Ezekiel 22

1 Then the word [message from God, divine utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] came [was revealed, existed] to me, saying [to speak, to command, to declare], word study 2 “As for you, son [descendant, human] of man [the first human, Adam], will you judge [vindicate, govern] her? Will you pass judgment [decree, punish] on the city [town, settlement] of bloodshed [violence, murder]? Then confront [show, reveal] her with all [every, entire] her abominations [disgusting things, idolatry] word study 3 and tell her that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘O city [a place of excitement and community] who brings her own doom [destruction, calamity] by shedding [pouring out, spilling] blood [the liquid of life] within her walls [the midst of her, her innermost being] and making [creating, fashioning] idols [false gods, logs or round pieces of wood] to defile [to make foul, to pollute] herself [her inner being, her spiritual nature], word study 4 you are guilty [responsible, accountable] of the blood [life, vital force] you have shed [poured out, spilled], and you are defiled [made unclean, polluted] by the idols [false gods, images] you have made [created, fashioned]. You have brought your days [time, lifespan] to a close [to an end, fulfilled] and have come to the end [completion, fulfillment] of your years [period of life, era]. Therefore I have made you a reproach [object of shame, scorn] to the nations [Gentiles, heathen] and a mockery [derision, ridicule] to all the lands [countries, territories]. word study 5 Those [from all directions] near and far will mock [laugh at, make fun of] you, O infamous [unclean, defiled] city [tumult], full of [great, many] turmoil [confusion, chaos]. word study 6 See how every [leader, high-ranking official] prince of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] within you has used his power [arm] to shed [pour out, spill] blood [the liquid essential for life]. word study 7 Father [parent, ancestor, or paternal figure] and mother [female parent, maternal figure, or nurturer] are treated with contempt [despised, made light of, or disrespected]. Within your walls [midst, center, or boundaries] the foreign resident [sojourner, stranger, or temporary inhabitant] is exploited [oppressed, dealt with by oppression, or wronged], the fatherless [orphan, child without a father] and the widow [woman whose husband has died, left alone and vulnerable] are oppressed [treated violently, injured, or wronged]. word study 8 You have [utterly rejected, held in contempt] despised My holy things [sacred places, set-apart areas] and profaned [desecrated, made common] My Sabbaths [days of rest, worship, and observance]. word study 9 Among you are slanderous [men who carry tales] men [anash, individuals] bent on [to shed, for the purpose of] bloodshed [pouring out, spilling]; within you are those who eat [devour, consume] on the mountain [hill, high place] shrines [places of idol worship] and commit [do, make] acts of indecency [wickedness, lewdness, zimmah]. word study 10 In you they have uncovered [revealed, exposed to shame] the nakedness [shame, exposure] of their fathers; in you they violate [afflict, oppress] women during their menstrual [ceremonial] impurity [uncleanness, moral corruption]. word study 11 One man [a male person, individual] commits an abomination [a disgusting, detestable act] with his neighbor’s [close friend, companion] wife; another wickedly [in a morally wrong, evil manner] defiles [to make unclean, corrupt] his daughter-in-law [bride, wife of his son]; and yet another violates [to humble, oppress] his sister [biological sibling, close relative], his own father’s [paternal, ancestral] daughter. word study 12 In you they take [as a gift to influence, a bribe] bribes to [purposely shed, pour out] shed blood. You engage in [lending at excessive rates] usury, take [excessive, unjust] excess interest, and [by force, oppression] extort your [close companions] neighbors. But Me [the Lord of all, the Almighty] you have [completely forgotten, ignored] forgotten, declares the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign God] GOD. word study 13 Now look [behold, see], I strike [smite, clap] My hands [palms] together against your [dishonest] unjust gain [profit] and against the blood [life, shed blood] you have shed [poured out, taken] in your midst [center, among you]. word study 14 Will your [inner strength] courage endure or your hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] be strong in the day [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time] I deal with you? I, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], have spoken [communicated, promised], and I will act [make or do something, fulfill my promise]. word study 15 I will disperse [scatter, send in flight] you among the nations [Gentiles, heathen] and scatter [diffuse, winnow] you throughout the lands [countries, territories]; I will purge [consume, put a stop to] your uncleanness [filthiness, sinful behavior]. word study 16 And when you have [profaned yourself, become unclean] defiled yourself in the eyes [sources of sight and understanding] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples], then you will know [ascertain by seeing, perceive] that I [emphatically, the one speaking] am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God].’” word study 17 Then the word [message, declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] came [existed, was present] to me, saying [to speak, to command], word