Is thy heart able to endure it, or may thy hands defend themselves, in the time that I shall bring upon thee? Even I the LORD that speak it, will bring it also to pass.

"Thou son of man, the house of Israel is turned to dross. All they that should be brass, tin, iron and lead, are in the fire become dross.

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: Forsomuch as ye all are turned into dross, behold: I will bring you together unto Jerusalem,

like as silver, and brass, iron, tin, and lead, are put together in the furnace and the fire blown there under to melt them: Even so will I gather you, put you in together, and melt you in my wrath and indignation.

thy Prophets that are in thee are sworn together to devour souls, like as a roaring Lion that liveth by his prey. They receive riches and good, and make many widows in thee.

Thy rulers in thee are like ravishing wolves, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, for their own covetous lucre.

As for thy Prophets, they daub with untempered clay, they see vanities, and prophesy lies unto thee, saying, 'The LORD God sayeth so,' where as the LORD hath not spoken.

"Thou son of man, there were two women, that had one mother.

These, when they were young, began to play the harlots in Egypt. There were their breasts bruised, and the paps of their maidenhead destroyed.

The eldest of them was called Oholah and her youngest sister Oholibah. These two were mine, and bare sons and daughters. Their names were, Samaria, and that was Oholah: and Jerusalem, that was Oholibah.

which had to do with her: even the princes and lords, that were decked in costly array: fair young men, lusty riders of horses.

she loved the Assyrians, which also lay with her: namely, the princes and great lords, that were clothed with all manner of gorgeous apparel, all lusty horsemen and fair young persons.

Then I saw, that they both were defiled alike.

with fair girdles about them, and goodly bonnets upon their heads, looking all like princes after the manner of the Babylonians and Chaldeans in their own land, where they be born,

Then was there great cheer with her: and the men that were sent from far countries over the desert, unto these they gave bracelets upon their hands, and set glorious crowns upon their heads.

Then thought I, 'No doubt, these will use their harlotry also with yonder old whore.'

O ye all that love virtue and righteousness, judge them! Punish them as adulterers and murderers ought to be judged and punished. For they are breakers of wedlock, and the blood is in their hands.

Thus will I destroy all such filthiness out of the land, that all women may learn not to do after your uncleanness.

And so they shall lay your filthiness upon your own selves, and ye shall be punished for the sins that ye have committed with your Idols: and ye shall know that I am the LORD."

In the ninth year, in the tenth Month, the tenth day of the Month, came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

With that, said the LORD God on this manner: Woe be unto the bloody city of the pot, where upon the rustiness hangeth, and is not yet scoured away. Take out the pieces that are in it, one after another: there need no lots be cast therefore,

'Tell the house of Israel, thus sayeth the LORD God: Behold, I will suspend my sanctuary: even the glory of your power, that pleasure of your eyes, and the thing that ye love: your sons and daughters whom ye have left, shall fall through the sword.

Like as I have done, so shall ye do also: Ye shall not hide your faces, ye shall eat no mourner's bread;

your bonnets shall ye have upon your heads, and shoes upon your feet. Ye shall neither mourn nor weep, but in your sins ye shall be sorrowful, and one repent with another.

Thus Ezekiel is your show token. For look, as he hath done, so, when this cometh, ye shall do also: that ye may learn to know that I am the LORD God.'"

Therefore, behold, I will make the cities of Moab weaponless, and take away their strength, their cities, and chief coasts of their land which are the pleasures of the country: As namely. Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim.

It happened, that in the eleventh year, and the first day of the Month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Yea, as the drying place, where the fishers hang up their nets by the seaside. Even I have spoken it, sayeth the LORD God. The Gentiles shall spoil her:

Thy daughters that are in the land shall he slay with the sword: but against thee, he shall make bulwarks and grave up ditches about thee, and lift up his shield against thee.

Thy borders are in the midst of the sea, and thy builders have made thee marvelous goodly.

They of Sidon and Arvad were thy mariners, and the wisest in Tyre were thy shipmasters.

The eldest and wisest at Gebal were they, that mended and stopped thy ships. All ships of the sea with their shipment occupied their merchandise in thee.

The Persians, Lydians and Libyans were in thine host, and helped thee to fight: these hanged up their shields and helmets with thee; these set forth thy beauty.

They of Arvad were with thine host round about thy walls, and were thy watchmen upon thy towers, these hanged up their shields round about thy walls, and made thee marvelous goodly.

Javan, Tubal and Meshech were thy merchants, which brought the men, and ornaments of metal for thy occupying.

