As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and tie you up with them, so you cannot go out among them.

They will know that I am the Lord; my threats to bring this catastrophe on them were not empty.’

They say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; the city is a cooking pot and we are the meat in it.’

“Son of man, has not the house of Israel, that rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

For there will no longer be any false visions or flattering omens amidst the house of Israel.

You have not gone up in the breaks in the wall, nor repaired a wall for the house of Israel that it would stand strong in the battle on the day of the Lord.

When the wall has collapsed, people will ask you, “Where is the whitewash you coated it with?”

You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians because your sexual desires were insatiable; you prostituted yourself with them and yet you were still not satisfied.

Then you multiplied your promiscuity to the land of merchants, Babylonia, but you were not satisfied there either.

I will exhaust my rage on you, and then my fury will turn from you. I will calm down and no longer be angry.

Have you not copied their behavior and practiced their abominable deeds? In a short time you became even more depraved in all your conduct than they were!

He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Take note – he gave his promise and did all these things – he will not escape!

None of the sins he has committed will be held against him; because of the righteousness he has done, he will live.

Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the sovereign Lord? Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live?

Because he considered and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die.

For I take no delight in the death of anyone, declares the sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

Yet I had pity on them and did not destroy them, so I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

And everyone will see that I, the Lord, have burned it; it will not be extinguished.’”

I will put an end to the obscene conduct in the land; all the women will learn a lesson from this and not engage in obscene conduct.

It has tried my patience; yet its thick rot is not removed from it. Subject its rot to the fire!