Abandoned by God

1The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the house of the LORD, which faces east. And behold, at the door of the gateway there were twenty-five men; and I saw among them Ja-azani'ah the son of Azzur, and Pelati'ah the son of Benai'ah, princes of the people. 2And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; 3who say, ‘The time is not near11.3 Or Is not the time near …? to build houses; this city is the cauldron, and we are the flesh.’ 4Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.”

5And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind. 6You have multiplied your slain in this city, and have filled its streets with the slain. 7Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the cauldron; but you shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. 8You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, says the Lord GOD. 9And I will bring you forth out of the midst of it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. 10You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 11This city shall not be your cauldron, nor shall you be the flesh in the midst of it; I will judge you at the border of Israel; 12and you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in my statutes, nor executed my ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations that are round about you.”

13And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelati'ah the son of Benai'ah died. Then I fell 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?”

14And the word of the LORD came to me: 15“Son of man, your brethren, even your brethren, your fellow exiles,11.15 Gk Syr: Heb men of your kindred the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They have gone far from the LORD; to us this land is given for a possession.’ 16Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while11.16 Or in small measure in the countries where they have gone.’ 17Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ 18And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. 1911.19: Ezek 18.31; 36.26; 2 Cor 3.3.And I will give them one11.19 Another reading is a new heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those11.21 Cn: Heb To the heart of their detestable things and their abominations their heart goes whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will requite their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord GOD.”

22Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 23And 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. 24And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chalde'a, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25And I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had showed me.