Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹The word of the LORD came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month:

²“Son of man, write down today’s date, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.

³Now speak a parable to the rebellious house. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Put the pot on the fire — put it on, and then pour water into it!

⁴Place the pieces of meat in it, every good piece — thigh and shoulder. Fill it with choice bones.

⁵Take the choicest of the flock and also pile up the fuel under it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.

⁶“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the city of bloodshed, the pot that has corrosion inside it, and its corrosion has not come out of it! Empty it piece by piece; lots should not be cast for its contents.

⁷For the blood she shed is still within her. She put it out on the bare rock; she didn’t pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.

⁸In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.

⁹“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the city of bloodshed! I myself will make the pile of kindling large.

¹⁰Pile on the logs and kindle the fire! Cook the meat well and mix in the spices! Let the bones be burned!

¹¹Set the empty pot on its coals so that it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt inside it; its corrosion will be consumed.

¹²It has frustrated every effort; its thick corrosion will not come off. Into the fire with its corrosion!

¹³Because of the depravity of your uncleanness — since I tried to purify you, but you would not be purified from your uncleanness — you will not be pure again until I have satisfied my wrath on you.

¹⁴I, the LORD, have spoken. It is coming, and I will do it! I will not refrain, I will not show pity, and I will not relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’”

¹⁵Then the word of the LORD came to me:

¹⁶“Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow.

¹⁷Groan quietly; do not observe mourning rites for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.”

¹⁸I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did just as I was commanded.

¹⁹Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”

²⁰So I answered them: “The word of the LORD came to me:

²¹Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.

²²Then you will do just as I have done: You will not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.

²³Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not lament or weep but will waste away because of your iniquities and will groan to one another.

²⁴Now Ezekiel will be a sign for you. You will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’

²⁵“As for you, son of man, know that on that day I will take from them their stronghold — their pride and joy, the delight of their eyes, and the longing of their hearts — as well as their sons and daughters.

²⁶On that day a fugitive will come to you and report the news.

²⁷On that day your mouth will be opened to talk with him; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”

¹Then the word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, face the Ammonites and prophesy against them.

³Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord GOD: This is what the Lord GOD says: Because you said, “Aha!” about my sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was laid waste, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile,

⁴therefore I am about to give you to the people of the east as a possession. They will set up their encampments and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

⁵I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

⁶“‘For this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced over the land of Israel with wholehearted contempt,

⁷therefore I am about to stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and eliminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.

⁸“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations.”

⁹Therefore I am about to expose Moab’s flank beginning with its frontier cities, the splendor of the land: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.

¹⁰I will give it along with Ammon to the people of the east as a possession, so that Ammon will not be remembered among the nations.

¹¹So I will execute judgments against Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.

¹²“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah and incurred grievous guilt by taking revenge on them,

¹³therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off both man and animal from it. I will make it a wasteland; they will fall by the sword from Teman to Dedan.

¹⁴I will take my vengeance on Edom through my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to my anger and wrath. So they will know my vengeance. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹⁵“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with deep contempt, destroying because of their perpetual hatred,

¹⁶therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, cutting off the Cherethites and wiping out what remains of the coastal peoples.

¹⁷I will execute severe vengeance against them with furious rebukes. They will know that I am the LORD when I take my vengeance on them.’”

¹In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, because Tyre said about Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gateway to the peoples is shattered. She has been turned over to me. I will be filled now that she lies in ruins,’

³therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I am against you, Tyre! I will raise up many nations against you, just as the sea raises its waves.

⁴They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. I will scrape the soil from her and turn her into a bare rock.

⁵She will become a place in the sea to spread nets, for I have spoken.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. “She will become plunder for the nations,

⁶and her villages on the mainland will be slaughtered by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

⁷For this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I am about to bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, king of kings, against Tyre from the north with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a huge assembly of troops.

⁸He will slaughter your villages on the mainland with the sword. He will set up siege works, build a ramp, and raise a wall of shields against you.

⁹He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his iron tools.

¹⁰His horses will be so numerous that their dust will cover you. When he enters your gates as an army entering a breached city, your walls will shake from the noise of cavalry, wagons, and chariots.

¹¹He will trample all your streets with the hooves of his horses. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.

¹²They will take your wealth as spoil and plunder your merchandise. They will also demolish your walls and tear down your beautiful homes. Then they will throw your stones, timber, and soil into the water.

