Ezekiel 8
Complete Jewish Bible
8 On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year, as I was sitting in my house, and the leaders of Y’hudah were sitting there with me, the hand of Adonai Elohim fell on me. 2 I looked and saw what seemed like a man made of fire. From what appeared to be his waist downward was fire, and from his waist upward was what appeared to be a gleaming amber-colored brilliance. 3 The form of a hand was put out, which took me by a lock of my hair; and a spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me, in these visions from God, to Yerushalayim, to the entrance of the inner [courtyard] gate that faces north. There stood the idol that [arouses God’s] jealousy and provokes [his] zealous indignation. 4 There before me was the glory of the God of Isra’el, as in the vision I had seen in the valley.
5 Then he said to me, “Human being, raise your eyes toward the north.” I raised my eyes toward the north and saw, north of the Altar Gate, this image that [arouses God’s] jealousy in the entryway. 6 He asked me, “Human being, do you see what they are doing, the horribly disgusting practices that the house of Isra’el is committing here, so that I must distance myself from my own sanctuary? But you will see even worse abominations.”
7 He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard; and when I looked, I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Human being, dig into the wall.” After digging in the wall, I saw a door. 9 “Go in,” he said, “and see the wicked practices they are engaged in here.” 10 So I went in and looked, and there, carved on the walls all around, were every kind of reptile and repulsive animal, along with all the idols of the house of Isra’el. 11 Standing in front of them were seventy of the leading men of the house of Isra’el — in the center stood Ya’azanyahu the son of Shafan. Each man had his incense-burner in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then he said to me, “Human being, did you see what the leaders of the house of Isra’el are doing in the dark, each one in the room of his own carved image, because they say, ‘Adonai can’t see us; Adonai has left the land.’?” 13 He also said to me, “You will see even worse abominations that they are doing.”
14 He brought me to the entrance of the north gate to Adonai’s house; and there before me were women weeping for Tammuz. 15 “Human being,” he asked me, “have you seen this? You will see practices even more disgusting than these.” 16 He brought me into the inner courtyard of Adonai’s house; and there, at the entrance to the temple of Adonai, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of Adonai and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east. 17 He asked me, “Human being, have you seen this? Does the house of Y’hudah consider it a casual matter that they commit the disgusting practices they are committing here, thus filling the land with violence, provoking me still more? Look! They are even putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will act in fury, my eye will not spare, I will have no pity. Even if they cry loudly right in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
Ezekiel 8
English Standard Version
Abominations in the Temple
8 (A)In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, (B)as I sat in my house, with (C)the elders of Judah sitting before me, (D)the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and behold, (E)a form that had the appearance of a man.[a] (F)Below what appeared to be his waist was fire, and above his waist was something like the appearance of brightness, like (G)gleaming metal.[b] 3 He (H)put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up (I)between earth and heaven and (J)brought me in (K)visions of God to Jerusalem, (L)to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, (M)where was the seat of the (N)image of jealousy, (O)which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, (P)the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw (Q)in the valley.
5 Then he said to me, (R)“Son of man, lift up your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of (S)the altar gate, in the entrance, was this (T)image of jealousy. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man, (U)do you see what they are doing, (V)the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, (W)to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations.”
7 And he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then he said to me, “Son of man, (X)dig in the wall.” So I dug in the wall, and behold, there was an entrance. 9 And he said to me, “Go in, and see (Y)the vile abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I went in and saw. And there, (Z)engraved on the wall all around, was (AA)every form of (AB)creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. 11 And before them stood (AC)seventy men of (AD)the elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of (AE)Shaphan standing among them. Each had his censer in his hand, and (AF)the smoke of the 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 are doing (AG)in the dark, each (AH)in his room of pictures? For they say, (AI)‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’” 13 He said also to me, (AJ)“You will see still greater abominations that they commit.”
14 Then he brought me to (AK)the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O (AL)son of man? (AM)You will see still greater abominations than these.”
16 And he brought me into (AN)the inner court of the house of the Lord. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, (AO)between the (AP)porch and (AQ)the altar, were about twenty-five men, (AR)with their backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, worshiping (AS)the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O (AT)son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit (AU)the abominations that they commit here, that (AV)they should fill the land with violence and (AW)provoke me still further to anger? Behold, they put the branch to their[c] nose. 18 Therefore (AX)I will act in wrath. (AY)My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. (AZ)And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 8:2 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew of fire
- Ezekiel 8:2 Or amber
- Ezekiel 8:17 Or my
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
