Evil in High Places

1Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the LORD's house, which looks 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. 2Then said he to me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city: 3Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh. 4Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

5And the Spirit of the LORD fell on me, and said to me, Speak; Thus said the LORD; Thus have you said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. 6You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled the streets thereof with the slain. 7Therefore thus said the Lord GOD; Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the middle of it. 8You have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword on you, said the Lord GOD. 9And I will bring you out of the middle thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. 10You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 11This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall you be the flesh in the middle thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel: 12And you shall know that I am the LORD: for you have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

A Promise of Restoration

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

14Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 15Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: to us is this land given in possession. 16Therefore say, Thus said 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. 17Therefore say, Thus said the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from 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: 20That they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way on their own heads, said the Lord GOD.

God's Glory Leaves Jerusalem

22Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23And the glory of the LORD went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is 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. 25Then I spoke to them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had showed me.