Ezekiel 11

1 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.

Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looks eastward. Behold, twenty-five men were at the door of the gate; and I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

2 And the LORD said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked counsel in this city.

He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;

3 They are saying, ‘Is not the time near to build houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat.’

who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’

4 Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man!”

Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”

5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me and told me to declare that this is what the LORD says: “That is what you are thinking, O house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your minds.

The LORD’s Spirit fell on me, and he said to me, “Speak, ‘The LORD says: “Thus you have said, house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.

6 You have multiplied those you killed in this city and filled its streets with the dead.

You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.”

7 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: The slain you have laid within this city are the meat, and the city is the pot; but I will remove you from it.

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the meat, and this is the cauldron; but you will be brought out of the middle of it.

8 You fear the sword, so I will bring the sword against you, declares the Lord GOD.

You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,” says the Lord GOD.

9 I will bring you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners, and I will execute judgments against you.

“I will bring you out of the middle of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

10 You will fall by the sword, and I will judge you even to the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

You will fall by the sword. I will judge you in the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

11 The city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat within it. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel.

This will not be your cauldron, neither will you be the meat in the middle of it. I will judge you in the border of Israel.

12 Then you will know that I am the LORD. For you have neither followed My statutes nor practiced My ordinances, but you have conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.”

You will know that I am the LORD, for you have not walked in my statutes. You have not executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you.”’”

13 Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”

When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”

14 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

15 “Son of man, your brothers—your relatives, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel—are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, ‘They are far away from the LORD; this land has been given to us as a possession.’

“Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are the ones to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from the LORD. This land has been given to us for a possession.’

16 Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’

“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.”’

17 Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.’

“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you Eretz-Israel.”

18 When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations.

“‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.

19 And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,

I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,

20 so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

21 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.”

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.”

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

23 And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city.

The LORD’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

24 And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me,

The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Kasdimah, to the captives. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

25 I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.

Then I spoke to the captives all the things that the LORD had shown me.