Ezekiel

Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

1Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the LORD's house that faces east. At the entrance stood twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.

2Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:

2Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who plan evil and give wicked advice in this city.

3Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.

3They say, 'Isn't it time to build houses? This city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat inside it, safe and protected.'

NoteThe men mean the city walls will protect them the way a pot protects the meat inside from the fire. God turns their picture around in verses 7 and 11.

4Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

4So speak against them. Speak My message, son of man!"

5And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

5Then the Spirit of the LORD came on me and told me to say this: "This is what the LORD says: That is exactly what you are saying, people of Israel. I know every thought that comes into your minds.

6Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

6You have killed more and more people in this city. You have filled its streets with dead bodies.

7Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.

7So this is what the Lord GOD says: The people you killed and left lying here are the meat, and this city is the pot. But I will drive you out of it.

8Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.

8You are afraid of the sword, so I will bring a sword against you, says the Lord GOD.

9And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

9I will bring you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners, and I will punish you as you deserve.

10Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

10You will be killed by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

11This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:

11This city will not be a pot that keeps you safe, and you will not be the meat inside it. I will judge you at the border of Israel.

12And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

12Then you will know that I am the LORD. You did not live by My rules or obey My laws. Instead you copied the ways of the nations around you."

13And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

13While I was still speaking God's message, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out loudly, "Oh, Lord GOD! Will You completely destroy everyone left in Israel?"

Note"The remnant of Israel" means the small number of people who are still left alive after war and capture.

14Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

14Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said:

15Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.

15"Son of man, think of your brothers, your own relatives, the people taken away with you, and all the people of Israel. The people living in Jerusalem say about them, 'They are far away from the LORD. This land was given to us to own.'

16Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

16So tell them, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Yes, I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among many countries. But I Myself have been a safe place for them in the countries where they went.'

17Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

17So tell them, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel again.'

18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

18When they come back, they will get rid of every hateful idol and every disgusting practice there.

19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

19I will give them one heart that wants the same thing, and I will put a new spirit inside them. I will take out their hard heart of stone and give them a soft, living heart.

20That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

20Then they will live by My rules, obey My laws, and do what they say. They will be My people, and I will be their God.

21But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

21But some people keep chasing after their hateful idols and disgusting practices. I will bring the results of what they did back on their own heads, says the Lord GOD."

22Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

22Then the cherubim spread their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

NoteCherubim are a kind of powerful heavenly being. Ezekiel saw them, along with wheels, in the vision described in chapters 1 and 10.

23And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

23The glory of the LORD rose up from inside the city and stopped over the mountain on the east side of the city.

24Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

24Then the Spirit lifted me up and, in the vision given by the Spirit of God, brought me back to Chaldea, to the people living there as captives. Then the vision I had seen left me.

25Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

25So I told those captives everything the LORD had shown me.