Vision of Israel’s Corrupt Leaders

11 The Spirit then lifted me up^(A) and brought me to the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, which faces east, and at the gate’s entrance were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. ² The Lord^[a] said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil^(B) and give wicked advice in this city. ³ They are saying, ‘Isn’t the time near to build houses?^[b](C) The city is the pot,^(D) and we are the meat.’ ⁴ Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!”

⁵ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me, “You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord says: That is what you are thinking, house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your mind.^{(E) 6} You have multiplied your slain in this city,^(F) filling its streets with them.

⁷ “‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: The slain you have put within it are the meat,^(G) and the city is the pot, but I^[c] will take you out of it.^{(H) 8} You fear the sword,^(I) so I will bring the sword against you.^(J) This is the declaration of the Lord God. ⁹ I will take you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners; I will execute judgments against you.^{(K) 10} You will fall by the sword,^(L) and I will judge you at the border of Israel.^(M) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹ The city will not be a pot for you,^(N) and you will not be the meat within it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, ¹² so you will know that I am the Lord, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not practiced. Instead, you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.’”^(O)

¹³ Now while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died.^(P) Then I fell facedown and cried out loudly, “Oh, Lord God!^(Q) You are bringing the remnant of Israel to an end!”

Promise of Israel’s Restoration

¹⁴ The word of the Lord came to me again: ¹⁵ “Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem your property,^[d][e] along with the entire house of Israel—all of them—are those to whom the residents of Jerusalem have said, ‘You are far from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’

¹⁶ “Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them^(R) in the countries where they have gone.’

¹⁷ “Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoples^(S) and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’

¹⁸ “When they arrive there, they will remove all its^(T) abhorrent acts^(U) and detestable practices from it. ¹⁹ I will give them integrity of^[f] heart^(V) and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone^(W) from their bodies^[g] and give them a heart of flesh,^{(X) 20} so that they will follow my statutes,^(Y) keep my ordinances, and practice them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.^{(Z) 21} But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for abhorrent acts and detestable practices, I will bring their conduct down on their own heads.”^(AA) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

²² Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings,^(AB) and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. ²³ The glory of the Lord^(AC) rose up from within the city and stopped on the mountain^(AD) east of the city.^{[h](AE) 24} The Spirit lifted me up^(AF) and brought me to Chaldea and to the exiles in a vision from the Spirit of God. After the vision I had seen left me, ²⁵ I spoke to the exiles about all the things the Lord had shown me.