9. Some of your people slander. They want to kill people. People who live in you eat food sacrificed to idols at the worship sites on the hills, and they sin sexually.
10. Men have sex with their father’s wives. They have sex with women when the women are having their periods and are unclean.
11. Men do disgusting things with their neighbors’ wives. Some men sexually dishonor their daughters-in-law. Other men who live in you have sex with their sisters, their father’s daughters.
12. Other people take bribes to murder people. You collect interest and make excessive profits. You make profits by mistreating your neighbors. You have forgotten me, declares the Almighty Lord.
13. “‘I will use my power against you because of the excessive profits you have made and the murders you have committed.
14. Will you still be brave? Will you remain strong when I deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.
15. I will scatter you among the nations and force you into other countries. I will put an end to your uncleanness.
16. You will be dishonored in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
17. Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said,
18. “Son of man, the people of Israel have become worthless to me. All of them are like copper, tin, iron, and lead in a smelting furnace. They are like the impurities left from silver.
19. This is what the Almighty Lord says: All of you have become worthless. That is why I’m going to gather you in Jerusalem.
20. People gather silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin together in a smelting furnace to melt them with a fiery blast. In the same way, in my anger and fury I will gather you and put you in the city. I will melt you there.
21. Yes, I will gather you, breathe on you with my fiery anger, and melt you in the city.
22. You will be melted in the city like silver that is melted in a furnace. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury on you.”