Ezekiel 22:25 The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her.

◄ Ezekiel 22:25 ►

New International Version
There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her.

New Living Translation
Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land.

English Standard Version
The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.

Berean Standard Bible
The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her.

King James Bible
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

New King James Version
The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.

New American Standard Bible
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.

NASB 1995
“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.

NASB 1977
“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.

Legacy Standard Bible
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.

Amplified Bible
There is a conspiracy of her [false] prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured [human] life; they have taken [in their greed] treasure and precious things; they have made many widows among her.

Christian Standard Bible
The conspiracy of her prophets within her is like a roaring lion tearing its prey: they devour people, seize wealth and valuables, and multiply the widows within her.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The conspiracy of her prophets within her is like a roaring lion tearing its prey: they devour people, seize wealth and valuables, and multiply the widows within her.

American Standard Version
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in the midst thereof.

Contemporary English Version
Their leaders are like roaring lions, tearing apart their victims. They put people to death, then steal everything of value. Husbands are killed, and many women are left as widows.

English Revised Version
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in the midst thereof.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Your princes are like roaring lions who tear their prey into pieces. They eat people and take their treasures and precious belongings. They turn many women into widows.

Good News Translation
The leaders are like lions roaring over the animals they have killed. They kill the people, take all the money and property they can get, and by their murders leave many widows.

International Standard Version
There's a conspiracy of prophets within her, and like a roaring lion tearing its prey, they've devoured people, and confiscated treasures, and taken precious things. They've added to the population of widows within her.

Majority Standard Bible
The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her.

NET Bible
Her princes within her are like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they have devoured lives. They take away riches and valuable things; they have made many women widows within it.

New Heart English Bible
There is a conspiracy of her princes in its midst, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in its midst.

Webster's Bible Translation
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst of her, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst of her.

World English Bible
There is a conspiracy of her prophets within it, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls. They take treasure and precious things. They have made many widows within it.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
A conspiracy of its prophets [is] in its midst, "" As a roaring lion tearing prey; They have devoured the soul, "" They have taken wealth and glory, "" Its widows have multiplied in its midst.

Young's Literal Translation
A conspiracy of its prophets is in its midst, as a roaring lion tearing prey; The soul they have devoured, Wealth and glory they have taken, Its widows have multiplied in its midst.

Smith's Literal Translation
A conspiracy of her prophets in her midst as a roaring lion rending the prey; they consumed the soul; they will take the wealth and the precious thing; they multiplied her widows in her midst.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
There is a conspiracy of prophets in the midst thereof: like a lion that roareth and catcheth the prey, they have devoured souls, they have taken riches and hire, they have made many widows in the midst thereof.

Catholic Public Domain Version
There is a conspiracy of prophets in her midst. Like a lion, roaring and seizing the prey, they have devoured souls. They have taken riches and a price. They have multiplied widows in her midst.

New American Bible
A conspiracy of its princes is like a roaring lion tearing prey; they devour people, seizing their wealth and precious things, making many widows within her.

New Revised Standard Version
Its princes within it are like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows within it.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Her prophets in the midst of her have conspired; they are like a lion that roars and tears the prey; they have devoured lives with their might; they have taken the precious things of their palaces.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Her Prophets have rebelled within her as a lion that roars, and he rips the prey. They consumed souls by their strength and they took precious things from their palaces

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls, they take treasure and precious things, they have made her widows many in the midst thereof.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
whose princes in the midst of her are as roaring lions seizing prey, devouring souls by oppression, and taking bribes; and thy widows are multiplied in the midst of thee.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Sins of Prophets, Priests, Princes
…24“Son of man, say to her, ‘In the day of indignation, you are a land that has not been cleansed, upon which no rain has fallen.’ 25The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her. 26Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Jeremiah 23:11-14
“For both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the LORD. / “Therefore their path will become slick; they will be driven away into the darkness and fall into it. For I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD. / “Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray. ...

Zephaniah 3:3-4
Her princes are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, leaving nothing for the morning. / Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.

Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”

Isaiah 56:10-11
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber. / Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:

Jeremiah 5:30-31
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land. / The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

Hosea 6:9
Like raiders who lie in ambush, so does a band of priests; they murder on the way to Shechem; surely they have committed atrocities.

Lamentations 4:13
But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.

Matthew 23:13-15
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter. / Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter. / Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Acts 20:29-30
I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. / Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.

2 Peter 2:1-3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. / Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. / In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. / For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, / unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, ...

1 Timothy 4:1-2
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, / influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

Revelation 2:20
But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

Revelation 18:24
And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.

Treasury of Scripture

There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the middle thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the middle thereof.

a conspiracy

Ezekiel 13:10-16
Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter: …

1 Kings 22:11-13,23
And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them…

Jeremiah 5:30,31
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; …

Ezekiel 22:27-29
Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain…

Isaiah 56:11
Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Hosea 6:9
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

ravening.

they have devoured

Ezekiel 13:19
And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?

