seen by the Chebar river. I fell on my face. 
{R}_{I}24_{/}Then the spirit came to me and kept me standing; He spoke to 
me and said; "Go! Shut yourself in your house. {R}_{I}25_{/}You, son of 
man, will be bound with cords and prevented from going among the 
people. {I}26_{/}Your tongue shall stick to your palate and you will 
remain dumb and not be able to rebuke them for they are a 
rebellious people. [=]_{I}27_{/}But when I speak to you I shall open 
your lips and you shall say to them: This is the word of Yahweh! 
He who listens, let him listen and he who refuses to listen, let 
him refuse for they are a rebellious people.

{N}EZEKIEL PLAYS WAR{/}

{1}4{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Son of man, take a clay tablet; place it in front of you and 
draw on it the city of Jerusalem. {I}2_{/}Then act as if you were 
laying siege to it; dig a trench round it and build a ramp; set up 
tents and a battering ram against it. {R}_{I}3_{/}Take an iron pan; place 
it as a wall of iron between you and the city and look towards the 
city: it is under siege and you are besieging it. All this will be 
a sign for the people of Israel.
{R}_{I}4_{/}Lie on your left side, taking upon yourself the sin of 
Israel, for you will bear their sin as long as you are lying on 
it. {R}_{I}5_{/}I have assigned to you a number of days equal to the 
duration of their sins - for a hundred and ninety days you will 
bear the sin of Israel.
[=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}When you have completed this you shall lie down again on 
your right side and bear the sin of Judah for forty days - one day 
corresponding to a year. {R}_{I}7_{/}Then you shall turn your face and 
your bared arm towards the siege of Jerusalem and prophesy against 
it. {I}8_{/}I shall bind you with cords to prevent you from turning 
from one side to the other until you have completed the days of 
your confinement. {I}9_{/}Take some wheat and barley, some beans, 
lentils, millet and spelt; put it all in one vessel and make some 
bread; this is what you will eat all the time you are lying on 
your side - one hundred and ninety days.
{I}10_{/}The food you eat will be a daily ration of eight ounces a 
day; {R}_{I}11_{/}you will drink two thirds of a quart of water each day. 
{I}12_{/}Eat the food as you would a barley cake. You will cook it 
publicly on human dung, [=]_{R}_{I}13_{/}for that is the way - says 
Yahweh - the people of Israel will eat unclean bread among the 
nations where I shall drive them."
[=]_{R}_{I}14_{/}I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! I have not been defiled: from 
childhood until now I have never eaten any animal found dead or 
torn; unclean meat has never entered my mouth."
{I}15_{/}He then said, "Very well! I allow you cow dung in place of 
human dung for baking your bread." {R}_{I}16_{/}He continued, "Son of 
man, I shall cut off the food in Jerusalem. They will eat 
strictly-rationed bread with anxiety and despair as they drink 
water sparingly, {R}_{I}17_{/}for food and water will be in short supply 
and they will all waste away because of their sin.

{N}SLAUGHTER AND DEATH IN JERUSALEM{/}

{1}5{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor 
on your head and beard. Then take scales and divide the hair you 
have cut off. {I}2_{/}Burn a third of it in the middle of the city at 
the end of the siege, then take a third that you will strike with 
the sword all around the city; finally scatter a third in the wind 
and unsheathe a sword and pursue them. {I}3_{/}Take a few strands of 
hair and tuck them away in the folds of your clothes; {R}_{I}4_{/}then 
throw some of them to burn in the fire. Then speak against all 
Israel:
{R}_{I}5_{/}This is what Yahweh said: That is Jerusalem! I placed her in 
the midst of the nations surrounded by other countries; {I}6_{/}she 
rebelled against my laws and my precepts more than neighboring 
nations. In fact she rejected my laws and did not keep my decrees.
{I}7_{/}That is why Yahweh speaks thus: Your rebellion is greater than 
that of the nations around you - you have not kept my laws, 
respected my decrees or observed my ordinances but instead have 
conformed to the laws of neighboring nations - {I}8_{/}because of that 
Yahweh speaks thus: I too have set myself against you. I will pass 
judgment on you in the sight of the nations. {I}9_{/}And because of 
your abominations I will punish you in a way I have never before 
done and never will do in the future. {I}10_{/}That is why fathers 
among you will eat their children and children their fathers. I 
will pass judgment on you and scatter your remnant to every wind.
{I}11_{/}Therefore as surely as I live, declares Yahweh, because you 
have defiled my sanctuary with all your horrors and abominations, 
I will strike you without pity! I too will show no mercy!
{I}12_{/}A third of your people will die of the plague or starve 
within your walls, a third will fall by the sword outside the 
city, a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with sword 
unsheathed. [=]_{I}13_{/}My anger will spend itself, my fury against 
them be satisfied. I will have my revenge and they will know that 
I, Yahweh, have spoken in my jealousy when I have exhausted my 
fury against them. {I}14_{/}I will make you a heap of ruins, a 
reproach among the neighboring nations in the eyes of all who pass 
by. [=]_{I}15_{/}You will be a reproach, a taunt, a lesson, a warning 
and an object of horror for the nations near you when, with anger, 
wrath and stinging reproach, I punish you. I, Yahweh, have spoken.
{I}16_{/}When I send against you the deadly arrows of starvation to do 
away with you and blot you out, I will make you lack all food. 
{I}17_{/}Hunger and wild beasts will destroy your children, while 
sword and plague will visit you. It is I, Yahweh, who have 
spoken."

{1}6{/}

{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me as follows, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, 
look towards the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. 
Say to them:
{R}_{I}3_{/}Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of Yahweh! To the 
mountains and hills, to the rivers and valleys Yahweh has spoken: 
I am going to bring the sword against you and destroy your high 
places. {I}4_{/}Your altars will become desolate, your incense burners 
smashed; {I}5_{/}I will lay your corpses in front of your idols and 
scatter your bones around your altars.
{I}6_{/}Wherever you live, the towns will be in ruins and the high 
places desolate, your altars demolished and defiled, your filthy 
idols smashed and ruined, {I}7_{/}your incense burners knocked all 
around you and you will know that I am Yahweh. {I}8_{/}But I shall 
spare some of you. They will escape the sword and be scattered 
among the nations.
[=]_{I}9_{/}Your survivors then will remember me among the people 
where they are exiled, for I shall break the adulterous hearts of 
those whose eyes lusted after their idols. They will loathe 
themselves for the evil they committed, for all their 
abominations. {I}10_{/}And they will know that I, Yahweh, have not 
spoken in vain in saying I would inflict this disaster on them."
{R}_{I}11_{/}This is what Yahweh said, "Clap your hands, stamp your feet 
and say: Well done! when the people of Israel are falling by the 
sword, famine and plague because of their abominations. {I}12_{/}He 
who is far away will die of the plague, he who is near will fall 
by the sword, whoever survives and is spared will die of 
starvation. Against them I will exhaust my fury. {I}13_{/}And you will 
know that I am Yahweh when their people lie slain in the midst of 
their idols, around their altars, on every high hill, on the 
mountain tops, under every green tree and spreading oak and 
wherever they offered fragrant incense to all their idols. {R}_{I}14_{/}I 
will stretch out my hand against them, I will make their country a 
desolate wasteland from the desert to Riblah, wherever they live; 
and they will know that I am Yahweh."

{1}7{/}

{I}1_{/}This word of Yahweh came to me, {R}_{I}2_{/}"And you, son of man, 
listen to what the Lord says to Israel:
{I}3_{/}Finished! The end is coming for the four corners of the land. 
It is all over for you. I am unleashing my anger against you. I 
will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your 
filthy practices. {I}4_{/}I will not look on you with pity; I will be 
merciless. I will bring against you what is fitting for your 
conduct and your detestable practices and you will know it is 
Yahweh striking you.
{I}5_{/}Thus says Yahweh: Disaster! Disaster is coming! {I}6_{/}The end is 
near! It is your turn, you who live in the country. {I}7_{/}The time 
has come, the day is near! No joy, only panic on the mountains! 
{I}8_{/}Now I am unleashing my fury against you; my anger will exhaust 
itself on you. I will judge you according to your ways and your 
detestable practices. {I}9_{/}I will not look on you with pity; I will 
be without mercy. I will judge you according to your conduct and 
call you to account for your detestable practices. I will not look 
on you with pity and I will show you no mercy. I will give you 
what your conduct deserves. And you will know that I am Yahweh 
when I strike you for your abominable practices.
{I}10_{/}This is the day, the end is coming, the die is cast. For 
insolence has blossomed, pride bears its fruits {I}11_{/}and violence 
reigns. No one will escape.
{I}12_{/}The time has come, the day is here! Let not the buyer rejoice 
or the seller regret, for the punishment will fall upon all. 
{I}13_{/}The seller will not get back what he has sold, even though he 
survives, for the sentence regarding the multitude will not be 
reversed.
{I}14_{/}They may sound the trumpet, make preparations, but no one 
will go to battle, for I am indignant with all. {I}15_{/}Outside in 
the open is the sword; plague and starvation in the houses. Those 
in the country will die by the sword, those in the city will be 
victims of famine and plague. {I}16_{/}Those who escape will go to the 
mountains; they will be like doves, each one moaning because of 
his sin.
{R}_{I}17_{/}Every hand will be limp, every knee as weak as water; 
{I}18_{/}they will put on sackcloth and shudder. All will be covered 
with shame and every head bald.
[=]_{I}19_{/}They will throw their silver in the streets and their 
gold will be dropped like filth. Silver or gold will not save them 
on the day of Yahweh's anger. It will be useless to satisfy their 
hunger and to fill their stomachs, for it was their stumbling 
block, the cause of their sin.
{R}_{I}20_{/}They became proud of their splendid jewel (the Temple), but 
they put into it their loathsome images and idols; that is why I 
will make it a horror. {I}21_{/}I will hand it over as plunder to 
foreigners and as booty to the most wicked of the land, and they 
will defile it.
{I}22_{/}I will take away my protection from them and people will 
profane my treasure. Robbers will enter and desecrate it {I}23_{/}and 
within it there will be massacres, for the land is full of 
violence.
{I}24_{/}I will bring the most cruel of the nations to take possession 
of their houses. I will break the pride of the violent and their 
sanctuaries will be profaned. 
{I}25_{/}Anguish is coming; they will seek peace but there will be 
none. [=]_{R}_{I}26_{/}Disaster will follow disaster, rumor will follow 
rumor. In vain will they demand a vision from the prophet. The 
priest will have no answer; the elders will be unable to advise. 
{R}_{I}27_{/}The king will mourn; the princes will be overcome with 
grief, and the hands of the citizens will tremble.
I will treat them as their conduct deserves and judge them 
according to their deeds, and they will know that I am Yahweh.

{N}THE GLORY OF YAHWEH DEPARTS FROM THE TEMPLE{/}

{1}8{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}On the fifth day of the sixth month in the sixth year, I 
happened to be sitting in my house with the elders of Judah 
sitting in front of me when the hand of Yahweh fell heavily on me.
[=]_{I}2_{/}I looked and saw a being as of fire. Downwards from what 
appeared to be his loins there was the appearance of fire, and 
from his loins upward a brightness like sparkling bronze. 
[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}As he stretched out the form of a hand and took me by my 
hair, the spirit lifted me between heaven and earth and brought me 
in a divine vision to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate 
facing north. There stands the idol which provokes Yahweh's 
jealousy.
[=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}And the Glory of the God of Israel was there, similar to 
the vision I had seen in the plain. {R}_{I}5_{/}He said to me, "Son of 
man, look to the north." I looked in the direction of the north 
and there, to the north of the altar gate, at the entrance, I saw 
this idol which provokes his jealousy. {R}_{I}6_{/}He said to me, "Son of 
man, do you see what they are doing? Do you see the great 
abomination that Israel commits here to drive me from my 
sanctuary? You will see other abominations greater than this."
{I}7_{/}He then led me to the door of the court. {R}_{I}8_{/}He said, "Son of 
man, break through the wall."
I broke through the wall and made an opening. {I}9_{/}He said, "Go in 
and see the wicked abomination they are committing here." 
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}I went in, looked around and saw all kinds of reptiles, 
repulsive beasts and all the filthy idols of Israel portrayed on 
the wall all around.
{R}_{I}11_{/}Before them stood seventy men, elders of Israel, and among 
them was Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan. Each held a censer in his 
hand, and perfume rose from a cloud of incense.
[=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}He said, "Do you see, son of man, what the elders of 
Israel do in the dark, each one in his room of pictures? For they 
think: Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land." 
{I}13_{/}Then he said, "You will see more of their great 
abominations."
[=]_{I}14_{/}He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the 
house of Yahweh and there women were sitting, weeping for Tammuz. 
{R}_{I}15_{/}He said to me, "Did you see, son of man? You will see even 
greater abominations than these."
[=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}And he led me to the inner court of the house of Yahweh 
and at the door to Yahweh's sanctuary, between the porch and the 
altar, were about twenty-five men, their backs to the temple, 
facing east and worshiping the sun. He said to me, {R}_{I}17_{/}"Did you 
see, son of man? Is it not enough for Judah to commit the 
abominations that they commit here? See they are waving the branch 
before their nose. {I}18_{/}I too will act against them in anger; my 
eye will not see with pity and I will be without mercy. Though 
they cry loudly in my ears, I will not hear them."

{1}9{/}

{I}1_{/}Then he shouted loudly in my ears saying, "The punishment of 
the city is near; see each one of these has in his hand his 
instrument of destruction." {R}_{I}2_{/}And six men came from the 
direction of the upper gate which faces north, each one with his 
instrument of destruction. With them was a man clothed in linen 
with writing material at his side. They came and stopped near the 
altar of bronze.
{R}_{I}3_{/}Then the Glory of the God of Israel rose from the cherubim 
where it rested and went to the threshold of the house. Yahweh 
called to the man clothed in linen who had the material for 
writing at his side, [=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}and he said to him, "Pass through 
the center of the city, through Jerusalem, and trace a cross on 
the forehead of the men who sigh and groan because of all the 
abominations committed in it."
{I}5_{/}I heard him say to the others, "Now you may pass through the 
city after him and strike. Your eyes shall not look with pity; 
show no mercy! Do away with them all - {R}_{I}6_{/}old men, young men, 
virgins, children and women - but do not touch anyone marked with 
a cross."
And as they were told to begin with the sanctuary, they struck the 
elders who were in front of the Temple. {R}_{I}7_{/}Yahweh said to them, 
"Let the courts be filled with the slain and the Temple be defiled 
with their blood; go out!"
They went and slew the people in the city. [=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}While they 
were slaying the people, I fell on my face and cried out saying, 
"Ah, Yahweh! Are you going to destroy all that is left of Israel, 
and unleash your fury against Jerusalem?"
{R}_{I}9_{/}He said to me, "The sin of Israel and Judah is very great; 
the land is filled with blood and the city full of perversion. For 
they say: 'Yahweh has forsaken the land; Yahweh does not see.' 
{I}10_{/}I too will be without pity; I will show no mercy and I will 
bring their deeds upon their heads."
{R}_{I}11_{/}Then the man clothed in linen who brought the writing kit 
reported, "I have done what you ordered."

{1}10{/}

[=]_{I}1_{/}I looked and saw that in the expanse over the heads of the 
cherubim there was something resembling a sapphire stone in the 
form of a throne. [=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}He spoke to the man clothed in linen, 
"Enter by the space between the wheels under the cherubim, fill 
your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and 
scatter them over the city." And I saw him as he entered. 
[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}The cherubim stood at the right of the Temple when the 
man entered and the cloud filled the inner court. {R}_{I}4_{/}Then the 
Glory of Yahweh rose from above the cherubim to the threshold of 
the Temple and the Temple was filled with the cloud while the 
court was filled with the radiance of Yahweh's Glory.
{R}_{I}5_{/}The noise of the cherubim's wings could be heard as far as 
the outer court, similar to the voice of God Almighty when he 
thunders. {R}_{I}6_{/}Yet the man clothed in linen had been given the 
order to take the fire from between the wheels, in the space 
between the cherubim; so he went and stood beside the wheel. 
{R}_{I}7_{/}A cherub then stretched his hand towards the fire in the 
space between the cherubim, took some and gave handfuls to the man 
clothed in linen who took them and went out. {I}8_{/}At that moment I 
noticed this human hand under the wings of the cherubim. {I}9_{/}I 
also saw four wheels beside the cherubim, each wheel beside a 
cherub. The wheels resembled sparkling chrysolite. {I}10_{/}As for 
their appearance, the four had the same form; each was formed of 
two wheels placed crosswise, {I}11_{/}so they could move following any 
of their four directions, without turning as they went. {I}12_{/}In 
the direction the cherub's head was turned, the wheels followed 
without turning. Their rims were full of eyes all around. {I}13_{/}In 
my hearing the wheels were called "whirling." {R}_{I}14_{/}(Each one had 
four faces, the first was the face of a cherub, the second the 
face of a man, the third the face of a lion, the fourth the face 
of an eagle. {I}15_{/}The cherubim mounted up - they were the same 
creatures I had seen by the river Chebar).
{I}16_{/}When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved at their side and 
when the cherubim raised their wings to rise above the earth, the 
wheels did not depart from their side. {R}_{I}17_{/}When they stopped, 
the wheels stopped; when they rose, the wheels rose with them, for 
the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
[=]_{I}18_{/}The Glory of Yahweh went from above the threshold of the 
house and went to rest on the cherubim. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}Then the 
cherubim left, opening their wings and rising above the earth in 
my sight, and the wheels went with them. They halted at the east 
gate of the house of Yahweh and the Glory of the God of Israel was 
over them.
{R}_{I}20_{/}These were the living creatures I had seen under the God of 
Israel on the banks of the river Chebar. I recognized them as 
cherubim. {I}21_{/}Each had four faces, each had four wings and they 
had what seemed like human hands under their wings. {I}22_{/}As for 
the appearance of their faces, they were the faces I had seen by 
the river Chebar, the same likeness. Each one went straight ahead.

{N}THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE ARE PUNISHED{/}

{1}11{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Then the spirit lifted me up and brought me to the eastern 
gate of Yahweh's house, the one facing east, and there at the 
entrance to the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw 
Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Peletiah, son of Benaiah, leaders of 
the people. {R}_{I}2_{/}Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, these are the men 
who plot wickedness and give evil counsel in the city. {I}3_{/}They 
say: 'Now there is no need of more houses! The city is the pot and 
we are the meat!' {R}_{I}4_{/}Because of that, prophesy against them, 
prophesy, son of man!"
{R}_{I}5_{/}The spirit of Yahweh seized me and said, "Speak! This is the 
word of Yahweh: I know what you have said, Israel! I know what you 
are thinking. {I}6_{/}You have multiplied your victims in the city; 
you have filled the streets with the slain. [=]_{I}7_{/}That is why 
Yahweh has spoken. The slain you have left in its midst; they are 
the meat, this city is the pot and I will bring you out of it.
{I}8_{/}Yahweh says: Because you are afraid of the sword, I will send 
the sword against you. {I}9_{/}I will make you leave and deliver you 
over to foreigners and I will pass sentence on you. {R}_{I}10_{/}You will 
fall by the sword;
I will judge you on the borders of Israel and you will know that I 
am Yahweh. {I}11_{/}The city will not be like a pot to preserve you, 
nor will you be meat within her. [=]_{I}12_{/}And you will know that I 
am Yahweh, for until now you have not walked according to my 
ordinances; you have not applied my laws, but instead you have 
acted according to the laws of the nations around you."
{R}_{I}13_{/}It happened that while I was prophesying, Pelatiah, son of 
Beniah, died. I fell on my face and cried aloud saying, "Ah, 
Yahweh! Are you to destroy even the remnant of Israel?"
{I}14_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}15_{/}"Son of 
man, these people have said of your brothers, your relatives, and 
all the exiled Israelites: 'They are well far from Yahweh! He gave 
this land to us as our possession.' [=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}Give them therefore 
this word from Yahweh: I myself have sent them far away among the 
nations and scattered them among the peoples, but I have been a 
sanctuary for them in the countries they entered.
{R}_{I}17_{/}For that reason Yahweh says, "I will gather you from among 
the peoples; I will group you together out of the countries where 
you were scattered and give you the land of Israel. {R}_{I}18_{/}When you 
have come back and removed all the horrors and abominations, I 
will give you a new heart; I will put a new spirit in you.
[=]_{I}19_{/}Yes, I will remove their heart of stone and give them a 
heart of flesh, {R}_{I}20_{/}that they may walk in my statutes, observe 
my laws and practice them, and they shall be my people and I will 
be their God. {I}21_{/}As for those whose hearts follow their horrors 
and abominations, I will punish them according to their deeds."
{I}22_{/}Then the cherubim lifted up their wings and the wheels went 
with them. {R}_{I}23_{/}The Glory of the God of Israel was over them.
The Glory of Yahweh rose, leaving the city to rest on the mountain 
that is to the east. {R}_{I}24_{/}At that point the spirit lifted me up 
and brought me to the exiles in Chaldea - all this happened in 
vision by the power of the spirit of God - and the vision I had 
seen left me. {I}25_{/}Then I told the exiles all that Yahweh had 
shown me.

