Judgment
On Israel' Leaders
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 to the Gate were Twenty-five men,
And
I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur
And
Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.
2
The Lord said to me,
'Son
of man, these are the men who are Plotting Evil
And
giving Wicked advice to this City.
3
They say, 'Will it not soon be time to build houses?
THIS
CITY IS A COOKING POT, AND WE ARE THE MEAT.'
4
'THEREFORE PROPHESY AGAINST THEM;
PROPHESY,
SON OF MAN.'
5
THEN THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON ME,
And
He told me to say:
'THIS
IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS:
That
is what you are saying, O House of Israel,
But
I know what is going through your mind.
6
You have Killed many people in this City
And
Filled its streets with the Dead.
7
'THEREFORE THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS:
The
bodies you have thrown there are the meat
And
this City is the Pot,
But
I will Drive you Out of it.
8
You Fear the Sword,
And
the Sword is what I will bring against you,
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.
9 I
will Drive you Out of the City
And
hand you over to Foreigners
And
Inflict Punishment on you.
10
You will Fall by the Sword,
And
I will Execute Judgment on you at the Borders of Israel.
THEN
YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.
11
This City will not be a Pot 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,
FOR
YOU HAVE NOT FOLLOWED MY DECREES OR KEPT MY LAWS
BUT
HAVE CONFORMED TO THE STANDARDS
OF
HE NATIONS AROUND YOU.'
13
Now as I was Prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah Died.
Then
I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice,
'AH,
SOVEREIGN LORD!
WILL
YOU COMPLETELY DESTROY THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL?'
14
THEN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ME:
'Son
of man, your brothers—
Your
brothers who are your blood relatives
And
the Whole House of Israel--
Are
those of who the people of Jerusalem have said,
'THEY
ARE FAR AWAY FROM THE LORD;
THIS
LAND WAS GIVEN TO US AS OUR POSSESSION.'
Promised
Return Of Israel
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 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.'
18
'They will return to it and Remove all its Vile Images
And
Detestable Idols.
19
I WILL GIVE THEM AN UNDIVIDED HEART
AND
PUT A NEW SPIRIT IN THEM;
I
WILL REMOVE FROM THEM THEIR HEART OF STONE
AND
GIVE THEM A HEART OF FLESH.
20
Then they will follow My Decrees
And
be careful to Keep My Laws.
THEY
WILL BE MY PEOPLE AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD.
21
BUT AS FOR THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE DEVOTED
TO
THEIR VILE IMAGES AND DETESTABLE IDOLS,
I
will bring down on their own heads
What
they have done,
DECLARES
THE SOVEREIGN LORD.'
22
Then the Cherubim, with their Wheels beside them,
Spread
their Wings,
AND
THE GLORY OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL WAS ABOVE THEM.
23
THE GLORY OF THE LORD WENT UP FROM WITHIN THE CITY
AND
STOPPED ABOVE THE MOUNTAIN EAST OF IT.
24
The Spirit lifted me up
And
brought me to the Exiles in Babylonia
IN
THE VISION 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.
(Ezekiel
11)
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