They of Dedan were thy merchants: and many other Isles that occupied with thee, brought thee wethers, elephant bones and Peacocks for a present.

Haran, Cannah, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad, were all doers with thee

The ships of Tarshish were the chief of thy occupying. Thus thou art full, and in great worship, even in the midst of the sea.

"'Thy mariners were ever bringing unto thee out of many waters. But the east wind shall overbear thee into the midst of the sea:

so that thy wares, thy merchandise, thy riches, thy mariners, thy shipmasters, thy helpers, thy occupiers that brought the things necessary, the men of war that are in thee: Yea, and all thy commons shall perish in the midst of the sea, in the day of thy fall.

All they that dwell in the Isles are abashed at thee, and all their kings are afraid; yea, their faces have changed colour.

Therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Forsomuch as thou hast lift up thine heart, as though thou were God:

Thou hast been in the pleasure garden of God; thou art decked with all manner of precious stones: with Ruby, Topaz, Crystal, Jacinth, Onyx, Jasper, Sapphire, Smaragdus, Carbuncle, and gold. Thy beauty and the holes that be in thee were set forth in the day of thy creation.

In the tenth year, upon the twelfth day of the tenth Month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

I will cast thee out upon the dry land with the fish of thy waters, so that thou shalt lie upon the field. Thou shalt not be gathered nor taken up: but shall be meat for the beasts of the field, and for the fowls of the air:

Again, thus sayeth the LORD God: When the forty years are expired I will gather the Egyptians together again, out of the nations, among whom they were scattered,

In the twenty seventh year, the first day of the first Month, came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

the sword cometh upon Egypt. When the wounded men fall down in Egypt, when her people are taken away, and when her foundations are destroyed,

And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I kindle a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers are destroyed.

It happened in the eleventh year, upon the seventh day of the first Month, that the LORD's word came unto me, saying,

"Behold, thou son of man, I will brake the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt: and lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, neither shall any plaster be laid upon it, for to ease it, or to make it so strong as to hold a sword.

Moreover, it happened in the eleventh year, the first day of the third Month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

All fowls of the air made their nests in his branches, under his boughs gendered all these beasts of the field, and under his shadow dwelt all people.

no Cedar tree might hide him. In the pleasant garden of God, there was no fir tree like his branches, the plain trees were not like the boughs of him. All the trees in the garden of God might not be compared unto him in his beauty:

When he is fallen, all the fowls of the air shall sit upon him, and all wild beasts of the field shall go about among his branches:

I will make the Heathen shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell, with them that descend into the pit. All the trees of Eden, with all the chosen and best trees of Lebanon, yea, and all they that are planted upon the waters, shall mourn with him also in the lower habitations:

To whom shalt thou be likened, that art so glorious and great, among the trees of Eden? Yet art thou cast down under the earth, among the trees of Eden, where thou must lie among the uncircumcised, with them that be slain with the sword. Even thus is it with Pharaoh and all his people, sayeth the LORD God.'"

In the twelfth year, the first day of the twelfth Month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

for I will cast thee upon the land. I let thee lie upon the field, that all the fowls of the air may sit upon thee; I will give all the beasts of the field enough of thee.

In the twelfth year, the fifteenth day of the Month, came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

Assyria is there also with his company, and their graves round about, which were slain and fell all with the sword,

whose graves lie beside him in the low pit. His commons are buried round about his grave: all together wounded and slain with the sword, which men afore time brought fear in to the land of the living.

There is Elam also with all his people, and their graves round about: which all being wounded and slain with the sword, are gone down uncircumcised under the earth. Which, nevertheless, sometime brought fear into the land of the living: for the which they bear their shame, with the others that be gone down to the grave.

Their burial is given them and all their people, among them that be slain. Their graves are round about all them, which be uncircumcised, and with them that be slain through the sword: for seeing that in times past they made the land of the living afraid, they must now bear their own shame, with them that go down to the pit, and lie among them, that be slain.

There is Meshech also and Tubal, and their people, and their graves round about. These all are among the uncircumcised, and them that be slain with the sword, because afore time they made the land of the living afraid.

Should not they then lie also among the worthies, and uncircumcised Giants which with their weapons are gone down to hell? Whose swords are laid under their heads, whose wickedness is upon their bones, because that as worthies they have brought fear in to the land of the living.

There is the land of Edom with her kings and princes also, which with their strength are laid by them that were slain with the sword. Yea, among the uncircumcised, and them which are gone down in to the pit.

