And he said, "Behold, thou son of man: I will send thee to the children of Israel, to those renegades and obstinate people - for they have taken part against me, and are run away from me: both they and their forefathers unto this day.

Yea, I will send thee unto a people that have rough visages and stiff stomachs: unto whom thou shalt say on this manner, 'This the LORD God himself hath spoken,'

But the house of Israel will not follow thee, for they will not follow me. Yea, all the house of Israel have stiff foreheads, and hard hearts.

Behold, therefore, I will make thy face prevail against their faces, and harden thy forehead against their foreheads;

If I say unto thee, concerning the ungodly man, that without doubt he must die: and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest unto him, that he may turn from his evil way, and so to live - Then shall the same ungodly man die in his own unrighteousness, but his blood will I require of thine hand.

"Now if a righteous man go from his righteousness, and do the thing that is evil: I will lay a stumbling block before him, and he shall die, because thou hast not given him warning - Yea, die shall he in his own sin, so that the virtue which he did before shall not be thought upon, but his blood will I require of thine hand.

And I will make thy tongue cleave so to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and not be as a chider with them: for it is an obstinate household.

But when I speak unto thee, then open thy mouth, and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: whoso heareth, let him hear; who so will not, let him leave.' For it is an obstinate household."

Nevertheless, I will appoint thee a time to put out their sins and the number of the days: Three hundred and ninety days must thou bear the wickedness of the house of Israel.

When thou hast fulfilled these days, lie down again, and sleep upon thy right side forty days, and bear the sins of the house of Judah. A day for a year; a day, I say, for a year will I ever lay upon thee.

Behold, I will lay chains upon thee, that thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.

And with that said the LORD, "Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread in the midst of the Gentiles, among whom I will scatter them."

Then said I, "O LORD God: Behold, my soul was yet never stained, for from my youth up to this hour. I did never eat of a dead carcass, or that which was slain of wild beasts, neither came there ever any unclean flesh in my mouth."

Whereunto he answered me, and said, "Well then, I will grant thee to take cow's dung, for the dung of a man, and to strike the bread over withal, before them."

And he said unto me, "Behold thou son of man, I will minish all the provision of bread in Jerusalem, so that they shall weigh their bread, and eat it with scarceness. But as for water, they shall have a very little measure thereof, to drink.

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: I will also come upon thee, for in the midst of thee will I sit in judgment, in the sight of the Heathen,

and will handle thee of such a fashion as I never did before, and as I never will do from that time forth, and that because of all thine abominations.

For in thee the fathers shall be fain to eat their own sons, and the sons their own fathers. Such a court will I keep in thee, and the whole remnant will I scatter into all the winds.

Wherefore as truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God, seeing thou hast defiled my Sanctuary with all manner of abominations and with all thy shameful offenses: For this cause will I also destroy thee. Mine eye shall not oversee thee, neither will I spare thee.

One third part within thee shall die of the pestilence and of hunger: Another third part shall be slain down round about thee with the sword: The other third part, that remaineth, will I scatter abroad toward all the winds, and draw out the sword after them.

Thus will I perform my indignation and set my wrath against them, and ease myself. So that when I have fulfilled mine anger against them, they shall know that I am the LORD, which with a fervent jealousy have spoken it.

Moreover, I will make thee waste and abhorred before all the Heathen that dwell about thee, and in the sight of all them that go by thee:

When I shoot among them the perilous darts of hunger, which shall be but death: Yea, therefore shall I shoot them, because I will destroy you. I will increase hunger, and diminish all the provision of bread among you.

Plagues and misery will I send you; yea, and wild beasts also to destroy you. Pestilence and bloodsheding shall come upon you, and the sword will I bring over you. Even I, the LORD, have said it."

and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD God, O ye mountains of Israel: Thus hath the LORD God spoken to the mountains, hills, rivers, valleys and dales. Behold, I will bring a sword over you, and destroy your high places.

I will cast down your altars, and break down your temples. Your slain men will I lay before your gods.

And the dead carcasses of the children of Israel will I cast before their images, your bones will I straw round about your altars and dwelling places.

"Those that among you have escaped the sword, will I leave among the Gentiles, for I will scatter you among the nations.

And they that escape from you, shall think upon me among the Heathen, where they shall be in captivity. As for that whorish and unfaithful heart of theirs, wherewith they run away from me, I will break it: Yea, and put out those eyes of theirs, that committed fornication with their idols. Then shall they be ashamed, and displeased with their selves, for the wickedness and abominations, which they have done:

Whoso is far off, shall die of the pestilence; he that is nigh at hand shall perish with the sword; and the others that are besieged shall die of hunger. Thus will I satisfy my wrathful displeasure upon them.

I will stretch mine hand out upon them, and will make the land waste: So that it shall lie desolate and void from the wilderness of Diblath forth, through all their habitations: to learn them for to know, that I am the LORD.'"

But now shall the end come upon thee: For I will send my wrath upon thee, and will punish thee according to thy ways; and reward thee after all thy abominations.

