Ezekiel 8

1 On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year, I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah and the power of the Lord God came over me there.

And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth [month], on the fifth of the month, that [as] I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the hand of the Lord Jehovah fell there upon me.

2 I looked around and saw a being that looked like a man. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, he looked like fire. From what seemed to his waist upwards, he looked like brightly glowing metal.

And I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins and downward, fire; and from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the look of glowing brass.

3 He reached out what seemed to be a hand and picked me up by my hair. The Spirit took me up into the sky, and in the vision God was giving me he carried me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple's inner courtyard, where the offensive idol that made God angry had been placed.

And he stretched forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entry of the inner gate that looketh toward the north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

4 I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, just like I had in the vision I'd seen in the valley.

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the valley.

5 “Son of man,” he told me, “now look to the north.” So I looked to the north, and in the entrance to the north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol that angered God.

And he said unto me, Son of man, lift up now thine eyes toward the north. And I lifted up mine eyes toward the north, and behold, northward of the gate of the altar, this image of jealousy in the entry.

6 “Son of man,” he said to me, “can you see what they are doing? Look at the disgusting sins the people of Israel are committing that are driving me far away from my sanctuary? But you're going to see even more disgusting sins than these!”

And he said unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? the great abominations that the house of Israel commit here, to cause [me] to go far off from my sanctuary? And yet again thou shalt see great abominations.

7 He took me to the entrance to the Temple courtyard. As I looked around, I saw a hole in the wall.

And he brought me to the entry of the court, and I looked, and behold, a hole in the wall.

8 “Son of man,” he told me, “pull the wall apart.” So I pulled the wall apart and found a doorway.

And he said unto me, Son of man, dig now through the wall; and I digged through the wall, and behold, a door.

9 He told me, “Go through the wall and see the evil and disgusting things they are doing in here.”

And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.

10 So I went through the wall and saw carved images covering the walls, representing all kinds of reptiles and disgusting animals, as well as all the idols worshiped by the people of Israel.

And I went in and looked, and behold, every form of creeping thing and abominable beast, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.

11 Seventy elders of the house of Israel were standing in front of them, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. They all were holding censers, producing a sweet-smelling cloud of incense that rose above them.

And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.

12 “Son of man,” he said to me, “can you see what the elders of the people of Israel are doing here in the dark, with each one worshiping in the shrine room of his own idol? This is what they're saying: ‘The Lord can't see what we're doing; besides the Lord has abandoned our country!’”

And he said unto me, Hast thou seen, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every one in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath forsaken the land.

13 The Lord went on to tell me, “You're going to see them doing even more disgusting things than these!”

And he said unto me, Yet again thou shalt see great abominations which they do.

14 Then he took me to the north entrance of the Lord's Temple. I saw women sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.

And he brought me to the entry of the gate of Jehovah's house that was toward the north; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

15 “Son of man,” he said to me, “have you seen this? But you're going to see even more disgusting things than these!”

And he said unto me, Seest thou, son of man? Thou shalt yet again see greater abominations than these.

16 He took me to the inner courtyard of the Lord's Temple and right there at the entrance to the Temple, between the porch and the altar, were around twenty-five men. They had their backs to the Temple, and were facing towards the east. They were bowing in worship of the sun rising in the east.

And he brought me into the inner court of Jehovah's house, and behold, at the entry of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

17 “Son of man,” he said to me, “have you seen this? The people of Judah aren't content just to do these disgusting things. They also commit violent crimes across the country and keep on making me angry. Look at how they're deliberately insulting me!

And he said unto me, Seest thou, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here, that they yet fill the land with violence, and keep provoking me afresh to anger? And behold, they put the branch to their nose.

18 As a result I will respond in anger. I won't treat them kindly; I won't be merciful to them. Even though they shout loudly for my help, I won't listen to them.”

And I also will deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.