The Message (MSG)

A Story of Two Lions

1-4 Sing the blues over the princes of Israel. Say:

What a lioness was your mother

among lions!

She crouched in a pride of young lions.

Her cubs grew large.

She reared one of her cubs to maturity,

a robust young lion.

He learned to hunt.

He ate men.

Nations sounded the alarm.

He was caught in a trap.

They took him with hooks

and dragged him to Egypt.

5-9 When the lioness saw she was luckless,

that her hope for that cub was gone,

She took her other cub

and made him a strong young lion.

He prowled with the lions,

a robust young lion.

He learned to hunt.

He ate men.

He rampaged through their defenses,

left their cities in ruins.

The country and everyone in it

was terrorized by the roars of the lion.

The nations got together to hunt him.

Everyone joined the hunt.

They set out their traps

and caught him.

They put a wooden collar on him

and took him to the king of Babylon.

No more would that voice be heard

disturbing the peace in the mountains of Israel!

10-14 Here’s another way to put it:

Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard,

transplanted alongside streams of water,

Luxurious in branches and grapes

because of the ample water.

It grew sturdy branches

fit to be carved into a royal scepter.

It grew high, reaching into the clouds.

Its branches filled the horizon,

and everyone could see it.

Then it was ripped up in a rage

and thrown to the ground.

The hot east wind shriveled it up

and stripped its fruit.

The sturdy branches dried out,

fit for nothing but kindling.

Now it’s a stick stuck out in the desert,

a bare stick in a desert of death,

Good for nothing but making fires,

campfires in the desert.

Not a hint now of those sturdy branches

fit for use as a royal scepter!

(This is a sad song, a text for singing the blues.)

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/19-8737b0a46818944859b917c44f94da1c.mp3?version_id=97—

Get Rid of All the Things You’ve Become Addicted To

1 In the seventh year, the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask for guidance fromGod. They sat down before me.

2-3 ThenGod’s Message came to me: “Son of man, talk with the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘God, the Master, says, “Have you come to ask me questions? As sure as I am the living God, I’ll not put up with questions from you. Decree ofGod, the Master.”’

4-5 “Son of man, why don’tyoudo it? Yes, go ahead. Hold them accountable. Confront them with the outrageous obscenities of their parents. Tell them thatGod, the Master, says:

5-6 “‘On the day I chose Israel, I revealed myself to them in the country of Egypt, raising my hand in a solemn oath to the people of Jacob, in which I said, “I amGod, your personal God.” On the same day that I raised my hand in the solemn oath, I promised them that I would take them out of the country of Egypt and bring them into a country that I had searched out just for them, a country flowing with milk and honey, a jewel of a country.

7 “‘At that time I told them, “Get rid of all the vile things that you’ve become addicted to. Don’t make yourselves filthy with the Egyptian no-god idols. IaloneamGod, your God.”

8-10 “‘But they rebelled against me, wouldn’t listen to a word I said. None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life. I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt. And then I did it: I led them out of Egypt into the desert.

11-12 “‘I gave them laws for living, showed them how to live well and obediently before me. I also gave them my weekly holy rest days, my “Sabbaths,” a kind of signpost erected between me and them to show them that I,God, am in the business of making them holy.

13-17 “‘But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn’t follow my statutes. They despised my laws for living well and obediently in the ways I had set out. And they totally desecrated my holy Sabbaths. I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out. But I did lift my hand in a solemn oath there in the desert and promise them that I would not bring them into the country flowing with milk and honey that I had chosen for them, that jewel among all lands. I canceled my promise because they despised my laws for living obediently, wouldn’t follow my statutes, and went ahead and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. They preferred living by their no-god idols. But I didn’t go all the way: I didn’t wipe them out, didn’t finish them off in the desert.

18-20 “‘Then I addressed myself to their children in the desert: “Don’t do what your parents did. Don’t take up their practices. Don’t make yourselves filthy with their no-god idols. I myself amGod, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws. Keep my Sabbaths as holy rest days, signposts between me and you, signaling that I amGod,yourGod.”

21-22 “‘But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed my statutes nor kept my laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I seriously considered dumping my anger on them, right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out.

23-26 “‘But I did lift my hand in solemn oath there in the desert, and swore that I would scatter them all over the world, disperse them every which way because they didn’t keep my laws nor live by my statutes. They desecrated my Sabbaths and remained addicted to the no-god idols of their parents. Since they were determined to live bad lives, I myself gave them statutes that could not produce goodness and laws that did not produce life. I abandoned them. Filthy in the gutter, they perversely sacrificed their firstborn children in the fire. The very horror should have shocked them into recognizing that I amGod.’

