Ezekiel 11

1 Then the Spirit picked me up and took me to the eastern entrance of the Lord's Temple. Twenty-five men were gathered there at the entrance. I recognized among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

And [the] Spirit lifts me up, and it brings me to the east gate of the house of YHWH, that is facing the east, and behold, at the opening of the gate [are] twenty-five men, and I see in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, heads of the people.

2 The Lord told me, “Son of man, it's these men who are making evil plans and giving bad advice to the people in this city.

And He says to me, “Son of man, these [are] the men who are devising iniquity, and who are giving evil counsel in this city;

3 They're saying, ‘Is this the time for us to be building houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat inside it.’

who are saying, It [is] not near—to build houses, it [is] the pot, and we [are] the flesh.

4 So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!”

Therefore prophesy concerning them, prophesy, son of man.”

5 The Spirit of the Lord came upon me and told me to say: This is what the Lord says: “People of Israel, that's what you're saying! I know what you're thinking inside!

And [the] Spirit of YHWH falls on me, and He says to me, “Say, Thus said YHWH: You have said correctly, O house of Israel, And I have known the steps of your spirit.

6 You murder more and more people in this city. You've filled its streets with the dead!

You multiplied your wounded in this city, And filled its out-places with the wounded.

7 So this is what the Lord God says: Those you've killed in this city are the meat, and the city is the pot; but I'm going to take you out of it.

Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: Your wounded whom you placed in its midst, They [are] the flesh, and it [is] the pot, And He has brought you out from its midst.

8 You're afraid of being killed by the sword, so I will bring invaders with swords to attack you, declares the Lord God.

You have feared a sword, And I bring in a sword against you, A declaration of Lord YHWH.

9 I'm going to take you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners, and I'm going to carry out my sentence against you.

And I have brought you out of its midst, And given you into the hand of strangers, And I have done judgments among you.

10 You will be killed by the sword, and I will punish you right up to the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

You fall by the sword, I judge you on the border of Israel, And you have known that I [am] YHWH.

11 The city won't be like a pot for you, and you won't be the meat inside it either. I will punish you right up to the borders of Israel.

It is not for a pot for you, Nor are you for flesh in its midst, I judge you at the border of Israel.

12 Then you will know that I am the Lord. For you didn't follow my rules and you didn't keep my laws. Instead you kept the laws of the nations around you.”

And you have known that I [am] YHWH, For you have not walked in My statutes, And you have not done My judgments, And according to the judgments of the nations Who are around you, you have done!”

13 While I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. I fell facedown on the ground and shouted loudly, “Lord God, are you going to completely destroy what's left of the people of Israel?”

And it comes to pass, at my prophesying, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah is dying, and I fall on my face, and cry—a loud voice—and say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, You are making an end of the remnant of Israel.”

14 A message from Lord came to me, saying,

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

15 “Son of man, your brothers, including your relatives, your fellow exiles, and all the other Israelites, are those the people of Jerusalem were referring to when they said, ‘They are far away from the Lord. This country was given to us and we are to own it.’

“Son of man, your brothers, your brothers, men of your family, and all the house of Israel—all of it—[are] they to whom inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Keep far off from YHWH;

16 So tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Even though I sent them far away to live among the foreign nations, scattering them among the different countries, I have been taking care of them for a while in the countries where they went.

it [is] ours, the land has been given for an inheritance; therefore say, Thus said Lord YHWH: Because I put them far off among nations, And because I scattered them through lands, I am also for a little sanctuary to them, In lands to where they have gone in.

17 Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: I'm going to gather you from the other nations and bring you back from the countries where you've been scattered, and I will return the country of Israel to you.

Therefore say, Thus said Lord YHWH: And I have assembled you from the peoples, And I have gathered you from the lands, Into which you have been scattered, And I have given the ground of Israel to you.

18 When they come back, they are going to get rid of all its offensive idols and disgusting practices from the country.

And they have gone in there, And turned aside all its detestable things, And all its abominations—out of it.

19 I will give them single-minded commitment and a whole new spirit. I will take away their hard-hearted attitude and replace it with one that is loving.

And I have given one heart to them, And I give a new spirit in your midst, And I have turned the heart of stone out of their flesh, And I have given a heart of flesh to them.

20 This way they can follow my rules, keep my regulations, and do what I say. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

So that they walk in My statutes, And keep My judgments, and have done them, And they have been to Me for a people, And I am to them for God.

21 But for those who still choose to worship offensive idols and engage in disgusting practices, I will let them experience the consequences of their own actions, declares the Lord God.”

As for those whose heart is going to the heart Of their detestable things and their abominations, I have put their way on their head, A declaration of Lord YHWH.”

22 Then the cherubim opened their wings and took off, with the wheels alongside them, and with the glory of the God of Israel above them.

And the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels [are] alongside them, and the glory of the God of Israel [is] over them above.

23 The glory of the Lord rose from inside the city and went over to the mountain to the east of the city.

And the glory of YHWH goes up from off the midst of the city, and stands on the mountain, that [is] on the east of the city.

24 In the vision given to me by the Spirit of God, the Spirit picked me up and carried me back to Babylonia to where the exiles were. After the vision left me,

And [the] Spirit has lifted me up, and brings me to Chaldea, to the expulsion, in a vision, by [the] Spirit of God, and the vision that I have seen goes up from off me;

25 I explained to the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.

and I speak to the expulsion all the matters of YHWH that He has showed me.