< Ezekiel 11 >

1 And the Spirit lifted me up, and he brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which looks toward the rising of the sun. And behold, at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men. And I saw, in their midst, Jaazaniah, the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.
Then a spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward; and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
2 And he said to me: “Son of man, these are men who devise iniquity. And they offer a wicked counsel in this city,
And He said unto me: 'Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity, and that give wicked counsel in this city;
3 saying: ‘Was it so long ago that houses were being built? This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.’
that say: The time is not near to build houses! this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.
4 Therefore, prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.”
Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.'
5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me: “Speak: Thus says the Lord: So have you spoken, O house of Israel. And I know the thoughts of your heart.
And the spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said unto me: 'Speak: Thus saith the LORD: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.
6 You have killed very many in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.
Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
7 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Your slain, whom you have placed in its midst, these are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. And I will draw you out of its midst.
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it.
8 You have dread the sword, and so I will lead the sword over you, says the Lord God.
Ye have feared the sword; and the sword will I bring upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
9 And I will cast you out of its midst, and I will give you over to the hand of the enemies, and I will execute judgments among you.
And I will bring you forth out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
10 You will fall by the sword. I will judge you within the borders of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord.
Ye shall fall by the sword: I will judge you upon the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
11 This city will not be a cooking pot for you, and you will not be like meat in its midst. I will judge you within the borders of Israel.
Though this city shall not be your caldron, ye shall be the flesh in the midst thereof; I will judge you upon the border of Israel;
12 And you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my precepts, and you have not accomplished my judgments. Instead, you have acted in accord with the judgments of the Gentiles, who are all around you.”
and ye shall know that I am the LORD; for ye have not walked in My statutes, neither have ye executed Mine ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.'
13 And it happened that, when I prophesied, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died. And I fell upon my face, and I cried out with a loud voice, and I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Will you cause the consummation of the remnant of Israel?”
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said: 'Ah Lord GOD! wilt Thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?'
14 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:
15 “Son of man, your brothers, the men among your close relatives, your brothers and the entire house of Israel, are all among those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said: ‘Withdraw far from the Lord; the earth has been given to us as a possession.’
'Son of man, as for thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them, concerning whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said: Get you far from the LORD! unto us is this land given for a possession;
16 Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since I have caused them to be far away, among the Gentiles, and since I have dispersed them among the lands, I will be a little sanctuary for them within the lands to which they have gone.
therefore say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Although I have removed them far off among the nations, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet have I been to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they are come;
17 Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from among the peoples, and I will unite you, from the lands into which you were dispersed, and I will give the soil of Israel to you.
therefore say: Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will even gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18 And they shall go to that place, and they shall remove all the offenses and all its abominations from that place.
And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19 And I will give them one heart. And I will distribute a new spirit to their interior. And I will take away the heart of stone from their body. And I will give them a heart of flesh.
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;
20 So may they may walk in my precepts, and observe my judgments, and accomplish them. And so may they be my people, and I will be their God.
that they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
21 But as for those whose heart walks after their offenses and abominations, I will set their own way upon their head, says the Lord God.”
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.'
22 And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels with them. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
23 And the glory of the Lord ascended from the midst of the city and stood above the mountain, which is to the east of the city.
And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
24 And the Spirit lifted me up, and he brought me into Chaldea, to those of the transmigration, in a vision, in the Spirit of God. And the vision that I had seen was raised up, away from me.
And a spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from Me.
25 And I spoke, to those of the transmigration, all the words of the Lord that he had revealed to me.
Then I spoke unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shown me.

< Ezekiel 11 >