¹³I will put an end to the noise of your songs, and the sound of your lyres will no longer be heard.

¹⁴I will turn you into a bare rock, and you will be a place to spread nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the LORD, have spoken.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹⁵This is what the Lord GOD says to Tyre: “Won’t the coasts and islands quake at the sound of your downfall, when the wounded groan and slaughter occurs within you?

¹⁶All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble continually, and be appalled at you.

¹⁷Then they will lament for you and say of you, ‘How you have perished, city of renown, you who were populated from the seas! She who was powerful on the sea, she and all of her inhabitants inflicted their terror.

¹⁸Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall; the islands in the sea are alarmed by your demise.’”

¹⁹For this is what the Lord GOD says: “When I make you a ruined city like other deserted cities, when I raise up the deep against you so that the mighty waters cover you,

²⁰then I will bring you down to be with those who descend to the Pit, to the people of antiquity. I will make you dwell in the underworld like the ancient ruins, with those who descend to the Pit, so that you will no longer be inhabited or display your splendor in the land of the living.

²¹I will make you an object of horror, and you will no longer exist. You will be sought but will never be found again.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹The word of the LORD came to me:

²“Now, son of man, lament for Tyre.

³Say to Tyre, who is located at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coasts and islands, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Tyre, you declared, “I am perfect in beauty.”

⁴Your realm was in the heart of the sea; your builders perfected your beauty.

⁵They constructed all your planking with pine trees from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.

⁶They made your oars of oaks from Bashan. They made your deck of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus, inlaid with ivory.

⁷Your sail was made of fine embroidered linen from Egypt, and served as your banner. Your awning was of blue and purple fabric from the coasts of Elishah.

⁸The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your wise men were within you, Tyre; they were your captains.

⁹The elders of Gebal and its wise men were within you, repairing your leaks. “‘All the ships of the sea and their sailors came to you to barter for your goods.

¹⁰Men of Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army, serving as your warriors. They hung shields and helmets in you; they gave you splendor.

¹¹Men of Arvad and Helech were stationed on your walls all around, and Gammadites were in your towers. They hung their shields all around your walls; they perfected your beauty.

¹²“‘Tarshish was your trading partner because of your abundant wealth of every kind. They exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise.

¹³Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants. They exchanged slaves and bronze utensils for your goods.

¹⁴Those from Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise.

¹⁵Men of Dedan were also your merchants; many coasts and islands were your regular markets. They brought back ivory tusks and ebony as your payment.

¹⁶Aram was your trading partner because of your numerous products. They exchanged turquoise, purple and embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your merchandise.

¹⁷Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They exchanged wheat from Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm, for your goods.

¹⁸Damascus was also your trading partner because of your numerous products and your abundant wealth of every kind, trading in wine from Helbon and white wool.

¹⁹Vedan and Javan from Uzal dealt in your merchandise; wrought iron, cassia, and aromatic cane were exchanged for your goods.

²⁰Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding.

²¹Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your business partners, trading with you in lambs, rams, and goats.

²²The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you. For your merchandise they exchanged the best of all spices and all kinds of precious stones as well as gold.

²³Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.

²⁴They were your merchants in choice garments, cloaks of blue and embroidered materials, and multicolored carpets, which were bound and secured with cords in your marketplace.

²⁵Ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your goods. “‘So you became full and heavily loaded in the heart of the sea.

²⁶Your rowers have brought you onto the high seas, but the east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the sea.

²⁷Your wealth, merchandise, and goods, your sailors and captains, those who repair your leaks, those who barter for your goods, and all the warriors on board, with all the other people within you, sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your downfall.

²⁸“‘The countryside shakes at the sound of your sailors’ cries.

²⁹All the oarsmen disembark from their ships. The sailors and all the captains of the sea stand on the shore.

³⁰Because of you, they raise their voices and cry out bitterly. They throw dust on their heads; they roll in ashes.

³¹They shave their heads because of you and wrap themselves in sackcloth. They weep over you with deep anguish and bitter mourning.

³²“‘In their wailing they lament for you, mourning over you: “Who was like Tyre, silenced in the middle of the sea?

³³When your merchandise was unloaded from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. You enriched the kings of the earth with your abundant wealth and goods.

³⁴Now you are wrecked by the sea in the depths of the waters; your goods and the people within you have gone down.

