EZK 19-21 edits/corrections

26-EZK.usfm

@@ -991,7 +991,7 @@
 \c 19
 \p
 \v 1 Yahweh said to me,
-\v 2 "Ezekiel, sing a sad funeral song which will be a parable about the leaders of Israel. Say to the Israelite people,
+\v 2 "Ezekiel, sing a sad funeral song that will be a parable about the leaders of Israel. Say to the Israelite people,
 \q1 'It is as though your mother had been a brave female lion
 \q2 who raised her cubs among other lions.
 \q1
@@ -1020,7 +1020,7 @@
 
 \s5
 \q1
-\v 8 So people of other nations planned to kill him;
+\v 8 So people of other nations planned to kill him,
 \q2 and men came from many places
 \q1 to spread out a net for him.
 \q2 They caught him in it.
@@ -1034,10 +1034,10 @@
 \s5
 \q1
 \v 10 'It is as though your mother
-\q2 were a grapevine fertilized in blood,
+\q2 were a grapevine fertilized in blood
 \q2 and growing up beside a stream.
 \q1 There was plenty of water,
-\q2 so it had lots of branches and produced a lot of grapes.
+\q2 so it had many branches and produced many grapes.
 \q1
 \v 11 That grapevine grew and became taller than all the nearby trees;
 \q2 everyone could see that it was very strong and healthy.
@@ -1047,15 +1047,15 @@
 \q1
 \v 12 But Yahweh became very angry,
 \q2 so he pulled up the vine by its roots
-\q1 and threw it on the ground,
-\q2 where the very hot winds from the desert dried up all its fruit.
+\q1 and threw it on the ground
+\q2 where the very hot winds from the desert dried up all of its fruit.
 \q1 The strong branches wilted and were burned in a fire.
 \q2
 \v 13 Now Yahweh has planted that vine in a hot, dry desert.
 
 \s5
 \q1
-\v 14 A fire started to burn its stem,
+\v 14 A fire started to burn its stem
 \q2 and then started to burn the branches;
 \q1 it burned all the grapes.
 \q2 Now not even one strong branch remains;
@@ -1075,54 +1075,54 @@
 \s5
 \p
 \v 4 If you are willing to warn them, remind them of the disgusting things that their ancestors did.
-\v 5 Then say to them, 'On the day that I chose you Israelite people to belong to me, I made a solemn oath to your ancestors while they were still in Egypt.' I said to them, 'I am Yahweh, your God.
-\v 6 I will bring you out of Egypt and lead you to a land that I have chosen for you. It is the most fertile and beautiful land in the world.
+\v 5 Then say to them, 'On the day I chose you Israelite people to belong to me, I made a solemn oath to your ancestors while they were still in Egypt.' I said to them, 'I am Yahweh, your God.
+\v 6 I will bring you out of Egypt and lead you to a land I have chosen for you. It is the most fertile and beautiful land in the world.
 
 \s5
-\v 7 Each of you must get rid of the disgusting idols that you love, and the idols which you learned to worship in Egypt, and with which you made it impossible for me to accept you. I, Yahweh your God, am saying this to you.'
+\v 7 Each of you must get rid of the disgusting idols you love and the idols you learned to worship in Egypt and with which you made it impossible for me to accept you. I, Yahweh your God, am saying this to you.'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 8 But they rebelled against me. They would not pay attention to me. They did not get rid of the disgusting idols they loved; they did not reject the idols that they saw in Egypt. So because I was angry with them, I said that I would punish them in Egypt.
+\v 8 But they rebelled against me. They would not pay attention to me. They did not get rid of the disgusting idols they loved; they did not reject the idols they saw in Egypt. So because I was angry with them, I said that I would punish them in Egypt.
 \v 9 But for the sake of my own reputation, I decided to do something for your people so that the other peoples would not laugh at me and say I had no power. I decided that they would see me bring my people out of Egypt.
 
 \s5
 \v 10 Therefore I led your people out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
-\v 11 I gave them all my laws and decrees, in order that they would obey them, and as a result they would live for a long time.
-\v 12 Also, I established the Sabbath days to be a reminder between me and them, so they would know that I am Yahweh, the one who sets them apart for my honor.
+\v 11 I gave them all of my laws and decrees so that they would obey them and as a result they would live for a long time.
+\v 12 Also, I established the Sabbath days to be a reminder between me and them so they would know that I am Yahweh, the one who sets them apart for my honor.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 13 But the Israelite people rebelled against me in the wilderness also. They did not obey my commands; they rejected them, even though they would have lived a long time if they had obeyed them, and they treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So I said that I would destroy them in the wilderness, because that would show that I was very angry with them.
+\v 13 But the Israelite people rebelled against me in the wilderness also. They did not obey my commands; they rejected them, even though they would have lived a long time if they had obeyed them, and they treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So I said I would destroy them in the wilderness because that would show I was very angry with them.
 \v 14 But again, so that the other peoples would not laugh at me, I decided to do something in order to show those peoples that I was still as powerful as when they had seen me bring my people out of Egypt.
 
