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 lift me up doth a spirit, and it bringeth me in unto the east gate of the house of Jehovah, that is facing the east, and lo, at the opening of the gate twenty and 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 saith unto 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 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 fall upon me doth the Spirit of Jehovah, and He saith unto me, 'Say: Thus said Jehovah: Rightly ye have said, O house of Israel, And the steps of your spirit I have known.

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

Ye 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 the Lord Jehovah: Your wounded whom ye placed in its midst, They [are] the flesh, and it [is] the pot, And you he hath brought 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.

A sword ye have feared, And a sword I bring in against you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

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 among 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 ye do fall, On the border of Israel I do judge you, And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.

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 to you for a pot, Nor are ye in its midst for flesh, At the border of Israel I do 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.”

And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah, For in My statutes ye have not walked, And My Judgments ye have not done, And according to the judgments of the nations Who are round about you — ye 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 cometh 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, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, an end Thou art making of the remnant of Israel.'

14 A message from Lord came to me, saying,

And there is a word of Jehovah 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, thy brethren, thy brethren, men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel — all of it, [are] they to whom inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Keep far off from Jehovah;

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 hath been given for an inheritance; therefore say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because I put them afar off among nations, And because I scattered them through lands, I also am to them for a little sanctuary, In lands whither 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 the Lord Jehovah: And I have assembled you from the peoples, And I have gathered you from the lands, Into which ye have been scattered, And I have given to you the ground of Israel.

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 thither. 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 to them one heart, And a new spirit I do give in your midst, And I have turned the heart of stone out of their flesh, And I have given to 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 in My statutes they walk, And My judgments they keep, 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 to those whose heart is going unto the heart Of their detestable and their abominable things, Their way on their head I have put, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

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 cherubs lift up their wings, and the wheels [are] over-against them, and the honour 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 honour of Jehovah goeth up from off the midst of the city, and standeth 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 a spirit hath lifted me up, and bringeth me in to Chaldea, unto the Removed, in a vision, by the Spirit of God, and go up from off me doth the vision that I have seen;

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

and I speak unto the Removed all the matters of Jehovah that He hath shewed me.