Ezekiel 31; Ezekiel 32; Ezekiel 33

1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, the LORD's word came to me:

2 Human one, say to Pharaoh, Egypt's king, and his troops: With whom do you compare in your greatness?

3 Consider Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon: beautiful branches, dense shade, towering height; indeed, its top went up between the clouds.

4 Waters nourished it; the deep raised it up, because its streams flowed around the place where it was planted. From there, water trickled down to all the other trees of the field.

5 And so it became higher than all the trees of the field. Its branches became abundant; its boughs grew long. Because of the plentiful water, it grew freely.

6 All the birds in the sky made nests in its branches; all the beasts of the field gave birth under its boughs, and in its shade, every great nation lived.

7 It became beautiful in its greatness and in its lush foliage, because it took root in plentiful water.

8 No cedar was its equal in God's garden. The fir trees didn't have anything like its branches, and the plane trees had nothing like its boughs. None of the trees in God's garden could compare to it in its beauty.

9 As for its beauty—I made it so, with its abundant foliage. All the trees of Eden envied it, all that were in God's garden.

10 So now the LORD God proclaims: Consider the fate of those who tower high! When it allowed its branches to reach up among the clouds, it became arrogant.

11 So I handed it over to the most powerful nation, who continually acted treacherously against it. I banished it!

12 Foreigners, the worst of the nations, cut it down and left it to lie among the hills. All its branches fell among the valleys, and its boughs were broken off in the earth's deep ravines. All the earth's peoples departed from its shade and abandoned it.

13 On its trunk roost all the birds in the sky, and on its boughs lie all the beasts of the field.

14 All this has happened so that no other well-watered tree would tower high or allow its branches to reach among the clouds. Nor would their leaders achieve the towering stature of such well-watered trees. Certainly, all of them are consigned to death, to the world below, among human beings who go down to the pit.

15 The LORD God proclaims: On the day that it went down to the underworld, I caused mourning. I blocked off the deep sea against it. I dried up its rivers and restrained the mighty waters. I made Lebanon go into mourning for it, and all the trees of the field languished on its account.

16 When it was felled, the nations quaked at the sound. When I cast it down into the underworld, with those who go down to the pit, all the trees of Eden were comforted in the world below, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, all the trees that depended on water.

17 His allies, those among the nations who lived under his shade, these also went down with him to the underworld, to those who are slain by the sword.

18 Are you like any of these in glory or greatness among Eden's trees? Then you too will go down with Eden's trees to the world below. You will lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and his entire horde. This is what the LORD God says.

1 In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, the LORD's word came to me:

2 Human one, sing a lament for Pharaoh, Egypt's king. Say to him: You consider yourself a young lion among the nations, but you are like the sea monster! You thrash about in your rivers, you roil the waters with your feet, and you muddy your rivers.

3 The LORD God proclaims: In the company of many peoples I will spread my net over you, and I will haul you up in my dragnet.

4 I will cast you out on the earth and throw you on the open ground. I will cause all the birds in the sky to settle on you, and all the beasts of the earth to devour you.

5 Your flesh I will set upon the mountains, and I will fill the valleys with your gore.

6 With your blood I will soak your irrigated land, and the streambeds will be filled with you.

7 When you are snuffed out, I will cover the sky, and I will darken the stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon won't radiate its light.

8 As for the shining lights of the heavens, I will make them dark over you, and set darkness over your land. This is what the LORD God says.

9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring about your destruction with nations from lands you didn't know.

10 I will make many peoples appalled because of you. Their kings will shudder violently on your account when I brandish my sword before them. They will tremble for their lives again and again on the day of your downfall.

11 The LORD God proclaims: The sword of the king of Babylon is coming against you!

12 I will make your hordes fall by the swords of mighty men, the most terrifying of the nations, all of them. They will bring an end to Egypt's pride, and all of its hordes will be destroyed.

13 I will remove all its livestock from beside the plentiful waters so that neither human foot nor livestock's hoof will trouble it again.

14 At that time, I will allow the waters to run clear, and make its rivers flow like oil. This is what the LORD God says.

15 When I turn the land of Egypt into a wasteland and the land is deprived of all that fills it, and when I strike down those who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.

16 This is a lament, and it will be sung as a lament. The daughters of the nations will lament for Egypt, and they will also lament for Egypt's hordes. This is what the LORD God says.

17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the LORD's word came to me:

18 Human one, mourn for Egypt's hordes. Send Egypt down with the mighty nations subject to it, to the world below, among those who go down to the pit.

19 Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and take your bed with the uncircumcised,

20 among those who fall slain by the sword. A sword is appointed, and all his hordes will carry him off.

21 The mighty chieftains, those who once came to his aid, will speak to him from the middle of the underworld, for the uncircumcised have gone down and have lain down, slain by the sword.

22 Assyria is there, and all its assembly round about his grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword,

23 who were assigned graves in the deepest region of the pit. His assembly surrounded his grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who caused terror in the land of the living.

24 Elam is there, her entire horde round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the world below, who caused terror in the land of the living. They bore their shame like those who go down to the pit.

