< Ezekiel 8 >

1 And it came to pass, in the sixth year in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month, I being seated in my house, and the elders of Judah being seated before me, then fell upon me there the hand of My Lord Yahweh.
In the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the Lord GOD’s hand fell on me there.
2 So I looked, and lo! a likeness as the appearance of a man, from the appearance of his loins and downward fire, and from his loins and upwards as an appearance of shining, as the look of amber,
Then I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire—from the appearance of his waist and downward, fire, and from his waist and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.
3 Then put he forth the similitude of a hand, and took me by the forelock of my head, —and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens and brought me to Jerusalem in the visions of God into the opening of the inner gate that looketh toward the north, where was the seat of the Statue of Jealousy. that provoketh to jealousy;
He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks towards the north, where there was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
4 and lo! there, the glory of the God of Israel, like the appearance which I had seen in the valley.
Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.
5 Then said he unto me, Son of man Lift up. I pray thee thine eyes, the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and lo! on the north by the gate of the altar, this Statue of Jealousy, in the entrance.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way towards the north.” So I lifted up my eyes the way towards the north, and saw, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6 Then said he unto me, Son of man Canst thou see what they are doing, —the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, that I should go faraway from my sanctuary? Howbeit yet again, shalt thou see great abominations.
He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you will again see yet other great abominations.”
7 So he brought me into the opening of the court, —and I looked, and lo! a single hole in the wall.
He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
8 Then said he unto me Son of man Break I pray thee through the wall. So I broke through the wall, and lo! a single opening.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig now in the wall.” When I had dug in the wall, I saw a door.
9 Then said he unto me, — Go in, and see the wicked abominations. which they are committing here.
He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.”
10 So I went in. and looked, and lo! every similitude of creeping thing, and detestable beast, and all the manufactured gods of the house of Israel, - portrayed upon the wall round about on every side;
So I went in and looked, and saw every form of creeping things, abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed around on the wall.
11 and seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan, who stood in their midst were standing before them, even every man with his censer in his hand, —and the fragrance of the cloud of incense ascending.
Seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel stood before them. In the middle of them Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan stood, every man with his censer in his hand; and the smell of the cloud of incense went up.
12 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen Son of man what the elders of the house of Israel, are doing in the dark, every man in his image-chambers? for they are saying— Yahweh doth not see us! Yahweh hath forsaken the land!
Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? For they say, ‘The LORD doesn’t see us. The LORD has forsaken the land.’”
13 Then said he unto me, — Yet again, shalt thou see great abominations, which they are committing.
He said also to me, “You will again see more of the great abominations which they do.”
14 So he brought me into the opening of the gate of the house of Yahweh, which was toward the north, —and Lo! there, women sitting, weeping for Tammuz.
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was towards the north; and I saw the women sit there weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then said he unto me Hast thou seen O son of man? Yet again, shalt thou see greater abominations than these.
Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? You will again see yet greater abominations than these.”
16 So he brought me into the inner court of the house of Yahweh, and lo! at the opening of the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, about twenty-five men, —their backs towards the temple of Yahweh and their faces eastward, and they were bowing down eastward unto the Sun.
He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and I saw at the door of the LORD’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs towards the LORD’s temple and their faces towards the east. They were worshipping the sun towards the east.
17 Then said he unto me Hast thou seen O son of man? Is it too small a thing for the house of Judah, to be committing the abominations which they have committed here, —that they have filled the land with violence and have again provoked me to anger and there they are! putting the branch to my nose.
Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger. Behold, they put the branch to their nose.
18 Therefore even I, will act with indignation, Mine eye shall not shield. Neither will I pity, — Though they have cried in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Therefore I will also deal in wrath. My eye won’t spare, neither will I have pity. Though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them.”

< Ezekiel 8 >