Evil in High Places
1 Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which faces east. Twenty-five men were at the door of the gate, and I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise evil and who give wicked counsel in this city, 3 who say, ‘Is the time not near to build houses? This is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”
5 The Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he told me to say, “The Lord says, this is what you have said, house of Israel, for I know the things that come into your mind. 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.
7 Therefore the Lord God says: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of the city, they are the meat, and this is the cauldron, but you will be brought out of the midst of it. 8 You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword on you, says the Lord God. 9 I will bring you out of the midst of it, and deliver you into the hands of foreigners, and will execute judgments among you. 10 You will fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11 This will not be your cauldron, nor will you be the meat in the midst of it. I will judge you at the border of Israel. 12 You will know that I am the Lord, for you have not walked in my statutes, nor have you executed my ordinances, but have followed the ordinances of the nations that are around you.”
A Promise of Restoration
13 When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face and cried with a loud voice and said, “O Lord God! Will you bring a complete end to the remnant of Israel?”
14 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 “Son of man, your relatives, yes your own family, the people among your relatives, and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are they the ones to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from the Lord. This land has been given to us as a possession.
16 Therefore say, The Lord God says, though I have removed them far from among the nations, and though I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be for them, a little sanctuary in the countries where they have gone.”
17 Therefore say, the Lord God says, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.”
18 When they come there, they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19 I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take their stony heart and will give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
21 But as for those whose hearts go after detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds on their own heads,’ says the Lord God.”
God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem
22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over and above them. 23 The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city. 24 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the captives. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25 Then I spoke to the captives about all of the things that the Lord had shown me.