&#8220;Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me,<n id="1" /> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;

and say to them:p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: On the day I chose Israel I swore<n id="1" /> to the descendants<n id="2" /> of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore<n id="3" /> to them, &#8220;I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8221;

I also swore<n id="1" /> to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them &#8211; a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

When you present your sacrifices<n id="1" /> &#8211; when you make your sons pass through the fire &#8211; you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me,<n id="2" /> O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, I will not allow you to seek me!<n id="3" />p>

take note, I have stretched out my hand against you, and I will hand you over as plunder<n id="1" /> to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands. I will destroy you; then you will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;&#8221;p>

Say to Tyre, who sits at the entrance<n id="1" /> of the sea,<n id="2" /> merchant to the peoples on many coasts, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;O Tyre, you have said, &#8220;I am perfectly beautiful.&#8221;p>

&#8220;Son of man, say to the prince<n id="1" /> of Tyre, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;Your heart is proud<n id="2" /> and you said, &#8220;I am a god;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas&#8221; &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">yet you are a man and not a god,p> <p class="poetry">though you think you are godlike.<n id="4" />p>

Say, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;Look, I am against you,<n id="1" /> Sidon,p> <p class="poetry">and I will magnify myself in your midst.p> <p class="poetry">Then they will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc>p> <p class="poetry">when I execute judgments on herp> <p class="poetry">and reveal my sovereign power<n id="2" /> in her.p>

They will live securely in it; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live securely<n id="1" /> when I execute my judgments on all those who scorn them and surround them. Then they will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc> their God.&#8217;&#8221;p>

I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc> when I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon and he extends it against the land of Egypt.

Say to them, &#8216;As surely as I live, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior<n id="1" /> and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds!<n id="2" /> Why should you die, O house of Israel?&#8217;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;This is what you must say to them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: As surely as I live, those living in the ruins will die<n id="1" /> by the sword, those in the open field I will give to the wild beasts for food, and those who are in the strongholds and caves will die of disease.

The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the <sc>Lord,sc> when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I deal with you &#8211; you will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all of Edom &#8211; all of it! Then they will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore say to the house of Israel, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: It is not for your sake that I am about to act, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy reputation<n id="1" /> which you profaned among the nations where you went.

I will magnify<n id="1" /> my great name that has been profaned among the nations, that you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the <sc>Lord,sc> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, when I magnify myself among you in their sight.p>

Therefore prophesy, and tell them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel.

tell them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Look, I am about to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will place them on the stick of Judah,<n id="1" /> and make them into one stick &#8211; they will be one in my hand.&#8217;<n id="2" />

Then tell them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Look, I am about to take the Israelites from among the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from round about and bring them to their land.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;I will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. Then the nations will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc>, the Holy One of Israel.<n id="1" />