Ezekiel

And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.

1It was the sixth year, the sixth month, the fifth day of the month. I was sitting in my house, and the leaders of Judah were sitting with me. There the hand of the Lord GOD came on me.

2Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.

2I looked, and I saw a shape like a man. From the waist down he looked like fire. From the waist up he shone like glowing metal.

NoteThe KJV says "the colour of amber." The Hebrew word describes a bright, glowing metal, not the soft yellow stone we call amber today.

3And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

3He reached out what looked like a hand and took hold of my hair. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and sky. In visions from God he carried me to Jerusalem, to the north gate of the inner courtyard, where an idol stood that makes God jealous.

4And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

4And the glory of the God of Israel was there, just as I had seen it in the valley.

5Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

5Then he said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked north, and there by the gate near the altar stood that idol, right in the entrance.

6He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.

6He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing? These are terrible, hateful things that the people of Israel are doing right here, to drive me far from my holy house. But turn and look again, and you will see even worse things."

7And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.

7Then he brought me to the entrance of the courtyard. I looked, and there was a hole in the wall.

8Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.

8He said to me, "Son of man, dig through this wall." So I dug through the wall, and I found a doorway.

9And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.

9He said to me, "Go in and see the evil, hateful things they are doing here."

10So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.

10So I went in and looked. Carved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and filthy animal, along with all the idols of Israel.

11And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.

11Seventy leaders of Israel were standing in front of them. Jaazaniah son of Shaphan stood among them. Each man held a small dish for burning incense, and a thick cloud of smoke rose up.

NoteThe KJV word "ancients" means older men who led the people, not people from long ago. A censer is a small dish or pan for burning incense.

12Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

12Then he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what the leaders of Israel do in the dark, each one in his own room full of idols? They say, 'The LORD does not see us. The LORD has left the land.'"

13He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.

13He also said to me, "Turn and look again, and you will see them doing things even worse than these."

14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

14Then he brought me to the north entrance of the LORD's house. Women were sitting there, crying for Tammuz.

NoteTammuz was a god worshipped in Babylon and nearby lands. Stories said he died each year, and people wept for him as part of his worship.

15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.

15Then he said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Turn and look again, and you will see things even worse than these."

16And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

16He brought me into the inner courtyard of the LORD's house. There at the temple entrance, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men. Their backs were to the temple of the LORD and their faces were toward the east, and they were bowing to the sun.

17Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O 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 returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

17Then he said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Is it a small thing to the people of Judah that they do these hateful things here? They have filled the land with violence and keep making me angry. Look, they even hold the branch up to their nose."

Note"They put the branch to their nose" is an old phrase whose exact meaning is no longer known. It seems to describe a gesture used in worshipping idols.

18Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

18"So I will act in anger. I will not look on them with pity, and I will not spare them. Even if they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them."