{N}THE PARABLE OF THE EXILE{/}

{1}12{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}This word of Yahweh came to me, [=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, you 
live in the midst of a house of rebels: they have eyes for seeing 
but do not see; they have ears for hearing but do not hear, for 
they are a house of rebels. {R}_{I}3_{/}Because of this, son of man, 
prepare for yourself an exile's baggage in their sight as an exile 
does; and go as an exile to another place in their sight. Would 
that they may understand, because they are a house of rebels.
{I}4_{/}You will gather your things, an exile's baggage, by day to be 
seen by them, and you will leave in the evening as for a departure 
of deportees. While they look on, {I}5_{/}dig a hole in the wall and 
leave from there. {R}_{I}6_{/}As they look on, shoulder your baggage and 
leave in the dark. Veil your face and do not look at the land for 
I have made you a sign for Israel."
{I}7_{/}I did as I was ordered, gathering my things by day, an exile's 
baggage, and in the evening I made a hole in the wall with my 
hand. I left in the dark, in their presence, shouldering my 
baggage.
{I}8_{/}In the morning the word of Yahweh came to me: {R}_{I}9_{/}"Son of 
man, did not the Israelites, these rebels, ask you, 'What are you 
doing there?' {R}_{I}10_{/}Answer them on behalf of Yahweh: This oracle 
concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites remaining 
in the city.
{I}11_{/}Say, 'I am a sign for you,' for what I have done will happen 
to them: They will be deported, exiled. {I}12_{/}The prince among them 
shall shoulder his baggage in the dark and depart. They will dig a 
hole in the wall to let him leave by it. He will cover his face 
because he must not see the land with his eyes. {I}13_{/}I will spread 
my net over him and he will be caught in its mesh. I will bring 
him to Babylon in the country of the Chaldeans but he will not see 
it and it is there that he will die.
{I}14_{/}As for all those who form his court, his guard, his troops, I 
will scatter them to the winds and pursue them with the sword. 
{I}15_{/}They will know I am Yahweh when I scatter them among the 
nations and disperse them in other countries. {I}16_{/}I will however 
allow a small number of them to escape the sword, famine and 
pestilence so they may confess their abominations among the 
nations where they will go and they will know I am Yahweh."
{I}17_{/}This word of Yahweh came to me, {R}_{I}18_{/}"Son of man, trembling 
you will eat your bread and you will drink water in fear and 
anxiety. {R}_{I}19_{/}Say to the people, 'This is what Yahweh says 
regarding those who live in Jerusalem in the land of Israel: In 
fear they will eat their bread and in affliction they will drink 
their water because the land will be desolate, stripped of all it 
contains, due to the violence of its inhabitants. {I}20_{/}Cities that 
were inhabited will become ruins, the country a wasteland and you 
will know that I am Yahweh."

{N}THE WORD OF GOD WILL BE FULFILLED{/}

[\u0095]_{I}21_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}22_{/}"Son 
of man, what do you mean by this proverb: The days pass and the 
visions do not come true? Why do you refer thus to what happens in 
Israel? {R}_{I}23_{/}You shall say to them this word of Yahweh: No more 
of this proverb. It will not be used in Israel, for the day is at 
hand when every vision will be fulfilled. {R}_{I}24_{/}No longer will 
there be false visions or misleading divinations in Israel. 
{I}25_{/}I, Yahweh, will say what I want to say, and my words will be 
fulfilled. There will be no more delay, for it is in your days, 
rebellious people, that I will speak and it will be done - word of 
Yahweh."
{I}26_{/}The word of Yahweh was given me in these terms, {R}_{I}27_{/}"Son of 
man, this is what Israel says: 'Ezekiel's visions refer to the 
distant future; he prophesies for times far off.' {I}28_{/}Therefore 
speak to them: This is what Yahweh says: There will be no further 
delay concerning my words: what I say will be done - word of 
Yahweh."

{N}THE FALSE PROPHETS{/}

{1}13{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me again, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, 
prophesy against the prophets of Israel, against those who 
prophesy on their own initiative. Say: Hear the word of Yahweh! 
{R}_{I}3_{/}This is what Yahweh says: Woe to the senseless prophets who 
follow their own inspiration without having seen anything! 
{R}_{I}4_{/}Your prophets, Israel, are like foxes among the ruins! 
{R}_{I}5_{/}They have not gone up to the breaches nor have they built a 
wall around Israel so that she may hold out in battle on the day 
of Yahweh. {I}6_{/}Their discourse is trickery and lies; they say: 
word of Yahweh when Yahweh has not sent them and yet they wait for 
him to fulfill their word.
{I}7_{/}Is it not a false vision you have seen? Have you not uttered 
lying divinations? You say: oracle of Yahweh when I have not 
spoken. {I}8_{/}But this is what Yahweh says: Because of your false 
and lying revelations I will oppose you, word of Yahweh. {R}_{I}9_{/}My 
hand will strike the prophets whose revelations are delusions, 
whose predictions are lies. They will not be accepted among my 
people's assembly nor will they be inscribed in the register of 
the nation of Israel. They will not reenter the land of Israel - 
and you will know that I am Yahweh.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}These prophets have misled my people saying 'Peace!' 
when there is no peace. The people are building a wall and these 
prophets daub it with whitewash; [=]_{I}11_{/}but say to those who 
daub it with whitewash: The wall will fall. I will send torrential 
rain, huge hailstones and stormy winds, and see: {I}12_{/}the wall 
will fall! Will they not say to you: Where is the whitewash with 
which you daubed it?"
{I}13_{/}That is why Yahweh speaks thus: In my fury I will make a 
violent wind break out and in my anger I will send a torrential 
downpour, and my wrath will hurl destructive hailstones. {I}14_{/}I 
will destroy the wall you daubed with whitewash; I will level it 
to the ground and its foundation will be laid bare. It will fall 
and beneath it you will be utterly destroyed and you will know 
that I am Yahweh. {I}15_{/}I will exhaust my anger against the wall 
and against those who daubed it with whitewash. Then they will say 
to you: Where is the wall and where are those who whitewashed it, 
{R}_{I}16_{/}the prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and who 
had visions of peace when there was no peace?"
{R}_{I}17_{/}Yahweh then said to me, "As for you, son of man, turn 
towards the women of your people who prophesy on their own 
initiative, and prophesy against them. {I}18_{/}You will say: Woe to 
those who make magic bands for all wrists and veils for every size 
of head - those women who ensnare souls! [=]_{I}19_{/}For the Lord 
Yahweh says: You who ensnare the lives of my people, will you 
preserve your own? You have dishonored me among my people for 
handfuls of barley and pieces of bread. Because of you, people die 
who should not die, and people live who should not live. For my 
people listen to you and your lies."
{I}20_{/}That is why Yahweh speaks, "I hate the wrist bands with which 
you ensnare souls like birds. {I}21_{/}I will tear your veils and free 
my people from your hands. No more will they fall into your hands 
and you will know that I am Yahweh. {I}22_{/}You have disheartened 
with lies the righteous whom I would never dishearten, and you 
have strengthened the wicked, that he might not turn away from his 
evil ways and so save his life. {R}_{I}23_{/}Because of that I will no 
longer let you have false visions or practice divinations. I will 
free my people from your clutches and you will know that I am 
Yahweh."

{N}I WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO CONSULT ME{/}

{1}14{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Some of the elders of Israel came and sat in front of me. 
{I}2_{/}Then the word of Yahweh came to me, {R}_{I}3_{/}"Son of man, these 
men are keeping in their heart and remain attached to what makes 
them sin. Am I to allow them to consult me? {R}_{I}4_{/}Speak to them on 
my behalf: To every Israelite who goes to a prophet while he keeps 
filthy idols in his heart and is attached to what makes him sin, 
I, Yahweh, will give the answer his many idols deserve.
{R}_{I}5_{/}For I want to take hold of Israel's heart, the heart of all 
those who have strayed from me because of their filthy idols.
{R}_{I}6_{/}So then say to the people of Israel: Thus says Yahweh: come 
back, turn away from your filthy idols; turn your face away from 
all your abominations. {R}_{I}7_{/}If a man of the people of Israel or a 
guest staying in Israel strays away from following me and goes to 
a prophet to consult me while he keeps idols in his heart and 
remains attached to what makes him sin, I, Yahweh, will answer him 
myself. {R}_{I}8_{/}I will turn my face against this man, I will make of 
him a proverbial example, I will strike him from the midst of my 
people and you will know that I am Yahweh.
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}If the prophet lets himself be seduced and gives an 
answer, it will be I, Yahweh, who will have let him be seduced. I 
will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my 
people Israel.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}They will be responsible for their sin. The prophet will 
be as guilty as the one who consulted him, {R}_{I}11_{/}that the people 
of Israel may no longer stray from me. Instead of defiling 
themselves with all their transgressions, they will be for me a 
people and I will be their God - word of Yahweh."
{I}12_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}13_{/}"Son of 
man, when a nation sins against me by being unfaithful, I will 
stretch out my hand against it, deprive it of bread, and famine 
will destroy men and animals. {R}_{I}14_{/}But if there were found in the 
land these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, they would save their 
lives because of their righteousness - word of Yahweh.
{I}15_{/}If I also let wild beasts roam the land to deprive it of 
children so that it becomes a desolation without a passerby 
because of the beasts, {I}16_{/}if these three men were in the land, 
as I live, word of Yahweh, they would not save their sons or 
daughters but only they themselves would be spared while the land 
would be made desolate.
{I}17_{/}The same would happen if I brought the sword against this 
land and ordered the sword to go through the land destroying men 
and animals. {I}18_{/}If these three men were in the land, as I live, 
word of Yahweh, they would not save sons and daughters but they 
themselves would be spared. {I}19_{/}Or if I sent pestilence to the 
land and poured out my fury against it in bloodshed in order to 
destroy men and animals, {R}_{I}20_{/}if Noah, Daniel and Job were in the 
land, as I live, word of Yahweh, they would not save sons or 
daughters, but their own lives would be spared because of their 
righteousness."
{R}_{I}21_{/}Now this is what Yahweh says, "Although I have sent my four 
great punishments, sword, famine, wild beasts and plague against 
Jerusalem to destroy men and animals, {R}_{I}22_{/}there are survivors, 
sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come to you 
here, and when you see their way of life and their deeds, you will 
no longer be shocked at the disaster I brought on Jerusalem and at 
everything that happened to her. {I}23_{/}They will set your mind at 
rest when you see their conduct and you will realize that not in 
vain was all that I did in the city - word of Yahweh."

{N}ISRAEL: THE USELESS VINE{/}

{1}15{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}This word of Yahweh came to me, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, in what 
way is the wood of the vine superior to that of any other tree in 
the forest? [=]_{I}3_{/}Do they take its wood to make anything? Do 
they use it to make a peg for hanging a tool?
{I}4_{/}But now they have used it as fuel and the fire has burned it 
at both ends leaving the middle charred. Is it then of any use? 
[=]_{I}5_{/}If it was of no use when it was whole, of even less use 
will it be when burnt in the fire."
{R}_{I}6_{/}That is why Yahweh speaks thus, "I took the vine from among 
all the trees of the forest, and I gave it to the fire to be 
burned. This is how I have just dealt with those living in 
Jerusalem.{I}7_{/}I will turn my face against them. Though they 
escaped from the fire, the fire will burn them and you will know 
that I am Yahweh when I turn against them. {I}8_{/}I will make the 
land desolate because they have been unfaithful - word of Yahweh."

{N}THE UNFAITHFUL BRIDE{/}

{1}16{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, make known to Jerusalem its sins. {R}_{I}3_{/}You say on my behalf: 
Your beginning was in Canaan; there you were born. Your father was 
an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. {R}_{I}4_{/}On the day you were 
born your cord was not cut, you were not bathed in water to make 
you clean, you were not rubbed with salt nor were you wrapped in 
cloth. {I}5_{/}There was no one to look with pity on you or 
compassionate enough to give you any of these attentions. You were 
left exposed in the open fields because you were looked upon with 
disgust on the day you were born.
{I}6_{/}But I passed by and saw you immersed in your blood. I said to 
you in the midst of your blood, "Live!" {I}7_{/}I made you grow like a 
plant of the field. [=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}You grew up and became tall and were 
becoming of marriageable age. Your breasts were formed and your 
hair had grown but you were naked and exposed. I passed by later 
and saw you were at the age of love and spread part of my garment 
over you to cover your nudity. I made a covenant with you with an 
oath - word of Yahweh - and you were mine. {R}_{I}9_{/}Then I bathed you 
in water, I cleansed you of your blood and anointed you with oil. 
{I}10_{/}I clothed you with embroidered cloth and put soft leather 
sandals on your feet. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you 
with silk. {I}11_{/}I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on 
your arms, a necklace around your neck {I}12_{/}and a ring in your 
nose. {I}13_{/}I gave you earrings and a magnificent crown for your 
head. You were adorned with gold and silver; your clothing was 
fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You were fed on finest 
flour, honey and oil; you became very beautiful and rose to be 
queen. {I}14_{/}Your beauty was perfect and your renown spread through 
the nations, because of the splendor I had given you - word of 
Yahweh.
{I}15_{/}But you relied on your beauty; you trusted in your fame and 
you began to give yourself to every passerby like a prostitute. 
{I}16_{/}With some of your garments you made your high places where 
you played the harlot (the like has never been and never will be). 
{I}17_{/}With my silver and my gold and with the ornaments that were 
your splendor and which I had given you, you formed male idols and 
gave yourself to them. {I}18_{/}With your embroidered garments you 
covered them and before them you have placed my oil and my 
incense.
{I}19_{/}My bread which I gave you, the fine flour, the oil and the 
honey with which I fed you, you offered as fragrant incense before 
them, word of Yahweh. {I}20_{/}You took the sons and daughters you 
bore for me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was it not 
enough to prostitute yourself? {I}21_{/}Did you have to slaughter my 
children as an offering to your idols? {I}22_{/}You revel in your 
abominations and prostitution without remembering the days of your 
youth when you were naked and exposed, lying in your blood.
{I}23_{/}Woe, woe to you - declares Yahweh - for all this wickedness! 
{I}24_{/}You built your mounds and made your high places at every 
crossroad. {I}25_{/}At the entrance to every road you built your lofty 
shrines; you defiled your beauty giving yourself to every passerby 
and always increasing your harlotry. {I}26_{/}You gave yourself to the 
Egyptians, your large-limbed neighbors and provoked my anger with 
your increasing promiscuity. {R}_{I}27_{/}And I stretched out my hand 
against you and reduced your territory and gave you over to the 
mercy of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines who were 
shocked by your filthy ways.
{I}28_{/}You played the harlot with the Assyrians as well because you 
were never satisfied. Yes, you played the harlot with them but you 
remained insatiable. {R}_{I}29_{/}Then you multiplied your prostitutions 
in a land of merchants, Chaldea, and even with that you were not 
satisfied. {I}30_{/}Ah! How my anger rose against you, word of Yahweh, 
as you did all that, the work of an accomplished harlot, {I}31_{/}when 
you built your mounds at the entrance to every road and your 
shrines in every square! You were not like a prostitute because 
you scorned payments. {I}32_{/}Adulterous wife! You prefer strangers 
to your husband. [=]_{I}33_{/}All prostitutes receive fees, but you 
gave gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come to you for your 
favors. {I}34_{/}In your prostitution you have been different from 
other women; no one approaches you and whereas you offer payment 
no one gives you any. You are completely different.
{I}35_{/}Therefore harlot, hear the word of Yahweh! {I}36_{/}This is what 
Yahweh says, "For having exposed yourself and uncovered your 
nakedness to your lovers and your abominable idols and because you 
have offered them the blood of your children, because of that, 
{I}37_{/}I will gather all the lovers that found pleasure in you and 
all those you loved, as well as those you hated; I will assemble 
them from all around to come against you and I will strip you 
before them and they will see your nakedness. {I}38_{/}I will judge 
you as adulterous women are judged and as those who shed blood and 
I will bring upon you the blood vengeance of anger and jealousy. 
{I}39_{/}I will hand you over to them; they will tear down your mounds 
and shrines; they shall strip you of your clothes, taking from you 
the ornaments that were your splendor and leaving you naked and 
bare. {I}40_{/}They shall bring a troop against you to stone you and 
gash you with swords. {I}41_{/}Your houses will be burned by fire. 
Sentence shall be passed on you in the presence of many women. I 
will make you cease your prostitutions and you shall no longer be 
hired. {I}42_{/}But when I have exhausted my fury against you, my 
jealousy shall leave you. I will be calm and no longer angry.
{I}43_{/}Because you did not remember the days of your youth and 
roused my anger with all these things, I in turn will make you 
responsible for all you did, word of Yahweh. Have you not added 
detestable deeds to all your other abominations?
{I}44_{/}Every maker of proverbs will say of you: "Like mother, like 
daughter!" {I}45_{/}You are the daughter of your mother who loathed 
her husband and her children, and you are the sister of your 
sisters who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother 
was a Hittite, your father an Amorite. {R}_{I}46_{/}Your elder sister is 
Samaria who with her daughters lives on your left, and your 
younger sister at your right is Sodom with her daughters. {I}47_{/}You 
have followed their ways insanely and given yourself to the same 
abominations. You have been more corrupt than they in every way. 
[=]_{R}_{I}48_{/}As I live, word of Yahweh, Sodom your sister and her 
daughters have not done as you have done.
{R}_{I}49_{/}The sins of Sodom your sister were pride, over-indulgence in 
food, complacency and indifference to the poor and needy. 
{I}50_{/}They were arrogant and did detestable things in my sight. For 
that reason I destroyed them as you have seen. {R}_{I}51_{/}As for 
Samaria she has not committed half of your sins. Your abominations 
are more numerous than hers and in comparison make your sisters 
appear righteous. {I}52_{/}So bear your disgrace, you who have 
committed such detestable sins that have provided excuses to your 
sisters! They appear to be more righteous than you are. Be ashamed 
and bear your disgrace since your sisters seem holy compared to 
you.
{R}_{I}53_{/}When I restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, I 
will restore your own fortunes in their midst, {I}54_{/}that you may 
bear your shame and confusion because they now feel they are 
better than you. {R}_{I}55_{/}When your sister Sodom and her daughters 
and Samaria with hers will return to what they were before, you 
and your daughters will also return to what you were before. 
{R}_{I}56_{/}Had not Sodom your sister become a byword for you in the 
time when you felt proud, {R}_{I}57_{/}before your wickedness had become 
known? But now you have become the taunt of the daughters of Edom 
and all her neighbors, of the daughters of the Philistines who all 
around show their disgust for you. {I}58_{/}You shall bear the 
consequences of your foul behavior and your abominations, word of 
Yahweh.

{N}THAT YOU MAY BE PUT TO SHAME{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}59_{/}For thus says Yahweh: "I will treat you as you deserve, 
you who despised the oath and broke the covenant. {R}_{I}60_{/}But I will 
remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth and make 
in your favor an eternal covenant. {R}_{I}61_{/}You will be mindful of 
your ways and be ashamed when I take your sisters, both the elder 
and the younger, and give them to you as daughters, without 
prejudice to my covenant with you. {R}_{I}62_{/}For I will uphold my 
covenant with you and you will know that I am Yahweh, {I}63_{/}so that 
you may remember, be ashamed and never open your mouth again 
because of your humiliation, when I have pardoned you for all you 
have done, word of Yahweh.

