« | Ezekiel 7 | » |
1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
3 Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations.
4 And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
5 "Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes.
6 An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes.
7 Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains.
8 Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations.
9 And my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD, who strikes.
10 "Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has come; the rod has blossomed; pride has budded.
11 Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, nor their abundance, nor their wealth; neither shall there be preeminence among them.
12 The time has come; the day has arrived. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all their multitude.
13 For the seller shall not return to what he has sold, while they live. For the vision concerns all their multitude; it shall not turn back; and because of his iniquity, none can maintain his life.
14 "They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but none goes to battle, for my wrath is upon all their multitude.
15 The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour.
16 And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each one over his iniquity.
17 All hands are feeble, and all knees turn to water.
18 They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.
19 They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.
20 His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them.
21 And I will give it into the hands of foreigners for prey, and to the wicked of the earth for spoil, and they shall profane it.
22 I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured place. Robbers shall enter and profane it.
23 "Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.
24 I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places shall be profaned.
25 When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none.
26 Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders.
27 The king mourns, the prince is wrapped in despair, and the hands of the people of the land are paralyzed by terror. According to their way I will do to them, and according to their judgments I will judge them, and they shall know that I am the LORD."
The English Standard Version (ESV)
The English Standard Version (ESV) is a prominent Bible translation that strives to balance word-for-word accuracy with readability. First published in 2001 by Crossway, the ESV was developed by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors. It aims to provide a faithful rendering of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts while maintaining the literary quality and stylistic beauty of the English language. This translation approach makes the ESV suitable for both personal study and public worship.
A key feature of the ESV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or essentially literal translation philosophy. This method prioritizes a close correspondence between the original languages and the English text, ensuring that the translation remains as true as possible to the original words and structures. The ESV translators worked meticulously to preserve the nuances and intricacies of the biblical languages, while also striving for clarity and smoothness in English. This balance makes the ESV highly regarded for its accuracy and readability.
The ESV is also known for its use in academic and scholarly settings. Its rigorous translation process and commitment to textual fidelity make it a reliable resource for in-depth Bible study and theological research. The translation includes extensive footnotes and cross-references that provide additional context and insights, helping readers to understand the historical, cultural, and linguistic background of the scriptures. The ESV’s clear and precise language has made it a preferred choice for pastors, scholars, and serious students of the Bible.
Despite its many strengths, the ESV has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s formal equivalence approach can sometimes result in a text that is overly rigid and less fluid than more dynamic translations. Others have raised concerns about gender-specific language in the ESV, suggesting that it may not be as inclusive as some other modern translations. Nonetheless, the English Standard Version remains a highly respected and widely used translation, valued for its accuracy, readability, and commitment to preserving the original meaning of the biblical texts.