Ezekiel 8

1 So it came about in the sixth year and the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord Yahweh again fell upon me there.

And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the ancients of Juda sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.

2 So I looked, and behold, there was a likeness with the appearance of a man. From the appearance of his hips downward there was fire. And from his hips upward there was the appearance of something shining, like glowing metal.

And I saw, and behold a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins, and downward, fire: and from his loins, and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the appearance of amber.

3 Then he reached out the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and in visions from God, he brought me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner northern gate, where the idol that provokes great jealousy was standing.

And the likeness of a hand was put forth and took me by a lock of my head: and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the vision of God into Jerusalem, near the inner gate, that looked toward the north, where was set the idol of jealousy to provoke to jealousy.

4 Then behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision I had seen on the plain.

And behold the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision which I had seen in the plain.

5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes to the north.” So I lifted up my eyes to the north, and to the north of the gate leading to the altar, there in the entrance, was the idol of jealousy.

And he said to me: Son of man, lift up thy eyes towards the way of the north. And I lifted up my eyes towards the way of the north: and behold on the north side of the gate of the altar the idol of jealousy in the very entry.

6 So he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing? These are great abominations that the house of Israel is doing here to make me go far from my own sanctuary. But you will turn and see even greater abominations.”

And he said to me: Son of man, dost thou see, thinkest thou, what these are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should depart far off from my sanctuary? and turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater abominations.

7 Then he brought me to the doorway of the courtyard, and I looked, and there was a hole in the wall.

And he brought me in to the door of the court: and I saw, and behold a hole in the wall.

8 He said to me, “Son of man, dig into this wall.” So I dug into the wall, and there was a door.

And he said to me: Son of man, dig in the wall. And when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.

9 Then he said to me, “Go and see the wicked abominations that they are doing here.”

And he said to me: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they commit here.

10 So I went in and looked, and behold! There was every form of creeping thing and detestable beast! Every idol of the house of Israel was carved into the wall all around.

And I went in and saw, and behold every form of creeping things, and of living creatures, the abomination, and all the idols of the house of Israel, were painted on the wall all round about.

11 Seventy elders of the house of Israel were there, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing in their midst. They were standing in front of the images, and each man had his censer in his hand so that the smell of the cloud of incense went up.

And seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and Jezonias the son of Saaphan stood in the midst of them, that stood before the pictures: and every one had a censer in his hand: and a cloud of smoke went up from the incense.

12 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark? Each one does this in the hidden chamber of his idol, for they say, 'Yahweh does not see us! Yahweh has forsaken the land.'”

And he said to me: Surely thou seest. O son of man, what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every one in private in his chamber: for they say: The Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth.

13 Then he said to me, “Turn again and see the other great abominations that they are doing.”

And he said to me: If thou turn thee again, thou shalt see greater abominations which these commit.

14 Next he brought me to the entrance of the gate of Yahweh's house that was on the north side, and behold! The women were sitting there mourning for Tammuz.

And he brought me in by the door of the gate of the Lord’s house, which looked to the north: and behold women sat there mourning for Adonis.

15 So he said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Turn again and see even greater abominations than these.”

And he said to me: Surely thou hast seen, O son of man: but turn thee again: and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.

16 He brought me into the inner courtyard of Yahweh's house, and behold! at the entrance of the temple of Yahweh between the portico and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of Yahweh and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun.

And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord: and behold at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men having their backs towards the temple of the Lord, and their faces to the east: and they adored towards the rising of the sun.

17 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it a little thing for the house of Judah to do these abominations that they are doing here? For they have filled the land with violence and they have turned again to provoke me to anger, putting the branch to their noses.

And he said to me: Surely thou hast seen, O son of man: is this a light thing to the house of Juda, that they should commit these abominations which they have committed here: because they have filled the land with iniquity, and have turned to provoke me to anger? and behold they put a branch to their nose.

18 So I will also act among them; my eye will not have compassion, and I will not spare them. Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

Therefore I also will deal with them in my wrath: my eye shall not spare them, neither will I shew mercy: and when they shall cry to my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.