יְחֶזְקֵאל 8

1 וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשִּׁשִּׁ֗ית בַּשִּׁשִּׁי֙ בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ אֲנִי֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בְּבֵיתִ֔י וְזִקְנֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה יוֹשְׁבִ֣ים 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 בְּמַרְא֣וֹת אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח שַׁ֤עַר הַפְּנִימִית֙ הַפּוֹנֶ֣ה צָפ֔וֹנָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֣ם מוֹשַׁ֔ב 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 כְּב֖וֹד 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 צָפ֑וֹנָה וָאֶשָּׂ֤א עֵינַי֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ צָפ֔וֹנָה וְהִנֵּ֤ה מִצָּפוֹן֙ 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 מָ֣ההֵ֣ם עֹשִׂ֑ים תּוֹעֵב֨וֹת גְּדֹל֜וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל ׀ עֹשִׂ֣ים פֹּ֗ה לְרָֽחֳקָה֙ מֵעַ֣ל מִקְדָּשִׁ֔י וְעוֹד֙ תָּשׁ֣וּב תִּרְאֶ֔ה תּוֹעֵב֖וֹת גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃ 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־הַתּוֹעֵב֣וֹת הָרָע֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם עֹשִׂ֖ים פֹּֽה׃

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

10 וָאָבוֹא֮ 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 בְּתוֹכָם֙ עֹמְדִ֣ים לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְאִ֥ישׁ מִקְטַרְתּ֖וֹ בְּיָד֑וֹ 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 מַשְׂכִּית֑וֹ 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 ע֣וֹד תָּשׁ֥וּב תִּרְאֶ֛ה תּוֹעֵב֥וֹת גְּדֹל֖וֹת 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־הַצָּפ֑וֹנָה וְהִנֵּה־שָׁם֙ הַנָּשִׁ֣ים יֹֽשְׁב֔וֹת מְבַכּ֖וֹת 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 ע֣וֹד תָּשׁ֥וּב תִּרְאֶ֛ה תּוֹעֵב֥וֹת גְּדֹל֖וֹת 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 מֵעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־הַתּוֹעֵב֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשׂוּ־פֹ֑ה כִּֽי־מָלְא֨וּ אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ חָמָ֗ס וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ לְהַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי וְהִנָּ֛ם שֹׁלְחִ֥ים אֶת־הַזְּמוֹרָ֖ה 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־תָח֥וֹס עֵינִ֖י וְלֹ֣א אֶחְמֹ֑ל וְקָרְא֤וּ בְאָזְנַי֙ ק֣וֹל גָּד֔וֹל וְלֹ֥א אֶשְׁמַ֖ע אוֹתָֽם׃

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.”