Ezekiel 11

1 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; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

[Then God’s] Spirit lifted me up and took me to the gate on the east side of the temple area. There at the gate were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.

2 And he said unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity, and that give wicked counsel in this city.

Yahweh said to me, “You human, these are the [new leaders in Jerusalem] who are planning to do evil things and who are giving wicked advice [to people] in this city.

3 which say, [The time] is not near to build houses: this [city] is the caldron, and we be the flesh.

They say, ‘[Everything will go well for us, so] it will surely soon be [RHQ] time to build houses. [We are like] [MET] fine/choice pieces of meat that are carefully stored in covered pots, and we are protected [from the bad things that will happen to others].’

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

So, you human, prophesy [the terrible things that will happen to] them.”

5 And the spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he 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.

Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon me and told me to [to the people], “This is what Yahweh says: You Israeli people [MTY] are saying those things, but I know what you are thinking.

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

You have killed many people in this city and filled the streets with their corpses.

7 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 ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it.

Therefore this is what Yahweh the Lord says: The corpses of the people whom you have killed here are [like] the meat [MET], and this city is [like] the pot [MET], but I will expel you from this city.

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

You are afraid [being killed by enemies’] swords, and that is what I will cause to happen to you.

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

I will expel you from this city and enable foreigners to capture you and punish 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.

They will kill [EUP] you with their swords; you will be punished [right here] in Israel. Then people will realize that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].

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

This city will not be [a place were you will be protected like] [MET] meat in a covered pot. I will punish you wherever you are in Israel.

12 and ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye executed my judgments, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.

And you will know that I, Yahweh, [have predicted that would happen], because you have not obeyed my commands and decrees; instead, you have imitated [wicked] behavior [of the people] of the nearby nations.”

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?

While I was prophesying that, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah [suddenly] died. Then I prostrated myself on the ground and cried out loudly, “Yahweh my Lord, are you going [similarly] get rid of all the Israeli people who are still alive?”

14 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Then Yahweh gave me this message:

15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them, [are they] unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD; unto us is this land given for a possession:

“You human, the people who are still in Jerusalem are talking about you and your own relatives and about all the other people who were (exiled/forced to go to other countries), saying, ‘They [in Babylonia], far from Yahweh. They have left their [here in Israel, so] their property now belongs to us!’”

16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD: Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they are come.

So tell [them], “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Although I caused them to be taken far [from Israel] and scattered them among other nations, for a short time I will (be like a refuge for/protect) them in the countries to which they have been taken.”

17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

So also tell them, “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: [Some day] I will gather you from the [to which you have been taken] and bring you back to Israel, and you will live in your country/land [again].

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

When you return to your country, you will get rid of all the vile statues of gods and detestable idols.

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:

I will put a new way of thinking [IDM] within you. I will cause you to no longer be stubborn [IDM], and I will enable you to obey me completely [IDM].

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.

When I do that, you will carefully obey all my laws [DOU]. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

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

But as for those who are devoted [worshiping] their vile statues and detestable idols, I will punish them as they deserve for the evil things that they have done.’”

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

Then the winged creatures, with their wheels beside them, spread their [and flew up into the air], and the dazzling brightness of Yahweh was above them.

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.

That light went up away from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east of the city.

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

In the vision [that I had been seeing, God’s] Spirit lifted me up and brought me [back] to the (exiles in/people who had been forced to go to) Babylonia. Then the vision ended,

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

and I told the exiles everything that Yahweh had shown [in the vision].