Exil
The City Has Fallen
A refugee brings news that Jerusalem has fallen, which ends the prophet Ezekiel's muteness. God uses this moment to judge those still living in the ruins who wrongly believe they will inherit the land despite their detestable actions.
Hesekiel 33,21-29
21In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, "The city has fallen."
וַיְהִ֞י בִּשְׁתֵּ֧י עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֗ה בָּעֲשִׂרִ֛י בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה לַחֹ֖דֶשׁ לְגָלוּתֵ֑נוּ בָּא־אֵלַ֨י הַפָּלִ֧יט מִירוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם לֵאמֹ֖ר הֻכְּתָ֥ה הָעִֽיר׃
22Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive arrived, and he had opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened, and I was no longer silent.
וְיַד־יְהוָה֩ הָיְתָ֨ה אֵלַ֜י בָּעֶ֗רֶב לִפְנֵי֙ בּ֣וֹא הַפָּלִ֔יט וַיִּפְתַּ֣ח אֶת־פִּ֔י עַד־בּ֥וֹא אֵלַ֖י בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וַיִּפָּ֣תַח פִּ֔י וְלֹ֥א נֶאֱלַ֖מְתִּי עֽוֹד׃ פ
23Then the word of the LORD came to me:
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
24Son of man, those living in these ruins in the land of Israel are saying, "Abraham was only one man, yet he took possession of the land. We are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession."
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם יֹ֠שְׁבֵי הֶחֳרָב֨וֹת הָאֵ֜לֶּה עַל־אַדְמַ֤ת יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֹמְרִ֣ים לֵאמֹ֔ר אֶחָד֙ הָיָ֣ה אַבְרָהָ֔ם וַיִּירַ֖שׁ אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ רַבִּ֔ים לָ֛נוּ נִתְּנָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ לְמוֹרָשָֽׁה׃ ס
25Therefore say to them: This is what the Lord GOD says: You eat meat with the blood still in it, you lift up your eyes to your idols, and you shed blood—and you expect to possess the land?
לָכֵן֩ אֱמֹ֨ר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֗ה עַל־הַדָּ֧ם ׀ תֹּאכֵ֛לוּ וְעֵינֵכֶ֛ם תִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶל־גִּלּוּלֵיכֶ֖ם וְדָ֣ם תִּשְׁפֹּ֑כוּ וְהָאָ֖רֶץ תִּירָֽשׁוּ׃
26You rely on your swords, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife—and you expect to possess the land?
עֲמַדְתֶּ֤ם עַֽל־חַרְבְּכֶם֙ עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ן תּוֹעֵבָ֔ה וְאִ֛ישׁ אֶת־אֵ֥שֶׁת רֵעֵ֖הוּ טִמֵּאתֶ֑ם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ תִּירָֽשׁוּ׃ ס
27Say this to them: This is what the Lord GOD says: As surely as I live, those who are in the ruins will fall by the sword; those out in the open field I will give to the wild animals to devour; and those in the strongholds and caves will die of plague.
כֹּֽה־תֹאמַ֨ר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֨ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֮ חַי־אָנִי֒ אִם־לֹ֞א אֲשֶׁ֤ר בֶּֽחֳרָבוֹת֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֔לוּ וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לַחַיָּ֥ה נְתַתִּ֖יו לְאָכְל֑וֹ וַאֲשֶׁ֛ר בַּמְּצָד֥וֹת וּבַמְּעָר֖וֹת בַּדֶּ֥בֶר יָמֽוּתוּ׃
28I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will lie desolate, with no one passing through.
וְנָתַתִּ֤י אֶת־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ שְׁמָמָ֣ה וּמְשַׁמָּ֔ה וְנִשְׁבַּ֖ת גְּא֣וֹן עֻזָּ֑הּ וְשָֽׁמְמ֛וּ הָרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֵ֥ין עוֹבֵֽר׃
29Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the abominations they have committed.
וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה בְּתִתִּ֤י אֶת־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ שְׁמָמָ֣ה וּמְשַׁמָּ֔ה עַ֥ל כָּל־תּוֹעֲבֹתָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשֽׂוּ׃ ס