Ezekiel 22:1–13

Jerusalem Is Judged because of Its Murderous History

¹The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, ²“Will you judge, son of man? Will you judge the city of murderers? Then tell it about all the disgusting things that it has done. ³Tell it, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: ⸤Jerusalem,⸥ you are the city that murders people who live in you. Your time has come. You dishonor yourself with disgusting idols. ⁴You are guilty because of the people you have killed. You are dishonored because of the disgusting idols you have made. You have brought an end to your days, and you have come to the end of your years. That is why I will make you a disgrace to the nations and a joke in every land. ⁵Those near and those far away will mock you. Your name will be dishonored, and you will be filled with confusion. 

⁶“ ‘See how all the princes of Israel who live in you have used their power to murder people. ⁷People in you hate their fathers and mothers. They oppress foreigners in you. They oppress orphans and widows in you. ⁸You have despised my holy things and dishonored the day to worship me. ⁹Some of your people slander. They want to kill people. People who live in you eat food sacrificed to idols at the worship sites on the hills, and they sin sexually. ¹⁰Men have sex with their father’s wives. They have sex with women when the women are having their periods and are unclean.^a11Men do disgusting things with their neighbors’ wives. Some men sexually dishonor their daughters-in-law. Other men who live in you have sex with their sisters, their father’s daughters. ¹²Other people take bribes to murder people. You collect interest and make excessive profits. You make profits by mistreating your neighbors. You have forgotten me, declares the Almighty Lord. 

¹³“ ‘I will use my power against you because of the excessive profits you have made and the murders you have committed.