{N}THE KINGS - DAVID'S SONS{/}

{1}17{/}

{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, set a riddle and relate a parable to the people of Israel. 
Yahweh says this:
[\u0095]_{I}3_{/}The great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and 
fine plumage of various colors came to Lebanon and removed the top 
of a cedar. {I}4_{/}He broke off the topmost of the twigs and carried 
it off to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. 
{R}_{I}5_{/}He then took a seed of the land and planted it like a willow 
in fertile soil near abundant water. {I}6_{/}It grew and became a 
splendid vine with spreading branches turned towards the eagle, 
and roots growing deep. It became a vine growing branches and 
producing foliage.
{I}7_{/}But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and 
abundant plumage and the vine twisted its roots and {I}8_{/}its 
branches towards him to be better watered than in the soil where 
it was planted. That vine, however, was able to produce branches, 
bear fruit and develop into a magnificent vine, because it had 
been planted in a good field near abundant water."
{I}9_{/}Yahweh says, "Will the vine prosper? Will the eagle not tear 
out its roots and cut away its fruit so that the foliage will 
wither and the vine dry up? It will not take much effort or many 
people to pull up its roots. {I}10_{/}It has been transplanted, but it 
will not prosper. When the east wind blows, the vine will 
completely wither away. In the soil where it grows it will 
wither!"
{I}11_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, [=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}"Say 
to these rebellious people: Do you not recognize what all this 
signifies? The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and carried the 
king and princes off to Babylon. {I}13_{/}Then he took a member of the 
royal family and made an alliance with him, binding him by oath. 
He also carried off the leading citizens {R}_{I}14_{/}to keep the kingdom 
humble and unable to assert itself, and to oblige the king to 
respect the treaty. {R}_{I}15_{/}But the king rebelled against him and 
sent messengers to Egypt to ask for horses and a powerful army. 
Will he succeed? Will he escape after doing this? Will he escape 
after breaking the treaty? {R}_{I}16_{/}As I live, word of Yahweh, he 
will die in the land of the king who put him on the throne, but 
whose oath he despised, and whose treaty he has broken. There in 
Babylon he will die.
{I}17_{/}Pharaoh will not send a mighty army and throngs of men to 
help him in war when ramps are built and siege works erected to 
kill many people. {R}_{I}18_{/}This king has despised the oath and broken 
the treaty. Because he did all these things after giving his hand, 
he shall not escape!
{I}19_{/}That is why Yahweh speaks thus: "As I live, I will make him 
account for the oath he despised and the treaty he broke. 
[=]_{I}20_{/}I will spread my net over him and he will be caught in 
its mesh. I will bring him to Babylon and there I will demand an 
account of his infidelity to me. {I}21_{/}As for the pick of his 
troops they will fall by the sword; those who survive will be 
scattered to the winds and you will know that I, Yahweh, have 
spoken."
{I}22_{/}Thus says Yahweh: "At the top of the cedar I will take one of 
its uppermost branches, a tender twig and plant it. [=]_{R}_{I}23_{/}On a 
lofty, massive mountain, on a high mountain of Israel I will plant 
it. It will produce branches and bear fruit and become a 
magificent cedar. Birds of all kinds will nest in it and find 
shelter in its branches. [=]_{I}24_{/}And all the trees of the field 
shall know that I am Yahweh, I who bring down the lofty tree and 
make the lowly tree tall. I will make the tree that is full of sap 
wither and the dry tree bloom. I, Yahweh, have spoken and this 
will I do."

{N}IF A SINNER TURNS AWAY FROM SIN, HE WILL LIVE{/}

{1}18{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, 
[=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}"Why are you applying this proverb to the land of Israel: 
'The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are 
set on edge'? 
{R}_{I}3_{/}As I live, word of Yahweh, this proverb will no longer be 
quoted in Israel. [=]_{I}4_{/}All life is in my hands, the life of the 
father and the life of the son are mine. The lives of both are in 
my hands, so the one who sins will die.
{R}_{I}5_{/}Imagine a man who is righteous and practices what is just and 
right. [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}He does not eat in the mountain shrines, or look 
towards the filthy idols of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's 
wife, or have intercourse with a woman during her period; {I}7_{/}he 
molests no one, pays what he owes, does not steal, gives food to 
the hungry and clothes to the naked, {I}8_{/}demands no interest on a 
loan and doesn't lend for interest, refrains from injustice, 
practices true justice, man to man, {R}_{I}9_{/}follows my decrees and 
obeys my laws in acting loyally. Because such a man is truly 
righteous, he will live, word of Yahweh.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}But perhaps this man has a son who steals and sheds 
blood, committing crimes which his father never did. {I}11_{/}Perhaps 
the son eats at the mountain shrines, defiles the wife of his 
neighbor, {I}12_{/}oppresses the poor and needy, steals, neglects to 
pay his debts, looks to the idols, does detestable things, 
{I}13_{/}demands interest on a loan, even practices usury. Will such a 
man live? No, he will not! Because he has committed all these 
abominations he will die: his guilt will fall upon him.
{R}_{I}14_{/}But imagine that such a man has in turn a son who does not 
commit the sins he has seen his father do. {R}_{I}15_{/}He does not eat 
at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel, does not 
defile his neighbor's wife, {I}16_{/}or oppress anyone or ask for a 
pledge on a loan; does not steal; and gives food to the hungry and 
clothing to the naked, {R}_{I}17_{/}turns from injustice, exacts no usury 
or excessive interest, observing my decrees and practicing my 
laws: such a man shall not die because of his father's sins; no, 
he will live!
{I}18_{/}His father instead, who practiced extortion and stole from 
others, will die for his sin, because he did wrong among his 
people.
{I}19_{/}You may say, 'Why does the son not bear the guilt of his 
father?' But the son did what was just and right, observing and 
practicing my decrees; he will live! [=]_{I}20_{/}The person who sins 
is the one who will die. The son will not be held responsible for 
the sin of his father and the father will not be responsible for 
the sin of his son. The righteous deeds of the righteous will be 
to his credit and the sin of the wicked will be charged against 
him.
{I}21_{/}If the sinner turns from his sin, observes my decrees and 
practices what is right and just, he will live, he will not die. 
{I}22_{/}None of the sins he committed will be charged against him; he 
will live as a consequence of his righteous deeds. {R}_{I}23_{/}Do I want 
the death of the sinner? - word of Yahweh. Do I not rather want 
him to turn from his ways and live?
{R}_{I}24_{/}But if the righteous man turns away from what is good and 
commits sins as the wicked do, will he live? His righteous deeds 
will no longer be credited to him, but he will die because of his 
infidelity and his sins.
{R}_{I}25_{/}But you say: Yahweh's way is not just! Why, Israel! Is my 
position wrong? Is it not rather that yours is wrong? {R}_{I}26_{/}If the 
righteous man dies after turning from his righteous deeds and 
sinning, he dies because of his sins. {R}_{I}27_{/}And if the wicked man 
does what is good and right, after turning from the sins he 
committed, he will save his life. {I}28_{/}He will live and not die, 
because he has opened his eyes and turned from the sins he had 
committed.
{R}_{I}29_{/}But you, Israel, say: Yahweh's way is not just! Is my 
position not just? Is it not rather yours that is wrong? 
{R}_{I}30_{/}That is why I will judge you, Israel, each one according to 
his ways, word of Yahweh. Come back, turn away from your offenses, 
that you may not deserve punishment.
{R}_{I}31_{/}Free yourselves from all the offenses you have committed and 
get a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, Israel? 
{R}_{I}32_{/}I do not want the death of anyone, word of Yahweh, but that 
you be converted and live!"

{N}THE LAST KINGS OF JUDAH{/}

{1}19{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}As for you, son of man, intone a lamentation for the 
princes of Israel. {I}2_{/}Say: A lioness among lions was your mother! 
Crouching among the cubs she nursed her whelps. {R}_{I}3_{/}One of these 
she pushed forward and he grew to be a young lion, able to tear 
his prey and become a man-eater.
[=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}But the nations heard about him and he was trapped in 
their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of 
Egypt.{I}5_{/}When she saw that her hope had come to nothing, she took 
another of her cubs and made him a young lion. {R}_{I}6_{/}He strutted 
among the others for he had become a strong lion, able to tear his 
prey and be a man-eater.
{I}7_{/}He destroyed their strongholds and ravaged their towns. The 
country and its inhabitants were alarmed at the sound of his roar. 
{I}8_{/}But the nations came against him from the regions round about. 
They spread their net over him and caught him in their pit. 
{R}_{I}9_{/}They put him in a cage with hooks and brought him to the king 
of Babylon. There he was put in custody so that his roar was no 
longer heard in the mountains of Israel.
{R}_{I}10_{/}Your mother was like the vine of a vineyard planted near 
water. It became fruitful and leafy from being so well-watered. 
{I}11_{/}It produced a vigorous branch that became a royal scepter 
towering above the foliage. It was outstanding for its height and 
its numerous branches.
{I}12_{/}But the vine was uprooted in fury and cast down to the 
ground. The east wind dried it up and stripped it of its fruit. 
Its vigorous branch withered and was burned by fire. {R}_{I}13_{/}It is 
now planted in the desert, in an arid land of drought. {I}14_{/}Fire 
from its stem has destroyed its branches and fruit. No vigorous 
branch or royal scepter has been left.
This is a lament that people will sing.

{N}A SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL{/}

{1}20{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}It happened on the tenth day of the fifth month of the 
seventh year, some men from among the elders of Jerusalem came to 
consult Yahweh and sat in front of me. {I}2_{/}Then the word of Yahweh 
came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}3_{/}"Son of man, say to the elders of 
Israel: This is the word of Yahweh: Do you come to consult me? As 
I live, I will not answer you - word of Yahweh.
{R}_{I}4_{/}Judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Let them know 
about the detestable practices of their fathers. {R}_{I}5_{/}Say to them:
This is what Yahweh has said: The day I chose Israel, I committed 
myself to the descendants of Jacob with an oath. I revealed myself 
to them in the land of Egypt and I swore to them, I am Yahweh, 
your God. {R}_{I}6_{/}On that day I swore to them that I would take them 
out of Egypt to a country I had explored for them, a land flowing 
with milk and honey, the most splendid of lands.
{R}_{I}7_{/}I said to them: Let each one reject the horrors that attract 
him! Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am 
Yahweh, your God. 
{R}_{I}8_{/}But they rebelled against me and would not listen; none of 
them rejected the horrors that attracted them, none abandoned the 
filthy idols of Israel. I then thought of pouring out my fury on 
them, exhausting my anger against them in the land of Egypt. 
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}But for the sake of my Name I relented, lest it be 
profaned in the sight of the nations where they lived, whose 
inhabitants had seen how I revealed myself to the Israelites in 
bringing them out of Egypt.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}So I brought them out of Egypt and led them to the 
desert. {R}_{I}11_{/}I gave them my decrees and made my laws known to 
them, laws by which man lives provided he observes them. {I}12_{/}I 
also gave them my sabbaths to be a sign between us, letting them 
know that I am Yahweh who makes them holy.
{R}_{I}13_{/}But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not 
follow my decrees, they despised my laws by which man lives, 
provided he obeys them; they so profaned my sabbaths that in my 
fury I thought of destroying them in the desert.
{I}14_{/}But again I relented for the sake of my Name, lest it be 
profaned in the sight of the nations who saw me bring them out. 
{R}_{I}15_{/}However I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring 
them to the land flowing with milk and honey that I had given them 
- the choicest of lands - {I}16_{/}because they had despised my laws 
and had not followed my decrees; they had profaned my sabbaths, 
and their heart went after their idols. {R}_{I}17_{/}But I had pity on 
them and did not destroy them; I did not do away with them in the 
desert.
{R}_{I}18_{/}I said to their children in the desert: Do not follow the 
example of your fathers; do not keep their practices and do not 
defile yourselves with their idols. {R}_{I}19_{/}I am Yahweh, your God. 
Follow my decrees, observe my laws and practice them. {R}_{I}20_{/}Keep 
my sabbaths holy and let them be a sign between us and you will 
know that I am Yahweh, your God.
{R}_{I}21_{/}But their children too rebelled against me; they did not 
follow my decrees or observe my laws; they did not carry out these 
laws by which man lives provided he obeys them. They profaned my 
sabbaths and I thought of pouring out my fury on them and 
exhausting my anger against them in the desert.
{I}22_{/}But once more I held back my hand lest my Name be profaned in 
the eyes of the nations that had seen me bring them out. 
{R}_{I}23_{/}However I swore to them in the desert that I would scatter 
them among the nations and disperse them in other lands since they 
had not obeyed my laws, {I}24_{/}but instead had defiled my sabbaths 
and had looked to the idols of their fathers. {I}25_{/}In the meantime 
I gave them statutes that were not good and laws they could not 
live by, {I}26_{/}so that they might be defiled by their gifts. I let 
them offer by fire all their firstborn, in order to shame them and 
let them know that I am Yahweh.
{R}_{I}27_{/}Therefore, son of man, speak to Israel; say to them: This is 
what Yahweh says: Do you not know that your fathers offended me by 
their infidelity? {I}28_{/}I led them to the land I had sworn to give 
them, but whenever they saw a lofty hill or leafy tree they 
offered sacrifices. They provoked me with the offerings they made 
there - appeasing aromas and drink offerings. [=]_{I}29_{/}Then I said 
to them, 'What is this place to which you go?' That is why they 
called it high place.
{R}_{I}30_{/}Say to Israel, thus says Yahweh: Since you follow your 
fathers in lusting after their abominations, {R}_{I}31_{/}in bringing 
your gifts and in sacrificing your children by fire, never ceasing 
to defile yourselves with your idols, am I to answer when you 
consult, Israel? As I live, word of Yahweh, I will not answer you.
{I}32_{/}You have in mind to be like the other nations, worshiping 
wood and stone, but this shall not happen. [=]_{I}33_{/}As I live, 
word of Yahweh, I will rule you with an iron hand, an outstretched 
arm and outpourings of wrath. {R}_{I}34_{/}Then I will bring you from the 
midst of the nations and from the peoples where I have scattered 
you with a strong hand, an outstretched arm and outpourings of 
wrath. {I}35_{/}I will lead you to the wilderness of Syria and 
{R}_{I}36_{/}there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. Just 
as I judged your fathers in the desert of Egypt, {I}37_{/}so will I 
judge you, word of Yahweh. I will make you feel my rod and sort 
you out. {R}_{I}38_{/}I will rid you of rebels; though they go out from 
the land of their exile, they shall not enter the land of Israel 
and you will know that I am Yahweh.
{R}_{I}39_{/}People of Israel, this is what the Lord Yahweh says: Go, 
serve your idols, but in the end you will not refuse to listen to 
me. No longer shall you profane my holy Name with your gifts and 
your idols. [=]_{R}_{I}40_{/}For it is on my holy mountain, the high 
mountain of Israel - word of Yahweh - that all Israel, all in the 
land, shall serve me. {I}41_{/}There I will accept you as a pleasing 
fragrance when I bring you out from the nations and assemble you 
from the lands where you were dispersed, and through you my 
holiness will be shown to the nations.
{R}_{I}42_{/}You will know that I am Yahweh when I lead you to the land 
of Israel, to the land that I swore to your fathers that I would 
give you. {I}43_{/}And there you will remember your ways and all your 
deeds by which you defiled yourselves; and you shall loathe 
yourselves because of your evil ways. {R}_{I}44_{/}You will know that I 
am Yahweh when I deal with you, Israel, for my Name's sake and not 
according to your wickedness and corrupt deeds, word of Yahweh.

{1}21{/}

{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, look towards the south; direct your words to the south and 
prophesy against Forest of the south. {I}3_{/}Say to the forest: 'O 
forest, hear the word of Yahweh: I am kindling a fire that will 
burn every tree, both green and dry; its flame will not be 
quenched but from the south to the north every face will be 
scorched. {I}4_{/}Everyone will see that it was I, Yahweh, who kindled 
it and that it will not be put out." {I}5_{/}This time I said, "Lord 
Yahweh, they say that I am always talking in parables."

{N}MY SWORD IS UNSHEATHED{/}

{I}6_{/}But the word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}7_{/}"Son of 
man, look towards Jerusalem; address your words to the sanctuary 
and prophesy against Israel. [=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}Say to Israel: I come 
against you; I will unsheathe my sword and cut off from you both 
the good and the wicked. {I}9_{/}Yes: against both the good and the 
wicked. My sword is unsheathed against all mortals from north to 
south. {I}10_{/}And all will know that I, Yahweh, have unsheathed my 
sword, and unsheathed it will remain."
{R}_{I}11_{/}And you, son of man, groan in the bitterness of a broken 
heart, groan in their presence. {R}_{I}12_{/}When they say to you, 'Why 
are you groaning?' you will answer: 'Because of what will happen; 
when you hear of it, every heart will melt, every hand become 
limp, every spirit will be faint and knees shall be as weak as 
water.' It is to happen; it has come, word of the Lord Yahweh."
{I}13_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}14_{/}"Son of 
man; prophesy and say on my behalf: The sword has been polished 
and sharpened. [=]_{I}15_{/}It has been sharpened for a massacre. 
{I}16_{/}Yahweh gave it to be polished and seized by the hand. He has 
had the sword sharpened and polished to hand to the executioner.
[=]_{R}_{I}17_{/}Cry out and wail, son of man, for this sword is intended 
for my people and for the princes of Israel. They shall be given 
over to the sword with my people; beat your breast, word of 
Yahweh.
{I}18_{/}-{R}_{I}19_{/}And you, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands! The 
sword will strike and strike again for the slaughter, for the 
massacre. {I}20_{/}Hearts languish and people fall for I have placed 
at every gate the sword for slaughter. {I}21_{/}It has been sharpened 
and shines. O sword! slash to the right, slash to the left, 
wherever you turn. {I}22_{/}For my part I clap my hands and release my 
fury; I, Yahweh, have spoken."
{I}23_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}24_{/}"Son of 
man, mark two roads for the coming of the king of Babylon's sword. 
The two should leave from the same point. {R}_{I}25_{/}At the head of 
each road place a sign, the first directing the sword to Rammah of 
the Ammonites and the second to Judah and the fortified city of 
Jerusalem. {R}_{I}26_{/}The king of Babylon, in fact, is now standing at 
the parting of the ways, at the head of both roads looking for an 
omen. He is shaking arrows, questioning the idols, looking at the 
liver of the victims.
{R}_{I}27_{/}The lot falls upon Jerusalem. Then he raises a warcry, 'Set 
a battering ram at the gates, construct a ramp and erect 
siegeworks.' {R}_{I}28_{/}Those who have sworn allegiance to him in 
Jerusalem do not dare believe it; but he remembers their guilt and 
they are captured. {I}29_{/}That is why Yahweh has spoken: Your evil 
deeds have brought to mind your wickedness and made known your 
sins. And when I remembered you, sin appeared in all your deeds. 
Because of this you will be taken captive.
{R}_{I}30_{/}As for you, dishonored criminal, prince of Israel, the day 
and moment of your punishment has come. [=]_{I}31_{/}They will remove 
your turban, take away your crown. All will be changed: what is 
lowly will be lifted high and what is lofty will be brought low. 
[=]_{I}32_{/}I will make it a ruins, a ruins such as never has been, 
until the one comes whose right it is to rule, the one I shall 
send.
{R}_{I}33_{/}And you, son of man, prophesy and say: This is Yahweh's word 
concerning the Ammonites and their insults. This is what you are 
to say: The sword is unsheathed for the slaughter, polished and 
flashing for the work of destruction. {R}_{I}34_{/}Beware of your false 
visions and lying omens, when your sword is laid to the necks of 
the wicked for their time has come and their punishment is near. 
{I}35_{/}People of Ammon, put back the sword in its shealth. In your 
own place, in the land of your birth you will be judged. {I}36_{/}I 
will pour out my wrath on you, against you I will breathe the fire 
of my fury and hand you over to brutal men, experts in 
destruction. {I}37_{/}You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will 
be spilled throught the land and you shall be remembered no more 
for I, Yahweh, have spoken."

