The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  25So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the LORD had shown me.

  Ezekiel 12

  Judah’s Captivity Portrayed

  1Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

  2“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of aa rebellious house, which bhas eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; cfor they are a rebellious house.

  3“Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

  4“By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity.

  5“Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it.

  6“In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, dfor I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

  7So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.

  8And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

  9“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, ethe rebellious house, said to you, f‘What are you doing?’

  10“Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “This gburden1 concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.” ’

  11“Say, h‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; ithey shall be carried away into captivity.’

  12“And jthe prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes.

  13“I will also spread My knet over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. lI will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.

  14m“I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and nI will draw out the sword after them.

  15o“Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.

  16p“But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”

  Judgment Not Postponed

  17Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

  18“Son of man, qeat your bread with 2quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety.

  19“And say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may rbe emptied of all who are in it, sbecause of the violence of all those who dwell in it.

  20“Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”

  21And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

  22“Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, t‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?

  23“Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” But say to them, u“The days are at hand, and the 3fulfillment of every vision.

  24“For vno more shall there be any wfalse4 vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

  25“For I am the LORD. I speak, and xthe word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and yperform it,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”

  26Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

  27z“Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is afor many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’

  28b“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak cwill be done,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”

  Ezekiel 13

  Woe to Foolish Prophets

  1And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

  2“Son of man, prophesy aagainst the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to bthose who prophesy out of their own cheart,1 ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ ”

  3Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen 2nothing!

  4“O Israel, your prophets are dlike foxes in the deserts.

  5“You ehave not gone up into the 3gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.

  6f“They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has gnot sent them; yet they hope that the word may 4be confirmed.

  7“Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken.”

  8Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD.

  9“My hand will be hagainst the prophets who envision futility and who idivine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, jnor be written in the record of the house of Israel, knor shall they enter into the land of Israel. lThen you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

  10“Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, m‘Peace!’ when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they nplaster5 it with untempered mortar—

  11“say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. oThere will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down.

  12“Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ”

  13Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it.

  14“So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. pThen you shall know that I am the LORD.

  15“Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it,

  16‘that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who qsee visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord GOD.

  17“Likewise, son of man, rset your face against the daughters of your people, swho prophesy out of their own 6heart; prophesy against them,

  18“and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms 7on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you thunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive?

  19“And will you profane Me among My people ufor handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”

  20‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like 8birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds.

  21“I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. vThen you shall know that I am the LORD.

  22“Because wi
th wlies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have xstrengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life.

  23“Therefore yyou shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”

  Ezekiel 14

  Idolatry Will Be Punished

  1Now asome of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.

  2And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

  3“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them bthat which causes them to stumble into iniquity. cShould I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?

  4“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,

  5“that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’

  6“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and dturn your faces away from all your abominations.

  7“For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the LORD will answer him by Myself.

  8e“I will set My face against that man and make him a fsign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. gThen you shall know that I am the LORD.

  9“And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the LORD hhave induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

  10“And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired,

  11“that the house of Israel may ino longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, jbut that they may be My people and I may be their God,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”

  Judgment on Persistent Unfaithfulness

  12The word of the LORD came again to me, saying:

  13“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its ksupply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.

  14l“Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves mby their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.

  15“If I cause nwild beasts to pass through the land, and they 1empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts,

  16“even othough these three men were 2in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be pdesolate.

  17“Or if qI bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I rcut off man and beast from it,

  18“even sthough these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.

  19“Or if I send ta pestilence into that land and upour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast,

  20“even vthough Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”

  21For thus says the Lord GOD: “How much more it shall be when wI send My four 3severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?

  22x“Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be ybrought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and zyou will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it.

  23“And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing awithout cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord GOD.

  Ezekiel 15

  The Outcast Vine

  1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

  2“Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?

  3“Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on?

  4“Instead, ait is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work?

  5“Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?

  6“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

  7‘and bI will set My face against them. cThey will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. dThen you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them.

  8‘Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness,’ says the Lord GOD.”

  Ezekiel 16

  God’s Love for Jerusalem

  1Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

  2“Son of man, acause Jerusalem to know her abominations,

  3“and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your 1birth band your nativity are from the land of Canaan; cyour father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

  4“As for your nativity, don the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.

  5“No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were 2loathed on the day you were born.

  6“And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’

  7e“I made you 3thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.

  8“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; fso I spread 4My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I gswore an oath to you and entered into a hcovenant with you, and iyou became Mine,” says the Lord GOD.

  9“Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil.

  10“I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of 5badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk.

  11“I adorned you with ornaments, jput bracelets on your wrists, kand a chain on your neck.

  12“And I put a 6jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.

  13“Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. lYou ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly mbeautiful, and succeeded to royalty.

  14n“Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,” says the Lord GOD.

  Jerusalem’s Harlotry

  15o“But you trusted in your own beauty, pplayed the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.

  16q“You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored 7high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be.

  17“You have also taken your beautifu
l jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them.

  18“You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them.

  19“Also rMy food which I gave you—the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you—you set it before them as 8sweet incense; and so it was,” says the Lord GOD.

  20s“Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter,

  21“that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the tfire?

  22“And in all your abominations and acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your uyouth, vwhen you were naked and bare, struggling in your blood.

  23“Then it was so, after all your wickedness—‘Woe, woe to you!’ says the Lord GOD—

  24“that wyou also built for yourself a shrine, and xmade a 9high place for yourself in every street.

  25“You built your high places yat the head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You offered yourself to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry.

  26“You also committed harlotry with zthe Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to aprovoke Me to anger.

  27“Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you, diminished your 10allotment, and gave you up to the will of those who hate you, bthe daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.

  28“You also played the harlot with the cAssyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied.

  29“Moreover you multiplied your acts of harlotry as far as the land of the trader, dChaldea; and even then you were not satisfied.

  30“How degenerate is your heart!” says the Lord GOD, “seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot.

  Jerusalem’s Adultery