The Holy Bible

[12:21] The Lord spoke to me.

[12:22] “Mortal man,” he said, “why do the people of Israel repeat this proverb: ‘Time goes by, and predictions come to nothing’?

[12:23] Now tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, have to say about that. I will put an end to that proverb. It won't be repeated in Israel any more. Tell them instead: The time has come, and the predictions are coming true!

[12:24] “Among the people of Israel there will be no more false visions or misleading prophecies.

[12:25] I, the Lord, will speak to them, and what I say will be done. There will be no more delay. In your own lifetime, you rebels, I will do what I have warned you I would do. I have spoken,” says the Sovereign Lord.

[12:26] The Lord said to me,

[12:27] “Mortal man, the Israelites think that your visions and prophecies are about the distant future.

[12:28] So tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: There will be no more delay. What I have said will be done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

[13:1] The Lord spoke to me.

[13:2] “Mortal man,” he said, “denounce the prophets of Israel who make up their own prophecies. Tell them to listen to the word of the Lord.”

[13:3] This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These foolish prophets are doomed! They provide their own inspiration and invent their own visions.

[13:4] People of Israel, your prophets are as useless as foxes living among the ruins of a city.

[13:5] They don't guard the places where the walls have crumbled, nor do they rebuild the walls, and so Israel cannot be defended when war comes on the day of the Lord.

[13:6] Their visions are false, and their predictions are lies. They claim that they are speaking my message, but I have not sent them. Yet they expect their words to come true!

[13:7] I tell them: Those visions you see are false, and the predictions you make are lies. You say that they are my words, but I haven't spoken to you!”

[13:8] So the Sovereign Lord says to them, “Your words are false, and your visions are lies. I am against you.

[13:9] I am about to punish you prophets who have false visions and make misleading predictions. You will not be there when my people gather to make decisions; your names will not be included in the list of the citizens of Israel; you will never return to your land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

[13:10] “The prophets mislead my people by saying that all is well. All is certainly not well! My people have put up a wall of loose stones, and then the prophets have come and covered it with whitewash.

[13:11] Tell the prophets that their wall is going to fall down. I will send a pouring rain. Hailstones will fall on it, and a strong wind will blow against it.

[13:12] The wall will collapse, and everyone will ask you what good the whitewash did.”

[13:13] Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “In my anger I will send a strong wind, pouring rain, and hailstones to destroy the wall.

[13:14] I intend to break down the wall they whitewashed, to shatter it, and to leave the foundation stones bare. It will collapse and kill you all. Then everyone will know that I am the Lord.

[13:15] “The wall and those who covered it with whitewash will feel the force of my anger. Then I will tell you that the wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it—

[13:16] those prophets who assured Jerusalem that all was well, when all was not well!” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

[13:17] The Lord said, “Now, mortal man, look at the women among your people who make up predictions. Denounce them

[13:18] and tell them what the Sovereign Lord is saying to them: “You women are doomed! You sew magic wristbands for everyone and make magic scarves for everyone to wear on their heads, so that they can have power over other people's lives. You want to possess the power of life and death over my people and to use it for your own benefit.

[13:19] You dishonor me in front of my people in order to get a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You kill people who don't deserve to die, and you keep people alive who don't deserve to live. So you tell lies to my people, and they believe you.”

[13:20] Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I hate the wristbands that you use in your attempt to control life and death. I will rip them off your arms and set free the people that you were controlling.

[13:21] I will rip off your scarves and let my people escape from your power once and for all. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

[13:22] “By your lies you discourage good people, whom I do not wish to hurt. You prevent evil people from giving up evil and saving their lives.

[13:23] So now your false visions and misleading predictions are over. I am rescuing my people from your power, so that you will know that I am the Lord.”

[14:1] Some of the leaders of the Israelites came to consult me about the Lord's will.

[14:2] Then the Lord spoke to me.

[14:3] “Mortal man,” he said, “these men have given their hearts to idols and are letting idols lead them into sin. Do they think I will give them an answer?

[14:4] “Now speak to them and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: Each of you Israelites who have given your heart to idols and let them lead you into sin and who then come to consult a prophet, will get an answer from me—the answer that your many idols deserve!

[14:5] All those idols have turned the Israelites away from me, but by my answer I hope to win back their loyalty.

[14:6] “Now then, tell the Israelites what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: Turn back and leave your disgusting idols.

