Evil Princes Rebuked

111 And 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. 2 And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, these 'are' the men who are devising iniquity, and who are giving evil counsel in this city; 3 who are saying, It 'is' not near—to build houses, it 'is' the pot, and we the flesh. 4 Therefore prophesy concerning them, prophesy, son of man.' 5 And 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. 6 Ye multiplied your wounded in this city, And filled its out-places with the wounded. 7 Therefore, 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. 8 A sword ye have feared, And a sword I bring in against you, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 9 And I have brought you out of its midst, And given you into the hand of strangers, And I have done among you judgments. 10 By the sword ye do fall, On the border of Israel I do judge you, And ye have known that I 'am' Jehovah. 11 It is not to you for a pot, Nor are ye in its midst for flesh, At the border of Israel I do judge you. 12 And 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!' 13 And 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.'

The Promise of Restoration and Renewal

14 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 15 'Son 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; 16 it '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. 17 Therefore 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. 18 And they have gone in thither. And turned aside all its detestable things, And all its abominations—out of it. 19 And 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. 20 So 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. 21 As 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.'

22 And 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. 23 And 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. 24 And 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; 25 and I speak unto the Removed all the matters of Jehovah that He hath shewed me.

Ezekiel Portrays the Removal into Captivity

121 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 2 'Son of man, in the midst of the rebellious house thou art dwelling, that have eyes to see, and they have not seen; ears they have to hear, and they have not heard; for a rebellious house 'are' they. 3 And thou, son of man, make to thee vessels of removal, and remove by day before their eyes, and thou hast removed from thy place unto another place before their eyes, it may be they consider, for a rebellious house they 'are'. 4 And thou hast brought forth thy vessels as vessels of removal by day before their eyes, and thou, thou dost go forth at even before their eyes, as the goings forth of a removal. 5 Before their eyes dig for thee through the wall, and thou hast brought forth by it. 6 Before their eyes on the shoulder thou dost bear, in the darkness thou dost bring forth, thy face thou dost cover, and thou dost not see the earth, for a type I have given thee to the house of Israel.' 7 And I do so, as I have been commanded; my vessels I have brought forth as vessels of removal by day, and at even I have dug for me through the wall with the hand; in the darkness I have brought forth, on the shoulder I have borne away, before their eyes. 8 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, in the morning, saying, 9 'Son of man, have they not said unto thee—the house of Israel—the rebellious house—What art thou doing? 10 say unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: 'The prince 'is' this burden in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel who are in their midst. 11 Say: I 'am' your type; as I have done so it is done to them, into a removal, into a captivity, they do go. 12 As to the prince who 'is' in their midst, on the shoulder he beareth in the darkness, and he goeth forth, through the wall they dig to bring forth by it, his face he covereth, that he may not look on the very surface of the land. 13 And I have spread My net for him, and he hath been caught in My snare, and I have brought him in to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, and it he doth not see—and there doth he die. 14 'And all who are round about him to help him, and all his bands, I do scatter to every wind, and a sword I draw out after them. 15 And they have known that I 'am' Jehovah, in My scattering them among nations, and I have spread them through lands; 16 and I have left of them, a few in number, from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, so that they recount all their abominations among the nations whither they have come, and they have known that I 'am' Jehovah.'

17 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 18 'Son of man, thy bread in haste thou dost eat, and thy water with trembling and with fear thou dost drink; 19 and thou hast said unto the people of the land, Thus said the Lord Jehovah concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, concerning the land of Israel: Their bread with fear they do eat, and their water with astonishment drink, because its land is desolate, because of its fulness, because of the violence of all who are dwelling in it. 20 And the cities that are inhabited are laid waste, and the land is a desolation, and ye have known that I 'am' Jehovah.'

21 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 22 'Son of man, what 'is' this simile to you, concerning the land of Israel, saying, Prolonged are the days, and perished hath every vision? 23 therefore say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I have caused this simile to cease, And they use it not as a simile again in Israel, But speak to them: Drawn near have the days, And spoken hath every vision. 24 For there is no more any vain vision, and flattering divination, In the midst of the house of Israel. 25 For I 'am' Jehovah, I speak, The word that I speak—it is done, It is not prolonged any more, For, in your days, O rebellious house, I speak a word, and I have done it, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.' 26 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying: 27 'Son of man, lo, the house of Israel are saying, The vision that he is seeing 'is' for many days, and of times far off he is prophesying, 28 therefore say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: None of my words are prolonged any more, When I speak a word—it is done, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'