³⁵All the inhabitants of the coasts and islands are appalled at you. Their kings shudder with fear; their faces are contorted.

³⁶Those who trade among the peoples scoff at you; you have become an object of horror and will never exist again.”’ ”

¹The word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, “I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.” Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god.

³Yes, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you!

⁴By your wisdom and understanding you have acquired wealth for yourself. You have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries.

⁵By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, but your heart has become proud because of your wealth.

⁶“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you regard your heart as that of a god,

⁷I am about to bring strangers against you, ruthless men from the nations. They will draw their swords against your magnificent wisdom and will pierce your splendor.

⁸They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the sea.

⁹Will you still say, “I am a god,” in the presence of those who slay you? Yet you will be only a man, not a god, in the hands of those who kill you.

¹⁰You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of strangers. For I have spoken. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’”

¹¹The word of the LORD came to me:

¹²“Son of man, lament for the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

¹³You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone covered you: carnelian, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold; they were prepared on the day you were created.

¹⁴You were an anointed guardian cherub, for I had appointed you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

¹⁵From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways until wickedness was found in you.

¹⁶Through the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I expelled you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and banished you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.

¹⁷Your heart became proud because of your beauty; For the sake of your splendor you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground; I made you a spectacle before kings.

¹⁸You profaned your sanctuaries by the magnitude of your iniquities in your dishonest trade. So I made fire come from within you, and it consumed you. I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of everyone watching you.

¹⁹All those who know you among the peoples are appalled at you. You have become an object of horror and will never exist again.’”

²⁰The word of the LORD came to me:

²¹“Son of man, face Sidon and prophesy against it.

²²You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Look! I am against you, Sidon, and I will display my glory within you. They will know that I am the LORD when I execute judgments against her and demonstrate my holiness through her.

²³I will send a plague against her and bloodshed in her streets; the slain will fall within her, while the sword is against her on every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

²⁴“‘The house of Israel will no longer be hurt by prickly briers or painful thorns from all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.

²⁵“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are scattered, I will demonstrate my holiness through them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.

²⁶They will live there securely, build houses, and plant vineyards. They will live securely when I execute judgments against all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.’”

¹In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, face Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all of Egypt.

³Speak to him and say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Look, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster lying in the middle of his Nile, who says, “My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.”

⁴I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of your streams cling to your scales. I will haul you up from the middle of your Nile, and all the fish of your streams will cling to your scales.

⁵I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish of your streams. You will fall on the open ground and will not be taken away or gathered for burial. I have given you to the wild creatures of the earth and the birds of the sky as food.

⁶“‘Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD, for they have been a staff made of reed to the house of Israel.

⁷When Israel grasped you by the hand, you splintered, tearing all their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you shattered and made all their hips unsteady.

⁸“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: I am going to bring a sword against you and cut off both man and animal from you.

⁹The land of Egypt will be a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am the LORD. Because you said, “The Nile is my own; I made it,”

¹⁰therefore, I am against you and your Nile. I will turn the land of Egypt into ruins, a desolate waste from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush.

¹¹No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it. It will be uninhabited for forty years.

¹²I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolate lands, and its cities will be a desolation among ruined cities for forty years. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.

¹³“‘For this is what the Lord GOD says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were dispersed.

¹⁴I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. There they will be a lowly kingdom.

¹⁵Egypt will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small they cannot rule over the nations.

¹⁶It will never again be an object of trust for the house of Israel, drawing attention to their iniquity of turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”

¹⁷In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

¹⁸“Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his army labor strenuously against Tyre. Every head was made bald and every shoulder chafed, but he and his army received no compensation from Tyre for the labor he expended against it.

¹⁹Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: I am going to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth, seizing its spoil and taking its plunder. This will be his army’s compensation.

²⁰I have given him the land of Egypt as the pay he labored for, since they worked for me.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

²¹“In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will enable you to speak out among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

¹The word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Wail, “Woe because of that day!”

³For a day is near; a day belonging to the LORD is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

⁴A sword will come against Egypt, and there will be anguish in Cush when the slain fall in Egypt, and its wealth is taken away, and its foundations are demolished.

⁵Cush, Put, and Lud, and all the various foreign troops, plus Libya and the men of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with them.

