(KJV) Ezekiel 22¹

⥃The Sins of Jerusalem

[1] Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge², wilt thou judge the bloody city³? yea, thou shalt⁴ shew her⁵ all her abominations⁶. [3] Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord God, The city sheddeth⁷ blood in the midst of it, that her⁸ time may come, and maketh⁹ idols against herself to defile herself. [4] Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou¹⁰ hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast¹¹ caused thy days to draw near, and art come [even] unto thy years: therefore have I¹² made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries. [5] [Those that be] near, and [those that be] far from thee, shall mock thee, [which art] infamous [and] much vexed¹³. [6] Behold, the princes¹⁴ of Israel, every one were in thee to their power¹⁵ to shed blood. [7] In thee have they set¹⁶ light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt¹⁷ by oppression¹⁸ with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow. [8] Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.¹⁹ [9] In thee are men that carry tales²⁰ to shed blood: and in thee they eat²¹ upon the mountains: in the midst of thee they commit²² lewdness. [10] In thee have they discovered²³ their fathers’ nakedness: in thee have they humbled²⁴ her that was set apart for pollution. [11] And one²⁵ hath committed²⁶ abomination with his neighbour’s wife; and another²⁷ hath lewdly²⁸ defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister²⁹, his father’s daughter. [12] In thee have they taken gifts³⁰ to shed blood; thou hast³¹ taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily³² gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast³³ forgotten me, saith the Lord God.

[13] [¶]Behold, therefore I have³⁴ smitten mine hand at thy dishonest³⁵ gain which thou hast made, and at³⁶ thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee. [14] Can thine heart³⁷ endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the³⁸ Lord have spoken [it], and will do [it]. [15] And I will scatter³⁹ thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume⁴⁰ thy filthiness out of thee. [16] And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself⁴¹ in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know⁴² that I [am] the Lord.

⥃The Refining Furnace

[17] And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [18] Son of man, the house⁴³ of Israel is to me become dross: all they [are] brass⁴⁴, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst⁴⁵ of the furnace; they are [even] the dross⁴⁶ of silver. [19] Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will⁴⁷ gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. [20] [As] they gather⁴⁸ silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow⁴⁹ the fire upon it, to melt [it]; so will I gather [you] in mine⁵⁰ anger and in my fury, and I will leave [you there], and melt you. [21] Yea, I will gather you, and blow⁵¹ upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye⁵² shall be melted in the midst thereof. [22] As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know⁵³ that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you.

⥃Israel’s Wicked Leaders

[23] And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [24] Son of man, say unto her, Thou [art] the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.⁵⁴ [25] [There is] a conspiracy⁵⁵ of her prophets in the midst thereof, like⁵⁶ a roaring lion ravening⁵⁷ the prey; they have devoured⁵⁸ souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. [26] Her priests⁵⁹ have violated⁶⁰ my law, and have profaned⁶¹ mine holy things: they have put no⁶² difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed [difference] between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their⁶³ eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned⁶⁴ among them. [27] Her princes⁶⁵ in the midst thereof [are] like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, [and] to destroy souls, to get⁶⁶ dishonest gain. [28] And her prophets⁶⁷ have daubed them with untempered [morter], seeing⁶⁸ vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord⁶⁹ God, when the Lord hath not spoken. [29] The people⁷⁰ of the land have used oppression⁷¹, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed⁷² the stranger wrongfully⁷³. [30] And I sought⁷⁴ for a man among them, that should make⁷⁵ up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. [31] Therefore have I poured⁷⁶ out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own⁷⁷ way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.