Ezekiel 22 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Ezekiel 22 meaning explained in AI Summary

Ezekiel chapter 22 contains a scathing indictment of Jerusalem for its pervasive sin and wickedness, ultimately leading to God's judgment. Here's a summary:

1. Jerusalem's Crimes (Verses 1-16):

Bloodshed and Violence: The city is filled with murder, violence, and oppression of the vulnerable (widows, orphans, foreigners).
Idolatry and Profanation: The people have turned away from God, embracing idols and profaning His sanctuary.
Sexual Immorality: Adultery, incest, and other sexual sins are rampant.
Greed and Dishonesty: Leaders exploit the people through extortion, bribery, and dishonest gain.

2. God's Judgment (Verses 17-22):

God's Anger: The Lord declares His fury and disgust at Jerusalem's wickedness.
The Refining Fire: He compares Himself to a refiner, using the heat of judgment to purify the city from its impurities.
Inevitable Consequences: God warns that their sins will inevitably lead to destruction and exile.

3. The Leaders' Complicity (Verses 23-31):

Corrupt Leadership: The leaders, including prophets, priests, and princes, are condemned for their active participation in the city's corruption.
False Prophets: They deceive the people with lies and empty promises, failing to warn them of God's judgment.
Priestly Neglect: The priests disregard God's laws and fail to teach the people righteousness.
Princes' Oppression: The rulers are driven by greed and violence, exploiting the weak and innocent.

4. No Intercessor Found (Verses 30-31):

Desolation and Judgment: God searches for someone righteous who could intercede for the city, but finds none.
The City's Fate: As a result, Jerusalem will face the full force of God's judgment, left defenseless and alone.

Overall Message:

Ezekiel 22 serves as a stark reminder that God's holiness demands justice and accountability for sin. The chapter highlights the devastating consequences of individual and societal wickedness, emphasizing the need for repentance and a return to God's ways. It also underscores the responsibility of leaders to uphold righteousness and guide the people towards God.

Ezekiel 22 bible study ai commentary

Ezekiel chapter 22 serves as a comprehensive legal indictment against Jerusalem, detailing the moral, social, and religious corruption that has saturated the city and its leadership. Functioning as a divine lawsuit, the prophecy outlines three major charges: first, a list of specific capital crimes rendering Jerusalem the "bloody city"; second, a powerful metallurgical metaphor where Israel is judged to be the worthless dross, not precious metal; and third, a systematic exposé of the corruption at every level of society—princes, priests, prophets, and the people—which climaxes in the tragic declaration that God could find no one to "stand in the gap" and avert judgment. The chapter powerfully justifies God's impending and severe judgment upon His covenant people.

Ezekiel 22 Context

This prophecy was delivered by Ezekiel to the Jewish exiles already in Babylon (after the deportations of 605 and 597 BC) but before the final destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC. The exiles were likely questioning God's justice or holding onto false hope that Jerusalem would be spared. Ezekiel's role is to act as a divine prosecutor, laying out the irrefutable evidence for why Jerusalem's judgment is not only justified but morally necessary. The sins listed are not abstract; they reflect the documented historical realities of the reigns of Judah's last, wicked kings like Manasseh, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah.

Ezekiel 22:1-5

The word of the Lord came to me: “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations. You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols for herself to defile herself! You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near and have come to the year of your punishment. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations and a mockery to all the countries. Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you who are infamous for turmoil.”

