Ezekiel 11

1 And lift me up doth a spirit, and it bringeth me in unto the east gate of the house of Jehovah, that is facing the east, and lo, at the opening of the gate twenty and five men, and I see in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, heads of the people.

[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.

2 And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, these [are] the men who are devising iniquity, and who are giving evil counsel in this city;

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.

3 who are saying, It [is] not near — to build houses, it [is] the pot, and we the flesh.

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].’

4 Therefore prophesy concerning them, prophesy, son of man.'

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

5 And fall upon me doth the Spirit of Jehovah, and He saith unto me, 'Say: Thus said Jehovah: Rightly ye have said, O house of Israel, And the steps of your spirit I have known.

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.

6 Ye multiplied your wounded in this city, And filled its out-places with the wounded.

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

7 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Your wounded whom ye placed in its midst, They [are] the flesh, and it [is] the pot, And you he hath brought out from its midst.

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.

8 A sword ye have feared, And a sword I bring in against you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.

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

9 And I have brought you out of its midst, And given you into the hand of strangers, And I have done among you judgments.

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

10 By the sword ye do fall, On the border of Israel I do judge you, And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.

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].

11 It is not to you for a pot, Nor are ye in its midst for flesh, At the border of Israel I do judge you.

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.

12 And ye have known that I [am] Jehovah, For in My statutes ye have not walked, And My Judgments ye have not done, And according to the judgments of the nations Who are round about you — ye have done!'

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.”

13 And it cometh to pass, at my prophesying, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah is dying, and I fall on my face, and cry — a loud voice — and say, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, an end Thou art making of the remnant of Israel.'

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?”

14 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

Then Yahweh gave me this message:

15 'Son of man, thy brethren, thy brethren, men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel — all of it, [are] they to whom inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Keep far off from Jehovah;

“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!’”

16 it [is] ours, the land hath been given for an inheritance; therefore say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because I put them afar off among nations, And because I scattered them through lands, I also am to them for a little sanctuary, In lands whither they have gone in.

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.”

17 Therefore say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: And I have assembled you from the peoples, And I have gathered you from the lands, Into which ye have been scattered, And I have given to you the ground of Israel.

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].

18 And they have gone in thither. And turned aside all its detestable things, And all its abominations — out of it.

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

19 And I have given to them one heart, And a new spirit I do give in your midst, And I have turned the heart of stone out of their flesh, And I have given to them a heart of flesh.

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].

20 So that in My statutes they walk, And My judgments they keep, and have done them, And they have been to me for a people, And I am to them for God.

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

21 As to those whose heart is going unto the heart Of their detestable and their abominable things, Their way on their head I have put, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

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.’”

22 And the cherubs lift up their wings, and the wheels [are] over-against them, and the honour of the God of Israel [is] over them above.

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.

23 And the honour of Jehovah goeth up from off the midst of the city, and standeth on the mountain, that [is] on the east of the city.

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

24 And a spirit hath lifted me up, and bringeth me in to Chaldea, unto the Removed, in a vision, by the Spirit of God, and go up from off me doth the vision that I have seen;

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,

25 and I speak unto the Removed all the matters of Jehovah that He hath shewed me.

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