⁶This is what the LORD says: Those who support Egypt will fall, and its proud strength will collapse. From Migdol to Syene they will fall within it by the sword. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

⁷They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities.

⁸They will know that I am the LORD when I set fire to Egypt and all its allies are shattered.

⁹On that day, messengers will go out from me in ships to terrify confident Cush. Anguish will come over them on the day of Egypt’s doom. For indeed it is coming.

¹⁰“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

¹¹He along with his people, ruthless men from the nations, will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.

¹²I will make the streams dry and sell the land to evil men. I will bring desolation on the land and everything in it by the hands of foreigners. I, the LORD, have spoken.

¹³“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I will destroy the idols and put an end to the false gods in Memphis. There will no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt. And I will instill fear in that land.

¹⁴I will make Pathros desolate, set fire to Zoan, and execute judgments on Thebes.

¹⁵I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and will wipe out the hordes of Thebes.

¹⁶I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be breached, and Memphis will face foes in broad daylight.

¹⁷The young men of On and Pi-beseth will fall by the sword, and those cities will go into captivity.

¹⁸The day will be dark in Tehaphnehes, when I break the yoke of Egypt there and its proud strength comes to an end in the city. A cloud will cover Tehaphnehes, and its surrounding villages will go into captivity.

¹⁹So I will execute judgments against Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD.’”

²⁰In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

²¹“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Look, it has not been bandaged — no medicine has been applied and no splint put on to bandage it so that it can grow strong enough to handle a sword.

²²Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Look! I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand.

²³I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries.

²⁴I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and place my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him as a mortally wounded man.

²⁵I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king, but Pharaoh’s arms will fall. They will know that I am the LORD when I place my sword in the hand of Babylon’s king and he wields it against the land of Egypt.

²⁶When I disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries, they will know that I am the LORD.”

¹In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes, ‘Who are you like in your greatness?

³Think of Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and shady foliage and of lofty height. Its top was among the clouds.

⁴The waters caused it to grow; the underground springs made it tall, directing their rivers all around the place where the tree was planted and sending their channels to all the trees of the field.

⁵Therefore the cedar became greater in height than all the trees of the field. Its branches multiplied, and its boughs grew long as it spread them out because of the abundant water.

⁶All the birds of the sky nested in its branches, and all the animals of the field gave birth beneath its boughs; all the great nations lived in its shade.

⁷It was beautiful in its size, in the length of its limbs, for its roots extended to abundant water.

⁸The cedars in God’s garden could not eclipse it; the pine trees couldn’t compare with its branches, nor could the plane trees match its boughs. No tree in the garden of God could compare with it in beauty.

⁹I made it beautiful with its many limbs, and all the trees of Eden, which were in God’s garden, envied it.

¹⁰“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Since it towered high in stature and set its top among the clouds, and it grew proud on account of its height,

¹¹I determined to hand it over to a ruler of nations; he would surely deal with it. I banished it because of its wickedness.

¹²Foreigners, ruthless men from the nations, cut it down and left it lying. Its limbs fell on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth’s ravines. All the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it.

¹³All the birds of the sky nested on its fallen trunk, and all the animals of the field were among its boughs.

¹⁴This happened so that no trees planted beside water would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds, and so that no other well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the underworld, among the people who descend to the Pit.

¹⁵“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I caused grieving on the day the cedar went down to Sheol. I closed off the underground deep because of it: I held back the rivers of the deep, and its abundant water was restrained. I made Lebanon mourn on account of it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.

¹⁶I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I threw it down to Sheol to be with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were comforted in the underworld.

¹⁷They too descended with it to Sheol, to those slain by the sword. As its allies they had lived in its shade among the nations.

¹⁸“‘Who then are you like in glory and greatness among Eden’s trees? You also will be brought down to the underworld to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his hordes. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’”

¹In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him, ‘You compare yourself to a lion of the nations, but you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churn up the waters with your feet, and muddy the rivers.

³“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I will spread my net over you with an assembly of many peoples, and they will haul you up in my net.

⁴I will abandon you on the land and throw you onto the open field. I will cause all the birds of the sky to settle on you and let the wild creatures of the entire earth eat their fill of you.

⁵I will put your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass.

⁶I will drench the land with the flow of your blood, even to the mountains; the ravines will be filled with your gore.

⁷“‘When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

⁸I will darken all the shining lights in the heavens over you, and will bring darkness on your land. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

⁹“‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, in countries you have not known.

