7:1
The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,
7:2
'Son of man, say, "Lord Yahweh says this to the land of Israel: Finished! The end is coming for the four corners of the country.
7:3
This is the end for you; I shall unleash my anger on you, and judge you as your conduct deserves and call you to account for all your loathsome practices.
7:4
I shall show you no pity, I shall not spare you; I shall repay you for your conduct and for the loathsome practices in which you persist. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
7:5
"The Lord Yahweh says this: Disaster, a unique disaster, is coming.
7:6
The end is coming, the end is coming, it is on the move towards you, it is coming now.
7:7
Now it is your turn, you who dwell in this country. Doom is coming, the day is near; no joy now, only tumult, on the mountains.
7:8
Now I shall soon vent my fury on you and sate my anger on you: I shall judge you as your conduct deserves and repay you for all your loathsome practices.
7:9
I shall show neither pity nor mercy, but shall repay you for your conduct and the loathsome practices in which you persist. Then you will know that I am Yahweh and that I strike.
7:10
"Now is the day, your turn has come, it has come, it appears, the sceptre has blossomed, pride is at its peak.
7:11
Violence has risen to become the scourge of wickedness . . .
7:12
Doom is coming, the day is near. Neither should buyer rejoice, nor seller regret, for the fury rests on everyone alike.
7:13
The seller will not be able to go back on his bargain; each persists in his sins; they take no defensive measures.
7:14
The trumpet sounds, all is ready, but no one goes into battle, since my fury rests on all alike.
7:15
"Outside, the sword; inside, plague and famine. Whoever is living in the countryside will die by the sword; whoever is living in the city will be devoured by famine and plague.
7:16
And those who escape will escape to the mountains and there, like doves of the valleys, I shall slaughter them all, each one for his sin.
7:17
Every hand will grow limp, every knee turn to water.
7:18
They will put on sackcloth, each one trembling. Every face will be ashamed and every head be shaved.
7:19
They will throw their silver away in the streets and their gold they will regard as a pollution; neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of Yahweh's fury. Never again will they have enough to eat, never again will they fill their bellies, since that was the occasion for their guilt.
7:20
They used to pride themselves on the beauty of their jewellery, out of which they made their loathsome images, their horrors; so now I have made it pollute them.
7:21
I shall hand it over as plunder to foreigners, as loot to the most evil people on earth. They will profane it.
7:22
I shall turn my face away from them, while my treasure-house is profaned and robbers will force their way in and profane it.
7:23
"Forge yourself a chain; for the country is full of bloody executions and the city full of deeds of violence,
7:24
so I shall bring the cruellest of the nations to seize their houses. I shall put an end to the pride of their e'lite, and their sanctuary will be profaned.
7:25
Terror is on the way: they will look for peace and there will be none.
7:26
Disaster will follow on disaster, rumour on rumour; they will pester the prophet for a vision; the priest will be at a loss over the law and the elders on how to advise.
7:27
The king will go into mourning, the prince be plunged in grief, the hands of the country people tremble. I shall treat them as their conduct deserves, and judge them as their own verdicts merit. Then they will know that I am Yahweh!" '
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