Holman Christian Standard Bible (255 page)

Israel's Continued Rebellion

23
 Then the word of the
Lord
came to me:
24
 “Son of man, those who live in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one person, yet he received possession of the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.' 
25
 Therefore say to them: This is what the Lord
God
says: You eat meat with blood in it, raise your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then receive possession of the land?
26
 You have relied on your swords, you have committed detestable acts, and each of you has defiled his neighbor's wife. Should you then receive possession of the land? 

27
 “Tell them this: This is what the Lord
God
says: As surely as I live, those who are in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I have given to wild animals to be devoured, and those in the strongholds and caves will die by plague. 
28
 I will make the land a desolate waste, and its proud strength will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will become desolate, with no one passing through.
29
 They will know that I am
•Yahweh
when I make the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable acts they have committed.

30
 “Now, son of man, your people are talking about you near the city walls and in the doorways of their houses. One person speaks to another, each saying to his brother, ‘Come and hear what the message is that comes from the
Lord
! '
31
 So My people come to you in crowds, sit in front of you, and hear your words, but they don't obey them. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest profit.
32
 Yes, to them you are like a singer of love songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don't obey them.
33
 Yet when it comes  — and it will definitely come — then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Ezekiel

The Shepherds and God's Flock

34
The word of the
Lord
came to me:
2
 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them: This is what the Lord
God
says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn't the shepherds feed their flock?
3
 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened animals, but you do not tend the flock. 
4
 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.
5
 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered.
6
 My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. They were scattered over the whole face of the earth, and there was no one searching or seeking for them.

7
 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the
Lord
.
8
 As I live” — the declaration of the Lord
God
 — “because My flock has become prey and food for every wild animal since they lack a shepherd, for My shepherds do not search for My flock, and because the shepherds feed themselves rather than My flock,
9
 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the
Lord
!

10
 “This is what the Lord
God
says: Look, I am against the shepherds. I will demand My flock from them and prevent them from shepherding the flock. The shepherds will no longer feed themselves, for I will rescue My flock from their mouths so that they will not be food for them.

11
 “For this is what the Lord
God
says: See, I Myself will search for My flock and look for them.
12
 As a shepherd looks for his sheep on the day he is among his scattered flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy and dark day.
13
 I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will shepherd them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the land.
14
 I will tend them with good pasture, and their grazing place will be on Israel's lofty mountains. There they will lie down in a good grazing place; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
15
 I will tend My flock and let them lie down.” This is the declaration of the Lord
God
.
16
 “I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.

17
 “The Lord
God
says to you, My flock: I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and male goats. 
18
 Isn't it enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of the pasture with your feet? Or isn't it enough that you drink the clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?
19
 Yet My flock has to feed on what your feet have trampled, and drink what your feet have muddied.

20
 “Therefore, this is what the Lord
God
says to them: See, I Myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
21
 Since you have pushed with flank and shoulder and butted all the weak ones with your horns until you scattered them all over,
22
 I will save My flock, and they will no longer be prey for you. I will judge between one sheep and another.
23
 I will appoint over them a single shepherd, My servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd. 
24
 I,
•Yahweh
, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, Yahweh, have spoken.

25
 “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate dangerous animals in the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.
26
 I will make them and the area around My hill a blessing: I will send down showers in their season  — showers of blessing.
27
 The trees of the field will give their fruit, and the land will yield its produce; My flock will be secure in their land. They will know that I am Yahweh when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslave them. 
28
 They will no longer be prey for the nations, and the wild animals of the land will not consume them. They will live securely, and no one will frighten them.
29
 I will establish for them a place renowned for its agriculture, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land. They will no longer endure the insults of the nations. 
30
 Then they will know that I, Yahweh their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people.” This is the declaration of the Lord
God
.
31
 “You are My flock, the human flock of My pasture, and I am your God.” This is the declaration of the Lord
God
. 

Ezekiel

A Prophecy against Edom

35
The word of the
Lord
came to me:
2
 “Son of man, turn your face toward Mount Seir and prophesy against it.
3
 Say to it: This is what the Lord
God
says:

5
 “Because you maintained an ancient hatred and handed over the Israelites to the power of the sword in the time of their disaster, the time of final punishment, 
6
 therefore, as I live” — this is the declaration of the Lord
God
 — “I will destine you for bloodshed, and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, it will pursue you. 
7
 I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and will cut off from it those who come and go. 
8
 I will fill its mountains with the slain; those slain by the sword will fall on your hills, in your valleys, and in all your ravines.
9
 I will make you a perpetual desolation; your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

10
 “Because you said, ‘These two nations and two lands will be mine, and we will possess them' — though the
Lord
was there  —
11
 therefore, as I live” — the declaration of the Lord
God
 — “I will treat you according to the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them. I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.
12
 Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have heard all the blasphemies you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate. They have been given to us to devour!'
13
 You boasted against Me with your mouth, and spoke many words against Me. I heard it Myself!

14
 “This is what the Lord
God
says: While the whole world rejoices, I will make you a desolation.
15
 Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it became a desolation, so I will deal with you: you will become a desolation, Mount Seir, and so will all Edom in its entirety. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.

Ezekiel

Restoration of Israel's Mountains

36
“Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the
Lord
. 
2
 This is what the Lord
God
says: Because the enemy has said about you, ‘Good! The ancient heights have become our possession,'
3
 therefore, prophesy and say: This is what the Lord
God
says: Because they have made you desolate and have trampled you from every side, so that you became a possession for the rest of the nations and an object of people's gossip and slander, 
4
 therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord
God
. This is what the Lord
God
says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and abandoned cities, which have become plunder and a mockery to the rest of the nations all around.

5
 “This is what the Lord
God
says: Certainly in My burning zeal I speak against the rest of the nations and all of Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted rejoicing and utter contempt so that its pastureland became plunder.
6
 Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: This is what the Lord
God
says: Look, I speak in My burning zeal because you have endured the insults of the nations.
7
 Therefore this is what the Lord
God
says: I swear that the nations all around you will endure their own insults. 

8
 “You, mountains of Israel, will produce your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel, since their arrival is near.
9
 Look! I am on your side; I will turn toward you, and you will be tilled and sown.
10
 I will fill you with people, with the whole house of Israel in its entirety. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.
11
 I will fill you with people and animals, and they will increase and be fruitful. I will make you inhabited as you once were and make you better off than you were before. Then you will know that I am
•Yahweh
. 
12
 I will cause people, My people Israel, to walk on you; they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance. You will no longer deprive them of their children.

13
 “This is what the Lord
God
says: Because people are saying to you, ‘You devour men and deprive your nation of children,' 
14
 therefore, you will no longer devour men and deprive your nation of children.” This is the declaration of the Lord
God
.
15
 “I will no longer allow the insults of the nations to be heard against you, and you will not have to endure the reproach of the peoples anymore; you will no longer cause your nation to stumble.” This is the declaration of the Lord
God
.

Restoration of Israel's People

16
 The word of the
Lord
came to me:
17
 “Son of man, while the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it with their conduct and actions. Their behavior before Me was like menstrual impurity. 
18
 So I poured out My wrath on them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols.
19
 I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered among the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and actions. 
20
 When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said about them, ‘These are the people of Yahweh, yet they had to leave His land in exile.'
21
 Then I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.

22
 “Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord
God
says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went.
23
 I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations — the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh” — the declaration of the Lord
God
 — “when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight.