Ezekiel Condemns Jerusalem's Wicked Leaders
1 The Lord's Spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the temple, where I saw 25 men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. 2 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, these men are making evil plans and giving dangerous advice to the people of Jerusalem. 3 They say things like, ‘Let's build more houses. This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.’ 4 So, Ezekiel, condemn them!”
5 The Lord's Spirit took control of me and told me to tell these leaders:
I, the Lord God, know what you leaders are saying. 6 You have murdered so many people that the city is filled with dead bodies! 7 This city is indeed a cooking pot, but the bodies of those you killed are the meat. And so I will force you to leave Jerusalem, 8 and I'll send armies to attack you, just as you fear. 9 Then you will be captured and punished by foreign enemies. 10 You will be killed in your own country, but not before you realize that I, the Lord, have done these things.
11 You leaders claim to be meat in a cooking pot, but you won't be protected by this city. No, you will die at the border of Israel. 12 You will realize that while you were following the laws of nearby nations, you were disobeying my laws and teachings. And I am the Lord!
13 Before I finished speaking, Pelatiah dropped dead. I bowed down and cried out, “Please, Lord God, don't kill everyone left in Israel.”
A Promise of Hope
14 The Lord replied:
15 Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in Jerusalem claim that you and the other Israelites who were taken to Babylonia are too far away to worship me. They also claim that the land of Israel now belongs only to them. 16 But here is what I want you to tell the Israelites in Babylonia:
It's true that I, the Lord God, have forced you out of your own country and made you live among foreign nations. But for now, I will be with you wherever you are, so that you can worship me. 17 And someday, I will gather you from the nations where you are scattered and let you live in Israel again. 18 When that happens, I want you to clear the land of all those idols I hate so much. 19 Then I will take away your stubbornness and make you eager to be completely faithful to me. You will want to obey me 20 and all my laws and teachings. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 21 But those who worship idols will be punished and get what they deserve. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
The Lord's Glory Leaves Jerusalem
22 After the Lord had finished speaking, the winged creatures spread their wings and flew into the air, and the wheels were beside them. The brightness of the Lord's glory above them 23 left Jerusalem and stopped at a hill east of the city.
24 Then in my vision, the Lord's Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to the other exiles in Babylonia. The vision faded away, 25 and I told them everything the Lord had shown me.
1 Moreover, the Spirite lift me vp, and brought me vnto the East gate of the Lordes house, which lyeth Eastwarde, and beholde, at the entrie of the gate were fiue and twentie men: among whome I sawe Iaazaniah the sonne of Azur, and Pelatiah the sonne of Benaiah, the princes of the people. 2 Then said he vnto me, Sonne of man, these are the men that imagine mischiefe, and deuise wicked counsell in this citie. 3 For they say, It is not neere, let vs builde houses: this citie is the caldron, and wee be the flesh. 4 Therefore prophesie against them, sonne of man, prophesie. 5 And the Spirite of the Lord fell vpon me, and said vnto me, Speake, Thus saith the Lord, O ye house of Israel, this haue ye said, and I know that which riseth vp of your mindes. 6 Many haue ye murthered in this citie, and ye haue filled the streets thereof with the slaine. 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, They that ye haue slaine, and haue layed in the middes of it, they are the flesh, and this citie is the caldron, but I wil bring you foorth of the mids of it. 8 Ye haue feared the sworde, and I wil bring a sworde vpon you, saith the Lord God. 9 And I will bring you out of the middes thereof, and deliuer you into the hands of strangers, and will execute iudgements among you. 10 Ye shall fall by the sworde, and I wil iudge you in the border of Israel, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord. 11 This citie shall not be your caldron, neyther shall ye be the flesh in the middes thereof, but I will iudge you in the border of Israel. 12 And ye shall knowe that I am the Lord: for ye haue not walked in my statutes, neither executed my iudgements, but haue done after the maners of the heathen, that are round about you. 13 And when I prophesied, Pelatiah the sonne of Benaiah dyed: then fell I downe vpon my face, and cryed with a loude voyce, and saide, Ah Lord God, wilt thou then vtterly destroy all the remnant of Israel? 14 Againe the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 15 Sonne of man, thy brethren, euen thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, wholy are they vnto whome the inhabitants of Ierusalem haue said, Depart ye farre from the Lord: for the lande is giuen vs in possession. 16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God, Although I haue cast them farre off among the heathen, and although I haue scattered them among the countreis, yet wil I be to them as a litle Sanctuarie in ye countreis where they shall come. 17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God, I will gather you againe from the people, and assemble you out of the countreis where ye haue bene scattered, and I will giue you ye land of Israel. 18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the idoles thereof, and all the abominations thereof from thence. 19 And I will giue them one heart, and I will put a newe spirit within their bowels: and I will take the stonie heart out of their bodies, and will giue them an heart of flesh, 20 That they may walke in my statutes, and keepe my iudgements, and execute them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But vpon them, whose heart is towarde their idoles, and whose affection goeth after their abominations, I will lay their way vpon their owne heades, saith the Lord God. 22 Then did the Cherubims lift vp their wings, and the wheeles besides them, and the glorie of the God of Israel was vpon them on hie. 23 And the glorie of the Lord went vp from the middes of the citie, and stoode vpon the moutaine which is towarde the East side of the citie. 24 Afterwarde the Spirite tooke me vp, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Caldea to them that were led away captiues: so the vision that I had seene, went vp from me. 25 Then I declared vnto them that were led away captiues, all the things that the Lord had shewed me.