As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.

Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.

“‘They have blown the trumpet, they have made all things ready, but no one will go into battle, for my wrath is on the whole crowd.

“‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin.

They took pride in their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols. They made it into vile images; therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.

He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out.

I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.

During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile.

Say to them, ‘I am a sign to you.’ “As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.

“Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals,

If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

“‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.

With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel.

On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands—

When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.

I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you.

I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.