1    2   The word of the Lord came to me: Man, the Lord God says this to

The impending ruin of Jerusalem the land of Israel: An end is coming, the end is coming upon the four corners of the land. ^note 3   The end is now upon you; I will unleash my anger against you; I will call you to account for your doings and bring your abominations upon your own heads. 4   I will neither pity nor spare you: I will make you suffer for your doings and the abominations that continue in your midst. So you shall know that I am the Lord.

5   These are the words of the Lord God: Behold, it comes, disasters one upon another; ^note the end, the end, it comes, it comes. ^note 6    7   Doom is coming upon you, dweller in the land; the time is coming, the day is near, with confusion and the crash of thunder. ^note 8   Now, in an instant, I will vent my rage upon you and let my anger spend itself. I will call you to account for your doings and bring your abominations upon your own heads. 9   I will neither pity nor spare; I will make you suffer for your doings and the abominations that continue in your midst. So you shall know that it is I, the Lord, who strike the blow.

10   Behold, the day! the doom is here, it has burst upon them. Injustice buds, 11   insolence blossoms, violence shoots up into injustice and wickedness. And it is all their fault, the fault of their turmoil and tumult and all their restless ways. ^note 12   The time has come, the day has arrived; the buyer has no reason to be glad, and the seller none for regret, for I am angry ^note at all their turmoil. 13   The seller will never go back on his bargain while either of them lives; for the bargain will never be reversed because of the turmoil, and no man will exert himself, even in his iniquity, as long as he lives. ^note 14   The trumpet has sounded and all is ready, but no one goes out to war. ^note

15   Outside is the sword, inside are pestilence and famine; in the country men will die by the sword, in the city famine and pestilence will carry them off. 16   If any escape and take to the mountains, like moaning doves, there will I slay them, 17   each for his iniquity, while their hands hang limp and their knees run with urine. 18   They will go in sackcloth, shuddering from head to foot, with faces downcast and heads close shaved. 19   They shall fling their silver into the streets and cast aside their gold like filth; their silver and their gold will be powerless to save them on the day of the Lord's fury. Their hunger will not be satisfied nor their bellies filled; for their iniquity will be the cause of their downfall. 20   They have fed their pride on their beautiful jewels, which they made into vile and abominable images. Therefore I will treat their jewels like filth, 21   I will hand them over as plunder to foreigners and as booty to the

The impending ruin of Jerusalem most evil people on earth, and these will defile them. 22   I will turn my face from them and let my treasured land be profaned; brigands will come in and defile it.

23   Clench your fists, for the land is full of bloodshed ^note and the city full of violence. 24   I will let in the scum of nations to take possession of their houses; I will quell the pride of the strong, and their sanctuaries shall be profaned. 25   Shuddering will come over them, and they will look in vain for peace. 26   Tempest shall follow upon tempest and rumour upon rumour. Men will go seeking a vision from a prophet; there will be no more guidance from a priest, no counsel from elders. 27   The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with horror, the hands of the common people will shake with fright. I will deal with them as they deserve, and call them to account for their doings; and so they shall know that I am the Lord.

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