8
Vision of Abominations in Jerusalem
It came about in the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord 1 God fell on me there. Then I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of 1a man; from His loins and downward there was the Aappearance of fire, and from His loins and upward the appearance of brightness, like the appearance Bof 2glowing metal. He stretched out the form of a hand and caught me by a lock of my head; and the ASpirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the 1north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which Bprovokes to jealousy, was located. And behold, the Aglory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, Araise your eyes now toward the north.” So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this Bidol of jealousy at the entrance. And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great Aabominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations.”
Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. He said to me, “Son of man, now Adig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. And He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. 11  Standing in front of them were Aseventy Belders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his Ccenser in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. 12 Then He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, each man in the room of his carved images? For they say, ‘AThe Lord does not see us; the Lord has Bforsaken the land.’ ” 13 And He said to me, “Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing.”
14 Then He brought me to the entrance of the Agate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 15 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these.”
16 Then He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their Abacks to the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and Bthey were 1prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun. 17 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have Afilled the land with violence and Bprovoked Me repeatedly? For behold, they are putting the twig to their nose. 18 Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and Athough they cry in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.”
1 8:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord 1 8:2 Lit fire A 8:2 Ezek 1:27 B 8:2 Ezek 1:4, 27 2 8:2 Or electrum A 8:3 Ezek 3:12; 11:1 1 8:3 Lit facing north B 8:3 Ex 20:4; Deut 32:16 A 8:4 Ezek 1:28; 3:22, 23 A 8:5 Jer 3:2; Zech 5:5 B 8:5 Ps 78:58; Jer 7:30; 32:34; Ezek 8:3 A 8:6 2 Kin 23:4, 5; Ezek 5:11; 8:9, 17 A 8:8 Is 29:15 A 8:11 Num 11:16, 25; Luke 10:1 B 8:11 Jer 19:1 C 8:11 Num 16:17, 35 A 8:12 Ps 14:1; Is 29:15; Ezek 9:9 B 8:12 Ps 10:11 A 8:14 Ezek 44:4; 46:9 A 8:16 2 Chr 29:6; Jer 2:27; Ezek 23:39 B 8:16 Deut 4:19; 17:3; Job 31:26-28; Jer 44:17 1 8:16 I.e. worshiping A 8:17 Ezek 7:11, 23; 9:9; Amos 3:10; Mic 2:2 B 8:17 Jer 7:18, 19; Ezek 16:26 A 8:18 Is 1:15; Jer 11:11; Mic 3:4; Zech 7:13