In-depth-analysis

Will you judge...: The repetition (tišpōṭ) is a legal summons, a direct and urgent command for Ezekiel to bring God’s charges against the city.
Bloody city (‘îr haddāmîm): This powerful and shocking epithet rebrands Jerusalem. Instead of the "holy city," it is defined by its violence and injustice. This includes not just murder but the shedding of innocent blood through corrupt courts and oppression.
Abominations (tô‘ēḇōṯ): This term refers to acts that are detestable to God, especially idolatry and severe moral violations.
Sheds blood... makes idols: The two foundational sins are linked. Violation of the first commandment (exclusive worship of Yahweh) inevitably leads to the violation of commands regarding human relationships (love your neighbor). Vertical rebellion leads to horizontal collapse.
Brought your days near: Jerusalem is portrayed as the agent of its own destruction. Her sins have accelerated her appointed time of judgment. This counters any idea that God is being arbitrary.
Reproach to the nations: The ultimate reversal of Israel's calling. They were meant to be a kingdom of priests and a light to the nations (Exo 19:6; Deu 4:6-8), but their sin has made God's name a mockery.

Bible references

2 Kgs 21:16: "Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another..." (Historical basis for the "bloody city" charge).
Nah 3:1: "Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder..." (The same label is applied to Nineveh, Assyria's capital, putting Jerusalem on the same level as a pagan enemy).
Mat 23:37: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!" (Jesus echoes this theme of Jerusalem's history of violence).
Rev 17:6: "And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." (An apocalyptic echo of a city defined by shedding righteous blood).

Cross references

Mic 3:10 (building Zion with bloodshed); Isa 1:21 (faithful city become a whore); Hos 4:2 (bloodshed follows bloodshed); Jer 7:9-11 (den of robbers); Lam 1:8 (Jerusalem has sinned grievously).

Ezekiel 22:6-12

"Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner is exploited in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and in you they eat upon the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their monthly periods. One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; and you have forgotten me, declares the Lord God."

In-depth-analysis

This section reads like a prosecutor's charge sheet, systematically listing violations of the Mosaic Law.
Princes: The indictment begins at the top. The leaders ("princes" - nāśî’), who should enforce justice, use their power (zǝrōa', literally "arm") for violence.
Contempt for Parents: A direct violation of the fifth commandment (Exo 20:12).
Exploitation: Sojourners, the fatherless, and widows are specifically protected classes in the Law (Exo 22:21-22), yet they are the primary victims.
Holy things & Sabbaths: This moves from social to cultic sin. They profane what is sacred, showing contempt for God himself, not just his laws for society. Violates the fourth commandment (Exo 20:8).
Eat upon the mountains: A reference to participating in idolatrous sacrificial meals at pagan high places (Eze 18:6).
Sexual Sins: A list of grave sexual perversions explicitly forbidden in Leviticus 18 & 20: incest, adultery, relations during menstruation. These sins defile the land itself.
Bribery and Extortion: Economic sins that pervert justice and oppress the poor. This breaks down the entire fabric of a just society.
You have forgotten me: This is the root cause of all the preceding sins. Forgetting God—His presence, His law, His covenant—is the spiritual cancer from which all moral tumors grow.

Bible references

Lev 20:9: "For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death..." (Source law for v. 7).
Exo 22:21-22: "You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him... You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child." (Source law for v. 7).
Lev 19:30: "You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord." (Source law for v. 8).
Rom 1:28-32: "...God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done... full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness." (Paul provides a similar "sin list" describing a society that has rejected God).

Cross references

Deu 27:16-25 (curses for these specific sins); Isa 1:23 (princes are companions of thieves); Mic 2:2 (covet and seize fields); Amos 5:12 (afflict the righteous, take a bribe); Jer 5:7-8 (a land full of adulterers).

Ezekiel 22:13-16

“Behold, therefore, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. Can your heart endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. And you shall be profaned in yourself in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

In-depth-analysis

I strike my hand: A divine gesture of fierce anger, indignation, and resolve. The verdict is sealed.
Can your heart endure...?: A powerful rhetorical question emphasizing their complete inability to withstand God's wrath. Their perceived strength and courage will fail them.
I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it: This formula underscores the certainty and inevitability of the coming judgment. There is no turning back.
I will scatter you: The judgment is exile. This is the ultimate covenant curse, predicted in the Torah for persistent disobedience (Deu 28:64).
Consume your uncleanness: There is a purgative aspect to the judgment. Exile is designed to strip away the sin and defilement, even if it destroys the nation in the process.
Profaned in yourself in the sight of the nations: Their humiliation will be public. As they profaned God's name, so they will be profaned before the world, ironically leading them to finally "know that I am the Lord."