 \s5
-\v 15 I solemnly swore to your people in the wilderness that I would not take them into the land that I had promised to give them, a land that was the most fertile and beautiful land in the world.
-\v 16 I made this oath, because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws, and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day. And they insisted on worshiping their idols.
+\v 15 I solemnly swore to your people in the wilderness that I would not take them into the land I had promised to give them—a land that was the most fertile and beautiful land in the world.
+\v 16 I made this oath because they had rejected and disobeyed all of my laws and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day. And they insisted on worshiping their idols.
 \v 17 But I still pitied them, so I did not destroy them in the wilderness.
 
 \s5
-\v 18 I said to their children, the next generation, 'Do not do the things that your parents always do. Do not worship their idols and so make it impossible for me to accept you.
+\v 18 I said to their children, the next generation, 'Do not do the things your parents always do. Do not worship their idols and so make it impossible for me to accept you.
 \v 19 I am Yahweh your God. Carefully obey my laws and commands.
-\v 20 Respect my Sabbath days, in order that by doing that, it will remind you that you belong to me.
+\v 20 Respect my Sabbath days so that by doing that, it will remind you that you belong to me.'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 21 But their children also rebelled against me. They did not take care to obey my laws, even though anyone who obeys them will live for a long time; and they also treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So again I said that I would kill them all in the wilderness, and in this way I would stop being angry.
+\v 21 But their children also rebelled against me. They did not take care to obey my laws, even though anyone who obeys them will live for a long time; and they also treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So again I said I would kill them all in the wilderness, and in this way I would stop being angry.
 \v 22 But I did not do that. I decided once more to do something so that the other peoples, those that had seen me bring your people out of Egypt, would not laugh and say that I had lost my power.
 
 \s5
-\v 23 So I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among many peoples,
-\v 24 because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws, and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day—and because they were eager to worship the idols that their parents had worshiped.
+\v 23 So I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among many peoples
+\v 24 because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day—and because they were eager to worship the idols that their parents had worshiped.
 
 \s5
 \v 25 So I also allowed them to obey laws that were not good, laws that would not help them live a long time.
-\v 26 I allowed them to do things that made it impossible for me to accept them: I allowed them to sacrifice their firstborn children in fire. I allowed them to do that in order that they would be horrified at themselves, and in order that they would know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.
+\v 26 I allowed them to do things that made it impossible for me to accept them: I allowed them to sacrifice their firstborn children in fire. I allowed them to do that so that they would be horrified at themselves and so that they would know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the Israelite people. Say this to them, 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you: This is one way that your ancestors dishonored me by turning away from me.'
-\v 28 After I brought them into the land that I had sworn to give them, every time that they saw a high hill or a big green tree, they offered sacrifices to idols there. They made offerings to them, and that caused me to become angry. They presented to those idols their fragrant incense, and they poured out wine offerings to them.
+\v 27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the Israelite people. Say this to them: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you: This is one way that your ancestors dishonored me by turning away from me.'
+\v 28 After I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them, every time they saw a high hill or a big green tree, they offered sacrifices to idols there. They made offerings to them, and that caused me to become angry. They presented to those idols their fragrant incense, and they poured out wine offerings to them.
 \v 29 Then I asked them, 'What is this hilltop place where you go to worship idols?' So they are still called Bamah, which means 'hilltop.'
 
 \s5
@@ -1130,16 +1130,16 @@
 \v 30 Therefore, say this to the Israelite people: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Why do you imitate your ancestors in acting in ways that make me unable to accept you? You act like prostitutes, leaving their husbands for other men. In the same way, you have left me to worship disgusting idols.
 \v 31 When you sacrifice your children in the fire, you make me unable to accept you. It is the same as when you bow down to your idols. You Israelite people, should I allow you to ask me to direct you in any matter? I, Yahweh the Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will not answer if you ask me.'
 \p
-\v 32 You say, 'We want to be like the other peoples in the world. We want to worship idols made of wood and stone like they do.' But what you want will never happen.'
+\v 32 You say, 'We want to be like the other peoples in the world. We want to worship idols made of wood and stone as they do.' But what you want will never happen.
 
 \s5
-\v 33 I, Yahweh your Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will use my great power to rule over you, and to show that I am angry with you.
+\v 33 I, Yahweh your Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will use my great power to rule over you and to show that I am angry with you.
 \v 34 With my great power I will gather you from the places to which I scattered you.
 \v 35 I will bring you to a wilderness that is surrounded by other nations. There, while I am looking at you, I will judge you.
 
