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 lifted me up, and brought me into the east gate of the house of Yahweh which looketh eastward, and lo! in the opening of the gate, twenty-five men, —and I saw in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah princes 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.

Then said he unto me, Son of man, These, are the men who are devising iniquity, and who are counselling wicked 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, Not near! let us build houses, — It, is the caldron, and, we, are the flesh!

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

Therefore, prophesy against 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!

Then fell upon me the Spirit of Yahweh, and he said unto me Say—Thus, saith Yahweh, Thus have ye said O house of Israel, Yea, the things that come up on your spirit, I, know every one.

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

Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, - And have filled her streets with slain.

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, saith My Lord Yahweh, Your slain. whom ye have laid in her midst, They are the flesh, and She is the caldron, —when ye are taken out of her 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.

A sword, have ye feared, — And a sword, will I bring in upon you, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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.

So will I take you forth out of her midst, and will deliver you into the hand of foreigners, —and will execute upon you judgments.

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.

By the sword, shall ye fall, Upon the boundary of Israel, will I judge you, —So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh.

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.

This city shall not serve you for a caldron, Neither shall, ye, serve in the midst thereof for flesh, —Near the boundary of Israel, will I judge you,

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.”

So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh. In whose statutes, ye have not walked And whose appointments, ye have not executed, — But according to the appointments of the nations that are round about you, have ye 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 came to pass as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died, —so then I fell down upon my face and made outcry with a loud voice and said— Alas! My Lord Yahweh! A full end, art thou making of the remnant of Israel?

14 A message from Lord came to me, saying,

Then came the word of Yahweh unto 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 Thine own brethren, thine own brethren the men of thy kindred, even all the house of Israel all of it are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far away from Yahweh, To us, it is that the land, hath been given, for a possession!

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.

Therefore, say, Thus saith My Lord. Yahweh, Although I have removed them far away among the nations, And although I have dispersed them throughout the lands Yet have I become to them a sanctuary for a little while, in the lands which they have entered

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 saith My Lord Yahweh, Therefore will I assemble you from among the peoples, And gather you out of the lands wherein ye have been dispersed, - And will give you the soil of Israel.

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

So shall they come in thither, — and take away all her detestable things, and all her abominations, out of her;

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 will give them another heart, And a new spirit, will I put within you, —And will take away the heart of stone out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh:

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.

To the end that in my statutes, they may walk, And mine appointments, they may keep, and do them, — So shall they become my people, And I will become their 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.”

But as for them who having a heart for their detestable things and for their abominations after their own heart, do walk, Their way upon their own heads, will I render, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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.

Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, the wheels also going in unison with them, — the glory of the God of Israel, being 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.

Thus went up the glory of Yahweh, out from the midst of the city, —and stood on the mountain, which 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 lifted me up, and brought me to Chaldea unto them of the captivity, in the vision by the Spirit of God, —thus went up from me, the vision which I had seen.

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

So I spake unto them of the captivity, —all the words of Yahweh which he had shewed me.