I have also seen something horrible among Jerusalem’s prophets. They are not faithful to me. They are not living by the truth. They strengthen the hands of those who do evil. So not one of them turns from their sinful ways. All of them are like the people of Sodom to me. They are just like the people of Gomorrah.”

我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾见可憎恶的事；他们行奸淫，做事虚妄，又坚固恶人的手，甚至无人回头离开他的恶。他们在我面前都像所多玛；耶路撒冷的居民都像蛾摩拉。

我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾见恐怖的事；他们犯奸淫，行虚谎，又坚固恶人的手，无人回转离开自己的恶行。他们在我面前都像所多玛，耶路撒冷的居民都像蛾摩拉。

我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾见恐怖的事；他们犯奸淫，行虚谎，又坚固恶人的手，无人回转离开自己的恶行。他们在我面前都像所多玛，耶路撒冷的居民都像蛾摩拉。

我也看见耶路撒冷的先知行为可恶，他们通奸，谎话连篇，怂恿恶人，以致无人悔过自新。在我眼中，耶路撒冷人就像所多玛人和蛾摩拉人一样败坏。

在耶路撒冷的先知中，我看见可怕的事。他们犯奸淫，行事虚假，坚固恶人的手，以致没有人离弃恶行；在我看来，他们都像所多玛人，耶路撒冷的居民也像蛾摩拉人一样。”

我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾見可憎惡的事；他們行姦淫，做事虛妄，又堅固惡人的手，甚至無人回頭離開他的惡。他們在我面前都像所多瑪；耶路撒冷的居民都像蛾摩拉。

我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾見恐怖的事；他們犯姦淫，行虛謊，又堅固惡人的手，無人回轉離開自己的惡行。他們在我面前都像所多瑪，耶路撒冷的居民都像蛾摩拉。

我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾見恐怖的事；他們犯姦淫，行虛謊，又堅固惡人的手，無人回轉離開自己的惡行。他們在我面前都像所多瑪，耶路撒冷的居民都像蛾摩拉。

我也看見耶路撒冷的先知行為可惡，他們通姦，謊話連篇，慫恿惡人，以致無人悔過自新。在我眼中，耶路撒冷人就像所多瑪人和蛾摩拉人一樣敗壞。

在耶路撒冷的先知中，我看見可怕的事。他們犯姦淫，行事虛假，堅固惡人的手，以致沒有人離棄惡行；在我看來，他們都像所多瑪人，耶路撒冷的居民也像蛾摩拉人一樣。”

但在耶路撒冷的神言人之中我竟見過令人不寒而慄的事：他們居然行姦淫，行虛假事；又加強作壞事者的手，以致無人回轉離開壞事：他們在我面前都像所多瑪，其居民正像蛾摩拉。』

耶路撒冷之先知、所行可憎、我亦見之、縱淫亂、行虛誕、而堅惡人之手、致令無人轉離其惡、彼於我前如所多瑪、其民若蛾摩拉、○

耶路撒冷之先知、更堪痛疾、行淫詭譎、俾作惡者流、厥志孔強、不悛厥行、予鑒察之、視若所多馬蛾摩拉之人無異。

今我見耶路撒冷之先知所行、更為可憎、淫人妻女、專行詭譎、使作惡者固執其惡、致無人改其惡行、彼於我前、俱如所多瑪人、耶路撒冷之居民、與俄摩拉人無異、

And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil so that no one turns away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.”

Among the prophets of Jerusalem also I saw a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, and none turns his back on evil. They are all like Sodom to me; Jerusalem’s residents are like Gomorrah.

Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in deceit; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evil- doers, so that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Among the prophets of Jerusalem also I saw a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, and none turns his back on evil. They are all like Sodom to Me; Jerusalem’s residents are like Gomorrah.

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

But I see the prophets of Jerusalem doing something just as shocking. They are unfaithful to me and continually prophesy lies. So they give encouragement to people who are doing evil, with the result that they do not stop their evildoing. I consider all of them as bad as the people of Sodom, and the citizens of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah.

In the prophets of Jerusalem I have also seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one returns from his wickedness. They have all become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.”

The Lord who rules over all has let some people live through that time of trouble. If he hadn’t, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah.Rulers of Sodom, hear the Lord’ s message. People of Gomorrah, listen to the instruction of our God.

That will happen because they have done awful things in Israel. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives. They have spoken lies in my name. I did not give them the authority to speak those things. I know what they have done. And I am a witness to it,” announces the Lord.

Ezekiel, the princes of the land are like a roaring lion that tears its food apart. They eat people up. They take treasures and other valuable things. They cause many women in the land to become widows.

Your judges take money from people who want special favors. Your priests teach only if they get paid for it. Your prophets won’t tell fortunes unless they receive money. But you still look for the Lord’ s help. You say,“ The Lord is with us. No trouble will come on us.”

Their vine comes from the vines of Sodom. It comes from the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison. Their bunches of grapes taste bitter.

Then the Lord said to me,“ The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them. I have not even spoken to them. Everything they tell you about their visions or secret knowledge is a lie. They pretend to bring you messages from other gods. They try to get you to believe their own mistaken ideas.

The Lord also said,“ The cries against Sodom and Gomorrah are very great. Their sin is so bad

I am against prophets who talk about dreams that did not come from me,” announces the Lord.“ They tell foolish lies. Their lies lead my people astray. But I did not send these prophets. I did not appoint them. They do not help my people in the least,” announces the Lord.

