Ezekiel 22

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 22

1¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.

3Then 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.

4Thou 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.

5[Those that be] near, and [those that be] far from thee, shall mock thee, [which art] infamous [and] much vexed.

6Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.

7In 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.

8Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.

9In 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.

10In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.

11And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.

12In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.

13Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

14Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have spoken [it], and will do [it].

15And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.

16And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD.

17¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

18Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they [are] brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are [even] the dross of silver.

19Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.

20[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.

21Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.

22As 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.

23¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

24Son of man, say unto her, Thou [art] the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.

25[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.

26Her 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.

27Her princes in the midst thereof [are] like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, [and] to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

28And her prophets have daubed them with untempered [morter], seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.

29The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.

30And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

31Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel is commanded to judge Jerusalem, revealing its extensive abominations including widespread bloodshed, idolatry, oppression, and profaning holy things. The Lord declares He will scatter Israel and consume their wickedness, likening them to dross to be melted in His fiery wrath within Jerusalem. God condemns the corruption of prophets, priests, and princes, and finding no righteous intercessor, promises to pour out His indignation upon the land.

Medium Summary

The Lord commands Ezekiel to pronounce judgment upon Jerusalem, the "bloody city," for its manifold sins. These transgressions include widespread bloodshed, idolatry, disrespect for family, oppression of the vulnerable (strangers, fatherless, widows), and profanation of the Sabbath and holy things. The city's inhabitants are also guilty of sexual abominations, bribery, usury, and extortion, having forgotten God. Consequently, the Lord declares He will scatter them among the nations and cleanse them through judgment. Furthermore, God likens the house of Israel to dross, base metals mixed with silver, which He will gather into Jerusalem as into a furnace. There, He will melt them with His anger and fury, ensuring they acknowledge His sovereignty. The chapter concludes by exposing the corruption of Jerusalem's leaders: prophets who conspire and devour souls, priests who violate the law and profane sacred things, and princes who shed blood for gain. Finding no one to stand in the gap, God resolves to pour out His wrath and consume the land.

Long Summary

The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel, instructing him to judge Jerusalem, the "bloody city," and expose its numerous abominations. God details the city's guilt, which includes the shedding of innocent blood, the making of idols that defile, and a general forgetfulness of the Lord. He lists specific transgressions: princes using their power to shed blood, people despising parents, oppressing strangers, vexing the fatherless and widows, and profaning the Lord's Sabbaths and holy things. Further sins include tale-bearing leading to bloodshed, eating upon mountains (idolatrous feasts), lewdness, incestuous acts, and taking bribes, usury, and extortionate gains. Because of these widespread iniquities, the Lord declares He will smite His hand in indignation, questioning if their hearts and hands can endure the coming judgment. He promises to scatter them among the heathen, disperse them in countries, and consume their filthiness, so they will know Him as the Lord. A second message from the Lord likens the house of Israel to dross—brass, tin, iron, and lead—mixed with silver in a furnace. Because they have all become dross, God declares He will gather them into Jerusalem. Just as metals are gathered into a furnace to be melted by fire, so will the Lord gather them in His anger and fury, melting them within the city. This intense purification will cause them to know that the Lord has poured out His fury upon them. Finally, the Lord addresses Jerusalem as an unclean land, unpurified by rain in the day of indignation. He exposes a conspiracy among her prophets, who are like ravening lions, devouring souls and taking treasure, creating many widows. Her priests are condemned for violating God's law, profaning holy things, failing to distinguish between the holy and profane, and ignoring the Sabbaths. The princes are likened to ravening wolves, shedding blood and destroying souls for dishonest gain. The prophets are further condemned for "daubing with untempered mortar," offering false visions and lies in the Lord's name. The common people are also guilty of oppression, robbery, and vexing the poor, needy, and strangers. The Lord sought for a righteous man to stand in the gap and intercede for the land to prevent its destruction, but found none. Therefore, God declares He will pour out His indignation and consume them with the fire of His wrath, recompensing their own ways upon their heads.

Core Concepts

  • Bloody City and Widespread SinJerusalem is identified as the "bloody city" due to pervasive bloodshed, idolatry, sexual abominations, and a general disregard for God's laws and the welfare of its most vulnerable citizens.
  • Corruption of LeadershipThe chapter explicitly condemns the prophets for false visions and devouring souls, the priests for profaning holy things and violating the law, and the princes for shedding blood for dishonest gain.
  • Social Injustice and OppressionA significant theme is the oppression of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, alongside practices of usury, extortion, and robbery by the people of the land.
  • Israel as Dross and Divine RefiningGod likens the house of Israel to dross, base metals mixed with silver, signifying their spiritual impurity and the necessity of a severe judgment, where they will be melted in Jerusalem as in a furnace.
  • Profanation of Holy ThingsThe people and priests are accused of despising God's holy things, profaning His Sabbaths, and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane, leading to God being profaned among them.
  • Absence of an IntercessorThe Lord sought a righteous man to stand in the gap and intercede for the land to prevent its destruction, but found none, highlighting the complete moral decay and sealing the city's fate.