Ezekiel 32; Ezekiel 33; Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel 32

1 On the first day of the twelfth month in the twelfth year, the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, sing a funeral song for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Tell him, 'You think you are like a lion among the nations. Instead, you are like a crocodile in the water. You splash around in the water. You stir up the water with your feet. You make the streams muddy.

3 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: When many nations gather together, I will spread my net over you, and they will haul you up in a net.

4 I will throw you on the ground and toss you into an open field. I will make birds perch on you, and wild animals from all over the earth will feed on you.

5 I will scatter your flesh on the hills and fill the valleys with your rotting corpse.

6 I will drench the earth with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains. Ravines will be filled with your dead body.

7 "'When I put out your light, I will cover the sky and darken the stars. I will cover the sun with clouds, and the moon won't shine anymore.

8 I will darken all the lights shining in the sky above you. I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Almighty LORD.

9 "'I will make many people troubled when I spread the news of your destruction among the nations to countries that you haven't heard of.

10 Many people will be shocked by what I will do to you. Their kings will shudder when I swing my sword in their faces. When you die, all of them will tremble in fear for their own lives.

11 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: The sword of the king of Babylon will attack you.

12 I will cut down your people with the swords of warriors. All of them will be the most ruthless warriors among the nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt and destroy its many people.

13 I will also destroy all the animals beside its many water sources. The feet of humans and the hoofs of animals won't stir up the water anymore.

14 Then I will make its water clear and make its streams flow like oil, declares the Almighty LORD.

15 I will turn Egypt into a wasteland. I will take everything in the land, and I will kill all the people who live there. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'

16 "This is a funeral song. The people from the nations will sing this song. They will sing it as they mourn for Egypt and its many people," declares the Almighty LORD.

17 On the fifteenth day of the month in the twelfth year, the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

18 "Son of man, cry for the many people of Egypt. Bring them down along with the other mighty nations. Send them down below the earth to be with those who have gone down to the pit.

19 "[Tell them,] 'Are you more beautiful than anyone else? Go down and join the godless people.'

20 "The Egyptians will lie among those who were killed in battle. A sword has been drawn. Drag Egypt and all its people away.

21 The mightiest warriors will say to Pharaoh from the grave, 'You and your defenders have come down, and you now lie with the godless people who were killed in battle.'

22 "Assyria is there with its whole army, and the graves of its soldiers are all around it. All of its soldiers are dead. They have been killed in battle.

23 Their graves are in the deepest parts of the pit. Assyria's army lies around its grave. All of its soldiers are dead. They have been killed in battle. They once terrified people in the land of the living.

24 "Elam is there with all its soldiers, and the graves of its soldiers are all around it. All of its soldiers are dead. They have been killed in battle. They went down below the earth as godless people. They once terrified people in the land of the living. Now they suffer disgrace with those who have gone down to the pit.

25 A bed has been made for Elam among the dead. The graves of its soldiers are all around it. The soldiers were godless people. They were killed in battle because they terrified others in the land of the living. Now they suffer disgrace with those who have gone down to the pit. They lie among the dead.

26 "Meshech and Tubal are there with all their soldiers, and the graves of their soldiers are all around them. Their soldiers were all godless people. They were killed in battle because they terrified others in the land of the living.

27 They don't lie with the godless warriors who died and went down to the grave with their weapons of war. Their swords were placed under their heads. Their shields were placed on their bones because they terrified others in the land of the living.

28 "You Egyptians will be crushed with the godless people, and you will lie with those who were killed in battle.

29 "Edom is there with its kings and its princes. They used to be powerful, but now they lie with those who were killed in battle. They lie there with the godless people and with those who have gone down to the pit.

30 "All the rulers from the north and all the people from Sidon are there. They, too, went down with the dead. They are disgraced because they terrified people with their power. They were godless people. Now they lie with those who were killed in battle. They suffer disgrace with those who went down to the pit.

31 "Pharaoh and his army will see these things and be comforted over all the soldiers who have been killed in battle, declares the Almighty LORD.

32 I terrified people in the land of the living. Pharaoh and all his soldiers will be laid among the godless people who were killed in battle," declares the Almighty LORD.

Ezekiel 33

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them, 'Suppose I bring war on this country, and the people of this country choose one of their men and make him their watchman.

3 If he sees the enemy coming to attack the country, he will blow his horn to warn the people.

4 If the people hear the horn and ignore the warning and the enemy comes and takes them, they will be responsible for their own deaths.

5 They heard the sound of the horn but ignored its warning. So they are responsible for their own deaths. If they had taken the warning, they would have saved themselves.

6 "'But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn't blow his horn to warn the people and the enemy comes and kills someone, that watchman must die because of his sin. I will hold him responsible for their deaths.'

7 "Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the people of Israel. Listen to what I say, and warn them for me.

8 Suppose I say to a wicked person, 'You wicked person, you will certainly die,' and you say nothing to warn him to change his ways. That wicked person will die because of his sin, and I will hold you responsible for his death.

9 But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his ways and he doesn't turn from them, then he will die because of his sin. However, you will save yourself.

10 "Son of man, say to the people of Israel, 'You have said this, "Our wickedness and our sins weigh us down, and we are rotting away because of them. How can we live?"'

11 "Tell them, 'As I live, declares the Almighty LORD, I don't want wicked people to die. Rather, I want them to turn from their ways and live. Change the way you think and act! Turn from your wicked ways! Do you want to die, people of Israel?'

12 "Son of man, say to your people, 'The right things that a righteous person has done will not save him when he rebels. The wicked things that a wicked person has done will not make him stumble when he turns from his wickedness. The righteous person will not live when he sins.'