[14:7] “Whenever one of you Israelites or one of you foreigners who live in the Israelite community turn away from me and worship idols, and then go to consult a prophet, I, the Lord, will give you your answer!

[14:8] I will oppose you. I will make an example of you. I will remove you from the community of my people, so that all of you will know that I am the Lord.

[14:9] “If any prophets are deceived into giving a false answer, it is because I, the Lord, have deceived them. I will remove them from the people of Israel.

[14:10] Both prophets and anyone who consults them will get the same punishment.

[14:11] I will do this to keep the Israelites from deserting me and defiling themselves by their sins. They are to be my people, and I will be their God.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

[14:12] The Lord spoke to me.

[14:13] “Mortal man,” he said, “if a country sins and is unfaithful to me, I will reach out and destroy its supply of food. I will send a famine and kill people and animals alike.

[14:14] Even if those three men, Noah, Danel, and Job, were living there, their goodness would save only their own lives.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

[14:15] “Or I might send wild animals to kill the people, making the land so dangerous that no one could travel through it,

[14:16] and even if those three men lived there—as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God—they would not be able to save even their own children. They would save only their own lives, and the land would become a wilderness.

[14:17] “Or I might bring war on that country and send destructive weapons to wipe out people and animals alike,

[14:18] and even if those three men lived there—as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God—they would not be able to save even their children, but only their own lives.

[14:19] “If I send an epidemic on that country and in my anger take many lives, killing people and animals,

[14:20] even if Noah, Danel, and Job lived there—as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God—they would not be able to save even their own children. Their goodness would save only their own lives.”

[14:21] This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “I will send my four worst punishments on Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—to destroy people and animals alike.

[14:22] If some survive and save their children, look at them when they come to you. See how evil they are, and be convinced that the punishment I am bringing on Jerusalem is justified;

[14:23] then you will know that there was good reason for everything I did.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

[15:1] The Lord spoke to me.

[15:2] “Mortal man,” he said, “how does a vine compare with a tree? What good is a branch of a grapevine compared with the trees of the forest?

[15:3] Can you use it to make anything? Can you even make a peg out of it to hang things on?

[15:4] It is only good for building a fire. And when the ends are burned up and the middle is charred, can you make anything out of it?

[15:5] It was useless even before it was burned. Now that the fire has burned it and charred it, it is even more useless.”

[15:6] Now this is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “Just as a vine is taken from the forest and burned, so I will take the people who live in Jerusalem

[15:7] and will punish them. They have escaped one fire, but now fire will burn them up. When I punish them, you will know that I am the Lord.

[15:8] They have been unfaithful to me, and so I will make the country a wilderness.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

[16:1] The Lord spoke to me again.

[16:2] “Mortal man,” he said, “point out to Jerusalem what disgusting things she has done.

[16:3] Tell Jerusalem what the Sovereign Lord is saying to her: “You were born in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.

[16:4] When you were born, no one cut your umbilical cord or washed you or rubbed you with salt or wrapped you in cloths.

[16:5] No one took enough pity on you to do any of these things for you. When you were born, no one loved you. You were thrown out in an open field.

[16:6] “Then I passed by and saw you squirming in your own blood. You were covered with blood, but I wouldn't let you die.

[16:7] I made you grow like a healthy plant. You grew strong and tall and became a young woman. Your breasts were well-formed, and your hair had grown, but you were naked.

[16:8] “As I passed by again, I saw that the time had come for you to fall in love. I covered your naked body with my coat and promised to love you. Yes, I made a marriage covenant with you, and you became mine.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

[16:9] “Then I took water and washed the blood off you. I rubbed olive oil on your skin.

[16:10] I dressed you in embroidered gowns and gave you shoes of the best leather, a linen headband, and a silk cloak.

[16:11] I put jewels on you—bracelets and necklaces.

[16:12] I gave you a nose ring and earrings and a beautiful crown to wear.

[16:13] You had ornaments of gold and silver, and you always wore clothes of embroidered linen and silk. You ate bread made from the best flour, and had honey and olive oil to eat. Your beauty was dazzling, and you became a queen.

[16:14] You became famous in every nation for your perfect beauty, because I was the one who made you so lovely.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

[16:15] “But you took advantage of your beauty and fame to sleep with everyone who came along.