 \s5
 \v 36 I will punish you, as I punished your ancestors in the wilderness near Egypt.
-\v 37 I will make you submit to me; I will force you to obey the covenant that I made with you.
+\v 37 I will make you submit to me; I will force you to obey the covenant I made with you.
 \v 38 I will destroy the people among you who rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of Babylonia, where they are now living, they will not enter Israel. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who have the power to do what I say that I will do.
 
 \s5
@@ -1147,24 +1147,24 @@
 \v 39 As for you Israelite people, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Go and worship your idols now, each of you. But afterwards, you will surely pay attention to me and no longer dishonor me by taking gifts to your idols.
 
 \s5
-\v 40 I, Yahweh your Lord, declare that there on my sacred hill, Zion, that high hill in Israel, you will bring gifts to me, and I will accept them. I will require you to bring to me gifts and offerings there, and your sacrifices that you will set apart for me.
+\v 40 I, Yahweh your Lord, declare that there on my sacred hill, Zion, that high hill in Israel, you will bring gifts to me, and I will accept them. I will require you to bring to me gifts and offerings there and your sacrifices that you will set apart for me.
 \v 41 When I bring you out from the other nations to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as though you were fragrant incense. I will show the people of other nations that I have set myself apart as holy, that I might be honored.
 
 \s5
 \v 42 Then, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give to your ancestors, you will know that I, Yahweh, have done it.
-\v 43 And there in Israel you will remember how you conducted your lives previously, the actions that caused you to become unacceptable to me, and you will hate yourselves for all the evil things that you have done.
-\v 44 When I act toward you Israelite people to protect my reputation, and not because of your evil deeds and corrupt behavior, you Israelite people will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. That is what Yahweh the Lord declares."
+\v 43 And there in Israel you will remember how you conducted your lives previously—the actions that caused you to become unacceptable to me, and you will hate yourselves for all the evil things you have done.
+\v 44 When I act toward you Israelite people to protect my reputation and not because of your evil deeds and corrupt behavior, you Israelite people will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. That is what Yahweh the Lord declares."
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 45 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
 \v 46 "Son of man, turn toward the south. Preach about what will happen to that dry land, to the forest there.
-\v 47 Say to the forest in the southern wilderness of Israel: Listen to this message that Yahweh the Lord is saying about you: I am about to start a fire in your midst, and it will burn up all your trees, both the green trees and the withered trees. Nothing will extinguish the blazing flames. And the fire will scorch the faces of everyone who lives in that area, from the south to the north.
+\v 47 Say to the forest in the southern wilderness of Israel: Listen to this message that Yahweh the Lord is saying about you: I am about to start a fire in your midst, and it will burn up all of your trees, both the green trees and the withered trees. Nothing will extinguish the blazing flames. And the fire will scorch the faces of everyone who lives in that area, from the south to the north.
 
 \s5
 \v 48 Everyone will see that it is I, Yahweh, who have lit this fire, and no one will be able to put it out."
 \p
-\v 49 Then I said, "Yahweh, my Lord, when I tell things like this to people, they do not believe me. They say about me, 'He is only telling parables.'"
+\v 49 Then I said, "Yahweh my Lord, when I tell things like this to people, they do not believe me. They say about me, 'He is only telling parables.'"
 
 \s5
 \c 21
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@
 \s5
 \p
 \v 6 Therefore, Son of man, groan! Groan in front of the Israelite people very sadly and sorrowfully.
-\v 7 And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' tell them that it is because of the news that they soon will hear. Everyone will be very fearful, and their hands will tremble uncontrollably, while their knees become as weak as water. A great disaster will soon occur. This is what Yahweh the Lord is promising."
+\v 7 And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' tell them that it is because of the news that they soon will hear. Everyone will be very fearful, and their hands will tremble uncontrollably while their knees become as weak as water. A great disaster will soon occur. This is what Yahweh the Lord is promising."
 
 \s5
 \p
@@ -1191,7 +1191,7 @@
 
 \s5
 \q1
-\v 10 It will be sharp in order that I can slaughter many people with it;
+\v 10 It will be sharp so that I can slaughter many people with it;
 \q2 I will polish it so that it will flash like lightning.
 \q1 The people of Judah will not celebrate about their king's scepter,
 \q2 because it will not resist the sword that is coming against it.
@@ -1219,23 +1219,23 @@
 \v 14 So, Son of man, prophesy;
 \q2 clap your hands to show that you are very sad about what is going to happen.
 \q1 My sword will strike my people again and again;
-\q1 it is a sword for slaughtering many people,
+\q1 it is a sword for slaughtering many people
 \q2 while I attack them from every side.
 
