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Ezekiel 8-11
New King James Version

Abominations in the Temple

8 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with (A)the elders of Judah sitting before me, that (B)the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. 2 (C)Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, (D)like the color of amber. 3 He (E)stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and (F)the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and (G)brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, (H)where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which (I)provokes[a] to jealousy. 4 And behold, the (J)glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I (K)saw in the plain.

5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

6 Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great (L)abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” 7 So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. 8 Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.

9 And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” 10 So I went in and saw, and there—every (M)sort of (N)creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, [b]portrayed all around on the walls. 11 And there stood before them (O)seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 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 the room of his idols? For they say, (P)‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ”

13 And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for [c]Tammuz.

15 Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” 16 So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, (Q)between the porch and the altar, (R)were about twenty-five men (S)with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping (T)the sun toward the east.

17 And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have (U)filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. 18 (V)Therefore I also will act in fury. My (W)eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they (X)cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

The Wicked Are Slain

9 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a [d]deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his [e]battle-ax in his hand. (Y)One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn [f]at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Now (Z)the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the [g]temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put (AA)a mark on the foreheads of the men (AB)who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

5 To the others He said in my [h]hearing, “Go after him through the city and (AC)kill;[i] (AD)do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 (AE)Utterly[j] slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but (AF)do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and (AG)begin at My sanctuary.” (AH)So they began with the elders who were before the [k]temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the [l]temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I (AI)fell on my face and cried out, and said, (AJ)“Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?”

9 Then He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and (AK)the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, (AL)‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and (AM)the Lord does not see!’ 10 And as for Me also, My (AN)eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but (AO)I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”

11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”

The Glory Departs from the Temple

10 And I looked, and there in the (AP)firmament[m] that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2 (AQ)Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with (AR)coals of fire from among the cherubim, and (AS)scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.

3 Now the cherubim were standing on the [n]south side of the [o]temple when the man went in, and the (AT)cloud filled the inner court. 4 (AU)Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the [p]temple; and (AV)the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s (AW)glory. 5 And the (AX)sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like (AY)the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

6 Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. 7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. 8 (AZ)The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

9 (BA)And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a (BB)beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 11 (BC)When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. 12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were (BD)full of eyes all around. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my [q]hearing, “Wheel.”

14 (BE)Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was (BF)the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. 16 (BG)When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. 17 (BH)When [r]the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when [s]one was lifted up, [t]the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

18 Then (BI)the glory of the Lord (BJ)departed from the threshold of the [u]temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 And (BK)the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the (BL)east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

20 (BM)This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel (BN)by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. 21 (BO)Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And (BP)the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. (BQ)They each went straight forward.

Judgment on Wicked Counselors

11 Then (BR)the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to (BS)the East Gate of the Lord’s house, which faces eastward; and there (BT)at the door of the gate were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2 And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked [v]counsel in this city, 3 who say, ‘The time is not (BU)near to build houses; (BV)this city is the [w]caldron, and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”

5 Then (BW)the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said to me, “Speak! ‘Thus says the Lord: “Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for (BX)I know the things that come into your mind. 6 (BY)You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.” 7 Therefore thus says the Lord God: (BZ)“Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron; (CA)but I shall bring you out of the midst of it. 8 You have (CB)feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,” says the Lord God. 9 “And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and (CC)execute judgments on you. 10 (CD)You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at (CE)the border of Israel. (CF)Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 11 (CG)This city shall not be your [x]caldron, nor shall you be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel. 12 And you shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but (CH)have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.” ’ ”

13 Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that (CI)Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then (CJ)I fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?”

God Will Restore Israel

14 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 “Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, (CK)yet I shall be a little [y]sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.” ’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: (CL)“I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ’ 18 And they will go there, and they will take away all its (CM)detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19 Then (CN)I will give them one heart, and I will put (CO)a new spirit within [z]them, and take (CP)the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 (CQ)that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; (CR)and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, (CS)I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.

22 So the cherubim (CT)lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high above them. 23 And (CU)the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood (CV)on the mountain, (CW)which is on the east side of the city.

24 Then (CX)the Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into [aa]Chaldea, to those in captivity. And the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the Lord had shown me.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 8:3 Arouses the Lord’s jealousy
  2. Ezekiel 8:10 Or carved
  3. Ezekiel 8:14 A Sumerian fertility god similar to the Gr. god Adonis
  4. Ezekiel 9:1 Or destroying
  5. Ezekiel 9:2 Lit. shattering weapon
  6. Ezekiel 9:2 Lit. upon his loins
  7. Ezekiel 9:3 Lit. house
  8. Ezekiel 9:5 Lit. ears
  9. Ezekiel 9:5 Lit. strike
  10. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit. Slay to destruction
  11. Ezekiel 9:6 Lit. house
  12. Ezekiel 9:7 Lit. house
  13. Ezekiel 10:1 expanse
  14. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit. right
  15. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit. house
  16. Ezekiel 10:4 Lit. house
  17. Ezekiel 10:13 Lit. ears
  18. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they
  19. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they were
  20. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they lifted them
  21. Ezekiel 10:18 Lit. house
  22. Ezekiel 11:2 Advice
  23. Ezekiel 11:3 Pot
  24. Ezekiel 11:11 Pot
  25. Ezekiel 11:16 holy place
  26. Ezekiel 11:19 Lit. you (pl.)
  27. Ezekiel 11:24 Or Babylon, and so elsewhere in the book
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Ezekiel 8-11
New International Version

