Abominations in the Temple

And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with (A)the elders of Judah sitting before me, that (B)the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. (C)Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, (D)like the color of amber. He (E)stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and (F)the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and (G)brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, (H)where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which (I)provokes[a] to jealousy. And behold, the (J)glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I (K)saw in the plain.

Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great (L)abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.

And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” 10 So I went in and saw, and there—every (M)sort of (N)creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, [b]portrayed all around on the walls. 11 And there stood before them (O)seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, (P)‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ”

13 And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for [c]Tammuz.

15 Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” 16 So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, (Q)between the porch and the altar, (R)were about twenty-five men (S)with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping (T)the sun toward the east.

17 And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have (U)filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. 18 (V)Therefore I also will act in fury. My (W)eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they (X)cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

The Wicked Are Slain

Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a [d]deadly weapon in his hand.” And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his [e]battle-ax in his hand. (Y)One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn [f]at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Now (Z)the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the [g]temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put (AA)a mark on the foreheads of the men (AB)who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

To the others He said in my [h]hearing, “Go after him through the city and (AC)kill;[i] (AD)do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. (AE)Utterly[j] slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but (AF)do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and (AG)begin at My sanctuary.” (AH)So they began with the elders who were before the [k]temple. Then He said to them, “Defile the [l]temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I (AI)fell on my face and cried out, and said, (AJ)“Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”

Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and (AK)the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, (AL)‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and (AM)the Lord does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My (AN)eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but (AO)I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”

11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”

The Glory Departs from the Temple

10 And I looked, and there in the (AP)firmament[m] that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. (AQ)Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with (AR)coals of fire from among the cherubim, and (AS)scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.

Now the cherubim were standing on the [n]south side of the [o]temple when the man went in, and the (AT)cloud filled the inner court. (AU)Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the [p]temple; and (AV)the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s (AW)glory. And the (AX)sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like (AY)the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. (AZ)The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

(BA)And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a (BB)beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 11 (BC)When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. 12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were (BD)full of eyes all around. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my [q]hearing, “Wheel.”

14 (BE)Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was (BF)the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. 16 (BG)When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. 17 (BH)When [r]the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when [s]one was lifted up, [t]the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

18 Then (BI)the glory of the Lord (BJ)departed from the threshold of the [u]temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 And (BK)the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the (BL)east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

20 (BM)This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel (BN)by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. 21 (BO)Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And (BP)the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. (BQ)They each went straight forward.

Judgment on Wicked Counselors

11 Then (BR)the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to (BS)the East Gate of the Lord’s house, which faces eastward; and there (BT)at the door of the gate were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked [v]counsel in this city, who say, ‘The time is not (BU)near to build houses; (BV)this city is the [w]caldron, and we are the meat.’ Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”

Then (BW)the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me, “Speak! ‘Thus says the Lord: “Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for (BX)I know the things that come into your mind. (BY)You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.” Therefore thus says the Lord God: (BZ)“Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron; (CA)but I shall bring you out of the midst of it. You have (CB)feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,” says the Lord God. “And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and (CC)execute judgments on you. 10 (CD)You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at (CE)the border of Israel. (CF)Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 11 (CG)This city shall not be your [x]caldron, nor shall you be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel. 12 And you shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but (CH)have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.” ’ ”

13 Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that (CI)Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then (CJ)I fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?”

God Will Restore Israel

14 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 “Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, (CK)yet I shall be a little [y]sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.” ’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (CL)“I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ’ 18 And they will go there, and they will take away all its (CM)detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19 Then (CN)I will give them one heart, and I will put (CO)a new spirit within [z]them, and take (CP)the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 (CQ)that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; (CR)and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, (CS)I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.

22 So the cherubim (CT)lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high above them. 23 And (CU)the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood (CV)on the mountain, (CW)which is on the east side of the city.

24 Then (CX)the Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into [aa]Chaldea, to those in captivity. And the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the Lord had shown me.

Judah’s Captivity Portrayed

12 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of (CY)a rebellious house, which (CZ)has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; (DA)for they are a rebellious house.

“Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity. Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it. In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, (DB)for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.

And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, (DC)the rebellious house, said to you, (DD)‘What are you doing?’ 10 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “This (DE)burden[ab] concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.” ’ 11 Say, (DF)‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; (DG)they shall be carried away into captivity.’ 12 And (DH)the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes. 13 I will also spread My (DI)net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. (DJ)I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there. 14 (DK)I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and (DL)I will draw out the sword after them.

15 (DM)“Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. 16 (DN)But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Judgment Not Postponed

17 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (DO)eat your bread with [ac]quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety. 19 And say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may (DP)be emptied of all who are in it, (DQ)because of the violence of all those who dwell in it. 20 Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 22 “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, (DR)‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’? 23 Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” ’ But say to them, ‘ (DS)“The days are at hand, and the [ad]fulfillment of every vision. 24 For (DT)no more shall there be any (DU)false[ae] vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25 For I am the Lord. I speak, and (DV)the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and (DW)perform it,” says the Lord God.’ ”

26 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 27 (DX)“Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is (DY)for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 (DZ)Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak (EA)will be done,” says the Lord God.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 8:3 Arouses the Lord’s jealousy
  2. Ezekiel 8:10 Or carved
  3. Ezekiel 8:14 A Sumerian fertility god similar to the Gr. god Adonis
  4. Ezekiel 9:1 Or destroying
  5. Ezekiel 9:2 Lit. shattering weapon
  6. Ezekiel 9:2 Lit. upon his loins
  7. Ezekiel 9:3 Lit. house
  8. Ezekiel 9:5 Lit. ears
  9. Ezekiel 9:5 Lit. strike
  10. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit. Slay to destruction
  11. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit. house
  12. Ezekiel 9:7 Lit. house
  13. Ezekiel 10:1 expanse
  14. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit. right
  15. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit. house
  16. Ezekiel 10:4 Lit. house
  17. Ezekiel 10:13 Lit. ears
  18. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they
  19. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they were
  20. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they lifted them
  21. Ezekiel 10:18 Lit. house
  22. Ezekiel 11:2 Advice
  23. Ezekiel 11:3 Pot
  24. Ezekiel 11:11 Pot
  25. Ezekiel 11:16 holy place
  26. Ezekiel 11:19 Lit. you (pl.)
  27. Ezekiel 11:24 Or Babylon, and so elsewhere in the book
  28. Ezekiel 12:10 oracle, prophecy
  29. Ezekiel 12:18 shaking
  30. Ezekiel 12:23 Lit. word
  31. Ezekiel 12:24 Lit. vain

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