Jezekiel 8

1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the fifth month, on the fifth [day] of the month, I was sitting in the house, and the elders of Juda were sitting before me: and the hand of the Lord came upon me.

Now in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in my house and the responsible men of Judah were seated before me, the hand of the Lord came on me there.

2 And I looked, and, behold, the likeness of a man: from his loins and downwards [there was] fire, and from his loins upwards [there was] as the appearance of amber.

And looking, I saw a form like fire; from the middle of his body and down there was fire: and up from the middle of his body a sort of shining, like electrum.

3 And he stretched forth the likeness of a hand, and took me by the crown of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and sky, and brought me to Jerusalem in a vision of God, to the porch of the gate that looks to the north, where was the pillar of the Purchaser.

And he put out the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; and the wind, lifting me up between the earth and the heaven, took me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the way into the inner door facing to the north; where was the seat of the image of envy.

4 And, behold, the glory of the Lord God of Israel was there, according to the vision which I saw in the plain.

And I saw the glory of the Lord there, as in the vision which I saw in the valley.

5 And he said to me, Son of man, lift up your eyes towards the north. So I lifted up mine eyes towards the north, and, behold, [I looked] from the north towards the eastern gate.

Then he said to me, Son of man, now let your eyes be lifted up in the direction of the north; and on looking in the direction of the north, to the north of the doorway of the altar, I saw this image of envy by the way in.

6 And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what these do? They commit great abominations here so that I should keep away from my sanctuary: and you shall see yet greater iniquities.

And he said to me, Son of man, do you see what they are doing? even the very disgusting things which the children of Israel are doing here, causing me to go far away from my holy place? but you will see other most disgusting things.

7 And he brought me to the porch of the court.

And he took me to the door of the open place; and looking, I saw a hole in the wall.

8 And he said to me, Son of man, dig: so I dug, and behold a door.

And he said to me, Son of man, make a hole in the wall: and after making a hole in the wall I saw a door.

9 And he said to me, Go in, and behold the iniquities which they practise here.

And he said to me, Go in and see the evil and disgusting things which they are doing here.

10 So I went in and looked; and saw vain abominations, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon them round about.

So I went in and saw; and there every sort of living thing which goes flat on the earth, and unclean beasts, and all the images of the children of Israel, were pictured round about on the wall.

11 And seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and Jechonias the son of Saphan stood in their presence in the midst of them, and each one held his censer in his hand; and the smoke of the incense went up.

And before them seventy of the responsible men of the children of Israel had taken their places, every man with a vessel for burning perfumes in his hand, and in the middle of them was Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan; and a cloud of smoke went up from the burning perfume.

12 And he said to me, You have seen, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel do, each one of them in their secret chamber: because they have said, The Lord see not; The Lord has forsaken the earth.

And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the responsible men of the children of Israel do in the dark, every man in his room of pictured images? for they say, The Lord does not see us; the Lord has gone away from the land.

13 And he said to me, You shall see yet greater iniquities which these do.

Then he said to me, You will see even more disgusting things which they do.

14 And he brought me in to the porch of the house of the Lord that looks to the north; and, behold [there were] women sitting there lamenting for Thammuz.

Then he took me to the door of the way into the Lord's house looking to the north; and there women were seated weeping for Tammuz.

15 And he said to me, Son of man, you have seen; but you shall yet see [evil] practices greater then these.

Then he said to me, Have you seen this, O son of man? you will see even more disgusting things than these.

16 And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty men, with their back parts towards the temple of the Lord, and their faces [turned] the opposite way; and these were worshipping the sun.

And he took me into the inner square of the Lord's house, and at the door of the Temple of the Lord, between the covered way and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs turned to the Temple of the Lord and their faces turned to the east; and they were worshipping the sun, turning to the east.

17 And he said to me, Son of man, you have seen this. [Is it] a little thing to the house of Juda to practise the iniquities which they have practised here? for they have filled the land with iniquity: and, behold, these are as scorners.

Then he said to me, Have you seen this, O son of man? is it a small thing to the children of Judah that they do the disgusting things which they are doing here? for they have made the land full of violent behaviour, making me angry again and again: and see, they put the branch to my nose.

18 Therefore will I deal with them in wrath: mine eye shall not spare, nor will I have any mercy.

For this reason I will let loose my wrath: my eye will not have mercy, and I will have no pity.