“Next to the border of Judah from the east side to the west will be the allotment you must set apart. It is to be eight and a quarter miles ¹  wide, and the same length as one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west; the sanctuary will be in the middle of it.

For when anyone from the house of Israel, or the foreigner who lives in Israel, separates himself from me and erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet to seek something from me, I the Lord am determined to answer him personally.

“When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle ¹  before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death.

He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne ¹  and the place for the soles of my feet, ²  where I will live among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no longer profane my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their spiritual prostitution or by the pillars of their kings set up when they die. ³ 

“Son of man, turn toward ¹  the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them:

“Son of man, turn toward ¹  the Ammonites ²  and prophesy against them.

“Son of man, turn toward ¹  Sidon ²  and prophesy against it.

“Son of man, turn toward ¹  Mount Seir, ²  and prophesy against it.

As he spoke to me, ¹  a wind ²  came into me and stood me on my feet, and I heard the one speaking to me.

“As for you, son of man, turn toward ¹  the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their imagination. ²  Prophesy against them

“Son of man, turn toward ¹  the south, ²  and speak out against the south. ³  Prophesy against the open scrub ⁴  land of the Negev,

“Son of man, turn toward ¹  Jerusalem ²  and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel

“Son of man, turn toward ¹  Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

I will desolate Pathros, I will ignite a fire in Zoan, and I will execute judgments on Thebes.

Lay siege to it! Build siege works against it. Erect a siege ramp ¹  against it! Post soldiers outside it ²  and station battering rams around it.

They will know that I am the Lord when I ignite a fire in Egypt and all her allies are defeated. ¹ 

I will ignite a fire in Egypt; Syene ¹  will writhe in agony, Thebes will be broken down, and Memphis will face enemies every day.

You must turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it.

He plucked off its topmost shoot; he brought it to a land of merchants and planted it in a city of traders.

“This is what the sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem; I placed her in the center of the nations with countries all around her.