Ezekiel 11

1 Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looks eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

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.

2 Then said he to me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:

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.

3 Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.

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.’

4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

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

5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell on me, and said to me, Speak; Thus says the LORD; Thus have you said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

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!

6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

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

7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the middle of it.

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.

8 You have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword on you, says the Lord GOD.

You're afraid of being killed by the sword, so I will bring invaders with swords to attack you, declares the Lord God.

9 And I will bring you out of the middle thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

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.

10 You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and you shall know that I am the LORD.

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.

11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall you be the flesh in the middle thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:

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.

12 And you shall know that I am the LORD: for you have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

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.”

13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

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?”

14 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

A message from Lord came to me, saying,

15 Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: to us is this land given in possession.

“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.’

16 Therefore say, Thus says the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

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.

17 Therefore say, Thus says the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

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.

18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from there.

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

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

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.

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

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.

21 But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way on their own heads, says the Lord GOD.

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.”

22 Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

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.

23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

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

24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

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,

25 Then I spoke to them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had showed me.

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