[16:16] You used some of your clothes to decorate your places of worship, and just like a prostitute, you gave yourself to everyone.

[16:17] You took the silver and gold jewelry that I had given you, used it to make male images, and committed adultery with them.

[16:18] You took the embroidered clothes I gave you and put them on the images, and you offered to the images the olive oil and incense I had given you.

[16:19] I gave you food—the best flour, olive oil, and honey—but you offered it as a sacrifice to win the favor of idols.” This is what the Sovereign Lord says.

[16:20] “Then you took the sons and the daughters you had borne me and offered them as sacrifices to idols. Wasn't it bad enough to be unfaithful to me,

[16:21] without taking my children and sacrificing them to idols?

[16:22] During your disgusting life as a prostitute you never once remembered your childhood—when you were naked, squirming in your own blood.”

[16:23] The Sovereign Lord said, “You are doomed! Doomed! You did all that evil, and then

[16:24] by the side of every road you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution.

[16:25] You dragged your beauty through the mud. You offered yourself to everyone who came by, and you were more of a prostitute every day.

[16:26] You let your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, go to bed with you, and you used your prostitution to make me angry.

[16:27] “Now I have raised my hand to punish you and to take away your share of my blessing. I have handed you over to the Philistines, who hate you and are disgusted with your immoral actions.

[16:28] “Because you were not satisfied by the others, you went running after the Assyrians. You were their prostitute, but they didn't satisfy you either.

[16:29] You were also a prostitute for the Babylonians, that nation of merchants, but they didn't satisfy you either.”

[16:30] This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “You have done all this like a shameless prostitute.

[16:31] On every street you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. But you are not out for money like a common prostitute.

[16:32] You are like a woman who commits adultery with strangers instead of loving her husband.

[16:33] A prostitute is paid, but you gave presents to all your lovers and bribed them to come from everywhere to sleep with you.

[16:34] You are a special kind of prostitute. No one forced you to become one. You didn't get paid; you paid them! Yes, you are different.”

[16:35] Now then, Jerusalem, you whore! Hear what the Lord is saying.

[16:36] This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “You stripped off your clothes, and like a prostitute, you gave yourself to your lovers and to all your disgusting idols, and you killed your children as sacrifices to idols.

[16:37] Because of this I will bring all your former lovers together—the ones you liked and the ones you hated. I will bring them around you in a circle, and then I will strip off your clothes and let them see you naked.

[16:38] I will condemn you for adultery and murder, and in my anger and fury I will punish you with death.

[16:39] I will put you in their power, and they will tear down the places where you engage in prostitution and worship idols. They will take away your clothes and jewels and leave you completely naked.

[16:40] “They will stir up a crowd to stone you, and they will cut you to pieces with their swords.

[16:41] They will burn your houses down and let crowds of women see your punishment. I will make you stop being a prostitute and make you stop giving gifts to your lovers.

[16:42] Then my anger will be over, and I will be calm. I will not be angry or jealous any more.

[16:43] You have forgotten how I treated you when you were young, and you have made me angry by all the things you did. That is why I have made you pay for them all. Why did you add sexual immorality to all the other disgusting things you did?” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.

[16:44] The Lord said, “People will use this proverb about you, Jerusalem: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’

[16:45] You really are your mother's daughter. She detested her husband and her children. You are like your sisters, who hated their husbands and their children. You and your sister cities had a Hittite mother and an Amorite father.

[16:46] “Your older sister, with her villages, is Samaria, in the north. Your younger sister, with her villages, is Sodom, in the south.

[16:47] Were you satisfied to follow in their footsteps and copy their disgusting actions? No, in only a little while you were acting worse than they were in everything you did.

[16:48] “As surely as I am the living God,” the Sovereign Lord says, “your sister Sodom and her villages never did the evil that you and your villages have done.

[16:49] She and her daughters were proud because they had plenty to eat and lived in peace and quiet, but they did not take care of the poor and the underprivileged.

[16:50] They were proud and stubborn and did the things that I hate, so I destroyed them, as you well know.

[16:51] “Samaria did not sin half as much as you have. You have acted more disgustingly than she ever did. Your corruption makes your sisters look innocent by comparison.

[16:52] And now you will have to endure your disgrace. Your sins are so much worse than those of your sisters that they look innocent beside you. Now blush and bear your shame, because you make your sisters look pure.”