Chapter 22

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge,⁴ wilt thou judge⁴ the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew⁵² her all her abominations.

Then say¹ thou, Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth⁶ blood in the midst of it, that her time may come,² and maketh¹ idols against herself to defile² herself.

Thou art become guilty¹ in thy blood that thou hast shed;¹ and hast defiled¹ thyself in thine idols which thou hast made;¹ and thou hast caused thy days to draw near,⁵⁵ and art come⁴ [even] unto thy years: therefore have I made¹ thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries.

[Those that be] near, and [those that be] far from thee, shall mock¹⁰¹ thee, [which art] infamous ⁸⁰³⁴ [and] much vexed.

Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed² blood.

In thee have they set light⁵² by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt¹ by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed⁵² the fatherless and the widow.

Thou hast despised¹ mine holy things, and hast profaned¹⁴ my sabbaths.

In thee are men that carry tales to shed² blood: and in thee they eat¹ upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit¹ lewdness.

In thee have they discovered¹⁴ their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled¹⁴ her that was set apart for pollution.

And one hath committed¹ abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled¹⁴ his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled¹⁴ his sister, his father's daughter.

In thee have they taken¹ gifts to shed² blood; thou hast taken¹ usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained¹⁷ of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten¹ me, saith⁷ the Lord GOD.

Behold, therefore I have smitten⁵² mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made,¹ and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

Can thine heart endure,⁴ or can thine hands be strong,⁴ in the days that I shall deal⁶ with thee? I the LORD have spoken¹⁴ [it], and will do¹ [it].

And I will scatter⁵² thee among the heathen, and disperse¹⁴ thee in the countries, and will consume⁵² thy filthiness out of thee.

And thou shalt take thine inheritance^{8 5157 14} in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know¹ that I [am] the LORD.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they [are] brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are [even] the dross of silver.

Therefore thus saith¹ the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather⁶ you into the midst of Jerusalem.

[As] they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow² the fire upon it, to melt⁵³ [it]; so will I gather⁴ [you] in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave⁵² [you there], and melt⁵² you.

Yea, I will gather¹⁴ you, and blow¹ upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted⁸ in the midst thereof.

As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted⁹³ in the midst thereof; and ye shall know¹ that I the LORD have poured out¹ my fury upon you.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Son of man, say³ unto her, Thou [art] the land that is not cleansed,³⁰ nor rained upon in the day of indignation.

[There is] a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring⁶ lion ravening⁶ the prey; they have devoured¹ souls; they have taken⁴ the treasure and precious things; they have made her many⁵² widows in the midst thereof.

Her priests have violated¹ my law, and have profaned¹⁷ mine holy things: they have put no difference⁵² between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed⁵² [difference] between the unclean and the clean, and have hid⁵² their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned¹¹ among them.

Her princes in the midst thereof [are] like wolves ravening⁶ the prey, to shed² blood, [and] to destroy¹⁵ souls, to get² dishonest gain.

And her prophets have daubed¹ them with untempered [morter], seeing vanity, and divining⁶ lies unto them, saying,⁶ Thus saith¹ the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.¹⁴

The people of the land have used¹ oppression, and exercised¹ robbery, and have vexed⁵² the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed¹ the stranger wrongfully. ⁴⁹⁴¹

And I sought¹⁷ for a man among them, that should make up⁶ the hedge, and stand⁶ in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy¹⁵ it: but I found¹ none.

Therefore have I poured out⁴ mine indignation upon them; I have consumed¹⁴ them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed¹ upon their heads, saith⁷ the Lord GOD.