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One-sentence summary: Ezekiel prophesies the downfall of Egypt and the judgment of Jerusalem.
The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel. He tells him to say to Pharaoh and his multitude, "Whom are you like in your greatness?" The Lord says Egypt was beautiful in greatness; its roots reached abundant waters. "No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty." The Lord says He made it beautiful with a multitude of branches so that all the trees of Eden envied it. Because it increased in height and its heart was lifted up, the Lord will deliver it into the hand of "the mighty one of the nations" who will deal with it. The Lord has driven it out for its wickedness, and "the most terrible of the nations" have cut it down and left it. Its boughs now lie broken, and the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow an left it. But the birds and the beasts will be left in its ruins. "No trees among the waters will ever again exalt themselves for their height; no tree which drinks water will ever reach those heights." The Lord says that in the day it goes went to hell, He caused morning. He covered the deep and restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. Lebanon mourned for it, and the trees of the field withered because of it. The nations shook at the sound of its fall when He cast it down to hell with "those who descend into the pit." And all the trees of Eden were comforted in the depth of the earth. Egypt also went down to hell with those who were slain by the sword. "To which of the trees in Eden will you be likened in glory and greatness? Yet, you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth," the Lord says. They will lie among those slain with the sword. "This is Pharaoh and all his multitude."
The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel again, and He tells him to take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt. The Lord says he was like a young lion among the nations and a monster in the seas, "troubling the waters and fouling the rivers." Therefore, the Lord will spread a net over him with a company of many people, and they will draw him up; then, he will be left on the land, cast out on the open fields. The birds of the air will rest on him and the beasts of the earth. The earth will be filled with the carcasses, and the land will be watered with their blood. He will put out their light, and the stars, the sun, and the clouds will be dark over their land. He will also "trouble the hearts of many peoples" when they see their destruction. Many will be astonished, and kings will be afraid of them. The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon him, "the most terrible of the nations," and Egypt will fall. The "pomp of Egypt" will be plundered. The waters of the rivers will be clear again when the Lord destroys man and beast and makes the land destitute. Then, they will know He is the Lord. The daughters of the nations will lament for her and for all her multitude. The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel again, and He tells him to wail over the multitude of Egypt and cast them down to the depth of the earth, along with the daughters of the famous nations who go down to the pit. He says, "Who do you surpass in beauty?" But they will be delivered to the sword, and Elam also. They will be broken and lie with those slain by the sword who go down to the pit, with the princes of the north and the Sidonians. Pharaoh and all his army will be slain by the sword.
The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel again, and He tells him to speak to his people. The Lord says when He brings a sword over the land, if the watchman sees it and warns the people, the man who does not take warning will have his blood on his own head. If he receives the warning and repents, he will save his life. However, if the watchman does not blow the trumpet or warn the people, and a man is "taken away in his iniquity," his blood will be required of the watchman. The Lord tells Ezekiel he is a watchman. If He tells him to warn a wicked man that he will surely die, he must warn him. If not, the Lord will require his blood of him. If he does not listen, he will have delivered his own soul. He tells him to say to Israel that they say if they pine away in their sins, how can they live? But the Lord says that He has "no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his ways and live." The Lord tells them to turn from their evil ways and live. "For why should you die, oh house of Israel?" He tells Ezekiel to tell them that the righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and if a man turns from wickedness, he will not be condemned for his wickedness. To the righteous He says if they "trust in their own righteousness" and turn and commit iniquity, they will die. If a wicked man repents and does what is lawful and right- giving back what he has stolen and "walking in the statures of life without committing iniquity," he will surely live and not die; the Lord will not remember his sins or count them against him. Yet, the people say the way of the Lord is not fair, but the Lord says it is their way which is not fair. He says He will judge each person according to his own ways. In the twelfth year of captivity, one who had escaped from Jerusalem tells Ezekiel the city has been captured. The night before, the Lord's hand had been upon him and He had opened his mouth so that he was no longer mute. So the Lord comes to him the next day and tells him that those who inhabit the ruins in Jerusalem are saying that Abraham was only one and inherited the land, but they are many, and so the land must have been given to them as a possession. But the Lord tells Ezekiel to tell them that they lift up their eyes toward their idols and shed blood, and should they then possess the land? They commit abominations and defile one another's wives also. So the Lord says that those in the ruins will fall by the sword, and the one in the open field will be devoured by beasts. Those in the strongholds and caves will die of pestilence, and the land will be desolate. Then, they will know He is the Lord. He also tells Ezekiel that the people are talking about him, telling one another to come hear him speak. They come to hear his words, but they do not do them. "With their mouths they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain." Ezekiel is like a song to them, like entertainment, the Lord says. They listen but do not do what he says. But after all this comes to pass, they will know that a prophet has been among them.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
Pride always comes before a fall, whether for a people or for a nation. Let us seek humility in truth.