< 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.
And it cometh to pass, in the sixth year, in the sixth [month], in the fifth of the month, I am sitting in my house, and elders of Judah are sitting before me, and fall on me there doth a hand of the Lord Jehovah,
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.
and I look, and lo, 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 colour of copper.
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.
And He putteth forth a form of a hand, and taketh me by a lock of my head, and lift me up doth a spirit between the earth and the heavens, and it bringeth me in to Jerusalem in visions of God, unto the opening of the inner gate that is facing the north, where [is] the seat of the figure of jealousy that is making jealous,
4 And, behold, the glory of the Lord God of Israel was there, according to the vision which I saw in the plain.
and lo, there the honour of the God of Israel, as the appearance that I saw in the valley.
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.
And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes the way of the north.' And I lift up mine eyes the way of the north, and lo, on the north of the gate of the altar this figure of jealousy, at the entrance.
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.
And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, art thou seeing what they are doing? the great abominations that the house of Israel are doing here, to keep far off from My sanctuary; and again thou dost turn, thou dost see great abominations.'
7 And he brought me to the porch of the court.
And He bringeth me in unto an opening of the court, and I look, and lo, a hole in the wall;
8 And he said to me, Son of man, dig: so I dug, and behold a door.
and He saith unto me, 'Son of man, dig, I pray thee, through the wall;' and I dig through the wall, and lo, an opening.
9 And he said to me, Go in, and behold the iniquities which they practise here.
And He saith to me, 'Go in, and see the evil abominations that they are doing 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.
And I go in, and look, and lo, every form of creeping thing, and detestable beast — and all the Idols of the house of Israel — graved on the wall, all round about,
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.
and seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel — and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing in their midst — are standing before them, and each his censer in his hand, and the abundance of the cloud of perfume is going 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.
And He saith unto me, 'Hast thou seen, son of man, that which elders of the house of Israel are doing in darkness, each in the inner chambers of his imagery, for they are saying, Jehovah is not seeing us, Jehovah hath forsaken the land?'
13 And he said to me, You shall see yet greater iniquities which these do.
And He saith unto me, 'Again thou dost turn, thou dost see great abominations that they are doing.'
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.
And He bringeth me in unto the opening of the gate of the house of Jehovah that [is] at the north, and lo, there the women are sitting 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.
And He saith unto me, 'Hast thou seen, son of man? again thou dost turn, thou dost see 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.
And He bringeth me in unto the inner court of the house of Jehovah, and lo, at the opening of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, about twenty-five men, their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces eastward, and they are bowing themselves eastward to the sun.
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.
And He saith unto me, 'Hast thou seen, son of man? hath it been a light thing to the house of Judah to do the abomination that they have done here, that they have filled the land with violence, and turn back to provoke Me to anger? and lo, they are putting forth the branch unto their nose!
18 Therefore will I deal with them in wrath: mine eye shall not spare, nor will I have any mercy.
And I also deal in fury, Mine eye doth not pity, nor do I spare, and they have cried in Mine ears — a loud voice — and I do not hear them.'