Study Desk

Ezekiel, son of man, I, the Lord , have defeated the king of Egypt! I broke his arm, and no one has wrapped it or put it in a sling, so that it could heal and get strong enough to hold a sword.

So tell him that I am now his worst enemy. I will break both his arms—the good one and the broken one! His sword will drop from his hand forever,

King of Egypt, now listen to what I, the Lord God, am saying about that tree: The tree grew so tall that it reached the sky and became very proud and arrogant.

So I, the Lord God, will reject the tree and hand it over to a foreign ruler, who will punish it for its wickedness.

I will cover the whole sky and every star with thick clouds, so that the sun and moon will stop shining.

Ezekiel, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me.

Tell them that as surely as I am the living Lord God, I don't like to see wicked people die. I enjoy seeing them turn from their sins and live. So if the Israelites want to live, they must stop sinning and turn back to me.

But the Israelites still think I am unfair. So warn them that they will be punished for what they have done.

The evening before this man arrived at my house, the Lord had taken control of me. So when the man came to me the next morning, I could once again speak.

Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in the ruined cities of Israel are saying, "Abraham was just one man, and the Lord gave him this whole land of Israel. There are many of us, and so this land must be ours."

So, Ezekiel, tell them I am saying: How can you think the land is still yours? You eat meat with blood in it and worship idols. You commit murder

So they all come and listen to you, but they refuse to do what you tell them. They claim to be faithful, but they are forever trying to cheat others out of their money.

So my sheep were scattered across the earth. They roamed on hills and mountains, without anyone even bothering to look for them.

So I, the Lord , will punish you! I will rescue my sheep from you and never let you be their shepherd again or butcher them for food. I, the Lord , have spoken.

So I, the Lord God, will separate you strong sheep from the weak.

The Lord God said: The people of Israel are my sheep, and I solemnly promise that they will live in peace. I will chase away every wild animal from the desert and the forest, so my sheep will not be afraid.

I will make their fields produce large amounts of crops, so they will never again go hungry or be laughed at by foreigners.

And so, as surely as I am the living Lord God, you are guilty of murder and must be put to death.

So all you mountains and hills, streams and valleys, listen to what I will do. Your towns may now lie in ruins, and nations may laugh and insult you.

so I will now insult and disgrace them. That is my solemn promise.