The Lord’s Judgment on Israel
7 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 2 “Son of man, this is what the Almighty Lord says to ⌞the people in⌟ the land of Israel: The end is coming! The end is coming to the four corners of the earth. 3 Now the end is coming for you. I will send my anger against you. I will judge you for the way you have lived, and I will punish you for all the detestable things that you have done. 4 I will not have compassion for you or feel sorry for you. I will pay you back for the way you have lived and for the detestable things you have done. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
5 “This is what the Almighty Lord says: One disaster after another is coming. 6 The end is coming. The end is coming. It is stirring itself up against you. It is coming! 7 Destruction is coming to you, inhabitants of the land. The time is coming. The day is near. There will be confusion. There will be no joy in the mountains. 8 Soon I will pour out my fury on you and unleash my anger on you. I will judge you for the way you have lived, and I will punish you for all the detestable things that you have done. 9 I will not have compassion or feel sorry. I will pay you back for the way you have lived and for the detestable things that you are still doing. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am the one attacking ⌞you⌟.
10 “The day is near! It is coming! Destruction is coming! Wrongdoing has blossomed. Arrogance has flourished. 11 Violence has grown into a weapon for punishing wickedness. None of the people will be left. None of that crowd, none of their wealth, and nothing of value will be left. 12 The time is coming. The day is near. Buyers will not rejoice, and sellers will not mourn, because ⌞my⌟ fury will be against the whole crowd. 13 Sellers will not live long enough to buy back what they have sold. The visions against that crowd will not change. Because of their sins, none of the people will live. 14 They have blown a ram’s horn, and everything is ready. But no one will go into battle, because my fury is against their whole crowd.
15 “Outside are swords, and inside are plagues and famines. Whoever is in a field will die in battle. Whoever is in the city will be devoured by famines and plagues. 16 Those who survive will escape to the mountains. They will moan like doves in the valleys. They will moan because of their sins. 17 Every hand will hang limp, and every knee will be as weak as water. 18 They will put on sackcloth, and horror will cover them. All their faces will be covered with shame, and every head will be shaved. 19 They will throw their silver and gold into the streets like garbage. Their silver and gold won’t be able to rescue them on the day of the Lord’s anger. It will no longer satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs. Their silver and gold caused them to fall into sin. 20 They were proud of their beautiful jewels and used them to make disgusting and detestable statues ⌞of false gods⌟. That is why I will make their jewels disgusting. 21 I will hand their jewels over to foreigners as loot and to the most evil people on earth as prizes. These foreigners will dishonor the people of Israel. 22 I will turn my face away from the people of Israel, and foreigners will dishonor my treasured place. Robbers will go in and dishonor it.
23 “Get the chains ready! The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with violence. 24 So I will send the most evil nation, and it will take possession of people’s houses. I will stop those who are strong from feeling proud, and their holy places will be dishonored. 25 Anguish is coming. People will look for peace, but there will be none. 26 One disaster will happen after another. One rumor will follow another. People will ask for a vision from a prophet. The teachings of priests and the advice of leaders will disappear. 27 Kings will mourn, and princes will give up hope. The common people will lose their courage. I will give them what they deserve and judge them as they have judged others. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
