< Jezekiel 11 >

1 Moreover the Spirit took me up, and brought me to the front gate of the house of the Lord, that looks eastward: and behold at the entrance of the gate were about five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jechonias the son of Ezer, and Phaltias the son of Banaeas, the 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 amongst 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 that devise vanities, and take evil 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 who say, Have not the houses been newly built? This is the cauldron, and we are the flesh.
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, son of man.
Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”
5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me, say; Thus says the Lord; Thus have you said, O house of Israel: and I know the devices of your spirit.
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 your dead in this city, and you have filled your ways with slain men.
You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.”
7 Therefore thus says the Lord; Your dead whom you have struck in the midst of it, these are the flesh, and this[city] is the cauldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of 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; and I will bring a sword upon you, says the Lord.
You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,” says the Lord GOD.
9 And I will bring you forth out of the midst of it, and will deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgements amongst you.
“I will bring you out of the middle of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgements amongst you.
10 You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you on the mountains of Israel; and you shall 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 And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Phaltias the son of Banaeas died. And I fell upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Alas, alas, O Lord! will you utterly destroy the remnant 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.
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.”’”
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 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
15 Son of man, your brethren, and the men of your captivity, and all the house of Israel are come to the full, to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, Keep you far away from the Lord: the land is given to us for an inheritance.
“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 say you, Thus says the Lord; I will cast them off amongst the nations, and will disperse them into every land, yet will I be to them for a little sanctuary in the countries which they shall enter.
“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Whereas I have removed them far off amongst the nations, and whereas I have scattered them amongst the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.”’
17 Therefore say you, Thus says the Lord; I will also take them from the heathen, and gather them out of the lands wherein I have scattered them, and will give them 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 the land of Israel.”
18 And they shall enter in there, and shall remove all the abominations of it, and all its iniquities from it.
“‘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 another heart, and will put a new spirit within them; and will extract the heart of stone from their flesh, 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 that they may walk in my commandments, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a 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 And as for the heart [set upon] their abominations and their iniquities, as their heart went [after them], I have recompensed their ways on their heads, says the Lord.
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 cherubs lifted up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
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 went up from the midst of the city, and stood on the mountain which was in front 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 took me up, and brought me to the land of the Chaldeans, to the captivity, in a vision by the Spirit of God: and I went up after the vision which I saw.
The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the captives. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
25 And I spoke to the captivity all the words of the Lord which he had showed me.
Then I spoke to the captives all the things that the LORD had shown me.

< Jezekiel 11 >