And look! [Though] it is planted, will it prosper? {When the east wind strikes it}, will it not dry up completely? On the garden bed of its vegetation it will dry up!" '"

"Say now to the rebellious house of Israel, 'Do you not know what these [are]?' Say, 'Look! The king of Babylon will come [to] Jerusalem, and he will take its king and its officials, and he will bring them to himself, [to] Babylon.

But he rebelled against him by sending his messengers [to] Egypt to give to him horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he escape doing these [things], and can he break [the] covenant and escape?

{As I live},' {declares} the Lord Yahweh, '{surely} in the place of the king {who made} him king, who despised his oath and who broke his covenant with him--in the midst of Babylon he will die.

And not with a great army and with a great crowd will Pharaoh work with him in the war, at the pouring out of a siege ramp and the building of siege works to destroy many lives.

And he despised [the] oath to break covenant. And, look, he gave his hand [in pledge], and [yet] he did all of these [things]. He will not escape.'

Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: '{As I live}, {surely} my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke I will return upon his head.

And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my hunting net, and I will bring him [to] Babylon, and I will enter into judgment with him there [about] his infidelity that he displayed against me.

And all of his choice troops, among all of his troops, they will fall by the sword, and [those who] [are] remaining, they will be scattered to all [the directions of the] wind, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have spoken.'

Thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'And I will take, [even] I, from the treetop of the high cedar, and I will plant [it], from the head of its new plant shoot I will pluck a tender one, and I will plant [it], [even] I, on a high and lofty mountain.

On the height of the mountain of Israel I will plant [it], and it will carry branches, and it will bear fruit, and {it will become a noble cedar}, and all of the birds of all wings will dwell under it in the shade of its branches.

And all of the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, I will bring low a high tree, [and] I will exalt a low, fresh tree, and I will make a dry tree flourish. I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will do [it].'"

{As I live}, {declares} the Lord Yahweh, it will surely not any longer be {appropriate for you} to quote this proverb in Israel!

Look! {All lives are mine}. {The lives of father and son alike are mine}. The person sinning will die.

[and] in my statutes he goes about and my regulations he keeps, {performing faithfully} --[then] he is righteous, [and] certainly he will live," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

{He charges interest} and takes usury. Then, shall he live? He shall not live, [for] he did all of these detestable things. Surely he will die! His blood will be on him.

He brings back his hand from iniquity; he does not take interest and usury; he does my regulations; he goes in my statutes. He will not die because of the guilt of his father; he will surely live!

Because his father {oppressed severely}; {he stole from his brother}; [that] which [is] not good he did in the midst of his people, and look! He will die through his guilt.

The person, the [one] sinning, will die. A son shall not bear the guilt of the father, and a father shall not bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him; the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

All of his transgressions that he committed will not be remembered against him. Through his righteousness that he has done he shall live.

And {when the righteous turns} from his righteousness, so that he does injustice, and does all of the detestable things that the wicked do, then will he live [because of] all of his righteousness that he did? [Those things] will not be remembered because of his infidelity that he displayed, and because of his {sin that he committed}. Through them he shall die.

When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and he does injustice, then he will die because of them; because of his injustice that he did he will die!

And when the wicked turns from his wickedness that he did and he does justice and righteousness, {he will preserve his life}.

And if he sees and he returns from all of his transgressions that he did, surely he will live; he will not die!

"Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways," {declares} the Lord Yahweh. "Repent and turn around from all of your transgression, and it will not be as a stumbling block of iniquity to you.

Throw {away from yourselves} all of your transgressions that you committed, and make {for yourselves} a new heart and new spirit, and [so] why will you die, house of Israel?

And [so] fire has gone out from the stem of its branches; its fruit it has consumed, and [there] was not in it {a strong branch}, a scepter for ruling.'" This [is] a lament, and {it will be used as a lament}.

"Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "[Are] you coming to consult me? {As I live}, I will surely not allow myself to be consulted by you!" ' {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

Will you judge them? Will you judge [them], son of man? Make known to them the detestable things of their ancestors.

and I gave my statutes to them, and my regulations I made known to them, which, if a person does them, then he will live by them.

"But in the desert the house of Israel rebelled against me; {they did not walk in my statutes}, and they rejected my regulations, which, if a person does them, he will live by them, and they greatly profaned my Sabbaths, and I decided to pour out my rage on them in the desert to destroy them,

And treat my Sabbaths as holy, and they will be a sign between me and between you {that you may know} that I, Yahweh, [am] your God.'

