8
1 In
the sixth year,
in the sixth
month, in the
fifth day of
the month, as
I sat in
my house, and
the elders of
Judah sat before
me, the Lord
GOD’s hand fell
on me there.
2 Then
I saw, and
behold, a likeness
as the appearance
of fire—from the
appearance of his
waist and downward,
fire, and from his
waist and upward,
as the appearance
of brightness, as
it were glowing
metal.
3 He
stretched out the
form of a
hand, and took
me by a
lock of my
head; and the
Spirit lifted me
up between earth
and the sky,
and brought me
in the visions
of God to
Jerusalem, to the
door of the
gate of the
inner court
that looks toward
the north, where
there was the
seat of the
image of jealousy,
which provokes to
jealousy.
4 Behold,
the glory of
the God of Israel
was there, according
to the appearance
that I saw
in the plain.
5 Then
he said to me, “Son
of man, lift
up your eyes
now the way
toward the north.”
So I lifted
up my eyes
the way toward
the north, and
saw, northward of
the gate of
the altar this
image of jealousy
in the entry.
6 He said
to me, “Son
of man, do
you see what
they do? Even
the great
abominations that
the house of
Israel commit here,
that I should
go far off
from my sanctuary?
But you will
again see yet
other great
abominations.”
7 He brought
me to the
door of the
court; and when
I looked, behold,
a hole in
the wall.
8 Then
he said to me, “Son
of man, dig
now in the
wall.”
When I had
dug in the
wall, I saw
a door.
9 He said
to me, “Go in,
and see the
wicked abominations
that they do
here.”
10 So
I went in
and looked, and
saw every form
of creeping things,
abominable animals, and
all the idols
of the house
of Israel,
portrayed around
on the wall.
11 Seventy
men of the
elders of the
house of Israel
stood before them.
In the middle
of them Jaazaniah
the son of
Shaphan stood,
every man with
his censer in
his hand; and
the smell of the
cloud of incense
went up.
12 Then
he said to me, “Son
of man, have
you seen what
the elders of
the house of
Israel do in
the dark, every
man in his
rooms of imagery?
For they say, ‘The
LORD doesn’t see
us. The LORD
has forsaken
the land.’ ”
13 He said
also to me, “You
will again see
more of the
great abominations
which they do.”
14 Then
he brought me
to the door
of the gate
of the LORD’s
house which was
toward the north;
and I saw
the women sit
there weeping for
Tammuz.
15 Then
he said to me, “Have
you seen this,
son of man?
You will again
see yet greater
abominations than these.”
16 He
brought me into
the inner court
of the LORD’s
house; and I
saw at the
door of the
LORD’s temple, between
the porch and the
altar, there were
about twenty-five
men with
their backs toward
the LORD’s temple
and their faces
toward the east.
They were
worshiping the sun
toward the east.
17 Then
he said to me, “Have
you seen this,
son of man?
Is it a
light thing to
the house of
Judah that they
commit the
abominations which
they commit here?
For they have
filled the land
with violence, and
have turned again
to provoke me
to anger. Behold,
they put the
branch to
their nose.
18 Therefore
I will also
deal in wrath.
My eye won’t spare,
neither will I
have pity. Though
they cry in
my ears with a
loud voice, yet
I will not
hear them.”