{N}THE SINS OF JERUSALEM{/}

{1}22{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, will you judge them? Will you judge the city of blood? Charge 
her with all her detestable practices. {I}3_{/}Say: This is Yahweh's 
word: City of bloodshed, your hour has come. You who made your own 
idols to defile yourself, you are nearing your last days, the end 
of your years has come. {I}4_{/}That is why I am making you an object 
of horror for the nations and a laughing-stock for every country. 
{I}5_{/}Those both near and far will mock you, for your name is 
defiled and you are full of tumult. {R}_{I}6_{/}The leaders of Israel, 
each according to his strength, have one intent - to shed blood. 
{R}_{I}7_{/}In you, Israel, father and mother are treated with contempt, 
in you the alien is oppressed, the fatherless and the widow are 
wronged. {I}8_{/}You have despised my holy things and profaned my 
sabbaths.
{I}9_{/}In you, men slander to shed blood; in you, they go to eat on 
the hill sanctuaries and act shamefully. {I}10_{/}In you are those who 
defile their father's bed, in you are those who violate women when 
they are unclean. {R}_{I}11_{/}One man commits a detestable offense with 
his neighbor's wife, another shamefully dishonors his daughter-in-
law, another violates his own sister, his father's daughter.
{I}12_{/}In you, men accept bribes to shed blood. You exact interest 
and usury and you rob and exploit your neighbor, and you have 
forgotten me. It is Yahweh who speaks.
{I}13_{/}See, I will clap my hands at your dishonest profit, and the 
blood you have shed. Will your courage hold out, will your hands 
be steady when I shall come against you? {I}14_{/}I, Yahweh, have 
spoken and I will act accordingly. {I}15_{/}I will scatter you among 
the nations, I will disperse you in other countries to rid you of 
your uncleanness.
{I}16_{/}Then you will be dishonored in the eyes of the nations and 
you will know that I am Yahweh."
{I}17_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, 
[=]_{R}_{I}18_{/}"Israel has become for me like dross; some were like 
silver, bronze, tin, iron and lead; but in the furnace only dross 
is left. {R}_{I}19_{/}The Lord Yahweh has spoken: This is how I am 
gathering you together in Jerusalem. [=]_{I}20_{/}As they place 
silver, bronze, iron, lead and tin in the fires of a furnace to be 
smelted, so in my anger will I assemble you, put you in the 
furnace and smelt you. {R}_{I}21_{/}I will gather you in Jerusalem, stir 
up the fire of my wrath and smelt you in it. {I}22_{/}As silver is 
smelted in the furnace so will you be smelted and you will know 
that I, Yahweh, have poured out my fiery wrath against you."
{I}23_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}24_{/}"Son of 
man, say to Jerusalem: You are a land without rain, a land without 
a shower on a day of wrath, {I}25_{/}a land where the princes have 
been like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour people; 
they take treasures and precious objects and increase the number 
of widows.
{R}_{I}26_{/}Your priests have broken my laws and have profaned my holy 
things. They have made no distinction between what is holy and 
what is common; they have not taught what difference there is 
between the clean and the unclean. They have ignored my sabbath 
and I have been dishonored by them.
{I}27_{/}The officials of the city are like wolves who tear their 
prey, shedding blood and killing people for unjust gain. 
[=]_{R}_{I}28_{/}As for the prophets, they whitewash everything by means 
of false visions and lying predictions, saying: 'Yahweh has 
spoken' when Yahweh has not spoken. {I}29_{/}The lords of the land 
have practiced extortion and robbery, oppressing the poor and 
needy, molesting the alien and denying him justice.
{R}_{I}30_{/}I looked for a man among them to build a wall and stand on 
the breach to protect the land lest I destroy it, but I found 
none. [=]_{I}31_{/}So I have poured out my wrath against them; I have 
destroyed them in the heat of my fury bringing down on their heads 
all they have done - it is Yahweh who speaks."

{N}OHOLAH AND OHOLIBAH{/}

{1}23{/}

{I}1_{/}The word of the Lord Yahweh came to me in these terms, 
{R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same 
mother. {R}_{I}3_{/}They became prostitutes in Egypt, even from their 
youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and caressed. 
{R}_{I}4_{/}The elder was called Oholah, her sister Oholibah. Both of 
them were mine and they gave me sons and daughters. Oholah is 
Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
[\u0095]_{I}5_{/}Oholah was mine when she played the harlot; she lusted 
after her lovers, the Assyrians, {I}6_{/}warriors dressed in purple, 
governors, commanders, desirable young men, riders on horses. 
{R}_{I}7_{/}She offered them her harlotry, to those who were the best of 
Assyria. She dishonored herself with all those for whom she lusted 
and with their idols. {I}8_{/}But she did not forget her harlotry with 
the Egyptians who had lain with her and poured their lust on her 
from the time of her youth. {I}9_{/}That is why I gave her over to her 
lovers, the Assyrians, the object of her lustful desires. 
{I}10_{/}They uncovered her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters 
and slew her. And she became a byword among women because 
punishment had come to her.
{I}11_{/}Her sister, Oholibah, witnessed this but she was even more 
corrupt in her lust and worse than her sister in her prostitution. 
{I}12_{/}She lusted after the Assyrians, governors, commanders, 
horsemen, all desirable young men, and {I}13_{/}I saw how she 
dishonored herself.
Both sisters acted in the same way but she went further than her 
sister. {I}14_{/}No sooner had she seen men portrayed on walls, 
pictures of Chaldeans sketched in vermilion than she lusted after 
these men, {I}15_{/}tightly belted, heads top-heavy with turbans, all 
resembling Babylonian cavalry officers. {R}_{I}16_{/}She sent messengers 
to Chaldea and {I}17_{/}they came to her in the bed of love and 
defiled her with their prostitution. They dishonored her so much 
that she turned from them in disgust.
{I}18_{/}But because she had given herself and exposed her nakedness, 
I too turned from her in disgust just as I had turned away from 
her sister. {R}_{I}19_{/}She multiplied her harlotry recalling her youth 
when she played the harlot in Egypt. {I}20_{/}She lusted after her 
lovers whose bodies were like those of donkeys and whose organs 
resembled those of horses. {I}21_{/}She returned to the shameful 
conduct of her youth with the Egyptians.
{I}22_{/}That is why, Oholibah, thus says Yahweh: I am sending against 
you your lovers from whom you have turned away in disgust and I 
will bring them against you from all sides, {R}_{I}23_{/}Babylonians and 
Chaldeans, men of Pekod, Shoa and Koa and all the Assyrians with 
them, handsome young men, governors, commanders, cavalry officers, 
titled people, all riding horses.
{I}24_{/}They will come against you with chariots, wagons and throngs 
of people who will assail you from all sides with buckler, shield 
and helmet. {I}25_{/}I will put your case before them and they will 
judge you according to their laws. I will release my jealousy 
against you so that they shall deal with you furiously. They will 
cut off your nose and your ears and what is left of you will fall 
by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters and what is 
left of you will be consumed by the fire; {I}26_{/}they will strip you 
of your clothes and ornaments.
{R}_{I}27_{/}I will put an end to your shameful behavior and your 
harlotry dating from your time in Egypt; you will not look towards 
them again and will no longer dream of Egypt. Thus says {I}28_{/}the 
Lord Yahweh: I am handing you over to those you hate, to those 
from whom you turned in disgust. {I}29_{/}They will treat you with 
loathing and take from you everything you have worked for, leaving 
you naked and uncovered and the nakedness of your harlotry will be 
exposed. {I}30_{/}Your shameful conduct and your promiscuity have 
brought this upon you, because you lusted after the nations and 
defiled yourself with their idols.
{I}31_{/}Since you have gone the way of your sister, I will place her 
cup in your hand. [=]_{I}32_{/}Thus says Yahweh: You shall drink your 
sister's cup which is deep and wide. You shall be the butt of 
derision and mockery: the cup holds so much! {R}_{I}33_{/}You shall be 
filled with drunkenness and sorrow; it is a cup of desolation and 
horror, the cup of Samaria, your sister!
{I}34_{/}You will drink and empty it to the dregs, and then tear your 
breasts - for I have spoken, word of the Lord Yahweh."
{I}35_{/}That is why the Lord Yahweh speaks thus: "Since you have 
forgotten me and turned your back on me, you too will pay for your 
immodesty and harlotry!"
[=]_{R}_{I}36_{/}Then Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, will you judge 
Oholah and Oholibah? Confront them with their abominations, 
{I}37_{/}for they have committed adultery and stained their hands with 
blood. They committed adultery with their idols and even 
sacrificed their children - my children - as food for them. 
{I}38_{/}At that time they defiled my sanctuary and profaned my 
sabbaths; {I}39_{/}the same day they sacrificed their children to 
their idols, they entered my sanctuary to desecrate it. This is 
what they did in my house.
{I}40_{/}Both of them sent messages to men who had come from afar and 
they came. You bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and 
decked yourself with jewels. {I}41_{/}You seated yourself on a stately 
couch and beside a table on which you put incense and oil that was 
mine.
{R}_{I}42_{/}The sound of a carefree crowd was heard there because of 
their number, not to mention the people brought in from the 
desert. They put bracelets on the wrists of the women and splendid 
crowns on their heads. {I}43_{/}Then I said about this city, worn out 
and defiled with her adultery: This is indeed harlotry! {I}44_{/}Men 
go to her as one goes to a prostitute. So they went to Oholah and 
Oholibah, the dissolute women!
[=]_{I}45_{/}But upright men will judge as adulterous those who have 
shed blood, for indeed they are adulteresses and blood is on their 
hands."
{I}46_{/}For thus says Yahweh: "Let a great assembly be gathered 
against them! Let them be delivered to terror and spoil! {I}47_{/}The 
assembly will stone them, have them cut in pieces by the sword, 
kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses.
{I}48_{/}I will put an end to debauchery in this land; all the women 
will be warned and no longer will they imitate your immorality. 
{I}49_{/}I will make your immorality fall on your own heads and when 
you receive the punishment of your idolatry, you will know that I 
am Yahweh."

{1}24{/}

{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me on the tenth day of the tenth 
month of the ninth year in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Write today's date, 
this very day, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to 
Jerusalem today. {R}_{I}3_{/}Teach this rebellious people by means of a 
parable: This is what Yahweh ordered me to do: Put the pot on the 
fire; place it there and pour water into it. {I}4_{/}Put in it all the 
pieces of meat, the choice pieces, the leg and shoulder and fill 
it with the best of the bones. {I}5_{/}Take these from the pick of the 
flock. Set wood underneath it in a circle to boil the pieces of 
meat and cook the bones in it."
{I}6_{/}Now this is what Yahweh says, "Woe to the city of blood, to 
the rusty pot with the rust encrusted on it! Let them empty it, 
piece by piece but without sparing anyone, {I}7_{/}for the blood she 
shed is in her midst. She poured it on the rock surface, not on 
the ground where dust would cover it. {I}8_{/}But I will not cover the 
blood that was poured on the bare rock. I shall instead kindle my 
fury and take revenge.
{I}9_{/}That is why the Lord Yahweh speaks thus: Woe to the city of 
blood! {I}10_{/}I will make a great heap of wood! Pile on the wood, 
light the fire, cook the meat well, adding the spice, and let the 
bones burn. {R}_{I}11_{/}Leave the empty pot on the coals that it may 
heat and the bronze grow red-hot to melt the filth inside so its 
rust will be consumed.
{I}12_{/}But the rust is such that not even the fire removes it. 
{I}13_{/}I have tried to cleanse you of the filth of your immorality 
but since you would not be cleansed, you shall not be cleansed 
until I have satisfied my fury against you. {I}14_{/}I, Yahweh, have 
spoken. This will happen; I will act and not relent; I will show 
no pity, no compassion. You shall be judged according to your ways 
and your deeds - word of Yahweh."

{N}EZEKIEL'S WIFE DIES{/}

[\u0095]_{I}15_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}16_{/}"Son 
of man, I am about to suddenly take from you the delight of your 
eyes, but you are not to lament or weep or let your tears flow. 
[=]_{R}_{I}17_{/}Groan in silence and do not mourn for the dead; wear 
your turban, put on your sandals, do not cover your beard or eat 
the customary food of mourners."
{I}18_{/}I spoke to the people in the morning and my wife died that 
evening. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. {I}19_{/}Then 
the people said to me: "Explain to us the meaning of your 
actions." {I}20_{/}I said to them, "The word of Yahweh came to me in 
these terms: {R}_{I}21_{/}'Say to Israel: I am about to profane my 
sanctuary, your pride, the delight of your eyes for which you 
long. The sons and daughters you left behind will also fall by the 
sword, {I}22_{/}but you will do as I have done: you will not cover 
your beard or eat the customary food of mourners; {I}23_{/}you will 
keep your turbans on your heads and sandals on your feet. You will 
not lament or weep. Instead, because of your sin, you will waste 
away and groan among yourselves. {R}_{I}24_{/}Ezekiel will be a sign for 
you. Do as he did and when this happens you will know that I am 
Yahweh.'
{R}_{I}25_{/}Son of man, the day I take their stronghold, the jewel which 
is the delight of their eyes, for which they and their children 
long, [=]_{I}26_{/}on that day a fugitive will come to give you the 
news. [=]_{I}27_{/}That very day you will open your mouth and be able 
to speak to him and you will no longer be silent. You will be a 
sign for them and they will know I am Yahweh."

{C}PROPHECIES AGAINST FOREIGN NATIONS{/}

{N}AMMON, MOAB, EDOM, THE PHILISTINES{/}

{1}25{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {I}2_{/}"Turn 
towards the people of the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 
[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}Say to them on my behalf: This is what Yahweh says: 
Because you mocked when my sanctuary was profaned, when the land 
of Israel was laid waste and the Judeans were exiled, {I}4_{/}I am 
giving you over to the people of the East as their possession; 
they will pitch their camps and settle among you. They will eat 
your fruit and drink your milk. {I}5_{/}I will turn Rabbah into a 
pasture for camels and the towns of the Ammonites into a sheepfold 
and you will know that I am Yahweh."
{R}_{I}6_{/}Thus says Yahweh: "Because you clapped your hands and stamped 
your feet and danced for joy with an evil heart against the land 
of Israel, {R}_{I}7_{/}I will stretch out my hand against you and hand 
you over as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the 
nations; no longer will you be numbered among them. I will destroy 
you and you will know I am Yahweh."
[=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}Thus says Yahweh, "Because Moab said: 'Judah is like all 
the other nations,' {I}9_{/}I will leave Moab unprotected and destroy 
the towns which are her glory: Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, 
Kiriathaim. {I}10_{/}I will give Moab along with the Ammonites as a 
possession to the people of the East so that the Ammonites will 
not be remembered among the nations. {I}11_{/}When I will punish Moab, 
they will know I am Yahweh."
[=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}Word of Yahweh, "Because Edom took revenge on Judah and 
was guilty in so doing, this is what {R}_{I}13_{/}Yahweh says: I will 
stretch out my hand against Edom, destroying men and animals. I 
will make it a ruins from Teman and let them be slain as far as 
Dedan. {R}_{I}14_{/}I will put Israel in charge of my revenge against 
Edom. They will deal with Edom according to my wrath and my fury 
and Edom will experience my revenge" - word of Yahweh.
[=]_{R}_{I}15_{/}Word of Yahweh, "Because the Philistines have taken 
revenge with an evil heart and because of their ceaseless hatred, 
thus says Yahweh: {R}_{I}16_{/}I intend to stretch out my hand against 
the Philistines; I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy the 
rest of the coast. {I}17_{/}I will take terrible revenge and punish 
them in my wrath - then they will know I am Yahweh."

{N}AGAINST TYRE{/}

{1}26{/}

[=]_{I}1_{/}On the first day of the month in the eleventh year, the 
word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, you 
see how Tyre has mocked Jerusalem: 'Aha! the land through which 
the goods of the nations came to me is destroyed; what she 
received will now be mine, I shall prosper while she lies in 
ruins.' {R}_{I}3_{/}Because Tyre said that - word of Yahweh - I am 
against her! I will bring many people against her. They will rise 
like the waves of the sea, {I}4_{/}they will destroy the ramparts of 
Tyre and knock down its towers. I will sweep away the dust, making 
of it a bare rock. {R}_{I}5_{/}She will be in the midst of the sea, a 
place to hang out nets - I, Yahweh, have spoken.
{I}6_{/}Tyre will be plunder for the nations; her villages on dry land 
will be laid waste by the sword and they will know that I am 
Yahweh."
{R}_{I}7_{/}This is what Yahweh says, "From the north I will bring 
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, against Tyre. He will come with 
horses, chariots and cavalry, a vast army and throngs of people. 
{I}8_{/}He will lay waste with the sword your villages on dry land. He 
will set up a siege wall against you and throw up a mound and 
raise a roof of shields against you. {I}9_{/}He will set a battering 
ram to hammer your walls and he will demolish your towers with 
weapons. {I}10_{/}His numerous horses will cover you with dust. The 
noise of the cavalry, the wheels of the chariots and wagons will 
make your walls shake when they enter your gates as one enters a 
town through a breach in its walls.
{I}11_{/}Horses' hooves will trample your streets; he will slay your 
people with the sword and your powerful pillars will crumble to 
the ground. {R}_{I}12_{/}They will plunder your riches and loot your 
merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your 
pleasant houses. Your stones, timber and soil they will cast into 
the sea.
{I}13_{/}I will silence your songs and the sound of your lyres will be 
heard no more. {I}14_{/}I will make a stark rock of you, a place to 
dry fishing nets, and you shall never be rebuilt! - I, Yahweh, 
have spoken.
{I}15_{/}This is a word of Yahweh to Tyre: At the time of your 
massacre, will not the coastlands quake, when the noise of your 
fall and the groaning of the victims is heard? [=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}All the 
princes of the sea will step down from their thrones; they will 
remove their robes and take off their embroidered garments. They 
will put on mourning clothes, sit on the ground, tremble with fear 
and be appalled because of you. {R}_{I}17_{/}They will be amazed on your 
account and will take up this lament:
'How you have perished, vanished from the sea, city of renown! 
Formerly you and your citizens were so powerful on the sea! You 
imposed terror on all {R}_{I}18_{/}but now the coastlands tremble on the 
day of your fall. The islands of the sea are terrified at your 
disappearance.'
{I}19_{/}Thus says Yahweh: When I make you into a city of ruins like 
uninhabited towns, when I make the ocean rise against you and the 
mighty waters cover you, {R}_{I}20_{/}then I will thrust you down with 
those who descend to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will 
throw you into the netherworld, into everlasting loneliness, like 
those who go down to the pit, that you may not return to the land 
of the living. [=]_{I}21_{/}Then you will be an object of horror, and 
even if sought, you will not be found - word of Yahweh."

{N}A LAMENT FOR TYRE{/}

{1}27{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, intone a lament for Tyre and {R}_{I}3_{/}say to her, who is gateway 
to the sea who trades with people on many coasts: This is what 
Yahweh says:
Tyre, you were satisfied with your perfect beauty. {R}_{I}4_{/}Your 
borders were in the heart of the sea and your builders perfected 
your beauty; {I}5_{/}all your planks were made of the wood of fir 
trees, your masts from the cedars of Lebanon and {I}6_{/}your oars 
from the oak of Bashan. Your decks were of cedar from the coast of 
Cyprus inlaid with ivory.
{R}_{I}7_{/}Embroidered linen from Egypt was used for your sails which 
served as your ensign. Your awning was made of blue and purple 
from the coasts of Elishah. {I}8_{/}Your oarsmen were citizens of 
Sidon and Arvad. The most skilled men from Zemer served you as 
pilots, {I}9_{/}veteran craftsmen from Gebal were on board to seal 
your seams. All the ships of the seas with their crews called on 
you to barter for your wares.
{I}10_{/}Persia, Lud and Put served in your army as men of war. They 
brought you splendor and hung their bucklers and helmets on your 
walls. {I}11_{/}The men of Arvad and Helech watched all around your 
walls; men of Gamad guarded your towers and hung their shields on 
your walls completing your magnificence.
{I}12_{/}Tarshish traded with you because of your abundant wealth, 
supplying your markets with silver, iron, tin and lead. 
[=]_{I}13_{/}Javan, Tubal and Mishech trafficked with you, providing 
you with slaves and articles in bronze.
{I}14_{/}People of Togarmah exchanged work horses, war horses and 
mules for your wares. {I}15_{/}The men of Rhodes traded with you and 
many coastlands were your customers; in payment they gave ivory 
tusks and ebony wood. {R}_{I}16_{/}Edom trafficked with you because of 
your many products and provided your markets with turquoise, 
purple fabric, embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral and rubies. 
{R}_{I}17_{/}Judah and Israel sold you wheat from Minnith, millet, honey, 
oil and resin. {R}_{I}18_{/}Damascus traded with you because of your 
abundant wares and provided you with wine from Helbon and white 
wool.
{I}19_{/}Danites and Greeks from Uzal exchanged wrought iron, cassia 
and calamus for your merchandise. {I}20_{/}Dedan supplied you with 
saddle blankets. [=]_{I}21_{/}Arabia and all the princes of Kedar 
carried on a lively trade with you in lambs, rams and goats.
{I}22_{/}Merchants from Sheba and Raamah provided your markets with 
all kinds of high grade spices, precious stones and gold. 
{I}23_{/}Haran, Canneh, Eden, Asshur and Chilmad {I}24_{/}traded with you 
in beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered cloth, colored 
rugs with twisted and tightly-knotted cords. {I}25_{/}The ships of 
Tarshish carried your merchandise.
You lay filled and heavy
in the midst of the ocean.
{R}_{I}26_{/}Your mariners led you to the high sea and the east wind 
wrecked you in the sea.
{I}27_{/}Your riches, wares, merchandise,
your seamen and sailors,
those who repaired your seams,
and assured your trade,
your men of war with all the passengers sank into the depths of 
the sea
on the day of your shipwreck.
{I}28_{/}At the cries of your seamen the coasts quaked {I}29_{/}and the 
oarsmen came from their ships;
sailors and seamen went ashore.
{I}30_{/}They mourn and weep bitterly for you, throw dust on their 
heads and roll in ashes.
{I}31_{/}Because of you they shave their heads and wear sackcloth.
In the bitterness of their hearts they weep and intone a bitter 
lament for you.
{I}32_{/}A funeral song is heard:
Who was like Tyre, now silent
in the midst of the ocean?
{R}_{I}33_{/}How many nations you provided
with the goods unloaded from distant shores!
With your abundant riches and commerce you enriched the kings of 
the earth,
{R}_{I}34_{/}but now you are shattered by the sea, engulfed in its 
depths.
Your wares and all your company have gone down!
{R}_{I}35_{/}All who live on the coasts are appalled because of you,
their kings shudder, and fall prostrate.
{I}36_{/}The merchants of the nations hiss at you,
you are an object of dread.
You have gone forever."