27-29 “Therefore, speak to Israel, son of man. Tell them thatGodsays, ‘As if that wasn’t enough, your parents further insulted me by betraying me. When I brought them into that land that I had solemnly promised with my upraised hand to give them, every time they saw a hill with a sex-and-religion shrine on it or a grove of trees where the sacred whores practiced, they were there, buying into the whole pagan system. I said to them, “What hill do you go to?”’ (It’s still called ‘Whore Hills.’)

30-31 “Therefore, say to Israel, ‘The Message ofGod, the Master: You’re making your lives filthy by copying the ways of your parents. In repeating their vile practices, you’ve become whores yourselves. In burning your children as sacrifices, you’ve become as filthy as your no-god idols—as recently as today!

“‘Am I going to put up with questions from people like you, Israel? As sure as I am the living God, I,God, the Master, refuse to be called into question by you!

32 “‘What you’re secretly thinking is never going to happen. You’re thinking, “We’re going to be like everybody else, just like the other nations. We’re going to worship gods we can make and control.”

33-35 “‘As sure as I am the living God, saysGod, the Master, think again! With a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger, I will be King over you! I’ll bring you back from the nations, collect you out of the countries to which you’ve been scattered, with a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger. I’ll bring you to the desert of nations and haul you into court, where you’ll be face-to-face with judgment.

36-38 “‘As I faced your parents with judgment in the desert of Egypt, so I’ll face you with judgment. I’ll scrutinize and search every person as you arrive, and I’ll bring you under the bond of the covenant. I’ll cull out the rebels and traitors. I’ll lead them out of their exile, but I won’t bring them back to Israel.

“‘Then you’ll realize that I amGod.

39-43 “‘But you, people of Israel, this is the Message ofGod, the Master, to you: Go ahead, serve your no-god idols! But later, you’ll think better of it and quit throwing filth and mud on me with your pagan offerings and no-god idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, I,God, the Master, tell you that the entire people of Israel will worship me. I’ll receive them there with open arms. I’ll demand your best gifts and offerings, all your holy sacrifices. What’s more, I’ll receive you as the best kind of offerings when I bring you back from all the lands and countries in which you’ve been scattered. I’ll demonstrate in the eyes of the world that I am The Holy. When I return you to the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly promised with upraised arm to give to your parents, you’ll realize that I amGod. Then and there you’ll remember all that you’ve done, the way you’ve lived that has made you so filthy—and you’ll loathe yourselves.

44 “‘But, dear Israel, you’ll also realize that I amGodwhen I respond to you out of who I am, not by what I feel about the evil lives you’ve lived, the corrupt history you’ve compiled. Decree ofGod, the Master.’”

Nobody Will Put Out the Fire

45-46 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, face south. Let the Message roll out against the south. Prophesy against the wilderness forest of the south.

47-48 “Tell the forest of the south, ‘Listen to the Message ofGod!God, the Master, says, I’ll set a fire in you that will burn up every tree, dead trees and live trees alike. Nobody will put out the fire. The whole country from south to north will be blackened by it. Everyone is going to see that I,God, started the fire and that it’s not going to be put out.’”

49 And I said, “OGod, everyone is saying of me, ‘He just makes up stories.’”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/20-7e1625d90eb2fa6ff3b7918a35e84dee.mp3?version_id=97—

A Sword! A Sword!

1-5 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, now face Jerusalem and let the Message roll out against the Sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel. Say, ‘God’s Message: I’m against you. I’m pulling my sword from its sheath and killing both the wicked and the righteous. Because I’m treating everyone the same, good and bad, everyone from south to north is going to feel my sword! Everyone will know that I mean business.’

6 “So, son of man, groan! Double up in pain. Make a scene!

7 “When they ask you, ‘Why all this groaning, this carrying on?’ say, ‘Because of the news that’s coming. It’ll knock the breath out of everyone. Hearts will stop cold, knees turn to rubber. Yes, it’s coming. No stopping it. Decree ofGod, the Master.’”

8-10 God’s Message to me: “Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, ‘The Master says:

“‘A sword! A sword!

razor-sharp and polished,

Sharpened to kill,

polished to flash like lightning!

“‘My child, you’ve despised the scepter of Judah

by worshiping every tree-idol.

11 “‘The sword is made to glisten,

to be held and brandished.

