Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? New Living Translation So tell these people, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You eat meat with blood in it, you worship idols, and you murder the innocent. Do you really think the land should be yours? English Standard Version Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? Berean Standard Bible Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land? Berean Literal Bible Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘You⁺ eat that with the blood, and you⁺ lift up your⁺ eyes toward your⁺ idols, and you⁺ pour out blood—and you⁺ would possess the land? King James Bible Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? New King James Version “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You eat meat with blood, you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land? New American Standard Bible Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “You eat meat with the blood in it, raise your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? NASB 1995 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? NASB 1977 “Therefore, say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? Legacy Standard Bible Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “You eat meat with the blood in it and lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? Amplified Bible Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “You eat meat with the blood in it and raise your eyes to your idols and shed blood. Should you take possession of the land? Berean Annotated Bible Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH} says: ‘You⁺ eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your⁺ eyes to your⁺ idols, and shed blood. Should you⁺ then possess the land? Christian Standard Bible Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: You eat meat with blood in it, you look to your idols, and you shed blood. Should you then receive possession of the land? Holman Christian Standard Bible Therefore say to them: This is what the Lord GOD says: You eat meat with blood in it, raise your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then receive possession of the land? American Standard Version Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes unto your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? Contemporary English Version So, Ezekiel, tell them I am saying: How can you think the land is still yours? You eat meat with blood in it and worship idols. You commit murder English Revised Version Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD: Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes unto your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? GOD'S WORD® Translation So tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: You eat meat with blood in it. You look to your idols for help. You murder people. Should the land be given to you? Good News Translation "Tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: You eat meat with the blood still in it. You worship idols. You commit murder. What makes you think that the land belongs to you? International Standard Version So tell them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "You keep eating flesh along with its blood, you keep looking to your idols, and you keep shedding blood, and you're going to take possession of the land? NET Bible Therefore say to them, 'This is what the sovereign LORD says: You eat the meat with the blood still in it, pray to your idols, and shed blood. Do you really think you will possess the land? New Heart English Bible Therefore tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood: and shall you possess the land? Webster's Bible Translation Wherefore say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes towards your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleTherefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land? World English Bible Therefore tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. So should you possess the land? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionTherefore say to them, Thus said Lord YHWH: You eat with the blood, "" And you lift up your eyes to your idols, "" And you shed blood, "" Should you then inherit the land? Berean Literal Bible Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘You⁺ eat that with the blood, and you⁺ lift up your⁺ eyes toward your⁺ idols, and you⁺ pour out blood—and you⁺ would possess the land? Young's Literal Translation Therefore say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: With the blood ye do eat, And your eyes ye lift up unto your idols, And blood ye shed, and the land ye inherit! Smith's Literal Translation For this, say to them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Ye will eat with the bloods, and ye will lift up your eyes to your blocks, and ye will pour out blood: and shall ye possess the land? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleTherefore say to them: Thus saith the Lord God, You that eat with the blood and lift up your eyes to your uncleannesses, and that shed blood: shall you possess the land by inheritance? Catholic Public Domain Version Therefore, you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: You who eat even the blood, and who lift up your eyes to your uncleannesses, and who shed blood: will you possess the land as an inheritance? New American Bible Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat on the mountains, you raise your eyes to your idols, you shed blood—yet you would keep possession of the land? New Revised Standard Version Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood, and lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleTherefore say to them, Thus says the LORD God: Because you eat meat with the blood and lift up your eyes toward your idols and drink blood, do you expect to inherit the land? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Because of this, say to them, ‘Thus says THE LORD OF LORDS: because you eat blood and you lift up your eyes to your idols and drink blood, do you also seek to inherit the land? OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Wherefore say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD. Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes unto your idols, and shed blood; and shall ye possess the land? Brenton Septuagint Translation Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Word of Jerusalem's Fall…24“Son of man, those living in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’ 25Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land? 26You have relied on your swords, you have committed detestable acts, and each of you has defiled his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’… Cross References Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Ezekiel 2:7 But speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious. Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. Deuteronomy 18:18-19 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. / And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name. ‘You eat meat with the blood in it, 1 Samuel 14:32-34 So they rushed greedily to the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them on the ground and ate meat with the blood still in it. / Then someone reported to Saul: “Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.” “You have broken faith,” said Saul. “Roll a large stone over here at once.” / Then he said, “Go among the troops and tell them, ‘Each man must bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter them in this place, and then eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.’” So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there. Leviticus 17:10-14 If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people. / For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. / Therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner living among you eat blood.’ … Deuteronomy 12:23-25 Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. / You must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water. / Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD. lift up your eyes to your idols, Ezekiel 14:3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way? Deuteronomy 4:19 When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. Ezekiel 6:4-7 Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will cast down your slain before your idols. / I will lay the corpses of the Israelites before their idols and scatter your bones around your altars. / Wherever you live, the cities will be laid waste and the high places will be demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and desecrated, your idols smashed and obliterated, your incense altars cut down, and your works blotted out. … and shed blood. Ezekiel 22:3 and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘O city who brings her own doom by shedding blood within her walls and making idols to defile herself, Isaiah 59:3 For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice. Proverbs 6:16-17 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: / haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, Should you then possess the land? Leviticus 18:28 So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you. Leviticus 20:22 You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out. Deuteronomy 4:25-26 After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger— / I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed. Leviticus 18:24-30 Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. / Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. / But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. … Treasury of Scripture Why say to them, Thus said the Lord GOD; You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall you possess the land? Ye eat Genesis 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. Leviticus 3:17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood. Leviticus 7:26,27 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings… lift up Ezekiel 18:6,12,15 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, … Deuteronomy 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. Psalm 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. and shed Ezekiel 9:9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not. Ezekiel 22:6,9,27 Behold, the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood… shall ye Jeremiah 7:9,10 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; … Jump to Previous Blood Cause Eat Eyes Flesh Idols Images Inherit Lift Meat Possess Shed Sovereign Takers Towards WhereforeJump to Next Blood Cause Eat Eyes Flesh Idols Images Inherit Lift Meat Possess Shed Sovereign Takers Towards WhereforeEzekiel 33 1. According to the duty of a watchman in warning the people7. Ezekiel is admonished of his duty 10. God shows the justice of his ways toward the penitent and toward revolters 17. He maintains his justice 21. Upon the news of the taking of Jerusalem 25. he prophecies the desolation of the land 30. God's judgment upon the mockers of the prophets Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: This phrase emphasizes the authority and divine origin of the message. Ezekiel, as a prophet, serves as a mouthpiece for God, delivering His judgments and instructions. The phrase underscores the seriousness of the message, as it comes directly from the sovereign Lord. This is a common prophetic formula found throughout the Old Testament, establishing the divine source of the prophecy (e.g., Isaiah 1:10, Jeremiah 2:2). You eat meat with the blood in it: Lift up your eyes to your idols: And shed blood: Should you then possess the land?: Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet of God who was called to deliver messages of warning and hope to the Israelites during their exile in Babylon. 2. The Israelites The people of God who were in exile due to their disobedience and idolatry. 3. Babylon The place of exile for the Israelites, representing a period of judgment and reflection. 4. The Land Refers to the Promised Land, which the Israelites were hoping to return to and possess once again. 5. Idols Objects of worship that the Israelites turned to instead of the one true God, leading to their spiritual downfall. Teaching Points Obedience to God's CommandsThe Israelites' failure to obey God's dietary laws and prohibition against idolatry serves as a reminder of the importance of obedience in our own lives. The Consequences of Idolatry Idolatry leads to spiritual and physical consequences, as seen in the Israelites' exile. We must examine our own lives for modern-day idols. The Sanctity of Life The prohibition against eating blood underscores the value God places on life. We are called to respect and uphold the sanctity of life in all its forms. Repentance and Restoration Despite their disobedience, God offers the Israelites a chance for repentance and restoration. This is a message of hope for us today. Possessing the Promises of God Just as the Israelites were questioned about their right to possess the land, we must consider our own readiness to receive God's promises based on our faithfulness. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Ezekiel 33:25?2. How does Ezekiel 33:25 challenge us to align actions with God's commands? 3. What does "eat meat with blood" symbolize regarding obedience to God's laws? 4. How can Ezekiel 33:25 guide our understanding of righteous living today? 5. What connections exist between Ezekiel 33:25 and Leviticus 17:10-14 on dietary laws? 6. How can we apply Ezekiel 33:25 to ensure our actions honor God? 7. How does Ezekiel 33:25 address the relationship between sin and divine judgment? 8. What historical context influenced the message of Ezekiel 33:25? 9. How does Ezekiel 33:25 challenge modern views on morality and ethics? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 33? 11. What foods are mentioned in the Bible? 12. In Ezekiel 22:2-5, why does God single out Jerusalem's bloodshed without clear archaeological evidence of such extensive violence? 