26:014:008 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
26:014:009 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
26:014:010 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;
26:014:011 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.
26:014:012 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
26:014:013 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
26:014:014 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it,they should deliver but their own souls by theirrighteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
26:014:015 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and theyspoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass throughbecause of the beasts:
26:014:016 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the LordGOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they onlyshall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
26:014:017 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
26:014:018 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
26:014:019 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
26:014:020 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
26:014:021 For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
26:014:022 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
26:014:023 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.
26:015:001 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:015:002 Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or thana branch which is among the trees of the forest?
26:015:003 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take apin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
26:015:004 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devourethboth the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meetfor any work?
26:015:005 Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how muchless shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hathdevoured it, and it is burned?
26:015:006 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among thetrees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel,so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
26:015:007 And I will set my face against them; they shall go out fromone fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shallknow that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.
26:015:008 And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.
26:016:001 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:016:002 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
26:016:003 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth andthy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was anAmorite, and thy mother an Hittite.
26:016:004 And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navelwas not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee;thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
26:016:005 None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.
26:016:006 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.
26:016:007 I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.
26:016:008 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
26:016:009 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
26:016:010 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
26:016:011 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets uponthy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
26:016:012 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears,and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
26:016:013 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
26:016:014 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty:for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put uponthee, saith the Lord GOD.
26:016:015 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst theharlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thyfornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
26:016:016 And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy highplaces with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon:the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
26:016:017 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of mysilver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself imagesof men, and didst commit whoredom with them,
26:016:018 And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.
26:016:019 My meat also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, andhoney, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before themfor a sweet savour: and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.
26:016:020 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thouhast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto themto be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,
26:016:021 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?
26:016:022 And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.
26:016:023 And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe untothee! saith the LORD GOD;)
26:016:024 That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hastmade thee an high place in every street.
26:016:025 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, andhast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feetto every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.
26:016:026 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thyneighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms,to provoke me to anger.
26:016:027 Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.
26:016:028 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, becausethou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot withthem, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
26:016:029 Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land ofCanaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfiedtherewith.
26:016:030 How weak is thine heart, saith the LORD GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;
26:016:031 In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;
26:016:032 But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!
26:016:033 They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.
26:016:034 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.
26:016:035 Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:
26:016:036 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;
26:016:037 Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.
26:016:038 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.
26:016:039 And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.
26:016:040 They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.
26:016:041 And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.
26:016:042 So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.
26:016:043 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.
26:016:044 Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.
26:016:045 Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite.
26:016:046 And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters thatdwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwellethat thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.
26:016:047 Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done aftertheir abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing,thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.
26:016:048 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done,she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thydaughters.
26:016:049 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
26:016:050 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
26:016:051 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.
26:016:052 Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.
26:016:053 When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:
26:016:054 That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.
26:016:055 When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.
26:016:056 For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride,
26:016:057 Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about.
26:016:058 Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD.
26:016:059 For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee asthou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking thecovenant.
26:016:060 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the daysof thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlastingcovenant.
26:016:061 Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.
26:016:062 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD:
26:016:063 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.
26:017:001 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:017:002 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
26:017:003 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
26:017:004 He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.
26:017:005 He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
26:017:006 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whosebranches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were underhim: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shotforth sprigs.
26:017:007 There was also another great eagle with great wings and manyfeathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots towardhim, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he mightwater it by the furrows of her plantation.
26:017:008 It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.
26:017:009 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.
26:017:010 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.
26:017:011 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:017:012 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;
26:017:013 And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
26:017:014 That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.
26:017:015 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors intoEgypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shallhe prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shallhe break the covenant, and be delivered?
26:017:016 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where theking dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, andwhose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylonhe shall die.
26:017:017 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great companymake for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and buildingforts, to cut off many persons:
26:017:018 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when,lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, heshall not escape.
26:017:019 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oaththat he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken,even it will I recompense upon his own head.
26:017:020 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in mysnare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead withhim there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.
26:017:021 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by thesword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward allwinds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.
26:017:022 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highestbranch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop offfrom the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plantit upon an high mountain and eminent:
26:017:023 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: andit shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodlycedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in theshadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
26:017:024 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD havebrought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, havedried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree toflourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
26:018:001 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
26:018:002 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
26:018:003 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
26:018:004 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
26:018:005 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
26:018:006 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted uphis eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hathdefiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to amenstruous woman,
26:018:007 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtorhis pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given hisbread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with agarment;
26:018:008 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath takenany increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hathexecuted true judgment between man and man,
26:018:009 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, todeal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the LordGOD.
26:018:010 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, andthat doeth the like to any one of these things,
26:018:011 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eatenupon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
26:018:012 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,
26:018:013 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
26:018:014 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,
26:018:015 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted uphis eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiledhis neighbour's wife,
26:018:016 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge,neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread tothe hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
26:018:017 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
26:018:018 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
26:018:019 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
26:018:020 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
26:018:021 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hathcommitted, and keep all my statutes, and do that which islawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
26:018:022 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall notbe mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath donehe shall live.
26:018:023 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saiththe Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, andlive?
26:018:024 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
26:018:025 Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, Ohouse of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your waysunequal?
26:018:026 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, andcommitteth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity thathe hath done shall he die.
26:018:027 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickednessthat he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful andright, he shall save his soul alive.
26:018:028 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all histransgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live,he shall not die.
26:018:029 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is notequal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not yourways unequal?
26:018:030 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
26:018:031 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
26:018:032 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
26:019:001 Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
26:019:002 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down amonglions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
26:019:003 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion,and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
26:019:004 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, andthey brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
26:019:005 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
26:019:006 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
26:019:007 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste theircities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, bythe noise of his roaring.
