Ezekiel 11

1 [Then God’s] Spirit lifted me up and took me to the gate on the east side of the temple area. There at the gate were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.

And [the] Spirit lifts me up, and it brings me to the east gate of the house of YHWH, that is facing the east, and behold, at the opening of the gate [are] twenty-five men, and I see in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, heads of the people.

2 Yahweh said to me, “You human, these are the [new leaders in Jerusalem] who are planning to do evil things and who are giving wicked advice [to people] in this city.

And He says to me, “Son of man, these [are] the men who are devising iniquity, and who are giving evil counsel in this city;

3 They say, ‘[Everything will go well for us, so] it will surely soon be [RHQ] time to build houses. [We are like] [MET] fine/choice pieces of meat that are carefully stored in covered pots, and we are protected [from the bad things that will happen to others].’

who are saying, It [is] not near—to build houses, it [is] the pot, and we [are] the flesh.

4 So, you human, prophesy [the terrible things that will happen to] them.”

Therefore prophesy concerning them, prophesy, son of man.”

5 Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon me and told me to [to the people], “This is what Yahweh says: You Israeli people [MTY] are saying those things, but I know what you are thinking.

And [the] Spirit of YHWH falls on me, and He says to me, “Say, Thus said YHWH: You have said correctly, O house of Israel, And I have known the steps of your spirit.

6 You have killed many people in this city and filled the streets with their corpses.

You multiplied your wounded in this city, And filled its out-places with the wounded.

7 Therefore this is what Yahweh the Lord says: The corpses of the people whom you have killed here are [like] the meat [MET], and this city is [like] the pot [MET], but I will expel you from this city.

Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: Your wounded whom you placed in its midst, They [are] the flesh, and it [is] the pot, And He has brought you out from its midst.

8 You are afraid [being killed by enemies’] swords, and that is what I will cause to happen to you.

You have feared a sword, And I bring in a sword against you, A declaration of Lord YHWH.

9 I will expel you from this city and enable foreigners to capture you and punish you.

And I have brought you out of its midst, And given you into the hand of strangers, And I have done judgments among you.

10 They will kill [EUP] you with their swords; you will be punished [right here] in Israel. Then people will realize that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].

You fall by the sword, I judge you on the border of Israel, And you have known that I [am] YHWH.

11 This city will not be [a place were you will be protected like] [MET] meat in a covered pot. I will punish you wherever you are in Israel.

It is not for a pot for you, Nor are you for flesh in its midst, I judge you at the border of Israel.

12 And you will know that I, Yahweh, [have predicted that would happen], because you have not obeyed my commands and decrees; instead, you have imitated [wicked] behavior [of the people] of the nearby nations.”

And you have known that I [am] YHWH, For you have not walked in My statutes, And you have not done My judgments, And according to the judgments of the nations Who are around you, you have done!”

13 While I was prophesying that, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah [suddenly] died. Then I prostrated myself on the ground and cried out loudly, “Yahweh my Lord, are you going [similarly] get rid of all the Israeli people who are still alive?”

And it comes to pass, at my prophesying, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah is dying, and I fall on my face, and cry—a loud voice—and say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, You are making an end of the remnant of Israel.”

14 Then Yahweh gave me this message:

And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,

15 “You human, the people who are still in Jerusalem are talking about you and your own relatives and about all the other people who were (exiled/forced to go to other countries), saying, ‘They [in Babylonia], far from Yahweh. They have left their [here in Israel, so] their property now belongs to us!’”

“Son of man, your brothers, your brothers, men of your family, and all the house of Israel—all of it—[are] they to whom inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Keep far off from YHWH;

16 So tell [them], “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Although I caused them to be taken far [from Israel] and scattered them among other nations, for a short time I will (be like a refuge for/protect) them in the countries to which they have been taken.”

it [is] ours, the land has been given for an inheritance; therefore say, Thus said Lord YHWH: Because I put them far off among nations, And because I scattered them through lands, I am also for a little sanctuary to them, In lands to where they have gone in.

17 So also tell them, “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: [Some day] I will gather you from the [to which you have been taken] and bring you back to Israel, and you will live in your country/land [again].

Therefore say, Thus said Lord YHWH: And I have assembled you from the peoples, And I have gathered you from the lands, Into which you have been scattered, And I have given the ground of Israel to you.

18 When you return to your country, you will get rid of all the vile statues of gods and detestable idols.

And they have gone in there, And turned aside all its detestable things, And all its abominations—out of it.

19 I will put a new way of thinking [IDM] within you. I will cause you to no longer be stubborn [IDM], and I will enable you to obey me completely [IDM].

And I have given one heart to them, And I give a new spirit in your midst, And I have turned the heart of stone out of their flesh, And I have given a heart of flesh to them.

20 When I do that, you will carefully obey all my laws [DOU]. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

So that they walk in My statutes, And keep My judgments, and have done them, And they have been to Me for a people, And I am to them for God.

21 But as for those who are devoted [worshiping] their vile statues and detestable idols, I will punish them as they deserve for the evil things that they have done.’”

As for those whose heart is going to the heart Of their detestable things and their abominations, I have put their way on their head, A declaration of Lord YHWH.”

22 Then the winged creatures, with their wheels beside them, spread their [and flew up into the air], and the dazzling brightness of Yahweh was above them.

And the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels [are] alongside them, and the glory of the God of Israel [is] over them above.

23 That light went up away from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east of the city.

And the glory of YHWH goes up from off the midst of the city, and stands on the mountain, that [is] on the east of the city.

24 In the vision [that I had been seeing, God’s] Spirit lifted me up and brought me [back] to the (exiles in/people who had been forced to go to) Babylonia. Then the vision ended,

And [the] Spirit has lifted me up, and brings me to Chaldea, to the expulsion, in a vision, by [the] Spirit of God, and the vision that I have seen goes up from off me;

25 and I told the exiles everything that Yahweh had shown [in the vision].

and I speak to the expulsion all the matters of YHWH that He has showed me.