Mine eye shall not oversee thee, neither will I spare thee: but reward thee according to thy ways, and declare thy abominations. Then shall ye know that I am the LORD.

Therefore, I will shortly pour out my sore displeasure over thee, and fulfill my wrath upon thee. I will judge thee after thy ways, and recompense thee all thy abominations.

Mine eye shall not oversee thee, neither will I spare thee; but reward thee after thy ways, and show thy abominations, to learn you for to know how that I am the LORD that smiteth.

because they made thereof not only costly Jewels for their pomp and pride, but also abominable images and Idols. For this cause will I make them to be abhorred.

Moreover, I will give it into the hands of the strangers to be spoiled: and to the wicked for to be robbed, and they shall destroy it.

My face will I turn from them, my treasury shall be defiled: for the thieves shall go into it, and suspend it.

"I will make clean riddance, for the land is whole defiled with unrighteous judgment of innocent blood, and the city is full of abominations.

Wherefore, I will bring the most cruel tyrants from among the Heathen to take their houses in possession. I will make the pomp of the proud to cease, and they shall take in their Sanctuary.

The king shall mourn, the princes shall be clothed with heaviness, and the hands of the people in the land shall tremble for fear. I will do unto them after their own ways, and according to their own judgments will I judge them: to learn them for to know, that I am the LORD."

Therefore will I also do something in my wrathful displeasure: so that mine eye shall not oversee them, neither will I spare them. Yea, and though they cry in mine ears with loud voice, yet will I not hear them."

Now when they had done the slaughter, and I yet escaped: I fell down upon my face, and cried saying, "O LORD, wilt thou then destroy all the residue of Israel, in thy sore displeasure, that thou hast poured upon Jerusalem?"

Therefore will I upon them; mine eye shall not oversee them, neither will I spare them, but will recompense their wickedness upon their heads."

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: The slain men that ye have laid on the ground in this city, are the flesh, and this city is the cauldron: But I will bring you out of it.

Ye have drawn out the sword, even so will I also bring a sword over you, sayeth the LORD God.

I will drive you out of this city and deliver you into your enemies' hand, and will condemn you.

Ye shall be slain in all the coasts of Israel. I will be avenged of you: to learn you for to know that I am the LORD.

This city shall not be your cauldron, neither shall ye be the flesh therein: but in the coasts of Israel will I punish you,

Now when I preached, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, "O LORD God, wilt thou then utterly destroy all the remnant in Israel?"

Therefore tell them, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: I will send you far off among the Gentiles, and scatter you among the nations, and I will hallow you but a little, in the lands where ye shall come.'

Tell them also, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: I will gather you again out of the nations, and bring you from the countries where ye be scattered, and will give you the land of Israel again:

And thither shall ye come. And as for all impediments, and all your abominations: I will take them away.

And I will give you one heart, and will plant a new spirit within your bowels. That stony heart will I take out of your body, and give you a fleshly heart:

But look, whose hearts are disposed to follow their abominations and wicked livings: those men's deeds will I bring upon their own heads, sayeth the LORD God.'"

Therefore, O thou son of man, make thy gear ready to flit, and go forth by fair daylight, that they may see. Yea, even in their sight shalt thou go from thy place to another place: if peradventure they will consider that they be an unobedient household.

My line will I spread out upon him, and catch him in my net, and carry him to Babylon, in the land of the Chaldeans: which he shall not see, and yet shall he die there.

As for all his helpers, and all his Hosts that be about him, I will scatter them toward all the winds, and draw out a sword after them.

But, I will leave a little number of them from the sword, hunger and pestilence: to tell all their abominations among the Heathen, where they come: that they may know how that I am the LORD.'"

Tell them therefore, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: I will make that byword to cease, so that it shall no more be commonly used in Israel.' But say this unto them, 'The days are at hand, that everything which hath been prophesied, shall be fulfilled.

For it is I, the LORD, that speak it: and whatsoever I, the LORD, speak, it shall be performed, and not be slacken in coming. Yea even in your days, O ye froward household, will I devise something and bring it to pass, sayeth the LORD God.'"

"Behold, thou son of man: The house of Israel say in this manner, 'Tush, as for the vision that he hath seen, it will be many a day or it come to pass: It is far off yet, the thing that he prophesieth.'

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God. Because your words be vain, and ye seek out lies: Behold, I will upon you, sayeth the LORD.

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: I will break out in my wrathful displeasure with a stormy wind, so that in mine anger there shall come a mighty shower of rain and hailstones in my wrath, to destroy withal.

As for the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, I will break it down: make it even with the ground, so the foundation thereof shall remove, and it shall fall. Yea, and ye yourselves shall perish in the midst thereof: to learn you for to know, that I am the LORD.

Thus will I perform my wrath upon this wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and then will I say unto you: The wall is gone, and the daubers are away.

Wherefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Behold, I will also upon the pillows, wherewith ye catch the souls in flying: them will I take from your arms, and let the souls go, that ye catch in flying.

