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 lifted me up, and brought me into the east gate of the house of Yahweh which looketh eastward, and lo! in the opening of the gate, twenty-five men, —and I saw in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah 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 unto me, Son of man, These, are the men who are devising iniquity, and who are counselling wicked 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, Not near! let us build houses, — It, 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. 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.

Then fell upon me the Spirit of Yahweh, and he said unto me Say—Thus, saith Yahweh, Thus have ye said O house of Israel, Yea, the things that come up on your spirit, I, know every one.

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 have filled her streets with 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 My Lord Yahweh, Your slain. whom ye have laid in her midst, They are the flesh, and She is the caldron, —when ye are taken out of her midst.

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

A sword, have ye feared, — And a sword, will I bring in upon you, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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

So will I take you forth out of her midst, and will deliver you into the hand of foreigners, —and will execute upon you judgments.

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].

By the sword, shall ye fall, Upon the boundary of Israel, will I judge you, —So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh.

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 serve you for a caldron, Neither shall, ye, serve in the midst thereof for flesh, —Near the boundary 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.”

So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh. In whose statutes, ye have not walked And whose appointments, ye have not executed, — But according to the appointments of the nations that are round about you, have ye 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 came to pass as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died, —so then I fell down upon my face and made outcry with a loud voice and said— Alas! My Lord Yahweh! A full end, art thou making of the remnant of Israel?

14 Then Yahweh gave me this message:

Then came the word of Yahweh unto 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 Thine own brethren, thine own brethren the men of thy kindred, even all the house of Israel all of it are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far away from Yahweh, To us, it is that the land, hath been given, for a 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 My Lord. Yahweh, Although I have removed them far away among the nations, And although I have dispersed them throughout the lands Yet have I become to them a sanctuary for a little while, in the lands which they have entered

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 My Lord Yahweh, Therefore will I assemble you from among the peoples, And gather you out of the lands wherein ye have been dispersed, - And will give you the soil of Israel.

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

So shall they come in thither, — and take away all her detestable things, and all her abominations, out of her;

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 another heart, And a new spirit, will I put within you, —And will take away the heart of stone out of their flesh, and 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.

To the end that in my statutes, they may walk, And mine appointments, they may keep, and do them, — So shall they become my people, And I will become 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 who having a heart for their detestable things and for their abominations after their own heart, do walk, Their way upon their own heads, will I render, Declareth My Lord Yahweh.

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 cherubim lift up their wings, the wheels also going in unison with them, — the glory of the God of Israel, being over them above.

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

Thus went up the glory of Yahweh, out from the midst of the city, —and stood on the mountain, which 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 lifted me up, and brought me to Chaldea unto them of the captivity, in the vision by the Spirit of God, —thus went up from me, the vision which I had seen.

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

So I spake unto them of the captivity, —all the words of Yahweh which he had shewed me.