¹⁰I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with fear because of you when I brandish my sword in front of them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.

¹¹“‘For this is what the Lord GOD says: The sword of Babylon’s king will come against you!

¹²I will make your hordes fall by the swords of warriors, all of them ruthless men from the nations. They will ravage Egypt’s pride, and all its hordes will be destroyed.

¹³I will slaughter all its cattle that are beside many waters. No human foot will churn them again, and no cattle hooves will disturb them.

¹⁴Then I will let their waters settle and will make their rivers flow like oil. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹⁵When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, so that it is emptied of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.

¹⁶“‘The daughters of the nations will chant that lament. They will chant it over Egypt and all its hordes. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’”

¹⁷In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me:

¹⁸“Son of man, wail over the hordes of Egypt and bring Egypt and the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld, to be with those who descend to the Pit:

¹⁹Who do you surpass in loveliness? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!

²⁰They will fall among those slain by the sword. A sword is appointed! They drag her and all her hordes away.

²¹Warrior leaders will speak from the middle of Sheol about him and his allies: ‘They have come down; the uncircumcised lie slain by the sword.’

²²“Assyria is there with her whole assembly; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.

²³Her graves are set in the deepest regions of the Pit, and her assembly is all around her burial place. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword — those who once spread terror in the land of the living.

²⁴“Elam is there with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword — those who went down to the underworld uncircumcised, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.

²⁵Among the slain they prepare a bed for Elam with all her hordes. Her graves are all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed among the slain.

²⁶“Meshech and Tubal are there, with all their hordes. Their graves are all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living.

²⁷They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads and their shields rested on their bones, although the terror of these warriors was once in the land of the living.

²⁸But you will be shattered and will lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.

²⁹“Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who, despite their strength, have been placed among those slain by the sword. They lie down with the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.

³⁰All the leaders of the north and all the Sidonians are there. They went down in shame with the slain, despite the terror their strength inspired. They lie down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.

³¹“Pharaoh will see them and be comforted over all his hordes — Pharaoh and his whole army, slain by the sword.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

³²“For I will spread my terror in the land of the living, so Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹The word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, speak to your people and tell them, ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman.

³And suppose he sees the sword coming against the land and blows his trumpet to warn the people.

⁴Then, if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his death will be his own fault.

⁵Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but ignored the warning, his death is his own fault. If he had taken warning, he would have saved his life.

⁶However, suppose the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the trumpet, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives. Then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

⁷“As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, give them a warning from me.

⁸If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked one, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to warn him about his way, that wicked person will die for his iniquity, yet I will hold you responsible for his blood.

⁹But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he doesn’t turn from it, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have rescued yourself.

¹⁰“Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘You have said this: “Our transgressions and our sins are heavy on us, and we are wasting away because of them! How then can we survive?”’

¹¹Tell them, ‘As I live — this is the declaration of the Lord GOD  — I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?’

¹²“Now, son of man, say to your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous person will not save him on the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked person cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. The righteous person won’t be able to survive by his righteousness on the day he sins.

¹³When I tell the righteous person that he will surely live, but he trusts in his righteousness and acts unjustly, then none of his righteousness will be remembered, and he will die because of the injustice he has committed.

¹⁴“‘So when I tell the wicked person, “You will surely die,” but he repents of his sin and does what is just and right —

¹⁵he returns collateral, makes restitution for what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing injustice — he will certainly live; he will not die.

¹⁶None of the sins he committed will be held against him. He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live.

¹⁷“‘But your people say, “The Lord’s way isn’t fair,” even though it is their own way that isn’t fair.

¹⁸When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, he will die for it.

¹⁹But if a wicked person turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live because of it.

²⁰Yet you say, “The Lord’s way isn’t fair.” I will judge each of you according to his ways, house of Israel.’”

²¹In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and reported, “The city has been taken!”

²²Now the hand of the LORD had been on me the evening before the fugitive arrived, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer mute.

²³Then 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; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’

²⁵Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: You eat meat with blood in it, look to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then receive possession of the land?

²⁶You 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.

²⁸I 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.

²⁹They will know that I am the LORD when I make the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable acts they have committed.’

³⁰“As for you, 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!’

³¹So my people come to you in crowds, sit in front of you, and hear your words, but they don’t obey them. Their mouths go on passionately, but their hearts pursue dishonest profit.