Bible references

Deu 28:64: "And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other..." (Direct fulfillment of the covenant curses).
Eze 21:17: "And I also will strike my hands together, and I will satisfy my wrath; I the Lord have spoken." (A parallel divine gesture of resolved judgment).
Heb 10:31: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Echoes the terror of facing God's direct judgment).

Cross references

Lev 26:33 (I will scatter you); Lam 2:6 (despised king and priest); Jer 9:16 (scatter them among nations); Eze 5:12-14 (judgment and reproach).

Ezekiel 22:17-22

And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out my wrath upon you.”

In-depth-analysis

This section presents a powerful and damning metallurgical metaphor.
Israel has become dross: Dross (sîg) is the waste material, the impurities and base metals skimmed off during the refining of precious metals like silver. God is declaring that the entire nation is worthless refuse.
Polemic use of metaphor: Normally, the refining metaphor is used positively: God's judgment will purify a righteous remnant, burning away the sin to reveal the pure silver (Isa 1:25; Zec 13:9). Here, Ezekiel inverts it: there is no silver left. They are all dross. The process isn't to purify, but to demonstrate their utter worthlessness before destroying them.
Jerusalem as the Furnace: The place they considered their security, the holy city, will become the very furnace of God's wrath where they are gathered for destruction.
Fire of my wrath: The "fire" is not a trial to test faith but God's unmitigated anger poured out to melt and consume.
You shall know that I... have poured out my wrath: The purpose of this terrifying experience is a final, undeniable recognition of Yahweh's power and righteous judgment.

Bible references

Isa 1:25: "I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy." (The traditional, positive refining metaphor that Ezekiel inverts).
Jer 6:28-30: "They are all... bronze and iron... The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, for the wicked are not removed. Rejected silver they are called, for the Lord has rejected them." (A very close parallel to Ezekiel's theme).
Mal 3:3: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi..." (A future, redemptive vision of refining).
1 Pet 1:7: "...so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire..." (The NT uses the metaphor redemptively for the believer's faith).

Cross references

Psa 119:119 (you discard the wicked like dross); Pro 25:4 (take away the dross from the silver); Eze 20:38 (purge out the rebels).

Ezekiel 22:23-31

And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives... Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things... Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood... And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies... The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery... And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their own heads, declares the Lord God.”

In-depth-analysis

A land not cleansed: The land itself is polluted and will receive no cleansing "rain" of mercy on the "day of indignation."
Systemic Corruption: This is a top-to-bottom indictment of every segment of society.
- Prophets (v. 25 & 28): Compared to ravenous lions, they prey on the people for dishonest gain. They are also accused of "whitewashing" the sins of the leaders with lies and false assurances of peace (cf. Eze 13).
- Priests (v. 26): They commit violence against God's law (Torah), fail to distinguish between holy and profane, and ignore the Sabbath—a total dereliction of their sacred duty.
- Princes (v. 27): They are like wolves, characterized by rapacious greed and violence.
- People of the Land (v. 29): The common people are not innocent victims but active participants in oppression and robbery.
I sought for a man... but I found none (v. 30): This is the tragic climax of the chapter.
- Stand in the breach (‘ōmēḏ bappereṣ): A powerful image of a brave soldier defending a gap in a city wall to save it from invaders. Biblically, it refers to an intercessor who stands between a sinful people and God's righteous wrath.
- God was looking for even one righteous person, one intercessor like Abraham (Gen 18:23-32) or Moses (Exo 32:11-14; Psa 106:23), whose presence and pleas could provide a basis for mercy.
- The search was exhaustive ("among them") and the result was absolute ("I found none"). This total moral failure sealed the nation's doom.
Therefore I have poured out my indignation: The consequence is direct and unavoidable. The judgment is a direct result of their actions ("their way upon their own heads").

