4. You are guilty of spilling blood. The statues you have made have polluted you. " ' "You have brought your days to a close. The end of your years has come. So the nations will make fun of you. All of the countries will laugh at you.
5. Those who are near you will tell jokes about you. So will those who are far away. Trouble fills the streets of your sinful city.
6. " ' "The princes of Israel are in your city. All of them use their power to spill blood.
7. They have made fun of fathers and mothers alike. They have crushed outsiders. They have treated badly the children whose fathers have died. They have done the same thing to widows.
8. " ' "You have looked down on the holy things that were set apart to me. You have misused my Sabbath days.
9. You have spread lies about others so you can spill someone's blood. You eat at the mountain temples. You commit impure acts.
10. " ' "You bring shame on your fathers by having sex with their wives. You have sex with women during their monthly period. That is when they are 'unclean.'
11. One of you has sex with another man's wife. I hate that sin. Another brings shame on his daughter-in-law by having sex with her. Still another has sex with his sister, even though she is his own father's daughter.
12. " ' "You accept money from people who want special favors. You do it to spill someone's blood. You charge too much interest when you lend money. You get rich by cheating your neighbors. And you have forgotten me," announces the Lord and King.
13. " ' "I will clap my hands because I am so angry. You got rich by cheating others. You spilled blood inside the walls of your city.
14. Will you be brave on the day I deal with you? Will you be strong at that time? I have spoken. I will do it. I am the Lord.
15. " ' "I will scatter you among the nations. I will send you to other countries. I will put an end to your 'uncleanness.'
16. You will be polluted in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord." ' "
17. A message came to me from the Lord. He said,
18. "Son of man, the people of Israel have become like scum to me. All of them are like the copper, tin, iron and lead that are left inside a furnace. They are only the scum that is removed from silver."
19. So the Lord and King says, "People of Israel, all of you have become like scum. So I will gather you together in Jerusalem.
20. Men put silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into a furnace. They melt it with a blazing fire. In the same way, I will gather you. I will pour out my burning anger on you. I will put you inside the city and melt you.
21. I will gather you together. My burning anger will blaze out at you. And you will be melted inside Jerusalem.