Episode 203: God and Jerusalem - A marriage made in heaven

Ezekiel 14-16

I the LORD have deceived that prophet

14 ⁹ If a prophet deceives the people, I am the one who deceived him, and I'll stretch out my hand and destroy him.

¹⁰ And those who listen to that prophet will get the same punishment.

I'd only save Noah, Daniel, and Job

¹² The word of God came again to me, saying,

¹³ Son of man, when the people sin, I'll send a famine to starve to death humans and beasts.

¹⁴ Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were here, I wouldn't save anyone but them.

¹⁵ If I sent ravenous beasts to eat the people,

¹⁶ I wouldn't even save the children from being eaten. I'd only save Noah, Daniel, and Job.

¹⁷ Or if I bring a sword to kill the people by saying, "Sword, go kill all the people and animals."

¹⁸ I wouldn't save any children from the sword. I'd only save Noah, Daniel, and Job.

¹⁹ Or if I bring a pestilence to kill all the people and pour out my fury with blood to kill all the animals and people,

²⁰ I wouldn't save any children from the pestilence. I'd only save Noah, Daniel, and Job.

²¹ It will be even worse for Jerusalem. The sword, famine, beasts, and pestilence will kill people and animals.

²² But I'll keep a few alive to comfort you.

I'll burn Jerusalem

15 ¹ The word of God came to me and said,

² Son of man, what use is the wood from a grapevine?

⁴ It's only good for firewood and is useless after it is burned.

⁶ Jerusalem is like that. I'll burn its inhabitants like they were wood from a grapevine.

⁷ Then they'll know that I'm God.

Baby Jerusalem

16 ¹ The word of God came to me and said,

² Son of man, tell Jerusalem about her abominations, by saying,

Your father was an Amorite and your mother was a Hittite.

⁴ When you were born, your umbilical wasn't cut, and you weren't washed, salted, or clothed.

⁵ On the day you were born you were hated so much that you were cast out into an open field.

⁶ I happened to be passing by at the time, and saw you lying there, polluted in your own blood. And I said to you, "Live".

God marries Jerusalem

⁷ But now, you're looking good and have excellent ornaments. You have nice breasts and hair. But you were bare naked.

⁸ When I passed by you, you were ready for love. So I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness, and made you mine

⁹ I washed off the blood with water and anointed you with oil.

^10-11 I gave you nice clothing, shoes, ornaments, and bracelets.

¹² I put a jewel on your forehead, earrings in your ears, and a crown on your head.

¹³ You were decked with silver and gold, covered with fine linen and silk, and ate flour, honey, and oil. And you were exceedingly beautiful.

Jerusalem becomes a whore

¹⁵ But you played the harlot and had sex with everyone who passed by.

¹⁷ You made images of men from gold and silver and committed whoredom with them.

²⁰ And you sacrificed the children that you bore for me.

²² In all your whoredoms you have forgotten your youth, when you were naked and polluted in your own blood.

²⁴ You had sex on every street corner and high place.

²⁵ And you have opened your feet to everyone that passes by.

²⁶ You fornicated with large-membered Egyptians.

²⁷ So I've reduced your food and given you to those who hate you.

²⁸ You played the whore with the Assyrians, but you couldn't be satisfied.

²⁹ You fornicated in Chaldea, but you still weren't satisfied.

³⁰ You are an imperious whore.

³¹ But not a harlot since you didn't take payment for your services.

³² You have sex with strangers instead of your husband.

^33-34 Your lovers don't pay you. You pay them to have sex with you every which way in your whoredom.

God has Jerusalem stoned to death

³⁵ So listen to me, you harlot.

^36-37 Because of your filthiness, I'll gather all your lovers, the ones you loved and the ones you hated. Then I'll strip off your clothes and show them your nakedness.

³⁸ I'll judge you as unfaithful wife and a murderer. I'll sentence you to death in my fury and jealousy.

³⁹ I'll deliver you to your lovers who will strip off your clothes and leave you naked.

⁴⁰ And they'll stone you with stones and thrust their swords into your body.

⁴¹ Then they'll burn your house. That will stop you from playing the harlot.

⁴² And that will put my fury to rest, and my jealousy will go away.

⁴³ You forgot how things were when you were young. Now I'll punish you for your lewd abominations.

Jerusalem's sisters: Sodom and Samaria

⁴⁵ You are your mother's daughter and your sisters' sister. They hated their husbands and children, like you did.

⁴⁶ Your older sister is Samaria, and your younger sister is Sodom.

⁴⁷ You haven't done all of their abominations, but you're even more corrupt than they.

Sodom's sin

⁴⁹ Sodom's sin was pride, gluttony, idleness, and not helping the needy.

⁵⁰ They committed abomination in front of me. So I thought it was a good idea to kill them.

⁵¹ Samaria hasn't committed half as many sins as you.