The Prophet Ezekiel

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

Then God’s Spirit lifted me up and took me to the gate on the east side of the temple. There at the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.

Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, these are the new leaders in Jerusalem who are planning to do evil things and who are giving wicked advice to people in this city.

They say, ‘It is not the time to build houses yet, but just as pieces of meat are carefully stored in covered pots we will be protected from the bad things that will happen to others.’

So, son of man, prophesy about the terrible things that will happen to them.”

Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon me and told me to say to the people, “This is what Yahweh says, ’You Israelite people say those things, and I know what you are thinking.

You have killed many people in this city and filled the streets with their corpses.

Therefore this is what Yahweh the Lord says, ’The corpses of the people whom you have killed here are like the meat and Jerusalem is the cauldron, but I will expel you people from this city!

You are afraid of being killed by enemies’ swords, so that is what I will cause to happen to you.

I will expel you from this city and enable foreigners to capture you and punish you.

They will kill you with their swords; you will be punished right here in Israel! Then people will realize that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.

This city will not be a place were you will be protected like meat in a covered pot. I will punish you wherever you are in Israel.

Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have predicted that would happen, because you have not obeyed my commands and decrees; instead, you have imitated the wicked behavior of the people of the nearby nations.”

A Promise of Restoration

(Jeremiah 32:36–44)

While I was prophesying that, Pelatiah son of Benaiah suddenly died. Then I prostrated myself on the ground and cried out loudly, “Yahweh my Lord, are you going to similarly get rid of all the Israelite people who are still alive?”

Then Yahweh gave me this message,

“Son of man, the people who are still in Jerusalem are talking about your relatives, your clan, and all the rest of the Israelites who were exiled and saying, ‘They are in Babylonia, far from Yahweh. They have left their property here in Israel, so their property now belongs to us!’”

So tell them, “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Although I caused them to be taken far away from Israel and scattered them among other nations, for a short time I have become a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have been taken.”

So also tell them, “This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Some day I will gather you from the nations to which you have been taken and bring you back to Israel, and you will live in your country again.

When you return to your country, you will get rid of all the vile statues of gods and detestable idols.

I will give you Israelistes one new heart and I will give you a new way of thinking when you return to Israel. You will not be stubborn, but will be obedient.

When I do that, you will carefully obey all my laws. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

But as for those who are devoted to worshiping their vile statues and detestable idols, I will punish them as they deserve for the evil things that they have done.” This is what Yahweh declared.

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

Then the winged creatures, with their wheels beside them, spread their wings and flew up into the air, and the dazzling brightness of Yahweh was above them.

That light went up away from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east of the city.

In the vision that I had been seeing, God’s Spirit lifted me up and brought me back to the exiles in Babylon. Then the vision ended,

and I told the exiles everything that Yahweh had shown me in the vision.

Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looks eastward. Behold, 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, princes of the people.

He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;

who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’

Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”

The LORD’s Spirit fell on me, and he said to me, “Speak, ‘The LORD says: “Thus you have said, house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.

You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.”

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the meat, and this is the cauldron; but you will be brought out of the middle of it.

You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,” says the Lord GOD.

“I will bring you out of the middle of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

You will fall by the sword. I will judge you in the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

This will not be your cauldron, neither will you be the meat in the middle of it. I will judge you in the border of Israel.

You will know that I am the LORD, for you have not walked in my statutes. You have not executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you.”’”

A Promise of Restoration

(Jeremiah 32:36–44)

When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are the ones to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from the LORD. This land has been given to us for a possession.’

“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.”’

“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 you the land of Israel.”

“‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.

I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,

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.

But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord GOD.”

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

The LORD’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

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.

Then I spoke to the captives all the things that the LORD had shown me.