13 I may promise the righteous person that he will certainly live. But if he trusts in the right things that he has done and he does evil, none of the right things that he has done will be remembered. He will die because of the evil things he has done.

14 I may warn the wicked person that he will certainly die. But suppose he turns from his sin and does what is fair and right.

15 He returns the security for a loan, pays back everything he stole, lives by the rules of life, and does nothing evil. Then he will certainly live. He will not die.

16 None of the sins that he has done will be remembered. He has done what is fair and right. He will certainly live.

17 "But your people say, 'The Lord's way is unfair.' Yet, their ways are unfair.

18 If the righteous person turns from the right things that he has done and does evil, he will die because of it.

19 If the wicked person turns from his wickedness and does what is fair and right, he will live because of it.

20 Yet, the people of Israel say, 'The Lord's way is unfair.' I will judge each of you by your own ways, people of Israel."

21 On the fifth day of the tenth month in the twelfth year of our captivity, a refugee from Jerusalem came to me. He said, "The city has been captured."

22 The evening before the refugee arrived, the power of the LORD came over me. On the morning the refugee arrived, the LORD made me speak. So I spoke, and I was no longer quiet.

23 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

24 "Son of man, those who live in the ruined cities in Israel are saying, 'Abraham was only one person, and he was given the land. But we are many. Certainly the land has been given to us.'

25 So tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: You eat meat with blood in it. You look to your idols for help. You murder people. Should the land be given to you?

26 You rely on your swords. You do disgusting things. You dishonor your neighbor's wife. Should the land be given to you?'

27 "Tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: As I live, whoever is in the ruined cities will be killed in battle. Whoever is in the open field will become food for wild animals. Whoever is in fortified places and caves will die from plagues.

28 I will turn the land into a barren wasteland. People will no longer brag about its power. The mountains of Israel will become so ruined that no one will travel through them.

29 Then people will know that I am the LORD, when I make the land a barren wasteland because of all the disgusting things that they have done.'

30 "Son of man, your people are talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of their homes. They are saying to each other, 'Let's go and hear the word that has come from the LORD.'

31 Then they come to you, as if they are still my people, and they sit down in front of you. They listen to what you say, but they don't do it. They say that they love me, but in their hearts they chase dishonest profits.

32 To them you are nothing more than a singer with a beautiful voice who sings love songs or a musician who plays an instrument. They listen to your words, but they don't do them.

33 When all your words come true--and they certainly will come true--these people will know that a prophet has been among them."

Ezekiel 34

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy to these shepherds. Tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: How horrible it will be for the shepherds of Israel who have been taking care of only themselves. Shouldn't shepherds take care of the sheep?

3 You eat the best parts of the sheep, dress in the wool, and butcher the finest sheep. Yet, you don't take care of the sheep.

4 You have not strengthened those that were weak, healed those that were sick, or bandaged those that were injured. You have not brought back those that strayed away or looked for those that were lost. You have ruled them harshly and violently.

5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd. When they were scattered, they became food for every wild animal.

6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered throughout the whole earth. No one searched or looked for them.

7 "'So, you shepherds, listen to the word of the LORD.

8 As I live, declares the Almighty LORD, because there is no shepherd, my sheep have become prey. My sheep have become food for every wild animal. My shepherds haven't searched for my sheep. They have taken care of only themselves, not my sheep.

9 So, you shepherds, listen to the word of the LORD.

10 This is what the Almighty LORD says: I am against the shepherds. I will demand that they hand over my sheep. I won't let them take care of my sheep anymore, and they will no longer take care of only themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, and my sheep will no longer be their food.

11 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I will search for my sheep myself, and I will look after them.

12 As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is with his scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them on a cloudy and gloomy day from every place where they have been scattered.

13 I will bring them out from the nations, gather them from the countries, and bring them to their own land. I will take care of them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.

14 I will feed them in good pasture, and they will graze on the mountains of Israel. They will rest on the good land where they graze, and they will feed on the best pastures in the mountains of Israel.

15 I will take care of my sheep and lead them to rest, declares the Almighty LORD.

16 I will look for those that are lost, bring back those that have strayed away, bandage those that are injured, and strengthen those that are sick. I will destroy those that are fat and strong. I will take care of my sheep fairly.

17 "'As for you, my sheep, this is what the Almighty LORD says: I will judge disputes between one sheep and another, between rams and male goats.

18 Isn't it enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? You drink clean water. Must you muddy the rest of the water with your feet?

19 Must my sheep eat what your feet have trampled and drink what your feet have muddied?

20 "'So this is what the Almighty LORD says to them: I will judge disputes between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep.

21 You fat sheep push the skinny sheep with your sides and shoulders, and you knock down all the sick sheep with your horns. You have scattered them all over.

22 So I will rescue my sheep, and they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.

23 Then I will place one shepherd over them, my servant David, and he will take care of them. He will take care of them and be their shepherd.

24 I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be their prince. I, the LORD, have spoken.

25 "'I will promise them peace. I will remove the wild animals from the land so that my sheep can live safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

26 I will bless them and the places around my hill. I will send rain at the right time. These showers will be a blessing to them.

27 Then the trees in the field will produce fruit, the land will yield crops, and my sheep will live safely in their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, because I will break off the bars on their yokes and rescue them from the people who made them slaves.

28 They will no longer be prey to the nations, and the wild animals will no longer eat them. They will live safely, and no one will frighten them.

29 I will give them a place that is known for its good crops. They will no longer experience hunger in the land, and they will no longer suffer the insults of other nations.

30 Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them and that they, the people of Israel, are my people, declares the Almighty LORD.

31 You, my sheep, are the sheep in my pasture. You are mortal, and I am your God, declares the Almighty LORD.'"