It’s sharpened and polished,

ready to be brandished by the killer.’

12 “Yell out and wail, son of man.

The sword is against my people!

The princes of Israel

and my people—abandoned to the sword!

Wring your hands!

Tear out your hair!

13 “‘Testing comes.

Why have you despised discipline?

You can’t get around it.

Decree ofGod, the Master.’

14-17 “So, prophesy, son of man!

Clap your hands. Get their attention.

Tell them that the sword’s coming down

once, twice, three times.

It’s a sword to kill,

a sword for a massacre,

A sword relentless,

a sword inescapable—

People collapsing right and left,

going down like dominoes.

I’ve stationed a murderous sword

at every gate in the city,

Flashing like lightning,

brandished murderously.

Cut to the right, thrust to the left,

murderous, sharp-edged sword!

Then I’ll clap my hands,

a signal that my anger is spent.

I,God, have spoken.”

18-22 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, lay out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take. Start them from the same place. Place a signpost at the beginning of each road. Post one sign to mark the road of the sword to Rabbah of the Ammonites. Post the other to mark the road to Judah and Fort Jerusalem. The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road and he decides by divination which of the two roads to take. He draws straws, he throws god-dice, he examines a goat liver. He opens his right hand: The omen says, ‘Head for Jerusalem!’ So he’s on his way with battering rams, roused to kill, sounding the battle cry, pounding down city gates, building siege works.

23 “To the Judah leaders, who themselves have sworn oaths, it will seem like a false divination, but he will remind them of their guilt, and so they’ll be captured.

24 “So this is whatGod, the Master, says: ‘Because your sin is now out in the open so everyone can see what you’ve been doing, you’ll be taken captive.

25-27 “‘O Zedekiah, blasphemous and evil prince of Israel: Time’s up. It’s “punishment payday.”Godsays, Take your royal crown off your head. No more “business as usual.” The underdog will be promoted and the top dog will be demoted. Ruins, ruins, ruins! I’ll turn the whole place into ruins. And ruins it will remain until the one comes who has a right to it. Then I’ll give it to him.’

28-32 “But, son of man, your job is to prophesy. Tell them, ‘This is the Message fromGod, the Master, against the Ammonites and against their cruel taunts:

“‘A sword! A sword!

Bared to kill,

Sharp as a razor,

flashing like lightning.

Despite false sword propaganda

circulated in Ammon,

The sword will sever Ammonite necks,

for whom it’s punishment payday.

Return the sword to the sheath! I’ll judge you in your home country,

in the land where you grew up.

I’ll empty out my wrath on you,

breathe hot anger down your neck.

I’ll give you to vicious men

skilled in torture.

You’ll end up as stove-wood.

Corpses will litter your land.

Not so much as a memory will be left of you.

I,God, have said so.’”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/21-072e66862c2e735001b51d58b46ef34a.mp3?version_id=97—

The Scarecrow of the Nations

1-5 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, are you going to judge this bloody city or not? Come now, are you going to judge her? Do it! Face her with all her outrageous obscenities. Tell her, ‘This is whatGod, the Master, says: You’re a city murderous at the core, just asking for punishment. You’re a city obsessed with no-god idols, making yourself filthy. In all your killing, you’ve piled up guilt. In all your idol-making, you’ve become filthy. You’ve forced a premature end to your existence. I’ll put you on exhibit as the scarecrow of the nations, the world’s worst joke. From far and near they’ll deride you as infamous in filth, notorious for chaos.

6-12 “‘Your leaders, the princes of Israel among you, compete in crime. You’re a community that’s insolent to parents, abusive to outsiders, oppressive against orphans and widows. You treat my holy things with contempt and desecrate my Sabbaths. You have people spreading lies and spilling blood, flocking to the hills to the sex shrines and fornicating unrestrained. Incest is common. Men force themselves on women regardless of whether they’re ready or willing. Sex is now anarchy. Anyone is fair game: neighbor, daughter-in-law, sister. Murder is for hire, usury is rampant, extortion is commonplace.

“‘And you’ve forgottenme.Decree ofGod, the Master.

13-14 “‘Now look! I’ve clapped my hands, calling everyone’s attention to your rapacious greed and your bloody brutalities. Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you?

14-16 “‘I,God, have spoken. I’ll put an end to this. I’ll throw you to the four winds. I’ll scatter you all over the world. I’ll put a full stop to your filthy living. You will be defiled, spattered with your own mud in the eyes of the nations. And you’ll recognize that I amGod.’”

