21It came about in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, after our captivity, that the survivor came to me from Jerusalem, saying, "The city has been struck."22The hand of the LORD came upon me in the evening before the survivor arrived, and he opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning; then my mouth was opened and I was no longer mute.23Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,24Son of man, the inhabitants of these ruins on the soil of Israel are saying, Abraham was one man, and he took possession of the land, but we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.25Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord GOD: you eat with the blood, you lift your eyes to your idols, and you shed blood, yet you possess the land.26You have stood by your sword; you have committed abomination and defiled the wife of your neighbor, and you possess the land.27Thus you shall say to them, thus says the Lord GOD: as I live, those who are in the ruins will fall by the sword, those who are on the open land I have given to the wild animals to devour, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die by pestilence.28I will make the land a desolation and a waste, the pride of its strength will cease, and the mountains of Israel will be desolate with no one passing through.29Then they will know that I am the LORD when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.30As for you, son of man, your people who speak about you beside the walls and at the doors of the houses, one will say to another, each man to his brother, 'Come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.'31They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people; they hear your words but they do not do them, for their lips speak of lusts and their heart goes after unjust gain.32Behold, you are to them like a lovely song with a beautiful voice and pleasing music; they hear your words but they do not do them.33When it comes, behold, it comes, and they will know that a prophet has been among them.