13. Acts 15:22-29 - If this decree was universally binding, why do Paul's later writings seem to allow more freedoms than this letter implies? 14. How does the severe condemnation of these idolatries in Ezekiel 8 align or conflict with other biblical accounts of tolerating foreign gods? What Does Ezekiel 33:25 Mean Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says• Ezekiel speaks not on his own authority but as the mouthpiece of God. “The word of the LORD came to me” frames the entire chapter (Ezekiel 33:1). • The formula “Thus says the Lord GOD” underscores that the coming rebuke is divine, echoing Isaiah 1:18–20, where God summons His people to reason together, and 2 Peter 1:21, which reminds us that prophecy never originated in human will. • God’s Word stands as the ultimate standard; everything that follows is judged against it. You eat meat with the blood in it • Genesis 9:4 first prohibited consuming blood because “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). Israel’s later disregard for this law treated life as cheap. • By eating meat with its blood, the people ignored a sacred boundary, much like Saul’s troops in 1 Samuel 14:32–34, who sinned when they rushed upon the spoil. • Acts 15:20 confirms that respect for blood remained a concern even for Gentile believers. • The charge here shows a casual contempt for God’s commandments—part of a larger pattern of covenant infidelity. Lift up your eyes to your idols • To “lift up the eyes” suggests deliberate, willful worship (cf. Ezekiel 18:6). They were not accidentally stumbling; they were looking up in adoration. • The first and second commandments prohibit such devotion (Exodus 20:3–5). Yet Israel “set up idols in their hearts” (Ezekiel 14:3), blending outward ritual with inward rebellion. • Deuteronomy 4:19 warns that turning eyes toward created things provokes God’s jealousy; 1 Corinthians 10:14 still tells believers, “Flee from idolatry.” • Their idolatry wasn’t harmless spirituality; it broke the covenant and invited judgment. And shed blood • Violence was rampant. God had already declared, “You have become guilty by the blood you have shed” (Ezekiel 22:4). • From Genesis 9:6—“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed”—to Proverbs 6:16-17, the shedding of innocent blood calls down divine wrath. • Murder violates the image of God, ignores the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13), and destroys community trust. • The people’s hands were stained, yet they presumed on God’s promises. Should you then possess the land? • The question is rhetorical: of course not. Possessing the land was always conditional on covenant faithfulness (Leviticus 18:24-28; Deuteronomy 28:58-64). • By treating life, worship, and justice lightly, Israel forfeited the blessings tied to the land. • Later, God would promise restoration, but only after cleansing the land “from all their impurities and from all their idols” (Ezekiel 36:17, 25). • The principle endures: God’s people cannot expect His favor while cherishing sin. summary Ezekiel 33:25 exposes a three-fold rebellion—disregarding the sanctity of blood, embracing idols, and committing violence—then asks whether such people deserve to remain in God’s promised land. The verse reminds us that divine inheritance is linked to obedience, that sin carries real consequences, and that God’s standards are non-negotiable. (25) Ye eat with the blood.--The people who remained in the land went on as before in their course of sin. The crimes here charged upon them (Ezekiel 33:25-26) are the same as those all along alleged against them, and Jeremiah gives a sad picture of their open rebellion against the express commands of God (Jeremiah 42, 43). This particular sin of eating flesh with the blood had been repeatedly forbidden, first to Noah (Genesis 9:4), and again under the Law (Leviticus 3:17; Leviticus 7:26; Leviticus 17:10-14; Deuteronomy 12:16). . . . Verse 25. - Ye eat with the blood. It is characteristic of Ezekiel that the first offence which he names with horror should be a sin against a positive commandment. He felt, as it were, a sense of loathing at what seemed to him a descent into the worst form of pollution, forbidden, not to the Jews only (Leviticus 17:10; Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 12:16), but to mankind (Genesis 9:4); compare the scene in 1 Samuel 14:32. The same feeling shows itself in Zechariah 9:7 and Acts 15:20, 29. The prohibition of blood took its place, in later Judaism, as among the precepts of Noah, which were binding even on the proselytes of the gate, upon whom, as distinct from the proselytes of righteousness, the rite of circumcision was not enforced; and as such were accepted by the council at Jerusalem, as binding also among Christian converts. Not for such as these was the inheritance of Israel, and the prophet asks indignantly, after naming yet . more hateful offenses, Shall ye possess the land?Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Thereforeלָכֵן֩ (lā·ḵên) Adverb Strong's 3651: So -- thus tell אֱמֹ֨ר (’ĕ·mōr) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say them אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם (’ă·lê·hem) Preposition | third person masculine plural Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to that this is what כֹּֽה־ (kōh-) Adverb Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now the Lord אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 136: The Lord GOD יְהֹוִ֗ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel says: אָמַ֣ר ׀ (’ā·mar) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘You eat תֹּאכֵ֛לוּ (tō·ḵê·lū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 398: To eat meat with the blood [in it], הַדָּ֧ם ׀ (had·dām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed lift up תִּשְׂא֥וּ (tiś·’ū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take your eyes וְעֵינֵכֶ֛ם (wə·‘ê·nê·ḵem) Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc | second person masculine plural Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to your idols, גִּלּוּלֵיכֶ֖ם (gil·lū·lê·ḵem) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 1544: A log, an idol and shed תִּשְׁפֹּ֑כוּ (tiš·pō·ḵū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 8210: To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out blood. וְדָ֣ם (wə·ḏām) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed Should you then possess תִּירָֽשׁוּ׃ (tî·rā·šū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin the land? וְהָאָ֖רֶץ (wə·hā·’ā·reṣ) Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land Links Ezekiel 33:25 NIVEzekiel 33:25 NLT Ezekiel 33:25 ESV Ezekiel 33:25 NASB Ezekiel 33:25 KJV Ezekiel 33:25 BibleApps.com Ezekiel 33:25 Biblia Paralela Ezekiel 33:25 Chinese Bible Ezekiel 33:25 French Bible Ezekiel 33:25 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Ezekiel 33:25 Therefore tell them Thus says the Lord (Ezek. Eze Ezk) |
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