Idolatry in the Temple

8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders(A) of Judah were sitting before(B) me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there.(C) 2 I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man.[a] From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal.(D) 3 He stretched out what looked like a hand(E) and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up(F) between earth and heaven and in visions(G) of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court,(H) where the idol that provokes to jealousy(I) stood. 4 And there before me was the glory(J) of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.(K)

5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol(L) of jealousy.

6 And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable(M) things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary?(N) But you will see things that are even more detestable.”

7 Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

9 And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” 10 So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls(O) all kinds of crawling things and unclean(P) animals and all the idols of Israel.(Q) 11 In front of them stood seventy elders(R) of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer(S) in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense(T) was rising.(U)

12 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness,(V) each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see(W) us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” 13 Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”

14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz.(X) 15 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”

16 He then brought me into the inner court(Y) of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar,(Z) were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun(AA) in the east.(AB)

17 He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things(AC) they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence(AD) and continually arouse my anger?(AE) Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger;(AF) I will not look on them with pity(AG) or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen(AH) to them.”

Judgment on the Idolaters

9 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” 2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen(AI) who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Now the glory(AJ) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim,(AK) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem(AL) and put a mark(AM) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament(AN) over all the detestable things that are done in it.(AO)”

5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity(AP) or compassion.(AQ) 6 Slaughter(AR) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,(AS) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.(AT) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men(AU) who were in front of the temple.(AV)

7 Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.(AW) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 8 While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown,(AX) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord!(AY) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath(AZ) on Jerusalem?(BA)”

9 He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.(BB) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’(BC) 10 So I will not look on them with pity(BD) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.(BE)”

11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne(BF) of lapis lazuli(BG) above the vault(BH) that was over the heads of the cherubim.(BI) 2 The Lord said to the man clothed in linen,(BJ) “Go in among the wheels(BK) beneath the cherubim. Fill(BL) your hands with burning coals(BM) from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the Lord(BN) rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. 5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice(BO) of God Almighty[b] when he speaks.(BP)

6 When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels,(BQ) from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire(BR) that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. 8 (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)(BS)

9 I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz.(BT) 10 As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 11 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about[c] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. 12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes,(BU) as were their four wheels.(BV) 13 I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” 14 Each of the cherubim(BW) had four faces:(BX) One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion,(BY) and the fourth the face of an eagle.(BZ)

15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures(CA) I had seen by the Kebar River.(CB) 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. 17 When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.(CC)

18 Then the glory(CD) of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.(CE) 19 While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.(CF) They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory(CG) of the God of Israel was above them.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River,(CH) and I realized that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces(CI) and four wings,(CJ) and under their wings was what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River.(CK) Each one went straight ahead.

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(CL) son of Benaiah, leaders(CM) of the people.(CN) 2 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil(CO) and giving wicked advice in this city.(CP) 3 They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,(CQ) and we are the meat in it.’(CR) 4 Therefore prophesy(CS) against them; prophesy, son of man.”

5 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.(CT) 6 You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.(CU)

7 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot,(CV) but I will drive you out of it.(CW) 8 You fear the sword,(CX) and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CY) 9 I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands(CZ) of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.(DA) 10 You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.(DB) Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11 This city will not be a pot(DC) 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,(DD) for you have not followed my decrees(DE) or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.(DF)”

13 Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah(DG) 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?(DH)”

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.’(DI)

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(DJ) 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.’(DK)

18 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images(DL) and detestable idols.(DM) 19 I will give them an undivided heart(DN) and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone(DO) and give them a heart of flesh.(DP) 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(DQ) They will be my people,(DR) and I will be their God.(DS) 21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols,(DT) I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DU)”

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory(DV) of the God of Israel was above them.(DW) 23 The glory(DX) of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain(DY) east of it. 24 The Spirit(DZ) lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia[d] in the vision(EA) 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.(EB)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 8:2 Or saw a fiery figure
  2. Ezekiel 10:5 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  3. Ezekiel 10:11 Or aside
  4. Ezekiel 11:24 Or Chaldea
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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