17-22 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, the people of Israel are slag to me, the useless byproduct of refined copper, tin, iron, and lead left at the smelter—a worthless slag heap. So tell them, ‘God, the Master, has spoken: Because you’ve all become worthless slag, you’re on notice: I’ll assemble you in Jerusalem. As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into a furnace and blow fire on it to melt it down, so in my wrath I’ll gather you and melt you down. I’ll blow on you with the fire of my wrath to melt you down in the furnace. As silver is melted down, you’ll be melted down. That should get through to you. Then you’ll recognize that I,God, have let my wrath loose on you.’”

23-25 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, tell her, ‘You’re a land that during the time I was angry with you got no rain, not so much as a spring shower. The leaders among you became desperate, like roaring, ravaging lions killing indiscriminately. They grabbed and looted, leaving widows in their wake.

26-29 “‘Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can’t tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there’s no difference between right and wrong. They’re contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, “This is whatGod, the Master, says . . .” whenGodhasn’t said so much as one word. Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’

30-31 “I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it. I couldn’t find anyone. Not one. So I’ll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they’ve done. Decree ofGod, the Master.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/22-445daceb90b5e3b822653fe7fb27e8c7.mp3?version_id=97—

Wild with Lust

1-4 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became whores in Egypt, whores from a young age. Their breasts were fondled, their young bosoms caressed. The older sister was named Oholah, the younger was Oholibah. They were my daughters, and they gave birth to sons and daughters.

“Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

5-8 “Oholah started whoring while she was still mine. She lusted after Assyrians as lovers: military men smartly uniformed in blue, ambassadors and governors, good-looking young men mounted on fine horses. Her lust was unrestrained. She was a whore to the Assyrian elite. She compounded her filth with the idols of those to whom she gave herself in lust. She never slowed down. The whoring she began while young in Egypt she continued, sleeping with men who played with her breasts and spent their lust on her.

9-10 “So I left her to her Assyrian lovers, for whom she was so obsessed with lust. They ripped off her clothes, took away her children, and then, the final indignity, killed her. Among women her name became Shame—history’s judgment on her.

11-18 “Her sister Oholibah saw all this, but she became even worse than her sister in lust and whoring, if you can believe it. She also went crazy with lust for Assyrians: ambassadors and governors, military men smartly dressed and mounted on fine horses—the Assyrian elite. And I saw that she also had become incredibly filthy. Both women followed the same path. But Oholibah surpassed her sister. When she saw figures of Babylonians carved in relief on the walls and painted red, fancy belts around their waists, elaborate turbans on their heads, all of them looking important—famous Babylonians!—she went wild with lust and sent invitations to them in Babylon. The Babylonians came on the run, fornicated with her, made her dirty inside and out. When they had thoroughly debased her, she lost interest in them. Then she went public with her fornication. She exhibited her sex to the world.

18-21 “I turned my back on her just as I had on her sister. But that didn’t slow her down. She went at her whoring harder than ever. She remembered when she was young, just starting out as a whore in Egypt. That whetted her appetite for more virile, vulgar, and violent lovers—stallions obsessive in their lust. She longed for the sexual prowess of her youth back in Egypt, where her firm young breasts were caressed and fondled.

22-27 “‘Therefore, Oholibah, this is the Message fromGod, the Master: I will incite your old lovers against you, lovers you got tired of and left in disgust. I’ll bring them against you from every direction, Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all Assyrians—good-looking young men, ambassadors and governors, elite officers and celebrities—all of them mounted on fine, spirited horses. They’ll come down on you out of the north, armed to the teeth, bringing chariots and troops from all sides. I’ll turn over the task of judgment to them. They’ll punish you according to their rules. I’ll stand totally and relentlessly against you as they rip into you furiously. They’ll mutilate you, cutting off your ears and nose, killing at random. They’ll enslave your children—and anybody left over will be burned. They’ll rip off your clothes and steal your jewelry. I’ll put a stop to your sluttish sex, the whoring life you began in Egypt. You won’t look on whoring with fondness anymore. You won’t think back on Egypt with stars in your eyes.

28-30 “‘A Message fromGod, the Master: I’m at the point of abandoning you to those you hate, to those by whom you’re repulsed. They’ll treat you hatefully, leave you publicly naked, your whore’s body exposed in the cruel glare of the sun. Your sluttish lust will be exposed. Your lust has brought you to this condition because you whored with pagan nations and made yourself filthy with their no-god idols.

31-34 “‘You copied the life of your sister. Now I’ll let you drink the cup she drank.

