Ezekiel 8

1 And in the sixt yere, in the sixt moneth, and in the fift day of the moneth, as I sate in mine house, and the Elders of Iudah sate before me, the hand of the Lord God fell there vpon me.

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.

2 Then I beheld, and lo, there was a likenesse, as the appearance of fire, to looke to, from his loynes downeward, and from his loynes vpward, as the appearance of brightnes, and like vnto amber.

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.

3 And he stretched out the likenes of an had, and tooke me by an hearie locke of mine head, and the Spirit lift me vp betweene the earth, and the heauen, and brought mee by a Diuine vision to Ierusalem, into the entry of ye inner gate that lieth toward the North, where remained the idole of indignation, which prouoked indignation.

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.

4 And beholde, the glorie of the God of Israel was there according to the vision, that I saw in the fielde.

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

5 Then saide he vnto mee, Sonne of man, lift vp thine eyes nowe towarde the North. So I lift vp mine eyes towarde the North, and beholde, Northward, at the gate of the altar, this idole of indignation was in the entrie.

“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.

6 He said furthermore vnto me, Sonne of man, seest thou not what they doe? euen the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here to cause me to depart from my Sanctuarie? but yet turne thee and thou shalt see greater abominations.

“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!”

7 And he caused me to enter at the gate of the court: and when I looked, beholde, an hole was in the wall.

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

8 Then said he vnto me, Sonne of man, digge nowe in the wall. And when I had digged in the wall, beholde, there was a doore.

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

9 And he said vnto mee, Go in, and beholde the wicked abominations that they doe here.

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

10 So I went in, and sawe, and beholde, there was euery similitude of creeping thinges and abominable beasts and all the idoles of the house of Israel painted vpon the wall round about.

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.

11 And there stoode before them seuentie men of the Ancients of the house of Israel, and in the middes of them stoode Iaazaniah, ye sonne of Shaphan, with euerie man his censour in his hand, and the vapour of the incense went vp like a cloude.

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.

12 Then saide hee vnto mee, Sonne of man, hast thou seene what the Ancients of the house of Israel do in the darke, euery one in the chamber of his imagerie? for they say, The Lord seeth vs not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth.

“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!’”

13 Againe he saide also vnto me, Turne thee againe, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they doe.

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

14 And he caused me to enter into the entrie of the gate of the Lords house, which was toward the North: and beholde there sate women mourning for Tammuz.

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

15 Then saide hee vnto me, Hast thou seene this, O sonne of man? Turne thee againe, and thou shalt see greater abominations then these.

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

16 And he caused me to enter into the inner court of the Lordes house, and beholde, at the doore of the Temple of the Lord, betweene the porche and the altar were about fiue and twentie men with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towarde the East, and they worshipped the sunne, towarde the East.

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.

17 The he said vnto me, Hast thou seene this, O sonne of man? Is it a small thing to the house of Iudah to commit these abominations which they do here? for they haue filled the land with crueltie, and haue returned to prouoke mee: and loe, they haue cast out stinke before their noses.

“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!

18 Therefore will I also execute my wrath: mine eye shall not spare them, neither will I haue pitie, and though they crie in mine eares with a loude voyce, yet will I not heare them.

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.”