| Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, and said: thou son of man, wilt not reprove this blood thirsty city? Show them their abominations, and tell them: Thus saith the Lord God: O thou city, that sheddest blood in the midst of thee, that thy time may come also: and makest the Idols to defile thee withal. Thou hast made thy self guilty in the blood that thou hast shed, and defiled thee in the Idols, which thou hast made. Thou hast caused thy days to draw nye, and made the time of thy years to come. Therefore will I make thee to be confounded among the heathen, and to be defiled in all the lands, whether they be nye or far from thee: they shall laugh thee to scorn, thou that hast gotten thee so foul a name, and art full of mischief. Behold, the rulers of Israel have brought every man his power, to shed blood in thee. In thee have they despised father and mother, in thee have they oppressed the stranger, in thee have they vexed the widow and the fatherless. Thou hast despised my Sanctuary, and unhallowed my sabbath. Murders are there in thee, that shed blood, and eat upon the hills, and in thee they use unhappiness.
In thee have they discovered their fathers shame, in thee have they vexed women in their sickness. Every man hath dealt shamefully with his neighbors wife, and abominably defiled his daughter in law. In that hath every man forced his own sister, even his fathers daughter. Yee gifts have been received in thee, to shed blood. Thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast oppressed thy neighbors by extortion, and forgotten me, saith the Lord God. Behold, I have smitten my hands upon thy covetousness, that thou hast used, and upon the blood which hath been in thee. Is thy heart able to endure it, or may thy hands defend themselves, in the time that I shall bring upon thee? Even I the Lord that speak it, will bring it also to pass. I will scatter thee among the heathen, and strew thee about in the lands, and will cause thy filthiness to cease out of thee. Yee and I will have thee in possession in the sight of the Heathen, that thou mayest know that I am the Lord.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying: Thou son of man, the house of Israel is turned to *dross. All they that should be brass, tin, iron, and lead, are in the fire become dross. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God: for as much as ye have all turned into dross, behold: I will bring you together unto Jerusalem, like as silver, and brass, iron, tin, and lead, are put together in the furnace and the fire blown there under to melt them: Even so I will gather you, put you in together, and melt you in my wrath and indignation. I will bring you together, and kindle the fire of my cruel displeasure under you, that ye may be melted therein.
Like as silver is melted in the fire, so shall ye also be melted therein: that ye may know, how that I the Lord have poured my wrath upon you.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying: Thou son of man, tell her: Thou art an unclean land, which is not rained upon in the day of the cruel wrath: thy Prophets that are in thee, are sworn together to devour souls, like as a roaring Lion, that liveth by his prey. They receive riches and good, and make many widows in thee. Thy priests break my law, and defile my Sanctuary. They put no difference between the holy and unholy, neither discern between the clean and the unclean: they turn their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am unhallowed among you. Thy rulers in thee are like raving wolves, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, for their own *covetous |