“‘This is the Message ofGod, the Master:

“‘You’ll drink your sister’s cup,

a cup canyon-deep and ocean-wide.

You’ll be shunned and taunted

as you drink from that cup, full to the brim.

You’ll be falling-down-drunk and the tears will flow

as you drink from that cup titanic with terror:

It’s the cup of your sister Samaria.

You’ll drink it dry,

then smash it to bits and eat the pieces,

and end up tearing at your breasts.

I’ve given the word—

Decree ofGod, the Master.

35 “‘ThereforeGod, the Master, says, Because you’ve forgotten all about me, pushing me into the background, you now must pay for what you’ve done—pay for your sluttish sex and whoring life.’”

36-39 ThenGodsaid to me, “Son of man, will you confront Oholah and Oholibah with what they’ve done? Make them face their outrageous obscenities, obscenities ranging from adultery to murder. They committed adultery with their no-god idols, sacrificed the children they bore me in order to feed their idols! And there is also this: They’ve defiled my holy Sanctuary and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. The same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they walked into my Sanctuary and defiled it. That’s what they did—inmyhouse!

40-42 “Furthermore, they even sent out invitations by special messenger to men far away—and, sure enough, they came. They bathed themselves, put on makeup and provocative lingerie. They reclined on a sumptuous bed, aromatic with incense and oils—myincense and oils! The crowd gathered, jostling and pushing, a drunken rabble. They adorned the sisters with bracelets on their arms and tiaras on their heads.

43-44 “I said, ‘She’s burned out on sex!’ but that didn’t stop them. They kept banging on her doors night and day as men do when they’re after a whore. That’s how they used Oholah and Oholibah, the worn-out whores.

45 “Righteous men will pronounce judgment on them, giving out sentences for adultery and murder. That was their lifework: adultery and murder.”

46-47 “Godsays, ‘Let a mob loose on them: Terror! Plunder! Let the mob stone them and hack them to pieces—kill all their children, burn down their houses!

48-49 “‘I’ll put an end to sluttish sex in this country so that all women will be well warned and not copy you. You’ll pay the price for all your obsessive sex. You’ll pay in full for your promiscuous affairs with idols. And you’ll realize that I amGod, the Master.’”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/23-6f27e24b4377cbb397b15c51f24865a6.mp3?version_id=97—

Bring the Pot to a Boil

1-5 The Message ofGodcame to me in the ninth year, the tenth month, and the tenth day of the month: “Son of man, write down this date. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. Tell this company of rebels a story:

“‘Put on the soup pot.

Fill it with water.

Put chunks of meat into it,

all the choice pieces—loin and brisket.

Pick out the best soup bones

from the best of the sheep in the flock.

Pile wood beneath the pot.

Bring it to a boil

and cook the soup.

6 “‘God, the Master, says:

“‘Doom to the city of murder,

to the pot thick with scum,

thick with a filth that can’t be scoured.

Empty the pot piece by piece;

don’t bother who gets what.

7-8 “‘The blood from murders

has stained the whole city;

Blood runs bold on the street stones,

with no one bothering to wash it off—

Blood out in the open to public view

to provoke my wrath,

to trigger my vengeance.

9-12 “‘Therefore, this is whatGod, the Master, says:

“‘Doom to the city of murder!

I, too, will pile on the wood.

Stack the wood high,

light the match,

Cook the meat, spice it well, pour out the broth,

and then burn the bones.

Then I’ll set the empty pot on the coals

and heat it red-hot so the bronze glows,

So the germs are killed

and the corruption is burned off.

But it’s hopeless. It’s too far gone.

The filth is too thick.

13-14 “‘Your encrusted filth is your filthy sex. I wanted to clean you up, but you wouldn’t let me. I’ll make no more attempts at cleaning you up until my anger quiets down. I,God, have said it, and I’ll do it. I’m not holding back. I’ve run out of compassion. I’m not changing my mind. You’re getting exactly what’s coming to you. Decree ofGod, the Master.’”

No Tears

15-17 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, I’m about to take from you the delight of your life—a real blow, I know. But, please, no tears. Keep your grief to yourself. No public mourning. Get dressed as usual and go about your work—none of the usual funeral rituals.”

18 I preached to the people in the morning. That evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I’d been told.

19 The people came to me, saying, “Tell us why you’re acting like this. What does it mean, anyway?”

20-21 So I told them, “God’s Word came to me, saying, ‘Tell the family of Israel, This is whatGod, the Master, says: I will desecrate my Sanctuary, your proud impregnable fort, the delight of your life, your heart’s desire. The children you left behind will be killed.