{N}ABOUT THE KING OF TYRE{/}

{1}28{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, [=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}"Son 
of man, say to the prince of Tyre:
You are very proud and self-satisfied:
'I am a god, I sit like a god in the heart of the sea.
Yet you are man and not a god;
would you hold yourself as wise as God?
{R}_{I}3_{/}You consider yourself wiser than Daniel;
no secret is hidden from you.
{I}4_{/}Your wisdom and know-how have earned you a fortune,
gold and silver flowed to your treasury.
{I}5_{/}Clever in trade, you became wealthy
and as your fortune increased,
your heart became prouder.
{R}_{I}6_{/}But now Yahweh has spoken to you,
to the one who is like God:
{I}7_{/}I am bringing foreigners against you,
the most feared of all the nations.
Their sword will challenge your wisdom and debase your refined 
culture.
{R}_{I}8_{/}They will bring you down to the pit
and you will die in the depths of the sea.
{R}_{I}9_{/}Will you be able to say 'I am a god'
when your murderers are killing you?
You are a man and not a god.
{R}_{I}10_{/}You will die the death of the uncircumcised and perish at 
the hands of aliens,
for I have spoken - word of Yahweh."
{I}11_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}12_{/}"Son of 
man, intone a lamentation for the king of Tyre and say to him: 
This is what Yahweh says:
You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
[=]_{I}13{/}You lived in Eden, the garden of God,
and every kind of precious stone adorned you,
ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, 
turquoise and emerald.
The trinkets on your robe were made of gold,
prepared for you on the day you were created.
{I}14_{/}I anointed you a guardian angel
on the holy mountain of God
where you walked amidst the spirits of God.
{I}15_{/}You were perfect in your ways
from the day you were created
until wickedness was found in you.
[=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}Because of your extensive trade
you were filled with violence and sinned;
I then deprived you of your dignity,
driving you away from the mountain of God,
expelling you from among the guardian angels;
{R}_{I}17_{/}your heart was proud because of your beauty.
As your splendor corrupted your wisdom I have cast you down to the 
ground
and exposed you before kings,
a spectacle in their sight.
{I}18_{/}Your many sins and dishonest trade
have filled and defiled your sanctuaries.
Then I made fire break out in you
and reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who 
looked on.
{I}19_{/}The nations who knew you are appalled.
You have become an object of terror; you have gone forever."
{I}20_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, [=]_{I}21_{/}"Look 
towards Sidon and prophesy against her. You will say:
{I}22_{/}Thus says Yahweh: I come against you, Sidon, and I will be 
glorified in you. When I inflict punishment on her and make known 
my holiness, they will know I am Yahweh. {I}23_{/}I will send 
pestilence against her and shed blood in her streets. The sword is 
directed against her from all sides and they will know I am Yahweh 
when the victims fall.
{R}_{I}24_{/}No longer will there be for the people of Israel thorns that 
wound or briers that prick them among their neighbors. Then they 
will know that I am Yahweh.
[=]_{R}_{I}25_{/}Thus says Yahweh: When I gather Israel from among the 
nations where she has been dispersed, I will use them to show the 
nations my holiness and they will live in the land I gave to my 
servant Jacob. {R}_{I}26_{/}They will live safely, build houses and plant 
vineyards. They will live in safety when I punish all those 
neighbors who treated them with contempt and they will know that I 
am Yahweh, their God."

{N}AGAINST EGYPT{/}

{1}29{/}

[=]_{I}1_{/}On the tenth day of the twelfth month of the tenth year 
the word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, 
look towards Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against all 
Egypt. {R}_{I}3_{/}Say: This is the word of Yahweh: I am against you, 
Pharaoh, king of Egypt! Huge monster wallowing in the midst of 
your streams saying: 'The Nile and its canals are mine; I made 
them.' {I}4_{/}I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your 
rivers cling to your scales. I will drag you from your rivers with 
all the fish clinging to your scales. {R}_{I}5_{/}I will throw you and 
the fish of the rivers into the desert. You will fall on the 
ground with no one to lift you up or bury you. I will give you as 
food to the wild beasts and to the birds of the air, and {R}_{I}6_{/}all 
who live in Egypt will know I am Yahweh.
You have been but a staff of reed for Israel. {I}7_{/}When they took 
hold of you, you broke in their hands; you tore open all their 
shoulder; when they leaned on you, you wrenched their backs. 
{I}8_{/}That is why thus says Yahweh: I am bringing the sword against 
you and I will destroy both men and animals. {R}_{I}9_{/}Egypt will be a 
wasteland and a ruins, and the Egyptians will know that I am 
Yahweh when Egypt is made a ruins and a wasteland.
You said: 'The Nile is mine, I made it.' {R}_{I}10_{/}Because of that I 
am coming against you in the midst of your streams. I will reduce 
Egypt to a lonely ruins from Migdal to Aswan and to the border of 
Cush. {R}_{I}11_{/}Neither foot of man nor hoof of animal will tread its 
paths. Egypt will be uninhabited for forty years; {I}12_{/}I will make 
it one of the wastelands and for forty years its cities will be 
numbered among cities in ruins. I will scatter the Egyptians among 
the nations and disperse them in other lands.
{I}13_{/}Thus says Yahweh: After forty years I will gather the 
Egyptians from among the nations where they were dispersed; 
{R}_{I}14_{/}I will bring back Egyptian captives to Pathros, the land of 
their birth. There they will form a small kingdom, {I}15_{/}weaker 
than other kingdoms, no longer strong enough to dominate other 
nations. {R}_{I}16_{/}I will decrease their number, so that they may no 
longer conquer other lands. No longer will Israel be tempted to 
trust in Egypt, nor will they sin by turning to Egypt for help. 
Then they will know that I am Yahweh." 
{I}17_{/}It happened on the first day of the first month of the 
twenty-seventh year that the word of Yahweh came to me in these 
terms:

{R}_{I}18_{/}"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon has mobilized 
his army for an expedition against Tyre. All are worn out, bald-
headed, their shoulders raw, but neither he nor his people have 
received any reward for this campaign against Tyre.
{R}_{I}19_{/}That is why thus says Yahweh: I intend to give Egypt to 
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its riches, 
plunder it and let his army have the loot in place of wages. 
{R}_{I}20_{/}Because these people have worked for me, I will give Egypt 
to them as a reward - word of Yahweh.
{R}_{I}21_{/}On that day I will lift up the nation of Israel, and as for 
you, I will let you speak among them again and they will know that 
I am Yahweh."

{1}30{/}

{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, prophesy and say: This is the word of Yahweh: Moan! Ah! 
{I}3_{/}the day is near; the day of Yahweh is coming! It will be a day 
of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. {R}_{I}4_{/}The sword is 
brought to strike Egypt and anguish will come to Cush. The slain 
will fall throughout Egypt; people will carry off its riches and 
its foundations will be torn away. {R}_{I}5_{/}Cush, Put and Lydia, all 
Arabia, Libya and all the people of the covenant will fall by the 
sword.
{R}_{I}6_{/}This is the word of Yahweh: "Those who support Egypt will 
fall; her haughty power will crumble! From Migdal to Aswan, people 
will be slain, word of Yahweh. {I}7_{/}They will be numbered among 
desolate lands, and her cities among ruined cities. {R}_{I}8_{/}They will 
know I am Yahweh when I set fire to Egypt and when all her allies 
are crushed.
{R}_{I}9_{/}On that day my messengers will leave in ships to shake the 
people of Cush out of their complacency and they will be in 
anguish on the day of the fall of Egypt; for that day is coming.
{R}_{I}10_{/}Thus says Yahweh: I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt 
by means of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and {R}_{I}11_{/}his people 
with him, the most feared among the nations. For I will lead them 
here to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with 
victims. {R}_{I}12_{/}I will dry up Egypt's canals and hand over the 
country to the wicked. I will use the hand of the foreigner to 
make the land and all it contains a waste. I, Yahweh, have spoken.
{R}_{I}13_{/}This is the word of Yahweh: I will destroy the idols and 
wipe out the false gods in Memphis. No longer will there be a 
prince in the land of Egypt and I will put fear in the land. 
{I}14_{/}I will make a wasteland of Pathros, set fire to Zoan and 
inflict punishment on Thebes. {R}_{I}15_{/}I will pour out my fury on 
Pelusium, the fortress of Egypt, and destroy the throngs of 
Thebes.
{R}_{I}16_{/}I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in agony. 
They will enter Thebes through a breach and take her by storm. 
{I}17_{/}The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the 
sword and the women will be taken captive. {R}_{I}18_{/}What a dark day 
it will be in Tahpanhes when I break the leadership of Egypt and 
destroy her arrogant might! As for this city a cloud will cover it 
and her daughters will be taken captive. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}I will inflict 
punishment on Egypt and they will know that I am Yahweh."
{I}20_{/}On the seventh day of the first month of the eleventh year, 
the word of Yahweh came to me, {R}_{I}21_{/}"Son of man, I have broken 
the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. No one has treated it for 
healing or bandaged it to enable him to hold a sword. {R}_{I}22_{/}That 
is why thus says Yahweh: See, I am against Pharaoh, king of Egypt. 
I will break his arms, both the one that is strong and the wounded 
one as well. {I}23_{/}I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations 
and disperse them in other lands. {R}_{I}24_{/}I will strengthen the arm 
of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand; but as for 
Pharaoh, I will break his arms, making him moan like a mortally 
wounded man. {R}_{I}25_{/}Yes, I will strengthen the arm of the king of 
Babylon but make Pharaoh's arm limp. They will know I am Yahweh 
when I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon. {I}26_{/}I 
will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them in 
other lands and they will know that I am Yahweh."

{1}31{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}On the first of the third month of the eleventh year, the 
word of Yahweh came to me, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, say to Pharaoh, king 
of Egypt and to his multitude: Who is comparable to you in your 
greatness? {I}3_{/}You are like a very tall cedar in Lebanon, with 
beautiful branches providing forest shade, with its top among the 
clouds.
{I}4_{/}It grew. The waters made it grow, and the streams ascending 
from the deep springs that watered all the trees of the land 
through the canals, flowed straight to its place. {R}_{I}5_{/}Higher than 
all the other trees, its boughs increased and its branches grew 
larger because of the plentiful water. {I}6_{/}The birds of the air 
nested in its boughs and all the animals brought forth their young 
under its branches. Numerous nations lived in its shade.
{R}_{I}7_{/}It became majestic in height and in the thickness of its 
branches for its roots were turned towards plentiful water. 
{R}_{I}8_{/}The other cedars in the garden of God could not equal it. The 
pine trees could not equal its boughs nor could the plane trees 
rival its branches. No other tree in God's garden was comparable 
to it in beauty. {R}_{I}9_{/}I made it beautiful in the abundance of its 
branches, the envy of the trees in the garden of God in Eden.
[=]_{I}10_{/}That is why thus says Yahweh: Because it grew tall and 
reached the clouds and became proud, {I}11_{/}I will hand it over to 
the ruler of the nations who will treat it according to its 
wickedness. I have rejected it. {I}12_{/}Foreigners, the most terrible 
among the nations, have felled it, cut it down on the mountains: 
its boughs have fallen in all the valleys, its branches lie broken 
in ravines. All the nations have fled from its shade and abandoned 
it. {I}13_{/}The birds of the air alight on its broken boughs and the 
animals are found among its fallen branches. {I}14_{/}This is to 
prevent well-watered trees from attaining such a height and 
reaching the clouds. For all are destined to die and go below 
among those who descend to the pit.
{I}15_{/}Thus says Yahweh: The day the cedar descended to the 
netherworld I made the depths mourn for it. I restrained its 
rivers and held back the abundant waters. Darkness covered Lebanon 
and all the trees of the field were faint. {I}16_{/}The nations were 
shaken at the noise of its fall when I made it depart to the lower 
regions with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees from 
Eden, the finest trees of Lebanon, all that were well-watered were 
comforted in the earth below. {I}17_{/}Those from among the nations 
who lived in its shade, they too went down together to those slain 
by the sword. {I}18_{/}O tree, splendid and glorious, who among the 
trees of Eden was comparable to you? But you were made to go down 
to the lower regions like the other trees of Eden. You lay among 
the uncircumcised people, victims of the sword, you, Pharaoh and 
all your multitudes, word of Yahweh."

{1}32{/}

{I}1_{/}On the first of the twelfth month in the twelfth year, the 
word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Intone a 
lamentation for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. You will say: Lion of the 
nations, you are lost! You were like a monster of the sea, 
thrashing the water in the rivers, stirring and muddying the water 
with your feet.
{I}3_{/}This is what Yahweh says: I will spread my nets over you, and 
an assembly of many nations will haul you up into my net. {I}4_{/}I 
will throw you on the ground, hurl you into the open field and let 
the birds of the air settle on you and the beasts of the earth 
feed on you. {I}5_{/}I will scatter your flesh on the mountains, fill 
the valleys with your remains and {I}6_{/}drench the earth with your 
liquids. When I blot you out, {I}7_{/}the skies will darken and the 
stars become dim; I will veil the sun with a cloud and the moon 
shall not give its light. {I}8_{/}Because of you I will darken all the 
lights in the sky and cover the earth in darkness, word of Yahweh.
{I}9_{/}Many nations will grieve when I spread the news of your fall, 
even people you do not know; {R}_{I}10_{/}their kings will shudder 
because of you when I wave my sword before them. All of them will 
tremble for their life, on the day of your fall.
{R}_{I}11_{/}For thus says Yahweh: The sword of the king of Babylon is 
coming against you. {R}_{I}12_{/}The sword of the warriors, the most 
terrible among the nations will destroy your numerous people. They 
will shatter the pride of Egypt and your multitudes will be 
exterminated. {R}_{I}13_{/}I will destroy all your cattle along the 
shores of the great river, no longer to be trod by man or beast. 
{I}14_{/}And then I will calm their rivers, and their streams will 
flow like oil, word of Yahweh. {R}_{I}15_{/}When I make a wasteland of 
Egypt and destroy its inhabitants, striking all those who live 
there, they will know that I am Yahweh.
{R}_{I}16_{/}This is the dirge which the cities of the nations will chant 
for Egypt and its multitudes - word of Yahweh."
{I}17_{/}On the fifteenth day of the month, in the eleventh year, the 
word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}18_{/}"Son of man, wail 
for the multitudes of Egypt and make them descend to the 
netherworld. {I}19_{/}For I will send them to the land of shadows with 
those who go down to the pit. {R}_{I}20_{/}There they will meet all the 
victims of the sword. Egypt has been taken; she has been dragged 
away with her multitudes. {I}21_{/}The mighty heroes in the 
netherworld together with Pharaoh's allies, will say to her: 'Why 
should you be more favored than others? Come down and make your 
bed with the uncircumcised, with those fallen by the sword.'
{R}_{I}22_{/}Assyria is there with her entire army; she is surrounded by 
the tombs of her victims fallen by the sword. {I}23_{/}Their graves 
are at the bottom of the pit and her army lies around her tomb; 
all those who spread terror in the land of the living have been 
killed by the sword.
{I}24_{/}Elam is there with all her multitude around her tomb, all of 
them slain, fallen by the sword. They are the uncircumcised, who 
have gone down to the lower regions, those who spread terror in 
the land of the living; they bear their shame with those who go 
down to the pit. 
{I}26_{/}Meschech and Tubal are there with the tombs of their 
multitude around them. All these uncircumcised are there pierced 
by the sword, for they spread terror in the land of the living. 
{I}27_{/}They are not lying with the heroes of former times who went 
to the grave with all their gear of war; the heroes whose terror 
filled the land of the living, lie with their swords placed under 
their heads their shields over their bones.
{I}28_{/}You instead will be among the uncircumcised victims of the 
sword.
{R}_{I}29_{/}Edom is there with her kings and princes who despite their 
bravery lie with those fallen by the sword. They are placed with 
the uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit. {I}30_{/}All 
the princes of the north are there and all the Sidonians who have 
gone down in disgrace with the slain, despite the terror caused by 
their power. They are shamed and lie with the uncircumcised, 
victims of the sword. They bear their shame with those who go down 
to the pit.
{I}31_{/}When Pharaoh and all his army see them, he will be comforted 
because of all his multitudes killed by the sword, word of Yahweh. 
{I}32_{/}Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, 
Pharaoh will be laid among the uncircumcised victims of the sword, 
he and his multitudes, word of Yahweh."

{C}THE REESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL{/}

{N}THE PRHOPHET - WATCHAM OF THE PEOPLE{/}

{1}33{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, speak to your people and say to them: Imagine that I bring 
the sword against a country, and the people of that country choose 
one among them to be their sentry. {R}_{I}3_{/}When this man sees the 
sword approach the land, he shall sound the trumpet to warn the 
people; {R}_{I}4_{/}then if anyone hears the trumpet and does not heed 
the warning he shall be responsible for his own death, {R}_{I}5_{/}but 
the man who gave the warning will save his life. {R}_{I}6_{/}On the other 
hand when the sentry sees the sword coming and does not blow the 
trumpet, the people are not warned and some are killed. In that 
case I will hold the sentry responsible and he will answer for the 
victims' death.
{R}_{I}7_{/}For your part, son of man, I have set you as a watchman for 
Israel, and when you hear my word, you must give them my warning. 
{R}_{I}8_{/}When I say to the wicked: 'Wicked man, you shall die for 
sure,' if you do not warn the wicked man to turn from his ways, he 
will die because of his sin, but I will also call you to account 
for his blood. {R}_{I}9_{/}If you warn the wicked man to turn from his 
ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you 
yourself will be saved.
{R}_{I}10_{/}Son of man, you know the people of Israel say: 'We are 
wasting away because of our sin, and our wrongdoing is weighing us 
down. How can we live?' [=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}Say to them: As I live, word of 
Yahweh, I do not want the wicked to die but rather that they turn 
from their ways and live. Turn! turn from your wicked ways! Why, O 
Israel, should you die?
{R}_{I}12_{/}You, son of man, say to your people: The righteous life of 
the upright will not save him on the day he turns to sin and the 
wicked man will not be bound to his wickedness on the day he turns 
from his evil ways; likewise for the upright: he will die. 
{I}13_{/}When I have said to the righteous: 'You will live,' if he 
takes advantage of his righteousness to do evil, his former 
upright life will not be remembered; the evil he is doing will 
make him die. {R}_{I}14_{/}And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will 
certainly die,' but he then turns from his sin and does what is 
just and right, {I}15_{/}gives back what he took as a pledge on a 
loan, restores what he has stolen, obeys the decrees that are 
life-giving and avoids evil, he will live, he will not die. 
{I}16_{/}His life in sin will no longer be held against him. He has 
done what is just and right and because of that he will live.
{I}17_{/}Yet your people say, 'The position of the Lord is not just.' 
On the contrary it is theirs that is wrong. {R}_{I}18_{/}The upright man 
who turns from what is just and right and does evil, shall die; 
{R}_{I}19_{/}and the wicked man who turns from evil to do what is just 
and right shall live! {R}_{I}20_{/}Though you say: 'The Lord's position 
is wrong,' I will judge you, Israel, each one according to his 
ways."
{R}_{I}21_{/}On the fifth day of the tenth month in the eleventh year of 
our exile, a fugitive arrived from Jerusalem to tell me: "The city 
has fallen."
[=]_{I}22_{/}Now the hand of Yahweh had been on me the evening before 
the arrival of the fugitive. When I met him in the morning, Yahweh 
opened my mouth. My tongue was loosened and no longer was I 
silent.
{I}23_{/}The word of Yahweh then came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}24_{/}"Son 
of man, those who remain among the ruins in the land of Israel 
reckon: 'Abraham was alone when he received the land as a 
possession; we are still numerous enough and it is to us that the 
country has been given.'
{I}25_{/}But you will say to them: thus says Yahweh: You eat food with 
blood, you look towards idols, you shed blood, and you want to 
possess the land! {I}26_{/}You lean on your sword, you do what is 
detestable, each one dishonors his neighbor's wife and yet you 
want to possess the land!
{I}27_{/}Say to them: This is the word of Yahweh: As I live, those who 
settled among the ruins will fall by the sword; those in the open 
country I will give as food to the beasts and those in strongholds 
and caves shall die of the plague. {R}_{I}28_{/}I will make the country a 
wasteland, a lonely place. They will no longer lean on their power 
and the mountains of Israel shall be deserted with no one crossing 
them. {I}29_{/}Then they will know that I am Yahweh when I make their 
country a lonely waste because of all the detestable things they 
have done.
{R}_{I}30_{/}Son of man, your people talk about you along the walls and 
at the doors of the houses, each one with his neighbor: 'Come and 
hear the latest word of Yahweh.'
{I}31_{/}They go to you as they go to an assembly and sit in front of 
you. They listen to your words but do not do what you say. Instead 
they continue to lie and look only for their own interest. 
[=]_{I}32_{/}For them you are no more than a singer of lovesongs - a 
beautiful voice accompanied by beautiful music. They listen but do 
not practice what they hear.
{R}_{I}33_{/}But when what is foretold comes true - and it is about to 
happen - they will know that there was a prophet among them."