study 18 “Son of man [the human, a son of Adam], the house [family, nation] of Israel has become dross [waste, impurities] to Me. All of them are copper [brass, base metal], tin [and alloy], iron [strong, harsh], and lead [heavy, worthless] inside the furnace [a place of refining, purification]; they are but the dross [scum, worthless residue] of silver [valuable, precious]. word study 19 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘Because [since, as a result] all of you have become [turned into, been reduced to] dross [waste metal, impurities], behold [look, take notice], I will gather [collect, assemble] you into [toward, within] Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Israel]. word study 20 Just as one gathers [collects, assembles] silver [precious metal, wealth], copper [bronze, base metal], iron [strong, harsh], lead [heavy, dense], and tin [pliable, soft] into the furnace [smelting pot, refining vessel] to melt [liquefy, purify] with a fiery blast [intense heat, passionate anger], so I will gather [assemble, bring together] you in My anger [wrath, fierce indignation] and wrath [rage, intense fury], leave you there [abandon, forsake], and melt [refine, purify] you. word study 21 Yes, I will gather [collect, bring together] you together and blow [breathe, puff] on you with the fire [flame, passionate anger] of My wrath [fury, intense anger], and you will be melted [poured out, softened] within the city [midst, central location]. word study 22 As silver [a precious metal] is melted [made liquid, losing its shape] in a furnace [a fiery oven, for refining], so you will be melted [softened, purified] within the city [the midst of the community]. Then you will know [understand, perceive] that I, the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], have poured out [shed, unleashed] My wrath [intense anger, righteous indignation] upon you [on your behalf, against you].’” word study 23 And the word [message, declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came [existed, came into being] to me, saying [to speak, to command], word study 24 “Son of man [human, a descendant of Adam], say to her, ‘In the day [a period of time, a season] of indignation [intense anger, fury], you are a land [a country, a territory] that has not been cleansed [purified, made holy] [nor rained upon], upon which no rain [a shower, a downpour] has fallen [come down, poured out].’ word study 25 The conspiracy [unlawful alliance, plot] of the princes [rulers, leaders] in her midst [center, among] is like a roaring [powerful, fierce] lion tearing [ripping apart] its prey [victim, spoil]. They devour [eat, consume] the people, seize [take, capture] the treasures [wealth, riches] and precious things [valuable, cherished items], and multiply [increase, grow] the widows [women who have lost their husbands, vulnerable ones] within her. word study 26 Her priests [who serve God, spiritual leaders] do violence [injure, harm] to My law [instruction, divine guidance] and profane [desecrate, treat as common] My holy things [sacred objects, set-apart possessions]. They make no distinction [separation, difference] between the holy [sacred, set-apart] and the common [ordinary, unholy], and they fail [are unable, neglect] to distinguish [separate, discern] between the clean [pure, ceremonially acceptable] and the unclean [impure, spiritually defiled]. They disregard [ignore, show no respect for] My Sabbaths [days of rest, sacred assemblies], so that I am profaned [treated as common, disrespected] among them [in their midst, as a result of their actions]. word study 27 Her officials [rulers, princes] within her are like wolves [ferocious, ravaging] tearing their prey [to destroy, shed blood], shedding [pouring out] blood, and destroying [to perish, lose] lives [souls, living beings] for dishonest [unjust, covetous] gain [profit, unjustly acquired]. word study 28 Her prophets [false seers, diviners] whitewash [cover up, plaster over] these deeds by false [lying, deceptive] visions and lying [deceptive, false] divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah] says,’ when the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] has not spoken [given no word, remained silent]. word study 29 The people [Amaw, a nation or community] of the land [the earth, a country or territory] have practiced extortion [used oppression, acted cruelly] and committed robbery [taken plunder, exercised violence]. They have oppressed [pressed upon, defrauded] the poor [afflicted, humble] and needy [those in want, destitute] and have exploited [vexed, wrongfully treated] the foreign resident [sojourner, stranger] without justice [right]. word study 30 I searched [sought diligently, to seek] for a man [an individual, a person] among them to repair [build up, make up the hedge] the wall [a barrier, a fence] and stand [to take a strong stance, to be firmly established] in the gap [breach, a break] before Me [in My presence, face to face] on behalf of the land [the earth, the territory], so that I should not destroy [ruin, bring corruption to] it. But I found [discovered, came upon] no one [none, not a single person]. word study 31 So I have poured out [let loose, unleashed] My indignation [intense anger, fury] upon them and consumed them with the fire [refining presence] of My fury [wrath, outburst of passion]. I have brought their ways [path, manner of life] down upon their own heads [to suffer the consequences], declares the Lord [Adonay, sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah].” word study