Ezekiel

The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

1The LORD spoke to me again. He said:

2Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;

2"Son of man, turn and face the land of the Ammonites. Speak my message against them.

3And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;

3Say to the Ammonites: Listen to what the Lord GOD says. You shouted, 'Aha! Good!' when my temple was ruined, when the land of Israel was left empty, and when the people of Judah were marched away as prisoners.

Note"Aha" here is a shout of glee at someone else's ruin, not a shout of discovery.

4Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.

4So I will hand you over to the people from the east. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents in your land. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

NoteThe KJV says the eastern people will "set their palaces" in Ammon. The word means camps or tent circles, not grand houses.

5And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

5I will turn the city of Rabbah into a field where camels graze. Ammon will be a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

6For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;

6The Lord GOD says: You clapped your hands and stamped your feet. You were glad about the land of Israel, and your heart was full of scorn.

7Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

7So I will reach out my hand against you. I will let other nations carry off everything you own. I will cut you off from the peoples and wipe you out from the lands. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.

Note"Spoil" in the KJV means goods taken from a defeated people, and "the heathen" simply means the other nations.

8Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;

8The Lord GOD says: Moab and Seir said, 'Look, the people of Judah are no different from any other nation.'

9Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim,

9So I will lay Moab wide open, starting with the cities along its border. These are the pride of the land: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.

10Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.

10I will give Moab, along with Ammon, to the people from the east to own. Then no one among the nations will remember Ammon anymore.

11And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

11I will punish Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.

12Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;

12The Lord GOD says: Edom took revenge on the people of Judah. In doing that, Edom became very guilty.

13Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.

13So the Lord GOD says: I will reach out my hand against Edom. I will cut off both people and animals from it. I will leave it empty. From Teman all the way to Dedan, they will die by the sword.

14And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.

14I will pay Edom back through my people Israel. They will act against Edom the way my anger says. Then Edom will know what my payback is like, says the Lord GOD.

15Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;

15The Lord GOD says: The Philistines took revenge. They struck with hate in their hearts, out of an old grudge, wanting to destroy Judah.

16Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.

16So the Lord GOD says: I will reach out my hand against the Philistines. I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the people left along the sea coast.

17And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

17I will punish them hard and scold them in anger. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I pay them back.