{N}THE SHEPHERDS OF ISRAEL{/}

{1}34{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, speak on my behalf against the shepherds of Israel! Say to 
the shepherds on my behalf: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who 
feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? {I}3_{/}But 
you feed on milk and are clothed in wool, and you slaughter the 
fattest sheep. You have not taken care of the flock, {I}4_{/}you have 
not strengthened the weak, cared for the sick or bandaged the 
injured. You have not gone after the sheep that strayed or 
searched for the one that was lost. Instead you ruled them harshly 
and were their oppressors. [=]_{I}5_{/}They have scattered for want of 
a shepherd and became prey of wild animals. {I}6_{/}My sheep wander 
over the mountains and high hills; and when they are scattered 
throughout the land, no one bothers about them or looks for them.
{I}7_{/}Hear then shepherds, what Yahweh says: [=]_{I}8_{/}As I live - 
word of Yahweh, - because my sheep have been the prey of wild 
animals and become their food for want of shepherds, because the 
shepherds have not cared for my sheep, because you shepherds have 
not bothered about them but fed yourselves and not the flocks, 
because of that, {I}9_{/}hear the word of Yahweh. [=]_{I}10_{/}This is 
what Yahweh says: I will ask an account of the shepherds and 
reclaim my sheep from them. No longer shall they tend my flock; 
nor shall there be shepherds who feed themselves. I shall save the 
flock from their mouths and no longer shall it be food for them.
[=]_{I}11_{/}Indeed Yahweh says this: I myself will care for my sheep 
and watch over them. {I}12_{/}As the shepherd looks after his flock 
when he finds them scattered, so will I watch over my sheep and 
gather them from all the places where they were scattered in a 
time of cloud and fog. {R}_{I}13_{/}I will bring them out from the 
nations and gather them from other countries. I will lead them to 
their own land and pasture them on the mountains of Israel in all 
the valleys and inhabited regions of the land. {R}_{I}14_{/}I will take 
them to good pastures on the high mountains of Israel. They will 
rest where the grazing is good and feed in lush pastures on the 
heights of Israel. {I}15_{/}I myself will tend my sheep and let them 
rest, word of Yahweh. [=]_{I}16_{/}I will search for the lost and lead 
back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the 
weak, but the fat and strong will be eliminated. I will shepherd 
my flock with justice.
[=]_{I}17_{/}As for you, my flock - says Yahweh - I will distinguish 
between one sheep and another, and set apart rams and goats. 
{R}_{I}18_{/}Was it not enough for you to feed on good pasture? Why did 
you trample under your feet the rest of the pasture? Were you not 
satisfied with drinking clear water? Why did you muddy the rest 
with your feet? {I}19_{/}Must my sheep feed on what you have trampled 
and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
{I}20_{/}That is why thus says the Lord Yahweh to the shepherds: Here 
I am. I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean. 
{I}21_{/}Because with flank, shoulder and horns you butt the weak 
sheep until you have driven them away, {I}22_{/}I will rescue my flock 
and no longer will they be plundered. I will judge between one 
sheep and another.
[=]_{R}_{I}23_{/}Over them I will put one shepherd, my servant David who 
will tend them, pasture them and be a true shepherd for them. 
{R}_{I}24_{/}I, Yahweh, will be their God and my servant David a ruler 
among them. I, Yahweh, have this to say: {R}_{I}25_{/}I will make a 
covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts, so 
that they may live safely in the desert and sleep in forests. 
{I}26_{/}I will settle them on my holy mountain, sending them rain in 
season, showers of rich blessings. {I}27_{/}The trees of the field 
will give their fruit and the soil its produce, while they are 
safe in their land, and they will know that I am Yahweh.
I will break the bars of their yoke and free them from the power 
of those who enslave them. {I}28_{/}No longer will they be plundered 
by the nations or ravaged by wild beasts. They will live in 
security without anyone causing them to fear. {I}29_{/}I will give 
them splendid crops; people will not die of hunger and no longer 
will you be scorned by other nations. {R}_{I}30_{/}This people will know 
that I, Yahweh, am their God and that I am with them and that 
they, Israel, are my people - word of Yahweh. {R}_{I}31_{/}You are my 
sheep, the flock of my pasture, and I am your God, declares 
Yahweh."

{N}AGAINST EDOM{/}

{1}35{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of man, set your 
face against the mountain of Seir, prophesy against it {I}3_{/}and 
say: Thus says Yahweh: I come to strike you, mountain of Seir! I 
have stretched out my hand against you and I will make of you a 
mournful solitude. {I}4_{/}I will reduce your towns to ruins, make you 
a desolation and you shall know that I am Yahweh.
{R}_{I}5_{/}I know your long-standing enmity and how you handed over the 
people of Israel to the sword in the day of their disaster, when 
their sins reached an end. {I}6_{/}Because of that, as I live, word of 
Yahweh, I intend to give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will 
pursue you. {I}7_{/}I will make of the mountain of Seir a mournful 
solitude and destroy all who come and go there. {I}8_{/}The mountains 
will be filled with the slain; the victims of the sword will fall 
on your hills, in your valleys and ravines. {I}9_{/}I will reduce you 
to a desolate ruins forever; no longer will your towns be 
inhabited and then you will know that I am Yahweh.
[=]_{I}10_{/}You said: 'These two nations and these two countries will 
be mine, we shall take possession of them,' and you disregarded 
Yahweh who was there. {I}11_{/}Because of that, as I live, declares 
Yahweh, I will deal with you according to your hatred towards them 
and I will make myself known among them when I judge you. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have heard all the 
insults uttered against the mountains of Israel, such as: 'They 
are devastated and have been given over to us to be devoured.' 
{I}13_{/}For I heard when you boasted against me without restraint.

{I}14_{/}Thus says Yahweh: When all the earth rejoices, you will be 
desolate. {R}_{I}15_{/}Since you rejoiced when the inheritance of Israel 
became a deserted ruins, that is how I will deal with you. You 
will become a desert, Mount Seir, and Edom likewise, and people 
will know that I am Yahweh."

{N}ISRAEL SHALL BE GATHERED TOGETHER{/}

{1}36{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}"Son of man, prophesy regarding the mountains of Israel; say 
to them: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh: 
[=]_{I}2_{/}Your enemies have said: 'Aha! these eternal heights have 
become our possession.' {I}3_{/}People have envied you and ravaged you 
on all sides; other nations have taken possession of you, so that 
you became the subject of talk and gossip. Because of that, 
{R}_{I}4_{/}mountains of Israel, hear this word of Yahweh. Yahweh says to 
the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys, to the 
deserted ruins and the empty towns which have become the plunder 
and target of mockery for other nations around: {R}_{I}5_{/}Truly in the 
fire of my jealousy I will speak against the other nations, namely 
all of Edom, who with glee and malice in their hearts, have taken 
possession of my land and plundered its pastures.
{R}_{I}6_{/}Now you shall prophesy concerning Israel. You shall say to 
the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: This is the 
word of Yahweh who speaks in the fury of his jealousy! Because you 
have suffered the scorn of the nations, {I}7_{/}Yahweh says: I swear 
with uplifted hand, the nations surrounding you will suffer scorn. 
{R}_{I}8_{/}But you, mountains of Israel, you shall bring forth branches 
and produce fruit for my people Israel, for soon they will return.
[=]_{I}9_{/}Indeed, I have turned in your direction and I have bent 
towards you; you will be cultivated and sown with seed. {R}_{I}10_{/}I 
will increase your population in all Israel; the towns will be 
inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. {I}11_{/}Both people and animals will 
increase; they will be fruitful and multiply. I will build up 
their numbers as in the past and they will know that I am Yahweh. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}Men and women of Israel will walk on you again. They will 
take possession of you; you will be their heritage again, and 
never again will you let their children perish."
{I}13_{/}Yahweh speaks, "People say that you devour men and that you 
rob your people of children. {I}14_{/}But never again shall you devour 
men or rob your people of children - word of Yahweh. {I}15_{/}You 
shall no longer hear the mockery of the nations or suffer the 
insults of other lands - word of Yahweh."
{I}16_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}17_{/}"Son of 
man, when Israel occupied her own land she defiled it by her way 
of life and her actions. To me her conduct was like the 
uncleanness of a woman in her period.
{I}18_{/}I poured out my fury on them because of the blood they shed 
in the land and because they defiled it with their filthy idols. 
{I}19_{/}Then I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them in 
other lands. I judged them according to their conduct and their 
actions.
[=]_{I}20_{/}But when they were brought to other nations, my holy Name 
was profaned because others said of them: 'The people of Yahweh 
had to be exiled from his land!' {R}_{I}21_{/}Then I was concerned for my 
holy Name, profaned by Israel among the nations where she had been 
dispersed. Now you shall say to the people of Israel:

{N}A NEW HEART{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{I}22_{/}It is not for your sake that I am about to act, but 
because of my holy Name that you have profaned in the places where 
you have gone. {I}23_{/}I will make known the holiness of my great 
Name, profaned among the nations because of you, and they will 
know that I am Yahweh when I show them my holiness among you.
{I}24_{/}For I will gather you from all the nations and bring you back 
to your own land. [=]_{R}_{I}25_{/}Then I shall pour pure water over you 
and you shall be made clean - cleansed from the defilement of all 
your idols. [=]_{R}_{I}26_{/}I shall give you a new heart and put a new 
spirit within you. I shall remove your heart of stone and give you 
a heart of flesh. [=]_{R}_{I}27_{/}I shall put my spirit within you and 
move you to follow my decrees and keep my laws. [=]_{R}_{I}28_{/}You will 
live in the land I gave your forefathers; you shall be my people 
and I will be your God.
{I}29_{/}I will free you from all your uncleanness. I shall summon the 
wheat and make it plentiful and so keep famine away from you. 
[=]_{I}30_{/}I shall see that the fruits of the earth and the produce 
of the fields are plentiful and that you no longer suffer the 
disgrace of famine among the nations.
{I}31_{/}Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked actions and 
loathe yourselves for the sins you committed and for your 
detestable practices. {R}_{I}32_{/}I want you to know that it is not for 
your sake I am doing this, word of Yahweh. Be ashamed and humbled 
because of your conduct, Israel! {I}33_{/}This is what Yahweh says: 
The day I cleanse you from all your sins, I shall repopulate the 
cities and the ruins will be rebuilt. {I}34_{/}The devastated land 
will be cultivated wherever passersby saw it desolate. 
[=]_{I}35_{/}Everyone will say, 'This devastated land is now a garden 
of Eden and its cities once in ruins and leveled to the ground 
have been rebuilt and populated.' {I}36_{/}And the nations that remain 
around you will know that I, Yahweh, have rebuilt the ruined city 
and replanted what was desolate. I, Yahweh, have spoken and I will 
do it.
{R}_{I}37_{/}Thus says Yahweh: Once again I shall listen to the plea of 
Israel and favor them. I shall make their people as numerous as 
sheep, {R}_{I}38_{/}as numerous as the flock they bring to Jerusalem's 
Temple at the time of her holy days. In the same way the ruined 
cities will be filled with flocks of people and they will know 
that I am Yahweh."

{N}"DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF YAHWEH"{/}

{1}37{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}The hand of Yahweh was upon me. He brought me out and led 
me in spirit to the middle of the valley which was full of bones. 
{I}2_{/}He made me walk to and fro among them and I could see there 
was a great number of them on the ground all along the valley and 
that they were very dry. 
{R}_{I}3_{/}Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live again?" 
I said, "Lord Yahweh, only you know that." {I}4_{/}He then said, 
"Speak on my behalf concerning these bones; say to them: 
Dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh! {R}_{I}5_{/}Yahweh says: I am going 
to put spirit in you and make you live. {R}_{I}6_{/}I shall put sinews on 
you and make flesh grow on you; I shall cover you with skin and 
give you my spirit, that you may live. And you will know that I am 
Yahweh." 
{I}7_{/}I prophesied as I had been commanded and then there was a 
noise and commotion; the bones joined together. {R}_{I}8_{/}I looked and 
saw that they had sinews, that flesh was growing on them and that 
he was covering them with skin. But there was no spirit in them.
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}So Yahweh said to me, "Speak on my behalf and call on the 
Spirit, son of man! Say to the Spirit: This is the word of Yahweh: 
Spirit, come from the four winds. Breathe into these dead bones 
and let them live!"
[=]_{I}10_{/}I prophesied as he had commanded me and breath entered 
them; they came alive, standing on their feet - a great, immense 
army!
{R}_{I}11_{/}He then said to me, "Son of man, these bones are all Israel. 
They keep saying: 'Our bones are dry, hope has gone, it is the end 
of us.' {R}_{I}12_{/}So prophesy! Say to them: This is what Yahweh says: 
I am going to open your tombs, I shall bring you out of your 
tombs, my people, and lead you back to the land of Israel. 
{I}13_{/}You will know that I am Yahweh, O my people! when I open your 
graves and bring you out of your graves, {R}_{I}14_{/}when I put my 
spirit in you and you live. I shall settle you in your land and 
you will know that I, Yahweh, have done what I said I would do."
[\u0095]_{R}_{I}15_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, "Son of 
man, take a piece of wood and write on it: 'Judah and the 
Israelites loyal to him.' {R}_{I}16_{/}Take another piece of wood and 
write: 'Joseph, the branch of Ephraim and the Israelites loyal to 
him.' {I}17_{/}Join one to the other to make a single piece of wood in 
your hand. {I}18_{/}When your people say to you, 'Won't you tell us 
what this means?' {R}_{I}19_{/}say to them: Yahweh says this: I am going 
to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and 
the tribes of Israel loyal to him and put Judah's branch with 
them, and they will be as one in my hand. {I}20_{/}And you will hold 
in your hand in their sight the pieces of wood on which you wrote. 
{I}21_{/}You will then say to them: Thus says Yahweh: I am about to 
withdraw the Israelites from where they were among the nations. I 
shall gather them from all around and bring them back to their 
land. {R}_{I}22_{/}I shall make them into one people on the mountains of 
Israel and one king is to be king of them all. They will no longer 
form two nations or be two separate kingdoms, {R}_{I}23_{/}nor will they 
defile themselves again with their idols, their detestable 
practices and their sins. I shall free them from the guilt of 
their treachery; I shall cleanse them and they will be for me a 
people and I shall be God for them. [=]_{R}_{I}24_{/}My servant David 
will reign over them, one shepherd for all. They will live 
according to my laws and follow and practice my decrees. 
{R}_{I}25_{/}They will settle in the land I gave to my servant Jacob 
where their forefathers lived. There they will live forever, their 
children and their children's children. David my servant will be 
their prince forever.
[=]_{R}_{I}26_{/}I shall establish a covenant of peace with them, an 
everlasting covenant. I shall settle them and they will increase 
and I shall put my sanctuary in their midst forever. [=]_{R}_{I}27_{/}I 
shall make my home at their side; I shall be their God and they 
will be my people. {R}_{I}28_{/}Then the nations will know that I am 
Yahweh who makes Israel holy, having my sanctuary among them 
forever."

{N}GOG AND MAGOG{/}

{1}38{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, {R}_{I}2_{/}"Son of 
man, turn towards Gog of the country of Magog, the chief prince of 
Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him. {I}3_{/}Say to him: Hear 
the word of Yahweh: I come to strike you, Gog, chief prince of 
Meshech and Tubal. {I}4_{/}I will turn you round, fix hooks in your 
jaws and bring you out, you and your entire army, horses and 
riders all perfectly equipped, a great army, all with shields and 
bucklers and brandishing swords. {I}5_{/}Persia, Cush and Put are with 
them, all with buckler and helmet. {I}6_{/}Gomer and all his troops, 
and Bethtogarmah from the far north with his battalions, a vast 
throng, are with you.
{I}7_{/}Get ready, be prepared, you and all your troops massed around 
you, and take command of them. {R}_{I}8_{/}After many days you will be 
given a mission. In the years ahead you will invade a land 
recovered from war where the people are gathered from among many 
nations on the mountains of Israel which had for long been barren. 
Its people were brought from among the nations and now live in 
safety, all of them. {I}9_{/}Then you will go up like a storm, like a 
cloud covering the earth, you and all your troops and the many 
nations with you.
{I}10_{/}Thus says Yahweh: On that day thoughts will come to your mind 
and you will plan an evil scheme {R}_{I}11_{/}saying: 'I will go up 
against unprotected towns, against peaceful people living in 
safety, all of them living without walls, bars or gates. {I}12_{/}I 
will plunder and loot; I will attack the land that is inhabited 
again. I will go against this people gathered from among the 
nations, who live by trading and are increasing their cattle at 
the center of the world.'
{I}13_{/}People of Sheba and Dedan and all the merchants of Tarshish 
and its villages will ask you: 'Have you come to plunder? Is it to 
loot that you have assembled such an army?' And they will come 
with silver and gold, to take away the livestock and to buy your 
enormous booty.
{R}_{I}14_{/}Therefore prophesy, son of man and say to Gog on my behalf: 
On that day when my people Israel are living in security you will 
come from the far north, {I}15_{/}you and the throngs with you, all on 
horses, with many troops - a vast army. {R}_{I}16_{/}You will come 
against my people Israel like a cloud about to cover the earth. It 
will be in the far-off days that you shall come against my people, 
and I shall let you do so, that the nations may know me, for I 
shall manifest my holiness through you, O Gog!
{R}_{I}17_{/}Thus says Yahweh: You are the one about whom I spoke in 
former times through my servants, the prophets of Israel, saying 
that I would bring you against them in far-off days. {R}_{I}18_{/}On that 
day when Gog will come to the land of Israel - word of Yahweh - my 
fury will be aroused. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}In the jealousy and heat of my 
anger I declare: On that day there will be a great earthquake in 
Israel. {I}20{/}The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts 
of the field, the creatures that creep on the ground and every 
human being on the earth will tremble before me.
Mountains will fall, cliffs crumble and walls collapse. {I}21_{/}I 
will summon the sword against Gog on all my mountains - word of 
Yahweh. Each one's sword will turn against his brother. {I}22_{/}I 
will punish Gog with plague and bloodshed. I will send torrential 
rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his battalions 
and on the many nations with him. {I}23_{/}I will manifest myself as 
the Mighty and Holy One in the sight of these many people, and 
they will know that I am Yahweh.