Jeremiah 2:30,34
In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion…

Matthew 23:14
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

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Conspiracy Devour Devoured Food Great Her Human Lion Midst Precious Prey Princes Property Prophets Ravening Roaring Souls Tearing Thereof Treasure Treasures Valued Violently Wealth Widows Within

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Ezekiel 22

1. A catalogue of sins in Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jews in consequence
17. God will burn them as dross in his furnace
23. The general corruption of prophets, priests, princes, and the people

Berean Study Bible

There is a conspiracy
The Hebrew word for "conspiracy" is "קֶשֶׁר" (qesher), which implies a secret plan or alliance, often with malicious intent. In the context of Ezekiel, this conspiracy is not just a political plot but a spiritual rebellion against God’s laws. Historically, Israel's leaders often formed alliances with surrounding nations, contrary to God's commands, leading to moral and spiritual decay. This conspiracy reflects a deeper betrayal of trust and covenant with God, highlighting the severity of their sin.

of her princes
The term "princes" refers to the leaders or rulers of Israel. In Hebrew, "נְשִׂיאֶיהָ" (nesi'eha) denotes those in positions of authority. These leaders were expected to shepherd the people with justice and righteousness. However, their failure to do so is a recurring theme in the prophetic literature. The princes' corruption and failure to uphold God's standards contributed significantly to the nation's downfall, serving as a warning to leaders in all generations about the consequences of neglecting divine responsibilities.

within her
This phrase emphasizes the internal nature of the corruption. The problem is not external pressure but an internal moral and spiritual decay. The Hebrew "בְּתוֹכָהּ" (betokhah) suggests that the conspiracy is deeply rooted within the society itself. This internal corruption is more dangerous because it erodes the community from the inside, making it vulnerable to external threats and divine judgment.

like a roaring lion tearing its prey
The imagery of a "roaring lion" is powerful and evocative. In Hebrew, "כַּאֲרִי שֹׁאֵג טֹרֵף" (ka'ari sho'eg toref) conveys a sense of ferocity and destruction. Lions are often used in Scripture to symbolize strength and danger. Here, the leaders are compared to lions, not in their noble strength, but in their predatory and destructive behavior. This metaphor underscores the violence and ruthlessness with which the leaders exploit the people, a stark contrast to the shepherd-like care they were supposed to provide.

they devour people
The phrase "devour people" uses the Hebrew "אָכְלוּ נֶפֶשׁ" (aklu nefesh), which literally means to consume or eat lives. This graphic depiction illustrates the extent of the leaders' exploitation and oppression. Instead of protecting and nurturing the people, they consume them for their gain. This consumption is not just physical but also spiritual and economic, reflecting a total disregard for the well-being of the populace.

seize treasures and precious things
The Hebrew "חָמְסוּ חוֹסֶן וִיקָר" (chamsu chosen viqar) indicates a violent taking of wealth and valuables. This phrase highlights the greed and materialism of the leaders. In biblical times, treasures and precious things were often symbols of God's blessing and provision. By seizing these, the leaders not only rob the people of their material wealth but also of their dignity and hope, further alienating them from God's intended blessings.

and make many widows within her
The creation of "many widows" is a direct consequence of the leaders' actions. The Hebrew "וְאַלְמָנוֹת הִרְבּוּ בְתוֹכָהּ" (vealmanot hirbu betokhah) suggests an increase in the number of widows due to the violence and injustice perpetrated by the leaders. Widows in ancient Israel were particularly vulnerable and were supposed to be protected by the community. The increase in widows signifies a breakdown of social justice and care, highlighting the leaders' failure to uphold God's commandments to protect the marginalized and vulnerable. This serves as a poignant reminder of the societal impact of leadership corruption and the importance of justice and compassion in governance.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) A conspiracy of her prophets.--The opposition of false prophets to the Divine measures for the reformation of the people is continually spoken of (comp. Ezekiel 13, Zephaniah 3:4, and many passages in Jeremiah) as among the most serious obstacles to the work of the true prophets: there is also frequent mention of them in history (1 Kings 22, &c), as they had been foretold from of old in prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). Nothing, it may be observed, could have afforded more plausible excuse to the people for not obeying the Divine admonitions than an opposing "Thus saith the Lord." The greed of the false prophets and the disastrous effects of their counsel are spoken of here in stronger terms than in any other passage.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - A conspiracy of prophets. The prophet's thoughts go back to Ezekiel 13:1-16, from which, in Ver. 28, he actually quotes It is probable that, in the interval, fresh tidings had reached him of the evil work which they were doing at Jerusalem. The LXX. ἀφηγούμενοι (equivalent to "princes") suggests that they followed a different text, and this is adopted by Keil and Hitzig. Like a roaring lion (comp. Ezekiel 19:2, 3; 1 Peter 5:8). The word probably points to the loud declamations of the false prophets (compare, as a striking parallel, Zephaniah 3:3, 4).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

The conspiracy
קֶ֤שֶׁר (qe·šer)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7195: An, alliance

of the princes
נְבִיאֶ֙יהָ֙ (nə·ḇî·’e·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet

in her midst
בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ (bə·ṯō·w·ḵāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

is like a roaring
שׁוֹאֵ֖ג (šō·w·’êḡ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7580: To rumble, moan

lion
כַּאֲרִ֥י (ka·’ă·rî)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 738: A lion

tearing
טֹ֣רֵֽף (ṭō·rêp̄)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2963: To pluck off, pull to pieces, to supply with food

its prey.
טָ֑רֶף (ṭā·rep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2964: Something torn, a fragment, a fresh leaf, prey, food

They devour
אָכָ֗לוּ (’ā·ḵā·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 398: To eat

the people,
נֶ֣פֶשׁ (ne·p̄eš)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

seize
יִקָּ֔חוּ (yiq·qā·ḥū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3947: To take

the treasures
חֹ֤סֶן (ḥō·sen)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2633: Wealth, treasure

and precious things,
וִיקָר֙ (wî·qār)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3366: Value, wealth, costliness, dignity

and multiply
הִרְבּ֥וּ (hir·bū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

the widows
אַלְמְנוֹתֶ֖יהָ (’al·mə·nō·w·ṯe·hā)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 490: A widow, a desolate place

within her.
בְתוֹכָֽהּ׃ (ḇə·ṯō·w·ḵāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 22:25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets (Ezek. Eze Ezk)