³²Yes, to them you are like a singer of passionate songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don’t obey them.

³³Yet when all this comes true  — and it definitely will — then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

¹The 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?

³You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened animals, but you do not tend the flock.

⁴You 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.

⁵They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered.

⁶My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. My flock was 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.

⁸As I live — this is the declaration of the Lord GOD  — because my flock, lacking a shepherd, has become prey and food for every wild animal, and because my shepherds do not search for my flock, and because the shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock,

⁹therefore, 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.

¹²As 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 day of clouds and total darkness.

¹³I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them to their own soil. I will shepherd them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the land.

¹⁴I will tend them in 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.

¹⁵I will tend my flock and let them lie down. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹⁶I 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“‘As for you, my flock, the Lord GOD says this: Look, I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and goats.

¹⁸Isn’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?

¹⁹Yet 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.

²¹Since you have pushed with flank and shoulder and butted all the weak ones with your horns until you scattered them all over,

²²I will save my flock. They will no longer be prey, and I will judge between one sheep and another.

²³I will establish over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd.

²⁴I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken.

²⁵“‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate dangerous creatures from the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.

²⁶I will make them and the area around my hill a blessing: I will send down showers in their season; they will be showers of blessing.

²⁷The trees of the field will yield their fruit, and the land will yield its produce; my flock will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the power of those who enslave them.

²⁸They will no longer be prey for the nations, and the wild creatures of the earth will not consume them. They will live securely, and no one will frighten them.

²⁹I 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.

³⁰Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

³¹You are my flock, the human flock of my pasture, and I am your God. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’”

¹The word of the LORD came to me:

²“Son of man, face Mount Seir and prophesy against it.

³Say to it, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Look! I am against you, Mount Seir. I will stretch out my hand against you and make you a desolate waste.

⁴I will turn your cities into ruins, and you will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

⁵“‘Because you maintained a perpetual hatred and gave the Israelites over to the power of the sword in the time of their disaster, the time of final punishment,

⁶therefore, 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.

⁷I will make Mount Seir a desolate waste and will cut off from it those who come and go.

⁸I 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.

⁹I will make you a perpetual desolation; your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

¹⁰“‘Because you said, “These two nations and two lands will be mine, and we will possess them” — though the LORD was there  —

¹¹therefore, as I live — this is 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.

¹²Then you will know that I, the LORD, have heard all the blasphemies you uttered against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are desolate. They have been given to us to devour!”

¹³You 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.

¹⁵Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it became a desolation, I will deal the same way with you: you will become a desolation, Mount Seir, and so will all Edom in its entirety. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’

¹“Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

²This is what the Lord GOD says: Because the enemy has said about you, “Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,”’

³therefore, 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,

⁴therefore, 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.

⁶Therefore, 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.

⁷Therefore, 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.

⁹Look! I am on your side; I will turn toward you, and you will be tilled and sown.

¹⁰I will fill you with people, with the whole house of Israel in its entirety. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.

¹¹I 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 the LORD.

¹²I 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 some are saying to you, “You devour people and deprive your nation of children,”

¹⁴therefore, you will no longer devour people and deprive your nation of children. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

¹⁵I 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.’”

¹⁶The 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.

¹⁸So 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.

¹⁹I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered among the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and actions.

²⁰When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, because it was said about them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave his land in exile.’

²¹Then 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.

²³I 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 the LORD  — this is the declaration of the Lord GOD  — when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.

²⁴“‘For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.

²⁵I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.

²⁶I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

²⁷I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.

²⁸You will live in the land that I gave your fathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

²⁹I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine on you.

³⁰I will also make the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer experience reproach among the nations on account of famine.

³¹“‘You will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and detestable practices.

³²It is not for your sake that I will act  — this is the declaration of the Lord GOD  — let this be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, house of Israel!

³³“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

³⁴The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of everyone who passes by.

³⁵They will say, “This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and demolished are now fortified and inhabited.”

³⁶Then the nations that remain around you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was demolished and have replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken and I will do it.

³⁷“‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I will respond to the house of Israel and do this for them: I will multiply them in number like a flock.

³⁸So the ruined cities will be filled with a flock of people, just as Jerusalem is filled with a flock of sheep for sacrifice during its appointed festivals. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”