< Ezekiel 8 >

1 On the fifth day of the sixth month [of that year], almost six years after we Israeli people had been (exiled/forced to go to Babylon), I was sitting in my house. The elders of Judah were sitting in front of me. Suddenly the power [MTY] of Yahweh the Lord came on me.
And in the sixt yere, in the sixt moneth, and in the fift day of the moneth, as I sate in mine house, and the Elders of Iudah sate before me, the hand of the Lord God fell there vpon me.
2 [in a vision] I saw someone who resembled a man. Below his waist, [his body] was like fire, and above his waist [his body] was glowing like very hot metal.
Then I beheld, and lo, there was a likenesse, as the appearance of fire, to looke to, from his loynes downeward, and from his loynes vpward, as the appearance of brightnes, and like vnto amber.
3 He reached out what seemed to be a hand and grabbed me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up high above the earth, and in visions God took me [from Babylon] to Jerusalem. He took me [to the temple], to the north gate, to the place where there was an idol that caused Yahweh to be very disgusted and furious.
And he stretched out the likenes of an had, and tooke me by an hearie locke of mine head, and the Spirit lift me vp betweene the earth, and the heauen, and brought mee by a Diuine vision to Ierusalem, into the entry of ye inner gate that lieth toward the North, where remained the idole of indignation, which prouoked indignation.
4 And there in front of me was the brilliant light that indicated the presence of the God whom the Israeli [people previously worshiped. It was] like the vision that I had seen alongside the Kebar River/Canal.
And beholde, the glorie of the God of Israel was there according to the vision, that I saw in the fielde.
5 Yahweh said to me, “You human, look toward the north!” So I looked, and I saw in the entrance of the gate near the altar that idol that caused Yahweh to be disgusted and furious.
Then saide he vnto mee, Sonne of man, lift vp thine eyes nowe towarde the North. So I lift vp mine eyes towarde the North, and beholde, Northward, at the gate of the altar, this idole of indignation was in the entrie.
6 He said to me, “You human, do you see what those Israeli people [MTY] are doing? They are doing detestable things here, things that will cause me to abandon my temple. But you will see things that are even more detestable.”
He said furthermore vnto me, Sonne of man, seest thou not what they doe? euen the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here to cause me to depart from my Sanctuarie? but yet turne thee and thou shalt see greater abominations.
7 Then he brought me to the entrance of the courtyard. I looked and saw a hole in the wall.
And he caused me to enter at the gate of the court: and when I looked, beholde, an hole was in the wall.
8 He said to me, “You human, dig through the wall here.” So I dug through the wall, and I saw a doorway inside.
Then said he vnto me, Sonne of man, digge nowe in the wall. And when I had digged in the wall, beholde, there was a doore.
9 He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things that they are doing there!”
And he said vnto mee, Go in, and beholde the wicked abominations that they doe here.
10 So I went in through the doorway and looked, and I saw, all over the [of a big room, drawings of] all kinds of creatures that scurry across the ground and [other] detestable animals, and drawings of all the idols that the people of [were worshiping].
So I went in, and sawe, and beholde, there was euery similitude of creeping thinges and abominable beasts and all the idoles of the house of Israel painted vpon the wall round about.
11 In front of them stood 70 elders of Israel. Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, was standing among them. Each of them was holding a pan in which incense was burning, and fragrant smoke of the burning incense was rising up.
And there stoode before them seuentie men of the Ancients of the house of Israel, and in the middes of them stoode Iaazaniah, ye sonne of Shaphan, with euerie man his censour in his hand, and the vapour of the incense went vp like a cloude.
12 Yahweh said to me, “You human, look at [RHQ] what the Israeli elders are doing here in the darkness, each of them standing in front of the shrine of his own idol! They are saying, ‘Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has deserted this country.’”
Then saide hee vnto mee, Sonne of man, hast thou seene what the Ancients of the house of Israel do in the darke, euery one in the chamber of his imagerie? for they say, The Lord seeth vs not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
13 He also said, “But you will see things that are even more detestable!”
Againe he saide also vnto me, Turne thee againe, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they doe.
14 Then he took me to the entrance at the north gate of the temple. I saw women sitting there, mourning for [the death of the god of the people of Babylonia], Tammuz.
And he caused me to enter into the entrie of the gate of the Lords house, which was toward the North: and beholde there sate women mourning for Tammuz.
15 He said to me, “You human, you see this [RHQ], but you will see things that are more detestable than this!”
Then saide hee vnto me, Hast thou seene this, O sonne of man? Turne thee againe, and thou shalt see greater abominations then these.
16 Then he took me into the courtyard outside the temple. There at the entrance of the temple, between the porch and the altar, were about 25 men. Their backs were toward the temple and their faces were toward the east, and they were bowing down to [worship] the sun [as it rose] in the east.
And he caused me to enter into the inner court of the Lordes house, and beholde, at the doore of the Temple of the Lord, betweene the porche and the altar were about fiue and twentie men with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towarde the East, and they worshipped the sunne, towarde the East.
17 He said to me, “You human, you see [RHQ] what they are doing. [Do you think that] it is not important that these men of Judah are doing these detestable things here? [But they are doing other terrible things]. They are acting violently throughout their country, and continually causing me to be angry. Look at them! They are insulting me by their actions [IDM]!
The he said vnto me, Hast thou seene this, O sonne of man? Is it a small thing to the house of Iudah to commit these abominations which they do here? for they haue filled the land with crueltie, and haue returned to prouoke mee: and loe, they haue cast out stinke before their noses.
18 So I will show them that I am very angry. I will not pity them or act mercifully toward them. And even if they shout to me [to help them], I will not pay attention to them.”
Therefore will I also execute my wrath: mine eye shall not spare them, neither will I haue pitie, and though they crie in mine eares with a loude voyce, yet will I not heare them.

< Ezekiel 8 >