Moreover, there be all the princes of the north, with all of the Sidonians, which are gone down to the slain. With their fear and strength they are come to confusion, and lie there uncircumcised, among those that be slain with the sword: and bear their own shame, with them that be gone down to the pit.

"Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel. Yea, say thus, 'Our offenses and sins lie upon us, and we be corrupt in them: how should we then be restored unto life?'

Tell them, 'As truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but much rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn you, turn you from your ungodly ways, O ye of the house of Israel. Oh, wherefore will ye die?'

In the twelfth year, the fifth day of the tenth Month of our captivity, it happened, that one which was fled out of Jerusalem, came unto me, and said, "The city is destroyed."

"Thou son of man, these that dwell in the wasted land of Israel say, 'Abraham was but one man, and he had the land in possession: now are we many, and the land is given us to possess also.'

And therefore tell them, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: In the blood have ye eaten, your eyes have ye lift up to Idols, and have shed blood: shall ye then have the land in possession?

Ye lean upon your swords, ye work abominations, every one defileth his neighbour's wife: and shall ye then possess the land?'

These come unto thee, after the manner of a great people: yea, my people sit down before thee, and hear thy words, but they do not thereafter: for in their mouths they show themselves, as though they were fervent, but their heart goeth after their own covetous lucre.

Thus are they scattered here and there without a shepherd: yea, all the beasts of the field devour them, and they go astray.

My sheep go wandering upon all mountains, and upon every high hill. Yea they be scattered abroad in all fields, and there is no man, that careth for them, or seeketh after them.

Thus sayeth the LORD God: As truly as I live, forsomuch as my sheep are robbed, and devoured of all the wild beasts of the field, having no shepherd: and seeing that my shepherds take no regard of my sheep, but feed themselves only, and not my sheep:

Like as a shepherd among the flock seeketh after the sheep that are scattered abroad, even so will I seek after my sheep, and gather them together out of all places, where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

Was it not enough for you, to eat up the good pasture, but ye must tread down the residue of your pastures with your feet also? Was it not enough for you to drink clear water, but ye must trouble the residue also with your feet?

Thus my sheep must be fain to eat the thing that ye have trodden down with your feet, and to drink it that ye with your feet have defiled.

forsomuch as ye have shot the weak sheep upon the sides and shoulders, and run upon them with your horns, so long till ye have utterly scattered them abroad.

Thus shall they understand, that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, sayeth the LORD God.

Ye men are my flock; ye are the sheep of my pasture: and I am your God, sayeth the LORD God.'"

Forsomuch as thou bearest an old enemy against the children of Israel, and with a cruel hand hast made them afraid, what time as they were troubled and punished for their sin:

His mountains will I fill with his slain men: thy hills, dales and valleys shall lie full of them that are slain with the sword.

Yea, and that thou also mayest be sure, that I the LORD have heard all thy despiteful words, which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, 'Lo, they are made waste, and given us to devour.'

Thus with your mouths ye have made your boast against me; yea, and multiplied your proud words against me, which I have heard altogether.

Thus sayeth the LORD God: Because your enemy hath said upon you, 'Aha, the high everlasting places are now become ours':

Therefore, hear the word of the LORD God, O ye mountains of Israel. Thus sayeth the LORD God unto the mountains, and hills; valleys and dales; to the void wilderness and desolate cities, which are spoiled and had in derision on every side among the residue of the Heathen.

therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: I have sworn, that the Gentiles which lie about you shall bear your confusion themselves.

And as for you, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot out your branches, and bring forth your fruit to my people of Israel: for it is hard by, that it will come.

I will provide you with much people and cattle, which shall increase and bring fruit. I will restore you also to your old estate, and show you more kindness than ever ye had before: whereby ye shall know, that I am the LORD.

I scattered them also among the Heathen, so that they were strawed about in the lands. According to their ways and after their own inventions, so did I punish them.

Now when they were gone unto the Heathen, and come in among them they dishonoured my holy name: so that it was said of them, 'Are these the people of God, and must go out of their own land?'

And I will take you from the heathen, and will gather you out from all lands and will bring you out of your own country.

And I will pour pure water upon you, and ye shall be cleansed from all uncleanness, and from all your idols. I will cleanse you.

And I will give you a new heart, and will put a new spirit in you. And will take away that stony heart out of your flesh, and give you a fleshly heart.

And ye shall dwell in the land which I gave your fathers. And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

"I will help you out of all your uncleannesses. I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and will let you have no hunger.