יְחֶזְקֵאל 8

1 וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֗ית בַּשִּׁשִּׁי֙ בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ אֲנִי֙ יֹושֵׁ֣ב בְּבֵיתִ֔י וְזִקְנֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יֹושְׁבִ֣ים לְפָנָ֑י וַתִּפֹּ֤ל עָלַי֙ שָׁ֔ם יַ֖ד אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה׃

On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year, I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah and the power of the Lord God came over me there.

2 וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה דְמוּת֙ כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵ֔שׁ מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה מָתְנָ֛יו וּלְמַ֖טָּה אֵ֑שׁ וּמִמָּתְנָ֣יו וּלְמַ֔עְלָה כְּמַרְאֵה־זֹ֖הַר כְּעֵ֥ין הַחַשְׁמַֽלָה׃

I looked around and saw a being that looked like a man. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, he looked like fire. From what seemed to his waist upwards, he looked like brightly glowing metal.

3 וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ תַּבְנִ֣ית יָ֔ד וַיִּקָּחֵ֖נִי בְּצִיצִ֣ת רֹאשִׁ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֣א אֹתִ֣י ר֣וּחַ ׀ בֵּֽין־הָאָ֣רֶץ וּבֵ֣ין הַשָּׁמַ֡יִם וַתָּבֵא֩ אֹתִ֨י יְרוּשָׁלְַ֜מָה בְּמַרְאֹ֣ות אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח שַׁ֤עַר הַפְּנִימִית֙ הַפֹּונֶ֣ה צָפֹ֔ונָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֣ם מֹושַׁ֔ב סֵ֖מֶל הַקִּנְאָ֥ה הַמַּקְנֶֽה׃

He reached out what seemed to be a hand and picked me up by my hair. The Spirit took me up into the sky, and in the vision God was giving me he carried me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple's inner courtyard, where the offensive idol that made God angry had been placed.

4 וְהִ֨נֵּה־שָׁ֔ם כְּבֹ֖וד אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּמַּרְאֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי בַּבִּקְעָֽה׃

I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, just like I had in the vision I'd seen in the valley.

5 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם שָׂא־נָ֥א עֵינֶ֖יךָ דֶּ֣רֶךְ צָפֹ֑ונָה וָאֶשָּׂ֤א עֵינַי֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ צָפֹ֔ונָה וְהִנֵּ֤ה מִצָּפֹון֙ לְשַׁ֣עַר הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ סֵ֛מֶל הַקִּנְאָ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה בַּבִּאָֽה׃

“Son of man,” he told me, “now look to the north.” So I looked to the north, and in the entrance to the north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol that angered God.

6 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הֲרֹאֶ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה מֵהֵם (מָ֣ה הֵ֣ם) עֹשִׂ֑ים תֹּועֵבֹ֨ות גְּדֹלֹ֜ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ׀ עֹשִׂ֣ים פֹּ֗ה לְרָֽחֳקָה֙ מֵעַ֣ל מִקְדָּשִׁ֔י וְעֹוד֙ תָּשׁ֣וּב תִּרְאֶ֔ה תֹּועֵבֹ֖ות גְּדֹלֹֽות׃ ס

“Son of man,” he said to me, “can you see what they are doing? Look at the disgusting sins the people of Israel are committing that are driving me far away from my sanctuary? But you're going to see even more disgusting sins than these!”

7 וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתִ֖י אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הֶֽחָצֵ֑ר וָאֶרְאֶ֕ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה חֹר־אֶחָ֖ד בַּקִּֽיר׃

He took me to the entrance to the Temple courtyard. As I looked around, I saw a hole in the wall.

8 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י בֶּן־אָדָ֖ם חֲתָר־נָ֣א בַקִּ֑יר וָאֶחְתֹּ֣ר בַּקִּ֔יר וְהִנֵּ֖ה פֶּ֥תַח אֶחָֽד׃

“Son of man,” he told me, “pull the wall apart.” So I pulled the wall apart and found a doorway.

9 וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י בֹּ֤א וּרְאֵה֙ אֶת־הַתֹּועֵבֹ֣ות הָרָעֹ֔ות אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם עֹשִׂ֖ים פֹּֽה׃

He told me, “Go through the wall and see the evil and disgusting things they are doing in here.”

10 וָאָבֹוא֮ וָֽאֶרְאֶה֒ וְהִנֵּ֨ה כָל־תַּבְנִ֜ית רֶ֤מֶשׂ וּבְהֵמָה֙ שֶׁ֔קֶץ וְכָל־גִּלּוּלֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מְחֻקֶּ֥ה עַל־הַקִּ֖יר סָבִ֥יב ׀ סָבִֽיב׃

So I went through the wall and saw carved images covering the walls, representing all kinds of reptiles and disgusting animals, as well as all the idols worshiped by the people of Israel.