{1}39{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Son of man, prophesy against Gog! Say to him: Thus says 
Yahweh: I come against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and 
Tubal. {R}_{I}2_{/}When I have led, directed and brought you from the far 
north to the mountains of Israel, {I}3_{/}I shall break the bow in 
your left hand and snatch the arrows from your right hand. 
{R}_{I}4_{/}You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you, your 
battalions and the nations with you. And I shall give you over to 
all the birds of prey and wild beasts {I}5_{/}when you have fallen in 
the open countryside, for I have spoken, word of Yahweh. {I}6_{/}I 
shall send fire to the land of Magog and to those living 
peacefully in the islands and they will know that I am Yahweh. 
{R}_{I}7_{/}I will manifest my holy Name among my people Israel, and 
never again allow my holy Name to be profaned, and the nations 
will know that I am Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.
{I}8_{/}All this will come about and take place - word of Yahweh. This 
is the day I foretold. {R}_{I}9_{/}After that citizens of the towns of 
Israel will make a fire, using your weapons as fuel: small and 
large bucklers, bows and arrows, clubs and javelins. For seven 
years they will be used as fuel; {I}10_{/}there will be no need to 
bring wood from the country or to gather it in the forests since 
they will have your weapons to burn. They will plunder their 
plunderers and loot those who looted them - word of Yahweh.
{R}_{I}11_{/}On that day I shall give Gog a well-known burial place in 
Israel, the valley of the Abarim, on the east of the sea, the 
valley where the traveler has to stop. There they will bury Gog 
and his hordes and they will call it the Valley of the Multitude 
of Gog. {R}_{I}12_{/}It will take seven months to bury the dead and 
cleanse the country. {R}_{I}13_{/}All the population will work at burying 
the dead and this will be their honor on the day I am glorified, 
word of Yahweh. {I}14_{/}Men will work on a regular basis going around 
the country to bury those lying on the ground and so cleanse the 
land. For seven months they will go searching. {I}15_{/}If, as they go 
through the land, they come across human remains, they will make a 
pile of stones beside them until the grave diggers bury them in 
the Valley of the Multitude of Gog {I}16_{/}(the name of the town is 
Multitude). In that way the land will be cleansed.
[=]_{R}_{I}17_{/}Son of man, Yahweh says this: Say to every kind of bird 
and wild beast: Assemble and come together from all parts to the 
sacrifice I am preparing for you, a great sacrifice on the 
mountains of Israel at which you will eat flesh and drink blood, 
{I}18_{/}the flesh of heroes and the blood of the world's princes. 
They are all rams, lambs, goats, bullocks, all fattened animals 
from Bashan. {R}_{I}19_{/}You will eat all the fat you want and drink 
blood until you are drunk at the sacrifice I am preparing for you. 
{I}20_{/}You will have your fill of horses, riders, heroes and 
warriors of all kinds - word of Yahweh. {I}21_{/}I will show my glory 
among all the nations and they will know my judgment and the 
punishment I shall inflict on them.
{R}_{I}22_{/}Then Israel will know from that day onward that I am Yahweh, 
their God. {R}_{I}23_{/}And the nations will know that Israel was exiled 
because they were unfaithful to me, and this was why I hid my face 
from them; I handed them over to their enemies and they perished 
by the sword. {I}24_{/}I dealt with them as their defilement and sins 
deserved, and I hid my face from them.
{R}_{I}25_{/}That is why thus says Yahweh: Now, moved by my compassion 
for Israel, I am going to bring back the captives of Jacob and I 
will give glory to my holy name. {I}26_{/}They will forget their shame 
and the treachery they committed towards me, when they live safely 
in their own land with no one to disturb them. {I}27_{/}When I gather 
them from among the nations and take them from the land of their 
enemies, I will show my holiness through them to many nations. 
{R}_{I}28_{/}They will know that I am Yahweh their God when, after their 
exile among the nations, I bring them together in their own land 
and leave no one behind. {R}_{I}29_{/}Never again shall I hide my face 
from them because I shall pour out my Spirit on Israel - word of 
Yahweh."

{C}THE FUTURE TEMPLE{/}

{1}40{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning 
of the year, on the tenth day of the month, fourteen years after 
Jerusalem had been taken, the hand of Yahweh was upon me. 
[=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}In a divine vision he took me away to the land of Israel 
and put me down on a very high mountain, on the south of which 
there seemed to be built a city. [=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}He took me to it, and 
there I saw a man who seemed to be made of bronze. He had a flax 
cord and a measuring rod in his hand and was standing in the 
gateway. {R}_{I}4_{/}The man said to me, "Son of man, look carefully, 
listen closely and pay attention to everything I show you, since 
they brought you here for me to show it to you. Tell the people of 
Israel everything that you see."
[=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}The House was surrounded with a wall, and the man was 
holding a measuring rod that was three meters long (six great 
cubits). He measured the thickness of this construction - one rod; 
and its height - one rod. 
{I}6_{/}He went to the east gate, climbed the steps and measured its 
threshold: one rod deep. {I}7_{/}Each guardroom one rod by one rod; 
and the walls between the guardrooms five cubits thick; {I}8_{/}and 
the threshold of the gate inward from the porch of the gate: one 
rod. {I}9_{/}He measured the porch of the gate: eight cubits; its 
jambs: two cubits; the porch of the gate was at the inner end. 
{I}10_{/}There were three guardrooms on each side of the east gate, 
all three the same size; the walls between them all the same 
thickness on each side. {I}11_{/}He measured the width of the 
entrance: ten cubits; and the width all down the gateway: thirteen 
cubits. {I}12_{/}There was a rail in front of the guardrooms; each 
rail on either side was one cubit. And the guardrooms on either 
side were six cubits square. {I}13_{/}He measured the width of the 
gate from the back wall of one guardroom to the back wall of the 
other; it was twenty-five cubits across from window to window. 
{I}14_{/}He measured the entrance: twenty cubits; after the porch of 
the gate came the outer court. {I}15_{/}From the entrance end of the 
gate to the porch opposite: fifty cubits. {I}16_{/}On each side of the 
gate there were windows with screens both in the guardrooms and in 
the spaces between, and there were openings all around inside the 
porch as well, and palm trees decorating the pillars.
{I}17_{/}He took me through to the outer court. There were rooms and a 
paved terrace going all the way around; there were thirty rooms on 
this terrace. {I}18_{/}This terrace, which came right up to the sides 
of the gates and matched their depth, is the Lower Terrace. 
{I}19_{/}He measured across the outer court from the lower gate to the 
outside of the inner court: a hundred cubits.
{I}20_{/}He measured the length and breadth of the north gate of the 
outer court. {I}21_{/}It had three guardrooms on each side; the 
thickness of the walls between them, and its porch too, all 
measured the same as those of the first gate: fifty cubits by 
twenty-five cubits. {I}22_{/}Its windows, its entrance and its palm-
tree decoration all measured the same as those of the east gate. 
There were seven steps up to it, and its porch was at the inner 
end. {I}23_{/}In the inner court there was, opposite the north gate, a 
gate like the one opposite the east gate. He measured the distance 
from one gate to the other: a hundred cubits.
{I}24_{/}He took me to the south and there was a gate to the south 
gate; he measured its guardrooms, the thickness of its walls and 
porch; they were of the same dimensions as the others. {I}25_{/}All 
around it and its entrance were windows, like the other windows; 
it measured fifty cubits by twenty-five cubits, {I}26_{/}and it had 
seven steps up to it; its entrance was at the inner end and had 
palm-tree decorations on its pillars, one on each side. {I}27_{/}The 
inner court had a southern gate; he measured the distance 
southward from one gate to the other: a hundred cubits.
{I}28_{/}He then took me into the inner court by the south gate; he 
measured the south gate which was the same size as the others. 
{I}29_{/}Its guardrooms, the thickness of its walls and entrance all 
measured the same as the others. {I}30_{/}Its entrance had windows all 
around. It measured fifty cubits by twenty-five cubits. Its 
entrance, measured in all, all around, was twenty-five cubits by 
five cubits. {I}31_{/}The entrance gave on to the outer court. It had 
palm trees on its pillars, each side, and eight steps leading up 
to it.
{I}32_{/}He took me to the east gate and measured it. It was the same 
size as the others. {I}33_{/}Its guardrooms, the thickness of its 
walls, its entrance all measured the same as the others. The gate 
and its entrance had windows all around. Its area was fifty cubits 
by twenty-five cubits. {I}34_{/}Its porch gave on to the outer court. 
There were palm trees on its pillars on either side, and eight 
steps leading up to it.
{I}35_{/}He took me to the north gate and measured it. Its guardrooms, 
the thickness of its walls and its entrance all measured the same 
as the others. {I}36_{/}It had windows all around. Its area was fifty 
cubits by twenty-five cubits. {I}37_{/}Its entrance gave on to the 
outer court. There were palm trees on its pillars on either side, 
and eight steps leading up to it.
{I}38_{/}There was a room entered from the entrance of the gates. It 
was here that they had to wash the holocaust. {R}_{I}39_{/}And on either 
side of the entrance of the gate there were two tables for 
slaughtering the burnt offering, the sacrifice for sin and the 
sacrifice of repayment. {I}40_{/}Going northward up to the gate, there 
were two tables outside and two more tables at the entrance end of 
the gate. {I}41_{/}There were four tables on the inside and four 
tables on the outside of the entrance; in all, eight tables on 
which the sacrifices were offered. {I}42_{/}There were also four 
tables of dressed stone for burnt offerings, a cubit and a half 
long, a cubit and a half wide and a cubit high, on which all the 
things necessary for killing the burnt offering and the sacrifices 
were put. {I}43_{/}Rims, a handbreadth broad, went all around the top, 
and on these tables was put the flesh of the offerings.
{I}44_{/}He took me into the inner court; there were two lodges in the 
inner court, one at the side of the north gate, facing south, the 
other at the side of the south gate, facing north. {R}_{I}45_{/}He told 
me, "The lodge looking south is for the priests in charge of the 
Temple, {R}_{I}46_{/}and the lodge looking north is for the priests who 
serve the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only sons of 
Levi who approach Yahweh to serve him."
{R}_{I}47_{/}He measured the inner court. It was a quadrangle, a hundred 
cubits by a hundred cubits, with the altar in front of the House.
{I}48_{/}He took me to the Hall of the House and measured its door 
pillars - five cubits each side; and the width of the entrance was 
fourteen cubits with a three-cubit wall each side. {I}49_{/}The Hall 
was twenty cubits by twelve cubits. There were ten steps leading 
up to it, and there were columns by the door pillars, one on each 
side.

{1}41{/}

{I}1_{/}He took me into the Sanctuary and measured its door pillars: 
six cubits deep on the one side, six cubits deep on the other. 
{I}2_{/}The width of the entrance was ten cubits. The walls on each 
side of the entrance were five cubits on the one side and five 
cubits on the other. He measured its length: forty cubits; and its 
width: twenty cubits.
{I}3_{/}He went in and measured the door pillars at the entrance: two 
cubits; then the entrance: six cubits; and the walls on each side 
of the entrance: seven cubits. {I}4_{/}He measured its length: twenty 
cubits; and its width measured across the end wall of the 
Sanctuary: twenty cubits. He then said to me, "This is the most 
holy place."
{I}5_{/}He measured the wall of the House: six cubits. The width of 
the side cells was four cubits, all around the House. {I}6_{/}The 
cells were one above the other, thirty of them in three stories. 
{I}7_{/}The supports for the surrounding cells were fixed into the 
House wall, so that the cells were not recessed into the wall of 
the House. The width of the cells increased, story by story, for 
they surrounded the House in the stories that went right around 
it. {I}8_{/}Then I saw that there was a paved terrace all around the 
House. The height of this, which formed the base of the side 
cells, was a full rod of six cubits. {I}9_{/}The outer wall of the 
side cells was five cubits thick and the pavement formed a veranda 
outside the cells of the House. {I}10_{/}Beyond the rooms was an area 
twenty cubits wide right around the House. {I}11_{/}And for access 
from the side cells onto the courtyard there was one entrance on 
the north side and one entrance on the south side. The width of 
the courtyard was five cubits all around.
{I}12_{/}The building to the west of this surrounding area was seventy 
cubits by ninety cubits, and the wall of the building was five 
cubits thick, all around. {I}13_{/}He measured the length of the 
House: a hundred cubits. The length of the court plus the building 
and its walls: a hundred cubits. {I}14_{/}The breadth of the facade of 
the House with the quadrangle: a hundred cubits. {I}15_{/}He measured 
the length of the building plus the surrounding area at the back, 
plus the side depth of its door: a hundred cubits.
The inside of the Sanctuary and the entrance of the court, their 
thresholds, the window screens, the three sets of doors, one at 
each threshold, {I}16_{/}were all paneled with wood, from floor to 
windows, and the windows were screened with lattice-work. 
{I}17_{/}From the door to the inner part of the House, and right 
around the whole wall of the inner room, outside and inside, 
{I}18_{/}were carved cherubs and palm trees, palm trees and cherubs 
alternating; each cherub had two faces - {R}_{I}19_{/}the face of a man 
turned toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion 
toward the palm tree on the other, all around the House. The 
cherubs and palm trees were carved {I}20_{/}from the floor to above 
the entrance, as also on the wall of the hall. {I}21_{/}The pillars of 
the House were square.
In front of the Most Holy Place, {R}_{I}22_{/}there appeared to be a 
wooden altar, three cubits high and two cubits square. Its 
corners, base and sides were of wood. He said to me, "This is the 
table before Yahweh."
{R}_{I}23_{/}There was a double door for the Temple, and a double door 
for the Sanctuary. {I}24_{/}These doors had two hinged leaves, two 
leaves for the one door, two leaves for the other. {I}25_{/}On them, 
on the doors of the Sanctuary, were carved cherubs and palm trees 
like those carved on the walls. A wooden screen outside went 
across the front of the Hall. {I}26_{/}There were screened windows 
with flanking palm trees on the walls of the House, and of the 
cells at the side of the House.

{1}42{/}

{I}1_{/}He took me northward into the court and led me to the rooms 
facing the outer court, and the building to the north. {I}2_{/}They 
were one hundred cubits long on the north side and fifty cubits 
wide. {I}3_{/}On the sides facing the entrance of the inner court and 
the paving of the outer court was a gallery in front of the triple 
gallery, {I}4_{/}and in front of the rooms was a walk, ten cubits 
broad measured inward and a hundred cubits long; their doors 
looked north. {I}5_{/}The top-floor rooms were narrow because the 
galleries took up part of the width, being narrower than those on 
the ground floor or those on the middle floor of the building. 
{I}6_{/}They were in three stories and had no columns such as those in 
the court had. Hence they were narrower than the groundfloor ones 
or the middle-floor ones below them. {I}7_{/}The outer wall parallel 
to the rooms, facing them and giving on to the outer court, was 
fifty cubits long, {I}8_{/}the length of the rooms facing the outer 
court being fifty cubits, while on the side facing the building it 
was a hundred cubits. {I}9_{/}Beneath the rooms there was an entrance 
from the east, leading in from the outer court.
{I}10_{/}In the thickness of the wall of the court, on the south side 
fronting the court and the building, were rooms. {I}11_{/}A walk ran 
in front of them, as with the rooms built on the north side; they 
were of the same length and breadth, and had similar design and 
doors in and out. {I}12_{/}They were like the entrances of the 
southern rooms; one entrance at the end of each walk, fronting the 
eastern wall, being the way in. He said to me, {R}_{I}13_{/}"The northern 
and southern rooms giving on to the court are holy rooms, in which 
the priests who approach Yahweh will eat the most holy things. In 
them will be placed the most holy things: the offering, the 
sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice of repayment, since this is a 
holy place. {R}_{I}14_{/}Once the priests have entered they will not go 
out of the holy place into the outer court without leaving their 
liturgical vestments there, since these vestments are holy; they 
will put on other clothes before going near the room assigned to 
the people."
{R}_{I}15_{/}When he had finished measuring the inside of the Temple, he 
took me out to the east gate and measured the whole area of the 
court. {I}16_{/}He measured the east side with his measuring rod: a 
total of five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. {I}17_{/}He then 
measured the north side: five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 
{I}18_{/}He then measured the south side: five hundred cubits by the 
measuring rod. {I}19_{/}On the west side he measured five hundred 
cubits. {I}20_{/}So he measured the entire enclosing wall on all four 
sides: length five hundred, breadth five hundred. This separated 
the sacred from the profane.

{1}43{/}

{I}1_{/}He took me to the gate, facing east. {R}_{I}2_{/}Then I saw the Glory 
of the God of Israel approaching from the east with a sound like 
the sound of the ocean, and the earth shone with his Glory. 
{I}3_{/}This vision was like the one I had seen when he came for the 
destruction of the city, and like the one I had seen on the bank 
of the river Chebar. Then I threw myself to the ground.
{R}_{I}4_{/}The Glory of Yahweh arrived at the Temple by the east gate. 
{R}_{I}5_{/}The spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court: 
the Glory of Yahweh was filling the House. {R}_{I}6_{/}And I heard 
someone speaking to me from the Temple while the man stood beside 
me. {R}_{I}7_{/}The voice said, "Son of man, you have seen the place of 
my throne, where I will place the soles of my feet, and live among 
the sons of Israel forever; and the people of Israel, they and 
their kings, will no longer defile my holy name with their 
prostitutions and the kings, {I}8_{/}setting their threshold beside my 
threshold and their door beside my door, with a common wall shared 
by them and me. They used to defile my holy name by their filthy 
practices, and this is why I destroyed them in my anger. {R}_{I}9_{/}From 
now on if they take their prostitutions and the corpses of their 
kings away from my presence, I shall live among them forever.
{R}_{I}10_{/}Son of man, describe this House to the people of Israel, to 
shame them out of their filthy practices. {R}_{I}11_{/}If they are 
ashamed of their behavior, draw up the plan and show them the 
design of the Temple, its exits and entrances, its shape, how all 
of it is arranged, its rules and its laws. Give them all this in 
writing so that they can see and take note of its design and the 
way it is all arranged and carry it out. {R}_{I}12_{/}This is the law of 
the Temple: all the surrounding area on top of the mountain is a 
most holy area.
{R}_{I}13_{/}Here are the dimensions of the altar (in big cubits, each of 
a cubit plus a handbreadth). The base: one cubit high and one 
cubit wide. The ledge all around it: one span. This is the height 
of the altar: {I}14_{/}from the ground level of the base up to the 
lower base, two cubits high and one cubit wide; from the lesser 
plinth to the greater base, four cubits high and one cubit wide. 
{R}_{I}15_{/}The altar hearth: four cubits high, with four horns 
projecting from the hearth, {I}16_{/}the hearth being square: twelve 
cubits by twelve cubits; {I}17_{/}and the square base: fourteen cubits 
by fourteen cubits; and the ledge all around: half a cubit; and 
the base: one cubit all around. The steps are on the east side."
{R}_{I}18_{/}He said to me, "Son of man, Yahweh says this: As regard the 
altar, this is how things are to be done when it has been built 
for the offering of the holocaust and for the pouring of blood. 
{R}_{I}19_{/}To those levitical priests of the race of Zadok who approach 
me to serve me - it is Yahweh who speaks - you must give a young 
bull as sacrifice for sin. {I}20_{/}You are to take some of its blood 
and put it on the four horns and the four corners of the base and 
the surrounding ledge. {R}_{I}21_{/}In this way you will purify it and 
make atonement on it. Then take the bull of the sacrifice for sin 
and burn it in a room of the House apart from the sanctuary. 
{R}_{I}22_{/}On the second day, you must offer an unblemished he-goat as 
sacrifice for sin, and the altar is to be purified again as with 
the bull. {I}23_{/}When you have finished the purification you must 
offer a young bull without blemish and an unblemished ram chosen 
from the flock. [=]_{R}_{I}24_{/}You are to present them before Yahweh, 
and the priests will sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a 
holocaust to Yahweh. {R}_{I}25_{/}As a sacrifice for sin, every day for 
seven days you must offer a he-goat, a bull and an unblemished ram 
chosen from the flock, for a week. {R}_{I}26_{/}In this way the altar 
will be atoned for and will be purified and inaugurated. {R}_{I}27_{/}At 
the end of that time, on the eighth day and afterwards, the priest 
is to offer your burnt offerings and your communion offerings on 
the altar, and I will look kindly on you - it is Yahweh who 
speaks."