But the children rebelled against me; {they did not walk in my statutes}, and {they did not observe my regulations}, which [if] a person does them, then he will live by them. My Sabbaths they desecrated, and I decided to pour out my rage on them, to finish my anger against them in the desert.

And in turn I gave to them rules [that were] not good and regulations {by which they will not live}.

And I defiled them through their gifts in sacrificing all of [the] first offspring of [the] womb, in order that I will cause them to be stunned, so that they will know that I [am] Yahweh.

Therefore thus say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "In the way of your ancestors [will] you defile yourself, and after their vile idols [will] you prostitute [yourselves]?

And {when you lift up your gifts, sacrificing your children} through the fire, you are defiling yourself through all of your idols until {today}, and will I let myself be consulted by you, house of Israel?" ' {As I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "I will not let myself be consulted by you!

And {what you are planning}, surely it will not be--that you are saying, 'Let us be like the nations, like the clans of the lands, {serving wood and stone}!'

"{As I live}," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "{surely} with strong hand and with [an] outstretched arm and with {rage pouring forth} I will reign as king over you!

And I will bring you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries [to] which you were scattered with strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage poured out.

Then I will bring you to the desert of the peoples, and I will execute justice on you there face to face.

{Just as} I executed justice on your ancestors in the desert of the land of Egypt, likewise I will execute justice on you!" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

"And I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

And I will purge the rebels from [among] you and the [ones] transgressing against me; I will bring them out from the land {where they are living as aliens}, but into the land of Israel they will not come, and [then] you will know that I [am] Yahweh.

And you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "[Let] each one go serve his idols [now] and after, if you [are] not listening to me, but {my holy name} you will not profane [any] longer with your gifts and with your idols.

"For on {my holy mountain}, on the mountain of the height of Israel," {declares} the Lord Yahweh, "there all of the house of Israel will serve me, all of them, in the land. I will take pleasure in them, and there I will accept your contributions and the best of your portions with all of your holy objects.

I will accept you as {a fragrant incense offering} when I bring you out from the peoples and I gather you from the lands [to] which you were scattered, and I will show myself holy among you before the eyes of the nations.

And you will know that I [am] Yahweh {when I bring you} to the land of Israel, to the land that {I swore} to give to your ancestors.

And you will remember there your ways, and all of your deeds {by which you were made unclean}, and you will feel a loathing {for yourself} for all of your evils that you have done.

And you will know that I [am] Yahweh {when I deal with you} for the sake of my name and {not according to your evil ways} or {according to} your corrupted deeds, house of Israel," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

And you must say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I am kindling against you a fire, and it will devour in you every fresh tree and every dry tree; [the] blaze of [the] flame will not be quenched, and all the surfaces from [the] south [to] [the] north will be scorched by it.

And all creatures will see that I, Yahweh, I kindled it--it will not be quenched!" '"

And you must say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says Yahweh: "Look! I [am] against you, and I will draw out my sword from its sheath, and I will cut [off] from you [the] righteous and [the] wicked.

Because I will cut [off] from you [both] righteous and wicked, therefore my sword will go out from its sheath to all creatures from south [to] north.

And they will know, all creatures, that I, Yahweh, I will bring out my sword from its sheath; it will not return again!" '

{And then} when they say to you, 'On account of what [are] you groaning?' then you must say, 'On account of [the] report, for it [is] coming, and every heart will be weak and all hands will hang limp and every spirit will be disheartened, and all knees will go [like] water.' Look! It [is] coming, and it will happen!" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

It is sharpened to slaughter a slaughter, {polished to flash like lightning}! Or will we rejoice? A rod, my son, [is] despising every tree.

For {examine}! And what if also [the] rod will not be despising?' {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

And you, son of man, prophesy {and clap your hands}. And the sword will {strike twice}; let it happen a third time. It [is] a sword of the dead, [the] sword of the great dead that [is] surrounding them,

And also {I myself} will {clap my hands}, and I will satisfy my rage! I, Yahweh, I have spoken."

And it will be to them like practicing divination falsely in their eyes; {they have sworn oaths for themselves}. But he [will] bring [their] guilt to remembrance [so as] to seize them.

"Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Because you have brought to remembrance your guilt by the uncovering of your transgressions, so that your sins in all of your deeds appear--because of your being remembered, you will be captured in the hand.'

A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will make it! Also this has not [ever] happened; [it will remain] until the coming of [the one] [to] whom the judgment belongs and I have given it [to him].'

