Add parallel Print Page Options

11 1-2 Then the Spirit lifted me and brought me over to the east gate of the Temple, where I saw twenty-five of the most prominent men of the city, including two officers, Jaazaniah (son of Azzur) and Pelatiah (son of Benaiah).

Then the Spirit said to me, “Son of dust, these are the men who are responsible for all of the wicked counsel being given out in this city. For they say to the people, ‘It is time to rebuild Jerusalem, for our city is an iron shield and will protect us from all harm.’[a] Therefore, son of dust, prophesy against them loudly and clearly.”

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me and told me to say: “The Lord says to the people of Israel: Is that what you are saying? Yes, I know it is, for I know everything you think—every thought that comes into your minds. You have murdered endlessly and filled your streets with the dead.”

Therefore the Lord God says: “You think this city is an iron shield? No, it isn’t! It will not protect you. Your slain will lie within it, but you will be dragged out and slaughtered.[b] I will expose you to the war you have so greatly feared, says the Lord God, and I will take you from Jerusalem and hand you over to foreigners who will carry out my judgments against you. 10 You will be slaughtered all the way to the borders of Israel, and you will know I am the Lord. 11 No, this city will not be an iron shield for you, and you safe within. I will chase you even to the borders of Israel, 12 and you will know I am the Lord—you who have not obeyed me but rather have copied the nations all around you.”

13 While I was still speaking and telling them this, Pelatiah (son of Benaiah) suddenly died. Then I fell to the ground on my face and cried out: “O Lord God, are you going to kill everyone in all Israel?”

14 Again a message came from the Lord:

15 “Son of dust, the remnant left in Jerusalem are saying about your brother exiles: ‘It is because they were so wicked that the Lord has deported them. Now the Lord has given us their land!’

16 “But tell the exiles that the Lord God says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, yet I will be a sanctuary to you for the time that you are there, 17 and I will gather you back from the nations where you are scattered and give you the land of Israel again. 18 And when you return, you will remove every trace of all this idol worship. 19 I will give you one heart and a new spirit; I will take from you your hearts of stone and give you tender hearts of love for God, 20 so that you can obey my laws and be my people, and I will be your God. 21 But as for those now in Jerusalem[c] who long for idols, I will repay them fully for their sins,” the Lord God says.

22 Then the Guardian Angels lifted their wings and rose into the air with their wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel stood above them. 23 Then the glory of the Lord rose from over the city and stood above the mountain on the east side.

24 Afterwards the Spirit of God carried me back again to Babylon, to the Jews in exile there. And so ended the vision of my visit to Jerusalem. 25 And I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 11:3 for our city is an iron shield and will protect us from all harm, literally, “this city the caldron and we the flesh.”
  2. Ezekiel 11:7 Your slain will lie within it, but you will be dragged out and slaughtered, literally, “Your slain are the flesh and this is the caldron, but you will be brought out from it.”
  3. Ezekiel 11:21 But as for those now in Jerusalem, implied.

11 Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord's house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:

Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.

Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.

Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord God.

And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:

12 And ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

14 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession.

16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.

22 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

25 Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me.

God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem

11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah(A) son of Benaiah, leaders(B) of the people.(C) The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil(D) and giving wicked advice in this city.(E) They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,(F) and we are the meat in it.’(G) Therefore prophesy(H) against them; prophesy, son of man.”

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.(I) You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.(J)

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot,(K) but I will drive you out of it.(L) You fear the sword,(M) and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.(N) I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands(O) of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.(P) 10 You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.(Q) Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11 This city will not be a pot(R) for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. 12 And you will know that I am the Lord,(S) for you have not followed my decrees(T) or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.(U)

13 Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah(V) son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?(W)

The Promise of Israel’s Return

14 The word of the Lord came to me: 15 “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.’(X)

16 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary(Y) for them in the countries where they have gone.’

17 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’(Z)

18 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images(AA) and detestable idols.(AB) 19 I will give them an undivided heart(AC) and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone(AD) and give them a heart of flesh.(AE) 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(AF) They will be my people,(AG) and I will be their God.(AH) 21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols,(AI) I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AJ)

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory(AK) of the God of Israel was above them.(AL) 23 The glory(AM) of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain(AN) east of it. 24 The Spirit(AO) lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia[a] in the vision(AP) given by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me, 25 and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 11:24 Or Chaldea