Bible references

Psa 106:23: "Therefore he said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them." (The classic example of what Israel now lacks).
Jer 5:1: "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem... see if you can find a man... who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her." (An exact parallel to God's search for a righteous individual).
1 Tim 2:5: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," (The ultimate answer to God's search in v. 30. The "man" they lacked is found in Christ).
Heb 7:25: "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." (Christ is the permanent intercessor who perpetually "stands in the gap").

Cross references

Mic 3:11 (its priests teach for a price); Zeph 3:3-4 (parallel indictment of princes, prophets, priests); Isa 59:16 (He saw there was no man, and wondered there was no one to intercede); 2 Chr 36:14-16 (describes this same corruption of leaders leading to the exile).

Ezekiel chapter 22 analysis

Covenant Lawsuit (Rîb): The entire chapter is structured as a legal prosecution. God is the plaintiff and judge, Ezekiel is the prosecuting attorney, and Jerusalem is the defendant. The detailed sin list in vv. 6-12 reads like a list of indictments based directly on the case law of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. This structure demonstrates that God's judgment is not arbitrary but is the just enforcement of His violated covenant.
The Inversion of Metaphors: Ezekiel masterfully takes familiar, often positive biblical metaphors and inverts them to pronounce judgment. The holy city becomes the "bloody city." The refining process, meant to purify, reveals only worthless "dross." This polemical use of imagery would have been shocking and powerful for his audience, subverting their expectations and national pride.
The Forgotten God: The line "and you have forgotten me" (v. 12) is the theological heart of the chapter. It's the diagnosis for the sickness. Every social, ethical, and religious sin listed—from murder to usury to profaning the Sabbath—is a symptom of this foundational problem. When a people forgets their God, the entire moral structure of their society collapses.
The Quest for the "One Man": Ezekiel 22:30 is one of the most poignant verses in the Old Testament. It shows God's desire to show mercy if a basis can be found. The failure to find a single righteous intercessor reveals the total depravity of the nation. This sets a trajectory that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament. Israel could not produce "a man," so God provided "the Man," Christ Jesus, who is the perfect mediator and stands in the gap for all humanity. His righteousness is what allows God to be both just and the justifier of those who have faith (Rom 3:26).

Ezekiel 22 summary

Ezekiel 22 presents God's formal indictment against Jerusalem, branding it a "bloody city" for its rampant violence, idolatry, and social injustice. Through a scathing sin list, an inverted metaphor of refining where Israel is declared to be worthless dross, and a survey of corruption in its leaders and people, God justifies His coming judgment. The prophecy climaxes with the devastating conclusion that because no one could be found to intercede and "stand in the gap," God's fiery wrath is both inevitable and righteous.

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Ezekiel 22 AI Image Audio and Video

Ezekiel chapter 22 kjv

¹ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
² Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations.
³ 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.
⁴ 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.
⁵ Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.
⁶ Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood.
⁷ 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.
⁸ Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
⁹ 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.
¹⁰ In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.
¹¹ And 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.
¹² In 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.
¹³ Behold, 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.
¹⁴ Can 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.
¹⁵ And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.
¹⁶ And 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,
¹⁸ Son 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.
¹⁹ Therefore 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.
²¹ Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst therof.
²² 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.
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.
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.
²⁶ 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.
²⁷ Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
²⁸ And 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.
²⁹ The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
³⁰ And 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.
³¹ Therefore 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.