11 וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֣ישׁ מִזִּקְנֵ֣י בֵֽית־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל וְיַאֲזַנְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־שָׁפָ֜ן עֹמֵ֤ד בְּתֹוכָם֙ עֹמְדִ֣ים לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ מִקְטַרְתֹּ֖ו בְּיָדֹ֑ו וַעֲתַ֥ר עֲנַֽן־הַקְּטֹ֖רֶת עֹלֶֽה׃

Seventy elders of the house of Israel were standing in front of them, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. They all were holding censers, producing a sweet-smelling cloud of incense that rose above them.

12 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָם֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר זִקְנֵ֤י בֵֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ אִ֖ישׁ בְּחַדְרֵ֣י מַשְׂכִּיתֹ֑ו כִּ֣י אֹמְרִ֗ים אֵ֤ין יְהוָה֙ רֹאֶ֣ה אֹתָ֔נוּ עָזַ֥ב יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

“Son of man,” he said to me, “can you see what the elders of the people of Israel are doing here in the dark, with each one worshiping in the shrine room of his own idol? This is what they're saying: ‘The Lord can't see what we're doing; besides the Lord has abandoned our country!’”

13 וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י עֹ֣וד תָּשׁ֥וּב תִּרְאֶ֛ה תֹּועֵבֹ֥ות גְּדֹלֹ֖ות אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֥מָּה עֹשִֽׂים׃

The Lord went on to tell me, “You're going to see them doing even more disgusting things than these!”

14 וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתִ֗י אֶל־פֶּ֙תַח֙ שַׁ֣עַר בֵּית־יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֶל־הַצָּפֹ֑ונָה וְהִנֵּה־שָׁם֙ הַנָּשִׁ֣ים יֹֽשְׁבֹ֔ות מְבַכֹּ֖ות אֶת־הַתַּמּֽוּז׃ ס

Then he took me to the north entrance of the Lord's Temple. I saw women sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.

15 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלַ֖י הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָ֑ם עֹ֣וד תָּשׁ֥וּב תִּרְאֶ֛ה תֹּועֵבֹ֥ות גְּדֹלֹ֖ות מֵאֵֽלֶּה׃

“Son of man,” he said to me, “have you seen this? But you're going to see even more disgusting things than these!”

16 וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתִ֗י אֶל־חֲצַ֣ר בֵּית־יְהוָה֮ הַפְּנִימִית֒ וְהִנֵּה־פֶ֜תַח הֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֗ה בֵּ֤ין הָֽאוּלָם֙ וּבֵ֣ין הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ כְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אִ֑ישׁ אֲחֹ֨רֵיהֶ֜ם אֶל־הֵיכַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ וּפְנֵיהֶ֣ם קֵ֔דְמָה וְהֵ֛מָּה מִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֥ם קֵ֖דְמָה לַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

He took me to the inner courtyard of the Lord's Temple and right there at the entrance to the Temple, between the porch and the altar, were around twenty-five men. They had their backs to the Temple, and were facing towards the east. They were bowing in worship of the sun rising in the east.

17 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַי֮ הֲרָאִ֣יתָ בֶן־אָדָם֒ הֲנָקֵל֙ לְבֵ֣ית יְהוּדָ֔ה מֵעֲשֹׂ֕ות אֶת־הַתֹּועֵבֹ֖ות אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשׂוּ־פֹ֑ה כִּֽי־מָלְא֨וּ אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ חָמָ֗ס וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ לְהַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי וְהִנָּ֛ם שֹׁלְחִ֥ים אֶת־הַזְּמֹורָ֖ה אֶל־אַפָּֽם׃

“Son of man,” he said to me, “have you seen this? The people of Judah aren't content just to do these disgusting things. They also commit violent crimes across the country and keep on making me angry. Look at how they're deliberately insulting me!

18 וְגַם־אֲנִי֙ אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה בְחֵמָ֔ה לֹֽא־תָחֹ֥וס עֵינִ֖י וְלֹ֣א אֶחְמֹ֑ל וְקָרְא֤וּ בְאָזְנַי֙ קֹ֣ול גָּדֹ֔ול וְלֹ֥א אֶשְׁמַ֖ע אֹותָֽם׃

As a result I will respond in anger. I won't treat them kindly; I won't be merciful to them. Even though they shout loudly for my help, I won't listen to them.”