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.

Then the spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the house of Jehovah, that looketh toward the east; and behold, at the entrance of the gate were five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah, the son of Azur, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, princes 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.

Then said He to me: These are the men that devise mischief, and form evil designs 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 say, “The time is not near that we should build houses. This city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.”

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

Therefore, prophesy against them, prophesy, O 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 Jehovah fell upon me, and he said to me, Speak: Thus saith Jehovah: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel! For I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

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

Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

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 saith the Lord Jehovah: Your slain, whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but you will I bring forth out of the midst of it.

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

Ye have feared the sword, and the sword will I bring upon you, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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

And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and execute judgments upon 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].

Ye shall fall by the sword; on the borders of Israel will I judge you, that ye may know that I am Jehovah.

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.

This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof. On the borders of Israel will I judge you,

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.”

that ye may know that I am Jehovah, in whose statutes ye have not walked, and whose ordinances ye have not observed, but have done according to the manners of the nations, that are round about you.

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 came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah, Lord Jehovah, wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

14 Then Yahweh gave me this message:

And the word of Jehovah came 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, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy near kindred, and the whole house of Israel, are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem say, “Remove ye far from Jehovah; to us is the land given in possession!”

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.”

Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Though I have cast them far off among the nations, and scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them as a sanctuary for a short time in the countries whither they are come.

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 saith the Lord Jehovah: I will gather you from the nations, and assemble you from the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

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

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

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 will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take out of them the heart of stone, and will give them a heart of flesh,

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

that they may walk in my statutes, and observe my ordinances, and keep them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their 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.’”

But as for them whose heart walketh according to the pleasure of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their heads, saith the Lord Jehovah.

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.

Then did the cherubs lift up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was 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 Jehovah went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side 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,

Then the spirit took me up, and brought me to Chaldaea, to them of the captivity, in vision, by the spirit of God. And the vision which I had seen went up from me.

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

Then I spake to them of the captivity all the words of Jehovah which he had showed me.