Ezekiel 20–22: Stand in the Gap": Israel's History, the Sword, and the Bloody City

In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not be consulted by you, declares the Lord GOD.

Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Confront them with the abominations of their fathers and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’

On that day I swore to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands. And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’

But they rebelled against me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out my wrath upon them and vent my anger against them in the land of Egypt. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were living, in whose sight I had revealed myself to Israel by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them into the wilderness. And I gave them my statutes and made known to them my ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them. I also gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

Yet the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my statutes and they rejected my ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out my wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness. But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands— because they kept rejecting my ordinances, refusing to walk in my statutes, and profaning my Sabbaths; for their hearts continually went after their idols. Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or bring them to an end in the wilderness.

In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, keep my ordinances, and practice them. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us, so that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’

But the children rebelled against me. They did not walk in my statutes or carefully observe my ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned my Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out my wrath upon them and vent my anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld my hand and acted for the sake of my name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands. For they did not practice my ordinances, but they rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.

I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. And I pronounced them unclean through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn in the fire—so that I might devastate them, in order that they would know that I am the LORD.

Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed me by their unfaithfulness against me. When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings. So I asked them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’

(And to this day it is called Bamah.)

Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations? When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!

When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.

As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you. With a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD. I will make you pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant. And I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to me, and you will no longer defile my holy name with your gifts and idols.

For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your offerings and choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.

When I bring you from the peoples and gather you from the lands to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as a pleasing aroma. And I will show my holiness through you in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give your fathers.

There you will remember your ways and all the deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you have done. Then you will know, O house of Israel, that I am the LORD, when I have dealt with you for the sake of my name and not according to your wicked ways and corrupt acts, declares the Lord GOD.”

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev. Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite in you a fire, and it will devour all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and by it every face from south to north will be scorched. Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”

Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’ ”

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel and tell her that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am against you, and I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. Because I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have taken my sword from its sheath, not to return it again.’

But you, son of man, groan! Groan before their eyes with a broken heart and bitter grief. And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.”

Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says:

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Now you, son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same land. And make a signpost where the road branches off to each city. Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver.

In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall. It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds—because you have come to remembrance—you shall be taken in hand.

This is what the Lord GOD says:

Now prophesy, son of man, and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt:

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “As for you, son of man, will you judge her? Will you pass judgment on the city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her abominations and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘O city who brings her own doom by shedding blood within her walls and making idols to defile herself, you are guilty of the blood you have shed, and you are defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close and have come to the end of your years. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mockery to all the lands. Those near and far will mock you, O infamous city, full of turmoil.

See how every prince of Israel within you has used his power to shed blood. Father and mother are treated with contempt. Within your walls the foreign resident is exploited, the fatherless and the widow are oppressed.

You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. Among you are slanderous men bent on bloodshed; within you are those who eat on the mountain shrines and commit acts of indecency.

In you they have uncovered the nakedness of their fathers; in you they violate women during their menstrual impurity. One man commits an abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another wickedly defiles his daughter-in-law; and yet another violates his sister, his own father’s daughter.

In you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.

Now look, I strike my hands together against your unjust gain and against the blood you have shed in your midst. Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will act. I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you throughout the lands; I will purge your uncleanness. And when you have defiled yourself in the eyes of the nations, then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me. All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace; they are but the dross of silver.

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because all of you have become dross, behold, I will gather you into Jerusalem. Just as one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the furnace to melt with a fiery blast, so I will gather you in my anger and wrath, leave you there, and melt you.

Yes, I will gather you together and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you will be melted within the city. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted within the city. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out my wrath upon you.’ ”

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, say to her, ‘In the day of indignation, you are a land that has not been cleansed, upon which no rain has fallen.’

The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her.

Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.

Her prophets whitewash these deeds by false visions and lying divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.

The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and have exploited the foreign resident without justice.

I searched for a man among them to repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I should not destroy it. But I found no one. So I have poured out my indignation upon them and consumed them with the fire of my fury. I have brought their ways down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”