22-24 “‘Then you’ll do exactly as I’ve done. You’ll perform none of the usual funeral rituals. You’ll get dressed as usual and go about your work. No tears. But your sins will eat away at you from within and you’ll groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be your example. The way he did it is the way you’ll do it.

“‘When this happens you’ll recognize that I amGod, the Master.’”

25-27 “And you, son of man: The day I take away the people’s refuge, their great joy, the delight of their life, what they’ve most longed for, along with all their children—on that very day a survivor will arrive and tell you what happened to the city. You’ll break your silence and start talking again, talking to the survivor. Again, you’ll be an example for them. And they’ll recognize that I amGod.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/24-613f5bffa5d95fcdc96d8bdd1ccc568c.mp3?version_id=97—

Acts of Vengeance

1-5 God’s Message came to me:

“Son of man, face Ammon and preach against the people: Listen to the Message ofGod, the Master. This is whatGodhas to say: Because you cheered when my Sanctuary was desecrated and the land of Judah was devastated and the people of Israel were taken into exile, I’m giving you over to the people of the east. They’ll move in and make themselves at home, eating the food right off your tables and drinking your milk. I’ll turn your capital, Rabbah, into pasture for camels and all your villages into corrals for flocks. Then you’ll realize that I amGod.

6-7 “God, the Master, says, Because you clapped and cheered, venting all your malicious contempt against the land of Israel, I’ll step in and hand you out as loot—first come, first served. I’ll cross you off the roster of nations. There’ll be nothing left of you. And you’ll realize that I amGod.”

8-11 “God, the Master, says: Because Moab said, ‘Look, Judah’s nothing special,’ I’ll lay wide open the flank of Moab by exposing its lovely frontier villages to attack: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. I’ll lump Moab in with Ammon and give them to the people of the east for the taking. Ammon won’t be heard from again. I’ll punish Moab severely. And they’ll realize that I amGod.”

12-14 “God, the Master, says: Because Edom reacted against the people of Judah in spiteful revenge and was so criminally vengeful against them, therefore I,God, the Master, will oppose Edom and kill the lot of them, people and animals both. I’ll waste it—corpses stretched from Teman to Dedan. I’ll use my people Israel to bring my vengeance down on Edom. My wrath will fuel their action. And they’ll realize it’smyvengeance. Decree ofGodthe Master.”

15-17 “God, the Master, says: Because the Philistines were so spitefully vengeful—all those centuries of stored-up malice!—and did their best to destroy Judah, therefore I,God, the Master, will oppose the Philistines and cut down the Cretans and anybody else left along the seacoast. Huge acts of vengeance, massive punishments! When I bring vengeance, they’ll realize that I amGod.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/25-035e6e90dc4da3d6736b7c31bc784f5c.mp3?version_id=97—

As the Waves of the Sea, Surging Against the Shore

1-2 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month,God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, Tyre cheered when they got the news of Jerusalem, exclaiming,

“‘Good! The gateway city is smashed!

Now all her business comes my way.

She’s in ruins

and I’m in clover.’

3-6 “Therefore,God, the Master, has this to say:

“‘I’m against you, Tyre,

and I’ll bring many nations surging against you,

as the waves of the sea surging against the shore.

They’ll smash the city walls of Tyre

and break down her towers.

I’ll wash away the soil

and leave nothing but bare rock.

She’ll be an island of bare rock in the ocean,

good for nothing but drying fishnets.

Yes, I’ve said so.’ Decree ofGod, the Master.

‘She’ll be loot, free pickings for the nations!

Her surrounding villages will be butchered.

Then they’ll realize that I amGod.’

7-14 “God, the Master, says: Look! Out of the north I’m bringing Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king’s king, down on Tyre. He’ll come with chariots and horses and riders—a huge army. He’ll massacre your surrounding villages and lay siege to you. He’ll build siege ramps against your walls. A forest of shields will advance against you! He’ll pummel your walls with his battering rams and shatter your towers with his iron weapons. You’ll be covered with dust from his horde of horses—a thundering herd of war horses pouring through the breaches, pulling chariots. Oh, it will be an earthquake of an army and a city in shock! Horses will stampede through the streets. Your people will be slaughtered and your huge pillars strewn like matchsticks. The invaders will steal and loot—all that wealth, all that stuff! They’ll knock down your fine houses and dump the stone and timber rubble into the sea. And your parties, your famous good-time parties, will be no more. No more songs, no more lutes. I’ll reduce you to an island of bare rock, good for nothing but drying fishnets. You’ll never be rebuilt. I,God, have said so. Decree ofGod, the Master.