{N}NEW REGULATIONS FOR WORSHIP{/}

{1}44{/}

{I}1_{/}He brought me back to the outer east gate of the sanctuary. It 
was shut. {R}_{I}2_{/}Yahweh said to me, "This gate will be kept shut. No 
one will open it or go through it, since Yahweh the God of Israel 
has been through it. And so it must be kept shut. {I}3_{/}The prince 
himself, however, may sit there to take his meal in the presence 
of Yahweh. But he is to enter through the entrance of the gate and 
leave through the same way."
{I}4_{/}He led me through the north gate to the front of the House. I 
looked; I saw the Glory of Yahweh filling his House, and I threw 
myself to the ground. {R}_{I}5_{/}Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, pay 
attention, look carefully and listen closely to everything while I 
explain to you all the rules of the House of Yahweh and all its 
laws. Be careful about which men are admitted to the House and 
which are excluded from the sanctuary. {R}_{I}6_{/}And say to the rebels 
of the people of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says this: There has been 
enough of all your filthy practices, House of Israel. {R}_{I}7_{/}You let 
aliens enter, uncircumcised in heart and body, to frequent my 
sanctuary and profane my Temple; you gave me for my food the fat 
and the blood; and you broke my covenant with all your filthy 
practices. {I}8_{/}Instead of performing your duties to men in the 
Holy Place, you have deputed someone else to perform your duties 
in my sanctuary. {I}9_{/}The Lord Yahweh says this: No alien, 
uncircumcised in heart and body, is to enter my sanctuary, none of 
those aliens living among the Israelites.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}The Levites who abandoned me when Israel strayed far 
from me, and followed their idols, must bear the weight of their 
own sin. {R}_{I}11_{/}They are to be servants in my sanctuary, 
responsible for guarding the gates and serving the House. They 
will kill the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and 
hold themselves at the service of the people. {R}_{I}12_{/}But since they 
used to be at their service in front of their idols and made 
Israel sin, (and I have raised my hand against them) it is Yahweh 
who speaks - they must bear the weight of their sin. {I}13_{/}They are 
never to approach me again to perform the priestly office in my 
presence, or to touch my holy things and my most holy things; they 
must bear the disgrace of their filthy practices. {I}14_{/}I shall let 
them work in the House and serve it and do everything to be done 
in it.
{R}_{I}15_{/}The levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who did their duty 
to me in the sanctuary when the Israelites strayed far from me, 
may still approach me to serve me. They may stand in my presence 
to offer me the fat and blood - it is Yahweh who speaks. 
{R}_{I}16_{/}They may enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve 
me; they may perform my liturgy. {I}17_{/}Once they enter the gates of 
the inner court, they are to wear linen garments; they are to wear 
no wool when they serve inside the gates of the inner court and in 
the House. {I}18_{/}They are to wear linen caps on their heads, and 
linen breeches about their loins; they are not to wear belts that 
may make them sweat. {R}_{I}19_{/}When they go out to the people in the 
outer court, they are to remove the garments in which they have 
performed the liturgy and leave them in the rooms of the Holy 
Place, and put on other clothes, so as not to hallow the people 
with their vestments. {I}20_{/}They are neither to shave their heads 
nor to let their hair grow long, but must cut their hair to a 
reasonable length. {I}21_{/}No priest is to drink wine on the day he 
enters the inner court. {R}_{I}22_{/}They are not to marry widows or 
divorced women, but only virgins of the race of Israel; they may, 
however, marry widows, if it is the widow of a priest. {I}23_{/}They 
are to teach my people what is sacred and what is profane and make 
them know what is clean and what is unclean. {R}_{I}24_{/}They are to be 
judges in disputes; they must judge in the spirit of my statutes; 
they must follow my laws and ordinances at all my feasts and keep 
my sabbaths holy. {R}_{I}25_{/}They are not to go near a dead man, lest 
they become unclean, except for father, mother, daughter, son, 
brother or unmarried sister. {I}26_{/}After one of them has been 
purified, seven days must elapse; {R}_{I}27_{/}then on the day when he 
enters the sanctuary - the inner court, to minister in the 
sanctuary, he is to offer his sacrifice for sin - it is Yahweh who 
speaks. {R}_{I}28_{/}They are to have no inheritance in Israel; I myself 
will be their inheritance. You are to give them no patrimony in 
Israel; I myself will be their patrimony. {R}_{I}29_{/}Their food is to 
be the offering, the sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice of 
repayment. Everything in Israel consecrated by anathema shall be 
for them. {R}_{I}30_{/}The best of all your first fruits of every sort 
and of all that you offer, is to go to the priests; and the best 
of your dough you are also to give to the priests, so that a 
blessing may rest on your houses. {R}_{I}31_{/}Priests are not to eat the 
flesh of anything that has died a natural death or been savaged, 
neither the flesh of a bird nor of any other creature.

{1}45{/}

{I}1_{/}When you divide the country into portions by lot, you are to 
allocate a sacred portion of the country to Yahweh: twenty-five 
thousand cubits long and twenty thousand wide. {I}2_{/}The whole of 
this land is to be sacred, and of this square area five hundred by 
five hundred cubits is to be for the sanctuary, with a boundary 
fifty cubits wide all around. {I}3_{/}Out of this area you are also to 
measure a section twenty-five thousand by ten thousand cubits, in 
which there shall stand the sanctuary; this is a very holy land. 
{R}_{I}4_{/}This is to be the sacred portion of the country; it shall 
belong to the priests who officiate in the sanctuary and approach 
Yahweh to serve him. There they are to have their houses and also 
a district set apart for the sanctuary. {I}5_{/}An area twenty-five 
thousand by ten thousand cubits is to be kept for the Levites 
serving the House to own, with towns to live in. {R}_{I}6_{/}You are to 
give the city possession of an area five thousand by twenty-five 
thousand cubits, near the land belonging to the sanctuary; this is 
to be for the whole people of Israel.
{I}7_{/}The prince is to have a domain on either side of the very holy 
land and of the land belonging to the city, and adjacent to both 
of them, stretching westward from the west and eastward from the 
east, its size equal to one of the portions between the west and 
the east frontiers of the country. {R}_{I}8_{/}This is to be his 
possession in Israel. Then my princes will no longer oppress my 
people; they must leave the rest of the country for the people of 
Israel, for its tribes.
{R}_{I}9_{/}Yahweh says this: Let this be enough for you, princes of 
Israel! Give up your violence and plundering, practice justice and 
integrity, crush my people no more with taxation - it is Yahweh 
who speaks. {I}10_{/}Have scales that are fair, a fair ephah, a fair 
bath. {I}11_{/}Let the ephah and bath be equal, let the bath hold one 
tenth of a homer and the ephah one tenth of a homer. {I}12_{/}Let the 
measures be based on the homer. The shekel is to be twenty gerahs. 
Twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels are to 
make one mina.
{I}13_{/}This is the tax that you are to levy: the sixth of an ephah 
for every homer of wheat, and the sixth of an ephah for every 
homer of barley. {I}14_{/}The dues on oil: one bath of oil out of 
every ten baths or out of every cor (which is equal to ten baths 
or one homer, since ten baths equal one homer). {R}_{I}15_{/}You are to 
levy one sheep on every flock of two hundred from the patrimony of 
Israel for the oblation, the burnt offering and the communion 
sacrifice. This is for the atonement - it is Yahweh who speaks. 
{R}_{I}16_{/}Let all the people of the country be bound to give this 
offering for the prince of Israel. {R}_{I}17_{/}The prince is to provide 
the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings for 
feasts, New Moons and sabbaths, for all the solemn festivals of 
Israel. He is to provide the sacrifice for sin, oblation, 
holocaust and communion sacrifices atoning for Israel.
{I}18_{/}Yahweh says this: On the first day of the first month, you 
must take a young bull without blemish, to purify the sanctuary. 
{R}_{I}19_{/}The priest is to take blood from the sacrifice for sin and 
put it on the doorposts of the House, on the four corners of the 
altar base and on the doorposts of the gates of the inner court. 
{I}20_{/}You must do the same on the seventh of the month, on behalf 
of anyone who has sinned through inadvertence or ignorance. This 
is how you are to make atonement for the House. {R}_{I}21_{/}On the 
fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the feast of 
the Passover. For seven days everyone is to eat unleavened loaves. 
{R}_{I}22_{/}On that day, the prince must offer a bull as a sacrifice for 
sin, for himself and all the people in the country. {R}_{I}23_{/}For the 
seven days of the feast, he must offer Yahweh a burnt offering of 
seven bulls and seven rams without blemish, daily for a week, and 
one he-goat daily as a sacrifice for sin, {I}24_{/}with a grain 
offering of one ephah for each bull and one ephah for each ram, 
and a hin of oil for every ephah for the oblation. 
{I}25{/}For the feast on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, he 
must do the same for seven days, offering the sacrifice for sin, 
burnt offering, drink offering and the oil.

{N}THE SABBATH AND THE NEW MOON{/}

{1}46{/}

{I}1_{/}Thus speak Yahweh: The east gate of the inner court must be 
kept shut for the six working days. On the sabbath day it is to be 
opened, as also on the day of the New Moon; {R}_{I}2_{/}and the prince is 
to go in through the entrance of the outer gate and stand by the 
doorposts of the gate. The priest must then offer his holocaust 
and his communion sacrifice. He must prostate himself on the 
threshold of the gate and go out, and the gate is not to be shut 
again until the evening. {I}3_{/}The people of the country are to 
prostrate themselves in the presence of Yahweh at the entrance to 
the gate on sabbaths and days of the New Moon. {I}4_{/}On the sabbath 
day the prince shall offer six unblemished lambs and one 
unblemished ram for the burnt offering. {I}5_{/}The grain offering is 
of one ephah for the ram, with such oblation as he pleases for the 
lambs, and a hin of oil for every ephah. {I}6_{/}On the day of the New 
Moon he shall offer a young bull without blemish, six unblemished 
lambs and one unblemished ram; {I}7_{/}he must make a grain offering 
of one ephah for the bull and one ephah for the ram, and what he 
pleases for the lambs, and a hin of oil for every ephah.
{I}8_{/}When the prince goes in, he is to enter by the entrance of the 
gate, and he must leave by the same way. {I}9_{/}When the people of 
the country come into the presence of Yahweh at the solemn 
festivals to prostrate themselves, those who have come in by the 
north gate are to go out by the south gate, and those who have 
come in by the south gate are to go out by the north gate; no one 
is to turn back to leave through the gate by which he entered but 
is to go out on the opposite side. 
{I}10_{/}The prince is to come with them, coming in like them and 
going out like them. {I}11_{/}On feast days and solemn festivals the 
oblation must be one ephah for every bull, one ephah for every 
ram, what he pleases for the lambs, and a hin of oil for every 
ephah. {R}_{I}12_{/}When the prince offers Yahweh a voluntary communion 
sacrifice, the east gate is to be opened for him, and he is to 
offer his holocaust and his communion sacrifice as he does on the 
sabbath day; when he has gone out, the gate is to be shut after 
him. {I}13_{/}Every day he must offer an unblemished lamb one year old 
as a holocaust to Yahweh; he must offer this every morning. 
{R}_{I}14_{/}Every morning, in addition, he is to offer an oblation of 
one sixth of an ephah and one third of a hin of oil, for mixing 
with the flour. This is an eternal law. {I}15_{/}The lamb, the 
oblation and the oil are to be offered morning after morning 
forever.
{I}16_{/}Yahweh says this: If the prince gives his sons part of his 
inheritance, the gift is to pass to the ownership of his sons, and 
become their heritage. {R}_{I}17_{/}But if he gives part of his 
inheritance to one of his servants, it shall only belong to the 
man until the year of liberation and is then to revert to the 
prince. Only his sons may retain his inheritance. {I}18_{/}The prince 
may not take any part of the people's inheritance and thus rob 
them of their rightful possessions; he must provide the patrimony 
of his sons out of his own property, so that no member of my 
people will be robbed of his rightful possessions."
{R}_{I}19_{/}He took me through the entrance at the side of the north 
gate that leads to the rooms of the Holy Place set apart for the 
priests. And there before us, to the west, was a space at the end. 
{R}_{I}20_{/}He said to me, "This is where the priests are to boil the 
slaughtered animals for the sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice of 
reparation, and where they are to bake the oblation. They shall 
not carry them into the outer court lest they hallow the people. 
{I}21_{/}He took me into the outer court and led me to each of its 
four corners; {I}22_{/}in each corner was a compound; there were four 
small compounds, forty cubits by thirty, all four being the same 
size. {I}23_{/}Each of the four was enclosed by a wall, with hearths 
all around the bottom of the wall. {R}_{I}24_{/}He said, "These are the 
kitchens where the Temple servants are to boil the sacrifices 
offered by the people."

{N}THE RIVER THAT FLOWS FROM THE TEMPLE{/}

{1}47{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}The man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and 
I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple and 
flowing eastwards. The Temple faced the east and the water flowed 
from the south side of the Temple, from the south side of the 
altar. {I}2_{/}He then brought me out through the north gate and led 
me around the outside to the outer gate facing the east and there 
I saw the stream coming from the south side.
{R}_{I}3_{/}The man had a measuring cord in his hand. As he went towards 
the east he measured off a thousand cubits and led me across the 
water which was up to my ankles. {R}_{I}4_{/}He measured off another 
thousand cubits and made me cross the water which came to my 
knees. He measured off another thousand cubits and we crossed the 
water which was up to my waist. {I}5_{/}When he had again measured a 
thousand cubits, I could not cross the torrent for it had swollen 
to a depth which was impossible to cross without swimming.
{R}_{I}6_{/}The man then said to me, "Son of man, did you see?" He led me 
on further and then brought me back to the bank of the river. 
{I}7_{/}There I saw a number of trees on both sides of the river. 
[=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}He said to me, "This water goes to the east, down to the 
Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the 
water will become wholesome. {R}_{I}9_{/}Wherever the river flows, swarms 
of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful and the sea 
water will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound. 
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}Fishermen will stand on the banks and spread nets from 
En Gedi to En Eglaim. Fish of many kinds will be found there, like 
the fish of the open sea and very plentiful. {I}11_{/}The swamps and 
the marshes will not become wholesome; they will be used as 
saltbeds.
{R}_{I}12_{/}Near the river on both banks there will be all kinds of 
fruit trees with foliage that will not wither and fruit that will 
never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop because the 
water comes from the Temple. The fruit will be good to eat and the 
leaves will be used for healing.

{N}THE FRONTIERS OF THE LAND{/}

{R}_{I}13_{/}Yahweh says this: Here are the boundaries of the territories 
to be allotted between the twelve tribes of Israel, with two 
portions for Joseph. {I}14_{/}You must share it out equally between 
you, since I swore to your fathers that I would give them this 
land which now falls to you as your inheritance. {I}15{/}Here are the 
frontiers of the land. On the north, from the Great Sea by the way 
of Hethlon to the Pass of Hamath and on to Zedad, {R}_{I}16_{/}Berothah, 
Sibraim lying between the territories of Damascus and Hamath - and 
to Hazer-hatticon on the borders of Hauran. {R}_{I}17_{/}The frontier 
will extend from the sea to Hazar-enon, marching with Damascus and 
Hamath on the north; this is the northern frontier. {R}_{I}18_{/}On the 
east the Jordan will serve as frontier between Hauran and 
Damascus, between Gilead and the land of Israel, down to the 
Eastern Sea as far as Tamar; this is for the eastern frontier. 
{R}_{I}19_{/}On the south, from Tamar southward to the waters of Meribah 
in Kadesh, to the torrent of Egypt and the Great Sea; this is for 
the southern frontier. {R}_{I}20_{/}On the west the Great Sea will serve 
as frontier straight up towards Hamath; so much for the western 
frontier. {R}_{I}21_{/}You are to share out this land among yourselves, 
between the tribes of Israel. {R}_{I}22_{/}You are to divide it into 
inheritances for yourselves and the aliens settled among you who 
have had children among you, since you are to treat them as 
citizens of Israel. They are to draw lots with you for their 
inheritance, with the tribes of Israel. {I}23_{/}You must give the 
alien his inheritance in the tribe in which he is living - it is 
Yahweh who speaks.

{N}THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE LAND AMONG THE TWELVE TRIBES{/}

{1}48{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}This is the list of the tribes. In the far north by way of 
Hethlon to Hamath, to Hazar-enon, with the frontier of Damascus 
lying to the north, bordering Hamath - each portion extends from 
the eastern frontier to the western frontier: Dan, one portion. 
{R}_{I}2_{/}Bordering Dan, from the eastern frontier to the western 
frontier: Asher. {I}3_{/}Bordering Asher, from the eastern frontier to 
the western frontier: Naphtali. {R}_{I}4_{/}Bordering Naphtali, from the 
eastern to the western frontier: Manasseh. {R}_{I}5_{/}Bordering 
Manasseh, from the eastern frontier to the western frontier: 
Ephraim. {R}_{I}6_{/}Bordering Ephraim, from the eastern frontier to the 
western frontier: Reuben. {R}_{I}7_{/}Bordering Reuben, from the eastern 
frontier to the western frontier: Judah. {R}_{I}8_{/}Bordering Judah, 
from the eastern frontier to the western frontier, is the part you 
are to set aside, twenty-five thousand cubits wide, and as long as 
each of the other portions from the eastern frontier to the 
western frontier. The sanctuary will be in the center of it.
{I}9_{/}The part you must set aside for Yahweh is to be twenty-five 
thousand cubits long and ten thousand cubits wide. {R}_{I}10_{/}This 
consecrated portion is to belong to the priests, being, on the 
north side, twenty-five thousand cubits; on the west side ten 
thousand cubits wide, on the east side ten thousand cubits wide 
and on the south side twenty-five thousand cubits long, and the 
sanctuary of Yahweh will be the center of it. {R}_{I}11_{/}This is to 
belong to the consecrated priests, to those of the sons of Zadok 
who maintained my liturgy and did not go astray with the straying 
Israelites, as the Levites went astray. {I}12_{/}And so their portion 
is to be taken out of the most holy portion of the land, at the 
side of the territory of the Levites. {R}_{I}13_{/}The territory of the 
Levites, like the territory of the priests, is to be twenty-five 
thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide - the whole length 
being twenty-five thousand and the width ten thousand. {I}14_{/}They 
must not sell or exchange any part of it, and their part can never 
be alienated, since it is consecrated to Yahweh. {I}15_{/}The 
remainder, an area of five thousand cubits by twenty-five 
thousand, is to be a non-sacred space for the city, for houses and 
pastures. The city is to stand in the center. {I}16_{/}Here are its 
measurements: on the north side, four thousand five hundred 
cubits; on the south side, four thousand five hundred cubits; on 
the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits; on the west 
side, four thousand five hundred cubits. {I}17_{/}And the city 
pastures are to extend two hundred and fifty cubits to the north, 
two hundred and fifty to the south, two hundred and fifty to the 
east, two hundred and fifty to the west. {I}18_{/}What remains of the 
part set aside, after keeping out the consecrated portion, 
consists of ten thousand cubits eastward and ten thousand 
westward, alongside the consecrated portion; this will bring in a 
revenue for feeding the people working inside the city. 
{R}_{I}19_{/}These people are to be drawn from all the tribes of Israel 
and shall till this land. {I}20_{/}The portion is to have a total area 
of twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five thousand cubits. So 
the sacred portion has a square shape and is located beside the 
land belonging to the city. {R}_{I}21_{/}What is left over on either side 
of the sacred portion and of the land belonging to the city, shall 
be for the prince, extending along the twenty-five thousand cubits 
eastward to the eastern frontier, and extending along the twenty-
five thousand cubits westward to the western frontier - running 
parallel with the other portions. This is the portion for the 
prince with, the consecrated portion and the sanctuary of the 
Temple at the middle. {R}_{I}22_{/}Thus, apart from the property of the 
Levites and property of the city which lie inside the prince's 
portion, everything between the borders of Judah and the borders 
of Benjamin is to belong to the prince.
{R}_{I}23_{/}Here are the rest of the tribes: from the eastern frontier 
to the western frontier: Benjamin. {I}24_{/}Bordering Benjamin, from 
the eastern frontier to the western frontier: Simeon. 
{I}25_{/}Bordering Simeon, from the eastern frontier to the western 
frontier: Issachar. {I}26_{/}Bordering Issachar, from the eastern 
frontier to the western frontier: Zebulun. {I}27_{/}Bordering Zebulun, 
from the eastern frontier to the western frontier: Gad. {R}_{I}28_{/}The 
southern border of Gad will be formed by the southern frontier 
running through Tamar to the waters of Meribah in Kadesh, to the 
Wadi and the great Sea. {R}_{I}29_{/}This is the inheritance of the 
tribes of Israel and this is how you will apportion it - it is 
Yahweh who speaks.
{I}30_{/}Here are the ways out of the city. On the north side, being 
four thousand five hundred cubits long, [=]_{R}_{I}31_{/}three gates: the 
gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, the gate of Levi; the gates of 
the city are to be named after the tribes of Israel. {R}_{I}32_{/}On the 
east side, which is to be four thousand five hundred cubits long, 
three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, the gate of 
Dan. {I}33_{/}On the south side, which is to be four thousand five 
hundred cubits long, three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of 
Issachar, the gate of Zebulun. {I}34_{/}On the west side, which is to 
be four thousand five hundred cubits long, three gates: the gate 
of Gad, the gate of Asher, the gate of Naphtali. [=]_{I}35_{/}The 
total perimeter will be eigthteen thousand cubits, and the name of 
the city is to be: Yahweh-is-there."

