The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 33 The Punishment of Israel Because of Their Presumption

 The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 33

The Punishment of Israel Because of Their Presumption

21 In the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month of our captivity, one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city is defeated!”

22 The hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening before the one who had escaped came; He opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning, and my mouth was opened, and I was no longer silent.

23 Then the word of the Lord came to me:

24 “Son of man, the inhabitants of these desolate places in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, and he possessed the land, and it has been given to us as a possession.’

25 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You eat with blood, and you lift up your eyes to your idols, and you shed blood! And you shall possess this land?”’” 

26 You rely on your sword, you commit abomination, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife! And will you possess the land?

27 Thus you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: As I live, those who are in the desolate places shall fall by the sword, and those who are in the open field I will give to the beast to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die of pestilence.

28 And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment, and the pride of its power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one shall pass through them.

29 Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I make the land a desolation and an astonishment, because of all the abominations that they have committed.

30 As for you, son of man, the children of your people speak of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses; And they speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, “Come, I pray you, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.”

31 And they come to you as people usually come, and sit before you as my people, and hear your words, but they do not put them into practice; for with their mouth they flatter, but their heart follows their greed.

32 And behold, you are to them like a love song, a song of one who has a pleasant voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not put them into practice.

33 But when this comes to pass (behold, it is about to come), then they will know that there has been a prophet among them.