14. Will your heart’s courage stand or your hands be strong in the days when I deal with you? I, Adonai, have spoken it and will do it.
15. I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you throughout the lands. I will purge your uncleanness from you.
16. You will be defiled in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am Adonai.”
17. The word of Adonai came to me saying:
18. “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me—all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace—they are the dross of silver.”
19. Therefore, thus says Adonai Elohim: “Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into Jerusalem.
20. As one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury. I will put you in and melt you.
21. I will gather you and blow the fire of My wrath upon you, so you may be melted in the midst of it.
22. As silver is melted in the furnace, so will you be melted within it. So you will know that I Adonai have poured out My fury on you.”
23. The word of Adonai came to me saying:
24. “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation.’
25. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing prey. They have devoured lives, they take wealth and valuables, they multiply widows in her midst.
26. Her kohanim have done violence to My Torah and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, nor have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean. They shut their eyes to My Shabbatot. So I am profaned among them.
27. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing at prey, spilling blood and destroying lives for dishonest gain.
28. Her prophets have plastered them with whitewash, seeing false visions and predicting lies to them, saying ‘Thus says Adonai Elohim,’ when Adonai has not spoken.
29. “The people of the land have oppressively blackmailed, plundered in robbery, wronged the poor and needy and abused the outsider unjustly.
30. I searched for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand in the breach before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one.
31. Therefore I have poured out My fury on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; I have brought their own way upon their heads.” It is a declaration of Adonai.