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.

Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the eastern gate of Yahweh's house, facing east, and behold, in the doorway of the gate there were twenty-five men. I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people, among them.

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.

God said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who decide wicked plans 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.’

They are saying, 'The time to build houses is not now; this city is the pot, and we are the meat.'

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 the Spirit of Yahweh fell on me and he said for me to say: This is what Yahweh says, “That is what you are saying, house of Israel; for I know what goes through your mind.

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

You have multiplied the people you have killed in this city and filled its streets with them.

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, the Lord Yahweh says this: The people you have killed, whose bodies you have laid in the midst of Jerusalem, are the meat, and this city is the pot. But you are going to be brought out from the midst of this city.

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 the sword, so I am bringing the sword upon you—this is the declaration of the 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.

I will bring you out of the midst of the city, and put you into the hands of foreigners, for I will bring judgment against 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 will fall by the sword. I will judge you within the borders of Israel so you will 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 will not be your cooking pot, nor will you be the meat within her midst. I will judge you within the borders 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.”

Then you will know that I am Yahweh, the one whose statutes you have not walked in and whose decrees you have not carried out. Instead, you have carried out the decrees of the nations that surround you.”

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?”

It came about that as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah, died. So I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh, will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?”

14 A message from Lord came to me, saying,

The word of Yahweh came 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! The men of your clan and all the house of Israel! All of them are those of whom it is said by those living in Jerusalem, 'They are far away from Yahweh! This land was given to us as our 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, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: Though I have removed them far off among the nations, and though I have scattered them among the lands, yet I have been a sanctuary for them for a little while in the lands where they have gone.'

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, 'The Lord Yahweh says this: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you from the lands where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.'

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

Then they will go there and remove every detestable thing and every abomination from that place.

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.

I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take out the heart of stone from 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.

so that they will walk in my statutes, they will carry out my decrees and do them. Then they will be my people, and I will be 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 to those who walk with affection toward their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their conduct on their own heads—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”

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.

The cherubim lifted up their wings and the wheels that were beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high up over them.

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

Then the glory of Yahweh went up from within the midst of the city and stood on the mountain to 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,

The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into Chaldea, to the exiles, in the vision from the Spirit of God, and the vision that I had seen went up from upon me.

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

Then I declared to the exiles all the things of Yahweh that I had seen.