Evil in High Places

1And lift me up doth a spirit, and it bringeth me in unto the east gate of the house of Jehovah, that is facing the east, and lo, at the opening of the gate twenty and five men, and I see in their midst Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, heads of the people. 2And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, these are the men who are devising iniquity, and who are giving evil counsel in this city; 3who are saying, It is not near -- to build houses, it is the pot, and we the flesh. 4Therefore prophesy concerning them, prophesy, son of man.'

5And fall upon me doth the Spirit of Jehovah, and He saith unto me, 'Say: Thus said Jehovah: Rightly ye have said, O house of Israel, And the steps of your spirit I have known. 6Ye multiplied your wounded in this city, And filled its out-places with the wounded. 7Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Your wounded whom ye placed in its midst, They are the flesh, and it is the pot, And you he hath brought out from its midst. 8A sword ye have feared, And a sword I bring in against you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 9And I have brought you out of its midst, And given you into the hand of strangers, And I have done among you judgments. 10By the sword ye do fall, On the border of Israel I do judge you, And ye have known that I am Jehovah. 11It is not to you for a pot, Nor are ye in its midst for flesh, At the border of Israel I do judge you. 12And ye have known that I am Jehovah, For in My statutes ye have not walked, And My Judgments ye have not done, And according to the judgments of the nations Who are round about you -- ye have done!'

A Promise of Restoration

13And it cometh to pass, at my prophesying, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah is dying, and I fall on my face, and cry -- a loud voice -- and say, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, an end Thou art making of the remnant of Israel.'

14And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 15Son of man, thy brethren, thy brethren, men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel -- all of it, are they to whom inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Keep far off from Jehovah; 16it is ours, the land hath been given for an inheritance; therefore say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Because I put them afar off among nations, And because I scattered them through lands, I also am to them for a little sanctuary, In lands whither they have gone in. 17Therefore say: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: And I have assembled you from the peoples, And I have gathered you from the lands, Into which ye have been scattered, And I have given to you the ground of Israel. 18And they have gone in thither. And turned aside all its detestable things, And all its abominations -- out of it. 19And I have given to them one heart, And a new spirit I do give in your midst, And I have turned the heart of stone out of their flesh, And I have given to them a heart of flesh. 20So that in My statutes they walk, And My judgments they keep, and have done them, And they have been to me for a people, And I am to them for God. 21As to those whose heart is going unto the heart Of their detestable and their abominable things, Their way on their head I have put, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

God's Glory Leaves Jerusalem

22And the cherubs lift up their wings, and the wheels are over-against them, and the honour of the God of Israel is over them above. 23And the honour of Jehovah goeth up from off the midst of the city, and standeth on the mountain, that is on the east of the city. 24And a spirit hath lifted me up, and bringeth me in to Chaldea, unto the Removed, in a vision, by the Spirit of God, and go up from off me doth the vision that I have seen; 25and I speak unto the Removed all the matters of Jehovah that He hath shewed me.