Ezekiel 8

1 Now in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in my house and the responsible men of Judah were seated before me, the hand of the Lord came on me there.

On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year, I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah and the power of the Lord God came over me there.

2 And looking, I saw a form like fire; from the middle of his body and down there was fire: and up from the middle of his body a sort of shining, like electrum.

I looked around and saw a being that looked like a man. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, he looked like fire. From what seemed to his waist upwards, he looked like brightly glowing metal.

3 And he put out the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; and the wind, lifting me up between the earth and the heaven, took me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the way into the inner door facing to the north; where was the seat of the image of envy.

He reached out what seemed to be a hand and picked me up by my hair. The Spirit took me up into the sky, and in the vision God was giving me he carried me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple's inner courtyard, where the offensive idol that made God angry had been placed.

4 And I saw the glory of the Lord there, as in the vision which I saw in the valley.

I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, just like I had in the vision I'd seen in the valley.

5 Then he said to me, Son of man, now let your eyes be lifted up in the direction of the north; and on looking in the direction of the north, to the north of the doorway of the altar, I saw this image of envy by the way in.

“Son of man,” he told me, “now look to the north.” So I looked to the north, and in the entrance to the north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol that angered God.

6 And he said to me, Son of man, do you see what they are doing? even the very disgusting things which the children of Israel are doing here, causing me to go far away from my holy place? but you will see other most disgusting things.

“Son of man,” he said to me, “can you see what they are doing? Look at the disgusting sins the people of Israel are committing that are driving me far away from my sanctuary? But you're going to see even more disgusting sins than these!”

7 And he took me to the door of the open place; and looking, I saw a hole in the wall.

He took me to the entrance to the Temple courtyard. As I looked around, I saw a hole in the wall.

8 And he said to me, Son of man, make a hole in the wall: and after making a hole in the wall I saw a door.

“Son of man,” he told me, “pull the wall apart.” So I pulled the wall apart and found a doorway.

9 And he said to me, Go in and see the evil and disgusting things which they are doing here.

He told me, “Go through the wall and see the evil and disgusting things they are doing in here.”

10 So I went in and saw; and there every sort of living thing which goes flat on the earth, and unclean beasts, and all the images of the children of Israel, were pictured round about on the wall.

So I went through the wall and saw carved images covering the walls, representing all kinds of reptiles and disgusting animals, as well as all the idols worshiped by the people of Israel.

11 And before them seventy of the responsible men of the children of Israel had taken their places, every man with a vessel for burning perfumes in his hand, and in the middle of them was Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan; and a cloud of smoke went up from the burning perfume.

Seventy elders of the house of Israel were standing in front of them, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. They all were holding censers, producing a sweet-smelling cloud of incense that rose above them.

12 And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the responsible men of the children of Israel do in the dark, every man in his room of pictured images? for they say, The Lord does not see us; the Lord has gone away from the land.

“Son of man,” he said to me, “can you see what the elders of the people of Israel are doing here in the dark, with each one worshiping in the shrine room of his own idol? This is what they're saying: ‘The Lord can't see what we're doing; besides the Lord has abandoned our country!’”

13 Then he said to me, You will see even more disgusting things which they do.

The Lord went on to tell me, “You're going to see them doing even more disgusting things than these!”

14 Then he took me to the door of the way into the Lord's house looking to the north; and there women were seated weeping for Tammuz.

Then he took me to the north entrance of the Lord's Temple. I saw women sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.

15 Then he said to me, Have you seen this, O son of man? you will see even more disgusting things than these.

“Son of man,” he said to me, “have you seen this? But you're going to see even more disgusting things than these!”

16 And he took me into the inner square of the Lord's house, and at the door of the Temple of the Lord, between the covered way and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs turned to the Temple of the Lord and their faces turned to the east; and they were worshipping the sun, turning to the east.

He took me to the inner courtyard of the Lord's Temple and right there at the entrance to the Temple, between the porch and the altar, were around twenty-five men. They had their backs to the Temple, and were facing towards the east. They were bowing in worship of the sun rising in the east.

17 Then he said to me, Have you seen this, O son of man? is it a small thing to the children of Judah that they do the disgusting things which they are doing here? for they have made the land full of violent behaviour, making me angry again and again: and see, they put the branch to my nose.

“Son of man,” he said to me, “have you seen this? The people of Judah aren't content just to do these disgusting things. They also commit violent crimes across the country and keep on making me angry. Look at how they're deliberately insulting me!

18 For this reason I will let loose my wrath: my eye will not have mercy, and I will have no pity.

As a result I will respond in anger. I won't treat them kindly; I won't be merciful to them. Even though they shout loudly for my help, I won't listen to them.”