Ezekiel 8

1 And it came to pass, in the sixth year in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month, I being seated in my house, and the elders of Judah being seated before me, then fell upon me there the hand of My Lord Yahweh.

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 So I looked, and lo! a likeness as the appearance of a man, from the appearance of his loins and downward fire, and from his loins and upwards as an appearance of shining, as the look of 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 Then put he forth the similitude of a hand, and took me by the forelock of my head, —and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens and brought me to Jerusalem in the visions of God into the opening of the inner gate that looketh toward the north, where was the seat of the Statue of Jealousy. that provoketh to jealousy;

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 lo! there, the glory of the God of Israel, like the appearance which I had seen in the valley.

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 said he unto me, Son of man Lift up. I pray thee thine eyes, the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and lo! on the north by the gate of the altar, this Statue of Jealousy, in the entrance.

“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 Then said he unto me, Son of man Canst thou see what they are doing, —the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, that I should go faraway from my sanctuary? Howbeit yet again, shalt thou see great 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 So he brought me into the opening of the court, —and I looked, and lo! a single hole 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 unto me Son of man Break I pray thee through the wall. So I broke through the wall, and lo! a single opening.

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

9 Then said he unto me, — Go in, and see the wicked abominations. which they are committing 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 looked, and lo! every similitude of creeping thing, and detestable beast, and all the manufactured gods of the house of Israel, - portrayed upon the wall round about on every side;

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 seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan, who stood in their midst were standing before them, even every man with his censer in his hand, —and the fragrance of the cloud of incense ascending.

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 said he unto me, Hast thou seen Son of man what the elders of the house of Israel, are doing in the dark, every man in his image-chambers? for they are saying— Yahweh doth not see us! Yahweh hath forsaken the land!

“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 Then said he unto me, — Yet again, shalt thou see great abominations, which they are committing.

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

14 So he brought me into the opening of the gate of the house of Yahweh, which was toward the north, —and Lo! there, women sitting, weeping 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 said he unto me Hast thou seen O son of man? Yet again, shalt thou see greater abominations than 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 So he brought me into the inner court of the house of Yahweh, and lo! at the opening of the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, about twenty-five men, —their backs towards the temple of Yahweh and their faces eastward, and they were bowing down eastward unto the Sun.

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 Then said he unto me Hast thou seen O son of man? Is it too small a thing for the house of Judah, to be committing the abominations which they have committed here, —that they have filled the land with violence and have again provoked me to anger and there they are! putting the branch to my nose.

“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 even I, will act with indignation, Mine eye shall not shield. Neither will I pity, — Though they have cried in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear 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.”