Ezekiel chapter 22 nkjv

¹ Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
² "Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations!
³ Then say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself.
⁴ You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries.
⁵ Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and full of tumult.
⁶ "Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you.
⁷ In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow.
⁸ You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.
⁹ In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness.
¹⁰ In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity.
¹¹ One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter.
¹² In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me," says the Lord GOD.
¹³ "Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst.
¹⁴ Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it.
¹⁵ I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you.
¹⁶ You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the LORD." ' "
¹⁷ The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
¹⁸ "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver.
¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
²⁰ As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you.
²¹ Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst.
²² As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have poured out My fury on you.' "
²³ And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
²⁴ "Son of man, say to her: 'You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.'
²⁵ The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.
²⁶ Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
²⁷ Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.
²⁸ Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' when the LORD had not spoken.
²⁹ The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger.
³⁰ So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
³¹ Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads," says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel chapter 22 niv

¹ The word of the LORD came to me:
² "Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her detestable practices
³ and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols,
⁴ you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries.
⁵ Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.
⁶ "?'See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.
⁷ In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the foreigner and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.
⁸ You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.
⁹ In you are slanderers who are bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts.
¹⁰ In you are those who dishonor their father's bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean.
¹¹ In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor's wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father's daughter.
¹² In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign LORD.
¹³ "?'I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst.
¹⁴ Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.
¹⁵ I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries; and I will put an end to your uncleanness.
¹⁶ When you have been defiled in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the LORD.'?"
¹⁷ Then the word of the LORD came to me:
¹⁸ "Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver.
¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem.
²⁰ As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you.
²¹ I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her.
²² As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath on you.'?"
²³ Again the word of the LORD came to me:
²⁴ "Son of man, say to the land, 'You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.'
²⁵ There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her.
²⁶ Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
²⁷ Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.
²⁸ Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says'?when the LORD has not spoken.
²⁹ The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.
³⁰ "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.
³¹ So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."

Ezekiel chapter 22 esv

¹ And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
² "And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations.
³ You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself!
⁴ You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries.
⁵ Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult.
⁶ "Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood.
⁷ Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you.
⁸ You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths.
⁹ There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst.
¹⁰ In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity.
¹¹ One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter.
¹² In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.
¹³ "Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst.
¹⁴ Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.
¹⁵ I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you.
¹⁶ And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the LORD."
¹⁷ And the word of the LORD came to me:
¹⁸ "Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver.
¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
²⁰ As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you.
²¹ I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it.
²² As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have poured out my wrath upon you."
²³ And the word of the LORD came to me:
²⁴ "Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation.
²⁵ The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.
²⁶ Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
²⁷ Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.
²⁸ And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' when the LORD has not spoken.
²⁹ The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice.
³⁰ And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
³¹ Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel chapter 22 nlt

¹ Now this message came to me from the LORD:
² "Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins,
³ and give her this message from the Sovereign LORD: O city of murderers, doomed and damned ? city of idols, filthy and foul ?
⁴ you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world.
⁵ O infamous city, filled with confusion, you will be mocked by people far and near.
⁶ "Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder.
⁷ Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you.
⁸ You despise my holy things and violate my Sabbath days of rest.
⁹ People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things.
¹⁰ Men sleep with their fathers' wives and force themselves on women who are menstruating.
¹¹ Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors' wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters.
¹² There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign LORD.
¹³ "But now I clap my hands in indignation over your dishonest gain and bloodshed.
¹⁴ How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I said.
¹⁵ I will scatter you among the nations and purge you of your wickedness.
¹⁶ And when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you, you will know that I am the LORD."
¹⁷ Then this message came to me from the LORD:
¹⁸ "Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over ? a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead.
¹⁹ So tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem.
²⁰ Just as silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin are melted down in a furnace, I will melt you down in the heat of my fury.
²¹ I will gather you together and blow the fire of my anger upon you,
²² and you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out my fury on you.'"
²³ Again a message came to me from the LORD:
²⁴ "Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain.
²⁵ Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land.
²⁶ Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.
²⁷ Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people's lives for money!
²⁸ And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, 'My message is from the Sovereign LORD,' when the LORD hasn't spoken a single word to them.
²⁹ Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.
³⁰ "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one.
³¹ So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"