26:019:008 Then the nations set against him on every side from theprovinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken intheir pit.
26:019:009 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to theking of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voiceshould no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
26:019:010 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters:she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of manywaters.
26:019:011 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
26:019:012 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
26:019:013 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
26:019:014 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
26:020:001 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
26:020:002 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
26:020:003 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
26:020:004 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
26:020:005 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
26:020:006 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:
26:020:007 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
26:020:008 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
26:020:009 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
26:020:010 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt,and brought them into the wilderness.
26:020:011 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments,which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
26:020:012 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
26:020:013 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
26:020:014 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not bepolluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought themout.
26:020:015 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, thatI would not bring them into the land which I had given them,flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
26:020:016 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in mystatutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went aftertheir idols.
26:020:017 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
26:020:018 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
26:020:019 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep myjudgments, and do them;
26:020:020 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between meand you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
26:020:021 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
26:020:022 Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name'ssake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of theheathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
26:020:023 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that Iwould scatter them among the heathen, and disperse themthrough the countries;
26:020:024 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despisedmy statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes wereafter their fathers' idols.
26:020:025 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
26:020:026 And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused topass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I mightmake them desolate, to the end that they might know that I amthe LORD.
26:020:027 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and sayunto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathershave blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespassagainst me.
26:020:028 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savour, and poured out there their drink offerings.
26:020:029 Then I said unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name whereof is called Bamah unto this day.
26:020:030 Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?
26:020:031 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
26:020:032 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, thatye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of thecountries, to serve wood and stone.
26:020:033 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, andwith a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will Irule over you:
26:020:034 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather youout of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mightyhand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
26:020:035 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, andthere will I plead with you face to face.
26:020:036 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of theland of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
26:020:037 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bringyou into the bond of the covenant:
26:020:038 And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them thattransgress against me: I will bring them forth out of thecountry where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into theland of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
26:020:039 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye,serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye willnot hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more withyour gifts, and with your idols.
26:020:040 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
26:020:041 I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.
26:020:042 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring youinto the land of Israel, into the country for the which Ilifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.
26:020:043 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings,wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves inyour own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
26:020:044 And ye shall know that I am the LORD when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
26:020:045 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:020:046 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
26:020:047 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
26:020:048 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: itshall not be quenched.
26:020:049 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speakparables?
26:021:001 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:021:002 Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
26:021:003 And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
26:021:004 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
26:021:005 That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth mysword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.
26:021:006 Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thyloins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
26:021:007 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.
26:021:008 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:021:009 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
26:021:010 It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished thatit may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth therod of my son, as every tree.
26:021:011 And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled:this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it intothe hand of the slayer.
26:021:012 Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.
26:021:013 Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.
26:021:014 Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers.
26:021:015 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.
26:021:016 Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on theleft, whithersoever thy face is set.
26:021:017 I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause myfury to rest: I the LORD have said it.
26:021:018 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
26:021:019 Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.
26:021:020 Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
26:021:021 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, atthe head of the two ways, to use divination: he made hisarrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in theliver.
26:021:022 At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appointcaptains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up thevoice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against thegates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
26:021:023 And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
26:021:024 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
26:021:025 And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
26:021:026 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
26:021:027 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
26:021:028 And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
26:021:029 Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.
26:021:030 Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge theein the place where thou wast created, in the land of thynativity.
26:021:031 And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blowagainst thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee intothe hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
26:021:032 Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in themidst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I theLORD have spoken it.
26:022:001 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:022:002 Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.
26:022:003 Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
26:022:004 Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries.
26:022:005 Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shallmock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.
26:022:006 Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to theirpower to shed blood.
26:022:007 In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.
26:022:008 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
26:022:009 In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood: and in thee they eat upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit lewdness.
26:022:010 In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.
26:022:011 And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife;and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; andanother in thee hath humbled his sister, his father'sdaughter.
26:022:012 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast takenusury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thyneighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the LordGOD.
26:022:013 Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonestgain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been inthe midst of thee.
26:022:014 Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in thedays that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken it,and will do it.
26:022:015 And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse theein the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.
26:022:016 And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sightof the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
26:022:017 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:022:018 Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: allthey are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst ofthe furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
26:022:019 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all becomedross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst ofJerusalem.
26:022:020 As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.
26:022:021 Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst therof.
26:022:022 As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.
26:022:023 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
26:022:024 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
26:022:025 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
26:022:026 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
26:022:027 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening theprey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonestgain.
26:022:028 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter,seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saiththe Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
26:022:029 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercisedrobbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they haveoppressed the stranger wrongfully.
26:022:030 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up thehedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that Ishould not destroy it: but I found none.
26:022:031 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I haveconsumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have Irecompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.
26:023:001 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
26:023:002 Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:
26:023:003 And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
26:023:004 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
26:023:005 And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she dotedon her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
26:023:006 Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of themdesirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
26:023:007 Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them thatwere the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom shedoted: with all their idols she defiled herself.
26:023:008 Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in heryouth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of hervirginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.
26:023:009 Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.
26:023:010 These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and herdaughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famousamong women; for they had executed judgment upon her.
26:023:011 And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt inher inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more thanher sister in her whoredoms.
26:023:012 She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains andrulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses,all of them desirable young men.
26:023:013 Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way,
26:023:014 And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,
26:023:015 Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:
26:023:016 And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.
26:023:017 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and theydefiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted withthem, and her mind was alienated from them.
26:023:018 So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness:then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind wasalienated from her sister.
26:023:019 Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrancethe days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot inthe land of Egypt.
26:023:020 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.
26:023:021 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth,in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thyyouth.