 \s5
 \q1
-\v 15 In order that people will be very much afraid
-\q2 and that many people will die,
+\v 15 So that people will be very much afraid
+\q2 and so that many people will die,
 \q1 I have placed soldiers at every city gate,
 \q2 ready to slaughter people.
-\q1 My sword will flash like lightning,
+\q1 My sword will flash like lightning
 \q2 as the soldiers slaughter the people.
 \q1
 \v 16 I will tell my sword to slash to the right
-\q2 and then to the left,
+\q2 and then to the left
 \q2 and to turn in every direction until no one remains alive.
 \q1
-\v 17 Then I will clap my hands triumphantly;
+\v 17 Then I will clap my hands triumphantly,
 \q2 and then I will no longer be angry.
 \q1 That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.'"
 
@@ -1246,44 +1246,44 @@
 \v 20 If they take one of those roads, they will attack the city of Rabbah, the capital of the Ammon people. If they take the other road, they will come to Judah and Jerusalem, a city with walls around it.
 
 \s5
-\v 21 When the army of Babylon comes to where the road divides, the army will stop, while the king performs magic rituals to decide which road to go on. He will throw arrows; then he will consult his idols about which road to go on, and he will examine the liver of a sheep.
-\v 22 With his right hand he will pick up the arrow marked with the name of Jerusalem. He will then command his soldiers to go to Jerusalem. When they arrive there, they will set up rams to batter down the walls, and then the king will give the command for them to slaughter the people. They will shout the battlecry, and they will set up the rams against the city gates. They will build a dirt ramp against the walls around the city, and set walls against the city.
+\v 21 When the army of Babylon comes to where the road divides, the army will stop while the king performs magic rituals to decide which road to go on. He will throw arrows, then he will consult his idols about which road to go on, and he will examine the liver of a sheep.
+\v 22 With his right hand he will pick up the arrow marked with the name of Jerusalem. He will then command his soldiers to go to Jerusalem. When they arrive there, they will set up rams to batter down the walls, and then the king will give the command for them to slaughter the people. They will shout the battle cry, and they will set up the rams against the city gates. They will build a dirt ramp against the walls around the city and set walls against the city.
 \v 23 The people in Jerusalem who had promised to be loyal to the king of Babylonia will think that those magic rituals must be wrong. They will think that his army should not be attacking them. But he will remind them of the disloyalty of which they are guilty, and he will say that they have violated their agreement with him.
 
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 \p
-\v 24 Therefore, tell the Israelite people that this is what Yahweh the Lord says: 'You people have allowed everyone to see that you are openly rebelling against the king of Babylonia, and by doing that you have shown that everything that you do is sinful. Therefore he will capture you and take you to Babylonia.'
+\v 24 Therefore, tell the Israelite people that this is what Yahweh the Lord says: 'You people have allowed everyone to see that you are openly rebelling against the king of Babylonia, and by doing that you have shown that everything you do is sinful. Therefore he will capture you and take you to Babylonia.'
 
 \s5
 \p
 \v 25 Also, say to the king of Judah, 'You very wicked king of Israel, it is your time to die. It is the time for Yahweh to punish you.'
 \v 26 And this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say to you about your king in Jerusalem, 'Take off the king's turban and his crown, because now things will be different than they were before. I will give power to those who had none, and I will disgrace those who had power.
-\v 27 I will cause the Babylonians to destroy everything. No one will be king of Judah again, not until the man comes who deserves to be king. Then I will make him become king.'
+\v 27 I will cause the Babylonians to destroy everything. No one will be king of Judah again—not until the man comes who deserves to be king. Then I will make him become king.'
 
 \s5
 \p
-\v 28 And, Son of man, prophesy and say that this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say about the Ammon people, and about how I will disgrace them:
+\v 28 And, son of man, prophesy and say that this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say about the Ammon people and about how I will disgrace them:
 \q1 'My soldiers have swords
 \q2 and they have pulled out those swords to slaughter many people.
-\q1 They have polished them in order to kill people,
+\q1 They have polished them in order to kill people
 \q2 and to flash like lightning.
 \q1
 \v 29 Your Ammonite prophets have given you false visions about what will happen to you,
 \q2 and they have held useless ceremonies that give you false messages.
 \q1 So swords will strike the necks of those wicked people.
-\q2 The day when I punish them has come,
+\q2 The day when I punish them has come
 \q2 because they have not been loyal to me.'
 
 \s5
 \q1
-\v 30 But later the soldiers of Babylon will have to put their swords back into their sheaths,
+\v 30 But later, the soldiers of Babylon will have to put their swords back into their sheaths
 \q2 because the time for them to slaughter their enemies will end.
 \q2 I will judge these Babylonians in the country where they were born.
 \q1
 \v 31 I will pour out my punishment on them.
 \q1 Because I am very angry with them,
 \q2 my breath on them will scorch them like a fire.
-\q1 I will allow brutal men to capture them,
+\q1 I will allow brutal men to capture them—
 \q2 men who are experts at killing people.
 
 \s5