Ezekiel 11:21
New International Version
But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

New Living Translation
But as for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!”

English Standard Version
But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”

Berean Standard Bible
But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”

King James Bible
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

New King James Version
But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD.

New American Standard Bible
But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord GOD.

NASB 1995
“But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord GOD.

NASB 1977
“But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I shall bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord GOD.

Legacy Standard Bible
But as for those whose hearts walk after their detestable things and abominations, I will give what is due for their way on their heads,” declares Lord Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
But as for those whose heart longs for and follows after their detestable things and their repulsive things [associated with idolatry], on their own head I will repay [them in full for] their [vile] conduct,” says the Lord GOD.

Christian Standard Bible
But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for abhorrent acts and detestable practices, I will bring their conduct down on their own heads.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and practices, I will bring their actions down on their own heads.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

American Standard Version
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
But those who worship idols will be punished and get what they deserve. I, the LORD God, have spoken.

English Revised Version
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But as for those whose minds are set on following detestable and disgusting idols, I will pay them back for what they have done, declares the Almighty LORD.'"

Good News Translation
But I will punish the people who love to worship filthy, disgusting idols. I will punish them for what they have done." The Sovereign LORD has spoken.

International Standard Version
But to those whose hearts delight in loathsome things and detestable practices, I'll bring the consequences of their behavior crashing down on their own heads," declares the Lord GOD.'"

Majority Standard Bible
But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.?

NET Bible
But those whose hearts are devoted to detestable things and abominations, I hereby repay them for what they have done, says the sovereign LORD."

New Heart English Bible
But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,' says the Lord GOD."

Webster's Bible Translation
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

World English Bible
But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
As for those whose heart is going to the heart "" Of their detestable things and their abominations, "" I have put their way on their head, "" A declaration of Lord YHWH.”

Young's Literal Translation
As to those whose heart is going unto the heart Of their detestable and their abominable things, Their way on their head I have put, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And to the heart going to the heart of their abominable things and their abominations, I gave their way upon their head, says the Lord Jehovah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But as for them whose heart walketh after their scandals and abominations, I will lay their way upon their head, saith the Lord God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But as for those whose heart walks after their offenses and abominations, I will set their own way upon their head, says the Lord God.”

New American Bible
But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their atrocities and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their heads—oracle of the Lord GOD.

New Revised Standard Version
But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord GOD.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But as for those whose heart followed after their images and abominations, I will recompense their evil ways upon their own heads, says the LORD God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For into the mind of their idols and of their abominations their heart has gone. I shall pay their ways upon their heads, says THE LORD OF LORDS”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And as for the heart set upon their abominations and their iniquities, as their heart went after them, I have recompensed their ways on their heads, saith the Lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Promise of Restoration
20so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”

Cross References
Jeremiah 16:11-13
Then you are to answer them: ‘It is because your fathers have forsaken Me, declares the LORD, and followed other gods, and served and worshiped them. They abandoned Me and did not keep My instruction. / And you have done more evil than your fathers. See how each of you follows the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying Me. / So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’

Deuteronomy 29:18-20
Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit, / because when such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself, saying, ‘I will have peace, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart.’ This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. / The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven

Isaiah 65:2-7
All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, / to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick, / sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls. ...

Jeremiah 7:24-26
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. / From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. / Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.

2 Kings 17:15-18
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. / They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. / They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. ...

Leviticus 26:27-28
But if in spite of all this you do not obey Me, but continue to walk in hostility toward Me, / then I will walk in fury against you, and I, even I, will punish you sevenfold for your sins.

Romans 1:28-32
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. / They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. ...

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. / For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

Isaiah 66:3-4
Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations. / So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

Jeremiah 9:13-16
And the LORD answered, “It is because they have forsaken My law, which I set before them; they have not walked in it or obeyed My voice. / Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts and gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.” / Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink. ...

1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”

Proverbs 1:24-31
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, / because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction, / in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you, ...