25 Among the slain they made a bed for her, with all her hordes round about her grave, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for they caused terror in the land of the living. They bore their shame like those who go down to the pit; in the midst of the slain she was placed.

26 Meshech and Tubal are there, and all their hordes around their graves, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for they caused terror in the land of the living.

27 They don't lie with the mighty men fallen among the uncircumcised. When they went down to the underworld with their weapons of war, they put their swords under their heads and their shields over their bones. The terror of the mighty men is in the land of the living.

28 But you, you will be broken among the uncircumcised, and you will lie with those who are slain by the sword.

29 Edom is there, its kings and all its princes, who, though strong, were put with those slain by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, like those who go down to the pit.

30 All the princes of the north are there, and all the Sidonians who went down with the slain; in spite of the terror of their strength, they were disgraced. They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. They bore their shame like those who go down to the pit.

31 When Pharaoh sees them, he will be sorry for all his hordes who are slain by the sword— Pharaoh and all his army. This is what the LORD God says,

32 Though it was I who put his terror in the land of the living, he will be laid out among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his horde. This is what the LORD God says.

1 The LORD's word came to me:

2 Human one, speak to your people and say to them: Suppose I bring a sword against a country, and the people of the land take a certain person from their assembly and make him their lookout.

3 When he sees the sword coming against the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people.

4 If they hear the sound of the trumpet but don't heed the warning, when the sword comes and they are taken away, they are responsible for their blood.

5 They heard the sound of the trumpet but didn't heed the warning, so their blood is on them. If they had paid attention to the warning, they would have saved their lives.

6 If the lookout sees the sword coming but doesn't blow the trumpet to warn the people, when the sword comes and takes away any of them, they are taken away in their sin, but I'll hold the lookout responsible for their blood.

7 You, human one, I've made you a lookout for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear me speaking, you must give them warning from me.

8 If I pronounce a death sentence on wicked people, and you don't warn them to turn from their way, they will die in their guilt, but I will hold you responsible for their blood.

9 But suppose you do warn the wicked of their ways so that they might turn from them. If they don't turn from their ways, they will die in their guilt, but you will save your life.

10 You, human one, say to the house of Israel: This is what all of you are saying: "How our transgressions and our sins weigh on us! We waste away because of them. How can we live?"

11 Say to them, This is what the LORD God says: As surely as I live, do I take pleasure in the death of the wicked? If the wicked turn from their ways, they will live. Turn, completely turn from your wicked ways! Why should you die, house of Israel?

12 You, human one, say to your people: The righteousness of the righteous doesn't rescue them when they begin to sin. Nor does the wickedness of the wicked make them stumble if they turn from their wickedness. If the righteous sin, their righteousness won't protect them.

13 Even if I've told the righteous they will live, none of their righteous deeds will be remembered if they trust in their righteousness and do wrong. They will die because of their evil deeds.

14 And even if I have pronounced a death sentence on the wicked, if they turn from sin and do what is just and right—

15 if they return pledges, make restitution for robbery, and walk in life-giving regulations in order not to sin—they will live and not die.

16 None of the sins they've committed will be remembered against them. They've done what is just and right, and they will live.

17 Yet your people say, "My Lord's way doesn't measure up." Isn't it their ways that don't measure up?

18 When the righteous turn from their righteousness to do wrong, they will die because of it.

19 And when the wicked turn from their wickedness to do what is just and right, it is for that reason they will live.

20 Yet you say, "My Lord's way doesn't measure up." I judge each one of you according to your ways, house of Israel!

21 In the twelfth year, on the fifth day of the tenth month of our exile, a survivor from Jerusalem came to me and reported, "The city has fallen!"

22 The LORD's power was with me in the evening before the survivor arrived, and just before he arrived in the morning, God opened my mouth. So my mouth was opened, and I was no longer speechless.

23 The LORD's word came to me:

24 Human one, those who live among those ruins in Israel's fertile land are saying, "Abraham was just one man, and he inherited the land. We are many, so certainly the land has been given to us as an inheritance."

25 So say to them, The LORD God proclaims: You eat with the blood, you lift your eyes to the idols, and you shed blood. Should you inherit the land?

26 You live by the sword, you observe detestable practices, and every one of you commits adultery. Should you inherit the land?

27 Say to them, The LORD God proclaims: As surely as I live, those in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the countryside I will give to the wild beasts to consume, and those in the strongholds and caves will die of plague.

28 I will make the land an uninhabitable waste. Its proud strength will come to an end, and Israel's highlands will become so deserted that no one will cross through them.

29 They will know that I am the LORD when I make the land an uninhabitable waste because of all their detestable practices.

30 As for you, human one, your people talk about you beside the walls and in their doorways. One by one, they say to each other, "Let's go hear what sort of message has come from the LORD."

31 So they come to you as people do, and they sit before you as my people. They listen to your words, but they refuse to do them. Though they speak of their longing for me, they act out of their own interests and opinions.

32 To them you are like a singer of love songs with a lovely voice and skilled technique. They listen to your words, but no one does them.

33 When this comes—and it is certainly coming—they will know that a prophet has been among them.