Introduced to the Terrors of Death

15 “This is the Message ofGod, the Master, to Tyre: Won’t the ocean islands shake at the crash of your collapse, at the groans of your wounded, at your mayhem and massacre?

16-18 “All up and down the coast, the princes will come down from their thrones, take off their royal robes and fancy clothes, and wrap themselves in sheer terror. They’ll sit on the ground, shaken to the core, horrified at you. Then they’ll begin chanting a funeral song over you:

“‘Sunk! Sunk to the bottom of the sea,

famous city on the sea!

Power of the seas,

you and your people,

Intimidating everyone

who lived in your shadows.

But now the islands are shaking

at the sound of your crash,

Ocean islands in tremors

from the impact of your fall.’

19-21 “The Message ofGod, the Master: ‘When I turn you into a wasted city, a city empty of people, a ghost town, and when I bring up the great ocean deeps and cover you, then I’ll push you down among those who go to the grave, the long, long dead. I’ll make you live there, in the grave in old ruins, with the buried dead. You’ll never see the land of the living again. I’ll introduce you to the terrors of death and that’ll be the end of you. They’ll send out search parties for you, but you’ll never be found. Decree ofGod, the Master.’”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/26-1bc821422e26f89a027a8aceac78f640.mp3?version_id=97—

Tyre, Gateway to the Sea

1-9 God’s Message came to me: “You, son of man, raise a funeral song over Tyre. Tell Tyre, gateway to the sea, merchant to the world, trader among the far-off islands, ‘This is whatGod, the Master, says:

“‘You boast, Tyre:

“I’m the perfect ship—stately, handsome.”

You ruled the high seas from

a real beauty, crafted to perfection.

Your planking came from

Mount Hermon junipers.

A Lebanon cedar

supplied your mast.

They made your oars

from sturdy Bashan oaks.

Cypress from Cyprus inlaid with ivory

was used for the decks.

Your sail and flag were of colorful

embroidered linen from Egypt.

Your purple deck awnings

also came from Cyprus.

Men of Sidon and Arvad pulled the oars.

Your seasoned seamen, O Tyre, were the crew.

Ship’s carpenters

were old salts from Byblos.

All the ships of the sea and their sailors

clustered around you to barter for your goods.

10-11 “‘Your army was composed of soldiers

from Paras, Lud, and Put,

Elite troops in uniformed splendor.

They put you on the map!

Your city police were imported from

Arvad, Helech, and Gammad.

They hung their shields from the city walls,

a final, perfect touch to your beauty.

12 “‘Tarshish carried on business with you because of your great wealth. They worked for you, trading in silver, iron, tin, and lead for your products.

13 “‘Greece, Tubal, and Meshech did business with you, trading slaves and bronze for your products.

14 “‘Beth-togarmah traded work horses, war horses, and mules for your products.

15 “‘The people of Rhodes did business with you. Many far-off islands traded with you in ivory and ebony.

16 “‘Edom did business with you because of all your goods. They traded for your products with agate, purple textiles, embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral, and rubies.

17 “‘Judah and Israel did business with you. They traded for your products with premium wheat, millet, honey, oil, and balm.

18 “‘Damascus, attracted by your vast array of products and well-stocked warehouses, carried on business with you, trading in wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.

19 “‘Danites and Greeks from Uzal traded with you, using wrought iron, cinnamon, and spices.

20 “‘Dedan traded with you for saddle blankets.

21 “‘Arabia and all the Bedouin sheiks of Kedar traded lambs, rams, and goats with you.

22 “‘Traders from Sheba and Raamah in South Arabia carried on business with you in premium spices, precious stones, and gold.

23-24 “‘Haran, Canneh, and Eden from the east in Assyria and Media traded with you, bringing elegant clothes, dyed textiles, and elaborate carpets to your bazaars.

25 “‘The great Tarshish ships were your freighters, importing and exporting. Oh, it was big business for you, trafficking the seaways!

26-32 “‘Your sailors row mightily,

taking you into the high seas.

Then a storm out of the east

shatters your ship in the ocean deep.

Everything sinks—your rich goods and products,

sailors and crew, ship’s carpenters and soldiers,

Sink to the bottom of the sea.

Total shipwreck.

The cries of your sailors

reverberate on shore.