Their prophets care about nothing. They can’t be trusted. Their priests make the temple“ unclean.” They break the law they teach others to obey.

May that man be like the towns the Lord destroyed without pity. May that man hear loud weeping in the morning. May he hear a battle cry at noon.

“ Something horrible and shocking has happened in the land.The prophets prophesy lies. The priests rule by their own authority. And my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”

“ Son of man, prophesy against those who are now prophesying in Israel. What they prophesy comes out of their own minds. Tell them,‘ Listen to the Lord’ s message!The Lord and King says,“ How terrible it will be for you foolish prophets! You say what your own minds tell you to. Your visions do not come from me.Israel, your prophets are like wild dogs that live among broken- down buildings.

I had not made godly people sad. But when you told them lies, you made them lose all hope. You advised sinful people not to turn from their evil ways. You did not want them to save their lives.So you will never see false visions again. You will not use your magic tricks anymore. I will save my people from your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

But I tell you this. On judgment day it will be easier for Sodom than for you.”

So the Lord says,“ Ask the nations a question. Say to them,‘ Who has ever heard anything like this? The people of Israel have done a very horrible thing.

“ I have heard what the prophets are saying. They prophesy lies in my name. They say,‘ I had a dream! The Lord has given me a dream!’How long will that continue in the hearts of these prophets who tell lies? They try to get others to believe their own mistaken ideas.

Their bodies will lie in the main street of the great city. It is also the city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. The city is sometimes compared to Sodom or Egypt.

This is a prophecy. It is the Lord’ s message to Israel through Malachi.

They keep speaking to those who hate me. They say,‘ The Lord says you will have peace.’ They speak to all those who do what their stubborn hearts want them to do. They tell them,‘ No harm will come to you.’

But the beast and the false prophet were captured. The false prophet had done signs for the beast. In this way the false prophet had tricked some people. Those people had received the mark of the beast and had worshiped its statue. The beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire. The lake of fire burns with sulfur.

You prophets of Israel prophesied to Jerusalem. You saw visions of peace for its people. But there wasn’t any peace,’ announces the Lord and King.” ’

Outside the city are those who are impure. These people include those who practice witchcraft. Outside are also those who commit sexual sins and murder. Outside are those who worship statues of gods. And outside is everyone who loves and does what is false.

They help one another. They say to one another,“ Be strong!”One skilled worker makes a statue of a god. Another covers it with gold. The first worker says to the second,“ You have done a good job.” Another worker smooths out the metal with a hammer. Still another gives the statue its final shape. The one who hammers says to the one who shapes,“ You have done a good job.” Then they nail the statue down so it won’t fall over.

The people of Sodom were evil. They were sinning greatly against the Lord.

Teachings like those come from liars who pretend to be what they are not. Their sense of what is right and wrong has been destroyed. It’s as though it has been burned with a hot iron.

God judged the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He burned them to ashes. He made them an example of what is going to happen to ungodly people.

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them also did evil things. They freely committed sexual sins. They committed sins of the worst possible kind. There is a fire that never goes out. Those people are an example of those who are punished with it.

They stare at women who are not their wives. They want to sleep with them. They never stop sinning. They trap those who are not firm in their faith. They have mastered the art of getting what they want. God has placed them under his judgment.They have left God’s way. They have wandered off. They follow the way of Balaam, son of Beor. He loved to get paid for doing his evil work.But a donkey corrected him for the wrong he did. Animals don’t speak. But the donkey spoke with a human voice. It tried to stop the prophet from doing a very dumb thing.These people are like springs without water. They are like mists driven by a storm. The blackest darkness is reserved for them.They speak empty, bragging words. They make their appeal to the evil desires that come from sin’s power. They tempt new believers who are just escaping from the company of sinful people.They promise to give freedom to these new believers. But they themselves are slaves to sinful living. That’s because“ people are slaves to anything that controls them.”

The coming of the man of sin will fit how Satan works. The man of sin will show his power through all kinds of signs and wonders. These signs and wonders will lead people astray.So people who are dying will be fooled by this evil. These people are dying because they refuse to love the truth. The truth would save them.So God will fool them completely. Then they will believe the lie.

Your older sister was Samaria. She lived north of you with her daughters. Your younger sister was Sodom. She lived south of you with her daughters.You lived exactly the way they did. You copied their evil practices. I hate those practices. Everything you did was so sinful that you soon became even worse than they were.Your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the Lord and King.“ Here is the sin your sister Sodom committed. She and her daughters were proud. They ate too much. They were not concerned about others. They did not help those who were poor and in need.They were very proud. They did many things that were evil in my eyes. I hated those things. So I got rid of Sodom and her daughters, just as you have seen.Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You sinned even more than they did. I hate those sins. Compared to what you did, you made your sisters seem godly.So you will be dishonored. You have given your sisters an excuse for what they did. Your sins were far worse than theirs. In fact, your sisters appear to be more godly than you. So then, be ashamed. You will be dishonored. You have made them appear to be godly.

But there were also false prophets among the people. In the same way there will be false teachers among you. In secret they will bring in teachings that will destroy you. They will even turn against the Lord and Master who died to pay for their sins. So they will quickly destroy themselves.Many people will follow their lead. These people will do the same evil things the false teachers do. They will cause people to think badly about the way of truth.

But others will be thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Those who are afraid and those who do not believe will be there. Murderers and those who make themselves impure will join them. Those who commit sexual sins and those who practice witchcraft will go there. Those who worship statues of gods and all who tell lies will be there too. The lake of fire is the second death.”