Your bolsters also will I tear in pieces, and deliver my people out of your hand: so that they shall come no more in your hands to be spoiled, and ye shall know, that I am the LORD.

therefore shall ye spy out no more vanity, nor prophesy your own guessings. For I will deliver my people out of your hand, that ye may know how that I am the LORD.'"

Therefore speak unto them, and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Every man of the house of Israel that beareth his Idols in his heart, purposing to stumble in his own wickedness, and cometh to a prophet, to enquire anything at me by him: unto that man will I the LORD myself give answer, according to the multitude of his idols:

For every man, whether he be of the house of Israel, or a stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which departeth from me, and carrieth idols in his heart, purposing to go still stumbling in his own wickedness, and cometh to a Prophet, for to ask counsel at me through him: unto that man will I the LORD give answer, by mine own self.

I will set my face against that man. And will make him to be an example for others; yea, and a common byword. And will root him out of my people, that he may know how that I am the LORD.

And if that Prophet be deceived, when he telleth him a word: then I the LORD myself have deceived that Prophet, and will stretch forth mine hand upon him, to root him out of my people of Israel:

"Thou son of man, when the land sinneth against me and goeth forth in wickedness: I will stretch out mine hand upon it, and destroy all the provision of their bread, and send dearth upon them, to destroy man and beast in the land.

And therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Like as I cast the vine into the fire for to be burnt, as other trees of the wood: Even so will I do with them that dwell in Jerusalem,

Behold, I will stretch out mine hand over thee, and will diminish thy store of food, and deliver thee over into the wiles of the Philistines thine enemies, which are ashamed of thy abominable way.

Behold therefore, I will gather together all thy lovers, unto whom thou hast made thy self common. Yea, and all them whom thou favourest, and euery one that thou hatest: and will uncover thy shame before them, that they all may see thy filthiness.

Moreover, I will judge thee as a breaker of wedlock and a murderer, and recompense thee thine own blood in wrath and jealousy.

I will give thee over into their power, that shall break down thy stews, and destroy thy brothel houses: they shall strip thee out of thy clothes, all thy fair and beautiful Jewels shall they take from thee, and so let thee sit naked and bare.

They shall burn up thy houses, and punish thee in the sight of many women. Thus will I make thy whoredom to cease, so that thou shalt give out no more rewards.

Seeing thou rememberest not the days of thy youth, but hast provoked me to wrath in all these things? Behold therefore, I will bring thine own ways upon thine head, sayeth the LORD God: howbeit, I never did unto thee, according to thy wickedness and all thy abominations.

As for their captivity, namely the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters: I will bring them again. So will I also bring again thy captivity among them:

"'Nevertheless, I will remember the covenant that I made with thee in thy youth, insomuch that it shall be an everlasting covenant:

So that thou also remember thy ways, and be ashamed of them. Then shalt thou receive of me thy elder and younger sisters, whom I will make thy daughters: and that beside thy covenant.

And so I will renew my covenant with thee, that thou mayest know that I am the LORD:

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: As truly as I live, I will bring mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, upon his own head.

I will cast my net about him, and catch him in my yarn. To Babylon will I carry him: there will I punish him, because of the great offense that he made me.

"'Thus sayeth the LORD God: I will also take a branch from a high Cedar tree, and will set it, and take the uppermost twig, that yet is but tender, and plant it upon a high hill:

Namely, upon the high hill of Zion will I plant it: that it may bring forth twigs, and give fruit, and be a great Cedar tree: so that all manner of fowls may bide in it, and make their nests under the shadow of his branches.

But you will say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' Here I pray you, ye house of Israel. Is not my way equal?

"As for me, I will judge every man, according to his ways, O ye house of Israel, sayeth the LORD God. Wherefore be converted, and turn you clean from all your wickedness, so shall there no sin do you harm.

Cast away from you all your ungodliness that ye have done: make you new hearts and a new spirit. Wherefore will ye die, O ye house of Israel?

I will give you no answer.' Wilt thou not reprove them, thou son of man? Wilt thou not reprove them? Show them the abominations of their forefathers, and tell them: 'Thus sayeth the LORD God:

And as for the thing that ye go about, it shall not come to pass, whereas ye say, 'We will be as the Heathen, and do as other people in the land: wood and stone will we worship.'

"'As truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God, I myself will rule you with a mighty hand, with a stretched out arm, and with indignation poured out over you;

and will bring you out of the nations and lands, wherein ye are scattered; and gather you together with a mighty hand, with a stretched out arm and with indignation poured out upon you;

and will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there I will reason with you face to face.

Like as I punished your forefathers in the wilderness, so will I punish you also, sayeth the LORD God.

I will bring you under my jurisdiction, and under the bond of the covenant.

The forsakers also and the transgressors will I take from among you, and bring them out of the land of your habitations: As for the land of Israel, they shall not come in it: that they may know how that I am the LORD.