Sailors everywhere abandon ship.

Veteran seamen swim for dry land.

They cry out in grief,

a choir of bitter lament over you.

They smear their faces with ashes,

shave their heads,

Wear rough burlap,

wildly keening their loss.

They raise their funeral song:

“Who on the high seas is like Tyre!”

33-36 “‘As you crisscrossed the seas with your products,

you satisfied many peoples.

Your worldwide trade

made earth’s kings rich.

And now you’re battered to bits by the waves,

sunk to the bottom of the sea,

And everything you’ve bought and sold

has sunk to the bottom with you.

Everyone on shore looks on in terror.

The hair of kings stands on end,

their faces drawn and haggard!

The buyers and sellers of the world

throw up their hands:

This horror can’t happen!

Oh, thishashappened!’”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/27-3881575b1f900dd1463faf3acd09cc0c.mp3?version_id=97—

The Money Has Gone to Your Head

1-5 God’s Message came to me, “Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, ‘This is whatGod, the Master, says:

“‘Your heart is proud,

going around saying, “I’m a god.

I sit on God’s divine throne,

ruling the sea”—

You, a mere mortal,

not even close to being a god,

A mere mortal

trying to be a god.

Look, you think you’re smarter than Daniel.

No enigmas can stump you.

Your sharp intelligence

made you world-wealthy.

You piled up gold and silver

in your banks.

You used your head well,

worked good deals, made a lot of money.

But the money has gone to your head,

swelled your head—what a big head!

6-11 “‘Therefore,God, the Master, says:

“‘Because you’re acting like a god,

pretending tobea god,

I’m giving fair warning: I’m bringing strangers down on you,

the most vicious of all nations.

They’ll pull their swords and make hash

of your reputation for knowing it all.

They’ll puncture the balloon

of your god-pretensions.

They’ll bring you down from your self-made pedestal

and bury you in the deep blue sea.

Will you protest to your assassins,

“You can’t do that! I’m a god”?

To them you’re a mere mortal.

They’re killing a man, not a god.

You’ll die like a stray dog,

killed by strangers—

Because I said so.

Decree ofGod, the Master.’”

11-19 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, raise a funeral song over the king of Tyre. Tell him, A Message fromGod, the Master:

“You had everything going for you.

You were in Eden, God’s garden.

You were dressed in splendor,

your robe studded with jewels:

Carnelian, peridot, and moonstone,

beryl, onyx, and jasper,

Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald,

all in settings of engraved gold.

A robe was prepared for you

the same day you were created.

You were the anointed cherub.

I placed you on the mountain of God.

You strolled in magnificence

among the stones of fire.

From the day of your creation

you were sheer perfection . . .

and then imperfection—evil!—was detected in you.

In much buying and selling

you turned violent, you sinned!

I threw you, disgraced, off the mountain of God.

I threw you out—you, the anointed angel-cherub.

No more strolling among the gems of fire for you!

Your beauty went to your head.

You corrupted wisdom

by using it to get worldly fame.

I threw you to the ground,

sent you sprawling before an audience of kings

and let them gloat over your demise.

By sin after sin after sin,

by your corrupt ways of doing business,

you defiled your holy places of worship.

So I set a fire around and within you.

It burned you up. I reduced you to ashes.

All anyone sees now

when they look for you is ashes,

a pitiful mound of ashes.

All who once knew you

now throw up their hands:

‘This can’t have happened!

Thishashappened!’”

20-23 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, confront Sidon. Preach against it. Say, ‘Message fromGod, the Master:

“‘Look! I’m against you, Sidon.

I intend to be known for who I truly am among you.’

They’ll know that I amGod

when I set things right

and reveal my holy presence.

I’ll order an epidemic of disease there,

along with murder and mayhem in the streets.

People will drop dead right and left,

as war presses in from every side.

Then they’ll realize that I mean business,

that I amGod.

24 “No longer will Israel have to put up with

their thistle-and-thorn neighbors

Who have treated them so contemptuously.

And they also will realize that I amGod.”

25-26 God, the Master, says, “When I gather Israel from the peoples among whom they’ve been scattered and put my holiness on display among them with all the nations looking on, then they’ll live in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. They’ll live there in safety. They’ll build houses. They’ll plant vineyards, living in safety. Meanwhile, I’ll bring judgment on all the neighbors who have treated them with such contempt. And they’ll realize that I amGod.”

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/85/32k/EZK/28-b938c8763196aea6cbfac8047838bbf5.mp3?version_id=97—