Hosea 4:17
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

2 Chronicles 36:14-16
Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, following all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD, which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. / Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. / But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

Matthew 15:8-9
‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”


Treasury of Scripture

But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way on their own heads, said the Lord GOD.

whose

Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Mark 7:21-23
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, …

their detestable

Ezekiel 11:18
And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

Jeremiah 1:16
And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah 2:20
For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

I will

Ezekiel 9:10
And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

Ezekiel 20:31,38
For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you…

Ezekiel 22:31
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

Jump to Previous
Abominations Conduct Declares Deeds Detestable Devoted Disgusting Goes Hated Heads Heart Hearts Images Punishment Recompense Requite Sovereign Vile Walketh Walks Way Ways Well-Pleased
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Abominations Conduct Declares Deeds Detestable Devoted Disgusting Goes Hated Heads Heart Hearts Images Punishment Recompense Requite Sovereign Vile Walketh Walks Way Ways Well-Pleased
Ezekiel 11
1. The presumption of the princes
4. Their sin and judgment
13. Ezekiel complaining, God shows him his purpose in saving a remnant
22. The glory of God leaves the city
24. Ezekiel is returned to the captivity














But as for those
This phrase introduces a contrast, setting apart a specific group of people. In the Hebrew text, the word "those" refers to individuals who have chosen a path contrary to God's will. This distinction is crucial, as it highlights the separation between the faithful remnant and those who have turned away from God. The phrase serves as a reminder of the personal responsibility each individual holds in their relationship with God.

whose hearts pursue
The heart, in Hebrew thought, is the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. The verb "pursue" indicates a deliberate and continuous action. This phrase suggests a deep-seated commitment to a path that is contrary to God's desires. It is a sobering reminder of the power of the heart's inclinations and the importance of aligning one's desires with God's will.

their vile images
The term "vile images" refers to idols or representations of false gods that were common in the ancient Near East. These images were considered "vile" because they were an abomination to the Lord, leading people away from true worship. Historically, Israel struggled with idolatry, often adopting the practices of surrounding nations. This phrase underscores the spiritual adultery of turning from the living God to lifeless idols.

and detestable idols
The word "detestable" is a strong term used throughout the Old Testament to describe things that are abhorrent to God. Idols are detestable because they usurp the place of God in the hearts of His people. This phrase serves as a warning against the allure of idolatry, which promises much but delivers spiritual death.

I will bring their conduct down on their own heads
This phrase is a declaration of divine justice. The imagery of bringing conduct "down on their own heads" suggests that the consequences of their actions will be personal and unavoidable. It reflects the biblical principle of sowing and reaping, where individuals face the repercussions of their choices. This serves as both a warning and a call to repentance, emphasizing God's righteousness and the certainty of His judgment.

declares the Lord GOD
The phrase "declares the Lord GOD" is a solemn affirmation of the authority and certainty of the message. In Hebrew, "Lord GOD" is "Adonai Yahweh," emphasizing both the sovereignty and the covenantal relationship of God with His people. This declaration assures the reader of the truth and reliability of God's word, encouraging trust in His promises and warnings.

(21) I will recompense their way.--In striking contrast to the mercy granted to the repentant, is set forth here, as in Revelation 21:8, the Divine wrath upon the impenitent. It has never been promised that all men shall be brought to a true sense of their relations to God, for human responsibility, and consequently power of choice, is not removed; but God's grace is never in vain, and if it does not lead to blessing through its acceptance, must result in greater condemnation through its rejection. (Comp. 2Corinthians 2:16.)

The heart of their detestable things, is a figurative expression. Idols in themselves are inanimate things, but the heart of the people was so given to the spirit of idolatry and alienation from God, that the abstract, as usual with this prophet, is represented in this concrete, figurative form.

Verse 21. - But as for them, etc. We note the peculiar phraseology. The heart of the people walks not simply after their detestable things, but after the heart of those things. There is, as it were, a central unity in the evil to which they unite themselves, just as the heart of man turns to the heart of God when the two are in their ideal relation to each other. For those who did this, whether in Jerusalem or among the exiles, there was the prospect of a righteous retribution. The words close the message which Ezekiel heard in the courts of the temple in his visions, but which he was to deliver (ver. 25) to them of the Captivity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But as for
וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

those whose hearts
לֵ֧ב (lêḇ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

pursue
הֹלֵ֑ךְ (hō·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

detestable things
שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶ֛ם (šiq·qū·ṣê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8251: Disgusting, filthy, idolatrous, an idol

and abominations,
וְתוֹעֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם (wə·ṯō·w·‘ă·ḇō·w·ṯê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8441: Something disgusting, an abhorrence, idolatry, an idol

I will bring their conduct
דַּרְכָּם֙ (dar·kām)
Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

down
נָתַ֔תִּי (nā·ṯat·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

upon their own heads,
בְּרֹאשָׁ֣ם (bə·rō·šām)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7218: The head

declares
נְאֻ֖ם (nə·’um)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֥י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD.’”
יְהוִֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 11:21 But as for them whose heart walks (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 11:20
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