< 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.
And it came to pass, in the sixth year in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month, I being seated in my house, and the elders of Judah being seated before me, then fell upon me there the hand of My Lord Yahweh.
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.
So I looked, and lo! a likeness as the appearance of a man, from the appearance of his loins and downward fire, and from his loins and upwards as an appearance of shining, as the look of amber,
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.
Then put he forth the similitude of a hand, and took me by the forelock of my head, —and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens and brought me to Jerusalem in the visions of God into the opening of the inner gate that looketh toward the north, where was the seat of the Statue of Jealousy. that provoketh to jealousy;
4 And I saw the glory of the Lord there, as in the vision which I saw in the valley.
and lo! there, the glory of the God of Israel, like the appearance which I had 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.
Then said he unto me, Son of man Lift up. I pray thee thine eyes, the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and lo! on the north by the gate of the altar, this Statue of Jealousy, in the entrance.
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.
Then said he unto me, Son of man Canst thou see what they are doing, —the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, that I should go faraway from my sanctuary? Howbeit yet again, shalt thou see great abominations.
7 And he took me to the door of the open place; and looking, I saw a hole in the wall.
So he brought me into the opening of the court, —and I looked, and lo! a single 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.
Then said he unto me Son of man Break I pray thee through the wall. So I broke through the wall, and lo! a single opening.
9 And he said to me, Go in and see the evil and disgusting things which they are doing here.
Then said he unto me, — Go in, and see the wicked abominations. which they are committing 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 in. and looked, and lo! every similitude of creeping thing, and detestable beast, and all the manufactured gods of the house of Israel, - portrayed upon the wall round about on every side;
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.
and seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan, who stood in their midst were standing before them, even every man with his censer in his hand, —and the fragrance of the cloud of incense ascending.
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.
Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen Son of man what the elders of the house of Israel, are doing in the dark, every man in his image-chambers? for they are saying— Yahweh doth not see us! Yahweh hath forsaken the land!
13 Then he said to me, You will see even more disgusting things which they do.
Then said he unto me, — Yet again, shalt thou see great abominations, which they are committing.
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.
So he brought me into the opening of the gate of the house of Yahweh, which was toward the north, —and Lo! there, women sitting, weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then he said to me, Have you seen this, O son of man? you will see even more disgusting things than these.
Then said he unto me Hast thou seen O son of man? Yet again, shalt thou see greater abominations 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.
So he brought me into the inner court of the house of Yahweh, and lo! at the opening of the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, about twenty-five men, —their backs towards the temple of Yahweh and their faces eastward, and they were bowing down eastward unto the Sun.
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.
Then said he unto me Hast thou seen O son of man? Is it too small a thing for the house of Judah, to be committing the abominations which they have committed here, —that they have filled the land with violence and have again provoked me to anger and there they are! putting the branch to my nose.
18 For this reason I will let loose my wrath: my eye will not have mercy, and I will have no pity.
Therefore even I, will act with indignation, Mine eye shall not shield. Neither will I pity, — Though they have cried in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

< Ezekiel 8 >