Israel Is Worthless

¹⁷ The ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to me, saying: ¹⁸ “·Human [^TSon of man; 2:1], the ·people [^Lhouse] of Israel have become ·scum [dross; ^Cuseless] to me. They are like the ·copper [or bronze], tin, iron, and lead left in the furnace when silver is purified. ¹⁹ So this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because you have become ·scum [dross], I am going to bring you together inside Jerusalem. ²⁰ Just as people put silver, ·copper [or bronze], iron, lead, and tin together inside a furnace to melt them down in a blazing fire, so I will gather you in my hot anger and put you together in Jerusalem and melt you down. ²¹ I will ·put [gather] you together and ·make you feel [^Lblow on you with] the ·heat [fire] of my ·anger [fury; wrath]. You will be melted down ·inside Jerusalem [^Lin the midst of it]. ²² As silver is melted in a furnace, you will be melted inside ·the city [^Lit]. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my ·anger [wrath] on you.’”