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 it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, that I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there fell upon me there the inspiration of the Lord Eternal.

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.

And I saw, and, behold, there was a likeness similar to the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins downward, it was fire; and from his loins upward, it was similar to the appearance of a bright light, like the glitter of 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 forth the form of a hand, and took me by the locks of my head; and a spirit bore me between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to wrath.

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

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.

And he said unto me, Son of man, do but lift up thy eyes in the direction toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes in the direction toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar [there was] this image of jealousy at the entrance.

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.”

Then said he unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they are doing? great abominations are they that the house of Israel commit here, to make me go far away from my sanctuary; but thou shalt yet see still other great abominations.

7 Then he brought me to the entrance of the courtyard. I looked and saw a hole in the wall.

And he brought me to the door of the court: and I looked, and behold there was a hole 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 unto me, Son of man, do break [an opening] in the wall: and I broke [an opening] in the wall, and, behold, there was a door.

9 He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things that they are doing there!”

And he said unto me, Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing 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 saw; and behold there was every form of creeping things, and cattle, abominations, and all the idols of the house of Israel, engraven upon the wall all 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 seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and Yaazanyahu the son of Shaphan standing in the midst of them, were standing before them, and every man had his censer in his hand; and a thick curling cloud of incense was ascending upward.

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 said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, every man in his image-chambers? for they say, The Lord seeth us not: the Lord hath forsaken the earth.

13 He also said, “But you will see things that are even more detestable!”

And he said unto me, Thou shalt yet again see still other great abominations that they are doing.

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 brought me to the entrance of the gate of the Lord's house which was on the north side: and, behold, there sat the women weeping for Thammuz.

15 He said to me, “You human, you see this [RHQ], but you will see things that are more detestable than this!”

Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Thou shalt yet again see still other greater abominations than 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 brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward to the sun.

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]!

Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and they constantly repeat to provoke me to anger; and, lo, they stretch forth the branch to their nose.

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 I also will deal in fury; my eye shall not look with pity, and I will not spare: and though they call before my ears with a loud voice, will I still not hear them.