Return it to its sheath in [the] place where you were created. In the land of your origin I will judge you!

And I will pour out my anger on you; I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and I will give you into [the] hand of brutal men, skilled craftsmen of destruction.

You will be as fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the earth. You will not be remembered, for I, Yahweh, I have spoken.'"

"And you, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the {bloody city}? Then you must make known [to] her all of her detestable things!

The [people] near and the [people] far from you will make fun of you, {the unclean and the terrified}.

Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong at the days [in] which I [am] dealing with you? I, Yahweh, I have spoken, and I will act!

I will scatter you among the nations, and I will disperse you through the countries, and I will purge your uncleanness from you.

And I will be profaned by you before [the] eyes of [the] nations, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh." '"

like the gathering of silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin to the middle of a furnace to blow fire on it for melting. Thus I will gather in my anger and in my rage, and I will {deposit} you, and I will melt you.

And I will gather you, and I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and [so] I will melt [you] in the midst of her.

Thus you will be melted like [the] melting of silver in the midst of a furnace, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have poured out my rage on you.'"

"Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Look! I [am] stirring up your lovers against you [concerning] whom you turned away, and I will bring them against you from all around:

And they will come against you [with] an army chariot and wagon and with a crowd of peoples; they will set [themselves] against you [from] all around [with] large shield and small shield and helmet. And I will give {before them} judgment, and they will judge you with their judgments.

And I will direct my zeal against you, and they will deal with you in anger; your nose and your ears they will remove, and {those who are left}, they will fall by the sword, and they will take your sons and your daughters, and {your remnant} will be consumed by fire.

And they will strip you [of] your clothes, and they will take {your splendid jewelry}.

And I will put an end to your obscene conduct [coming] from you and your fornication from the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them; and you will not remember Egypt again.'

And they will deal with you in hatred, and they will take all of your acquisitions, and they will leave you naked and [in] bareness; and the nakedness of your fornication and your obscene conduct and your whorings will be exposed.

You went in the [same] way of your sister, and I will give her cup into your hand." '

Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "You will drink the deep and wide cup of your sister; you will be as laughter and as scorn; {the cup holds so much}!

You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, for a cup of horror and desolation [is] the cup of your sister, Samaria.

And you will drink it, and you will drain [it], and its potsherds you will gnaw, and you will tear out your breasts, for {I myself} spoke," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

And Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah and declare their abominable deeds to them

And I said to the one worn out [with] adulteries, 'Now they will prostitute [her] [concerning] her fornication, even her.'

But righteous men, they will judge them [with] [the] judgment of committing adultery, and [with] [the] judgment of shedding blood; for they were committing adultery, and blood [was] on their hands."

And {I will cause obscene conduct to cease from the land}, and all of the women will be warned, and they will not do according to your wickedness.

And they will repay your obscene conduct upon you, and the guilt of your idols you will bear, and you will know that I [am] the Lord Yahweh.

Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe [to] the city of bloodguilt! I, even I, will make the pile of wood great!

In your uncleanness [is] obscene conduct, because I cleansed you, but you were not clean from your uncleanness; you will not be clean again until {I fully vent my rage} on you.

I, Yahweh, I have spoken. [It is] coming, and I did [it]; I will not disregard, and I will not take pity, and I will not reconsider. According to your ways and according to your deeds they will judge you!" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

And the people said to me, "Will you not make known to us what these [things] that you are doing [mean] for us?"

"Say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I [will be] profaning my sanctuary, the pride of your strength [and] the delight of your eyes and the object of your own affection; and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind will fall by the sword,

And Ezekiel will be to you as a sign; {everything that he did} you shall do; and when it comes you will know that I [am] the Lord Yahweh.

"And you, son of man, [will it] not [be that] on the day {when I take from them} their stronghold, the joy of their glory, the delight of their eyes, and the longing of their inner self, their sons and daughters--

on that day a survivor will come to you {with the news}.

On that day your mouth shall be opened {at the arrival of the fugitive}, and you shall speak, and you shall not be silent [any] longer, and you shall be to them as a sign, and they will know that I am Yahweh."

therefore look! I [am] giving you to the people of the East as a possession, and they will set up their encampments in you, and they will make in you their dwelling places; {they themselves} will eat your fruit and {they themselves} will drink your milk.

And I will make Rabbah as a pasture of camels and the {Ammonites} as a haunt of flocks, and they will know that I [am] Yahweh." '"