21. On the fifth day of the tenth month, in the twelfth year of our exile, the survivor came to me from Jerusalem and said, “The city is taken!”
22. The hand of the Lord had come upon me the evening before the survivor arrived and opened my mouth when he reached me in the morning. My mouth was opened, and I was mute no longer.
23. The word of the Lord came to me:
24. Son of man, these who live among the ruins in the land of Israel are saying: “Abraham was only one person, yet he was given possession of the land. Since we are many, the land must be given to us as our possession.”
25. Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord God: You eat on the mountains, you raise your eyes to your idols, you shed blood—yet you would keep possession of the land?
26. You rely on your swords, you commit abominations, each defiles his neighbor’s wife—yet you would keep possession of the land?
27. Say this to them: Thus says the Lord God: As I live, those among the ruins shall fall by the sword; those in the open field I have made food for the wild beasts; and those in rocky hideouts and caves shall die by the plague.
28. I will make the land a desolate waste, so that its proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will cross them.
29. Thus they shall know that I am the Lord, when I make the land a desolate waste because of all the abominations they committed.
30. As for you, son of man, your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to one another, “Let’s go hear the latest word that comes from the Lord.”
31. My people come to you, gathering as a crowd and sitting in front of you to hear your words, but they will not act on them. Love songs are on their lips, but in their hearts they pursue dishonest gain.
32. For them you are only a singer of love songs, with a pleasant voice and a clever touch. They listen to your words, but they do not obey them.
33. But when it comes—and it is surely coming!—they shall know that there was a prophet among them.