Jezekiel 8

1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the fifth month, on the fifth [day] of the month, I was sitting in the house, and the elders of Juda were sitting before me: and the hand of the Lord came upon me.

In the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the Lord GOD’s hand fell on me there.

2 And I looked, and, behold, the likeness of a man: from his loins and downwards [there was] fire, and from his loins upwards [there was] as the appearance of amber.

Then I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire—from the appearance of his waist and downward, fire, and from his waist and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.

3 And he stretched forth the likeness of a hand, and took me by the crown of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and sky, and brought me to Jerusalem in a vision of God, to the porch of the gate that looks to the north, where was the pillar of the Purchaser.

He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks towards the north, where there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.

4 And, behold, the glory of the Lord God of Israel was there, according to the vision which I saw in the plain.

Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.

5 And he said to me, Son of man, lift up your eyes toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes toward the north, and, behold, [I looked] from the north toward the eastern gate.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way towards the north.” So I lifted up my eyes the way towards the north, and saw, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

6 And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what these do? They commit great abominations here so that I should keep away from my sanctuary: and you shall see yet greater iniquities.

He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you will again see yet other great abominations.”

7 And he brought me to the porch of the court.

He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.

8 And he said to me, Son of man, dig: so I dug, and behold a door.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig now in the wall.” When I had dug in the wall, I saw a door.

9 And he said to me, Go in, and behold the iniquities which they practise here.

He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.”

10 So I went in and looked; and saw vain abominations, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon them round about.

So I went in and looked, and saw every form of creeping things, abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed around on the wall.

11 And seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and Jechonias the son of Saphan stood in their presence in the midst of them, and each one held his censer in his hand; and the smoke of the incense went up.

Seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel stood before them. In the middle of them Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan stood, every man with his censer in his hand; and the smell of the cloud of incense went up.

12 And he said to me, You have seen, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel do, each one of them in their secret chamber: because they have said, The Lord see not; The Lord has forsaken the earth.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘The LORD doesn’t see us. The LORD has forsaken the land.’”

13 And he said to me, You shall see yet greater iniquities which these do.

He said also to me, “You will again see more of the great abominations which they do.”

14 And he brought me in to the porch of the house of the Lord that looks to the north; and, behold [there were] women sitting there lamenting for Thammuz.

Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was towards the north; and I saw the women sit there weeping for Tammuz.

15 And he said to me, Son of man, you have seen; but you shall yet see [evil] practices greater then these.

Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see yet greater abominations than these.”

16 And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty men, with their back parts toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces [turned] the opposite way; and these were worshipping the sun.

He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and I saw at the door of the LORD’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs towards the LORD’s temple and their faces towards the east. They were worshipping the sun towards the east.

17 And he said to me, Son of man, you have seen this. [Is it] a little thing to the house of Juda to practise the iniquities which they have practised here? for they have filled the land with iniquity: and, behold, these are as scorners.

Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger. Behold, they put the branch to their nose.

18 Therefore will I deal with them in wrath: mine eye shall not spare, nor will I have any mercy.

Therefore I will also deal in wrath. My eye won’t spare, neither will I have pity. Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them.”