Judgment on Evil Counselors

1Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of Yahweh which faced eastward. And behold, at the entrance of the gate, there were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, officials of the people. 2He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise wickedness and give evil counsel in this city, 3who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. [†]This city is the pot, and we are the flesh.’ 4Therefore, prophesy against them, son of man, prophesy!”

5Then the Spirit of Yahweh fell upon me, and He said to me, “Say, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “So you say, house of Israel, for I know what comes up in your spirit. 6You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with [†]them.” 7Therefore, thus says Lord Yahweh, “Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of [†]the city are the flesh, and this city is the pot; but [†]I will bring you out of it. 8You have feared a sword; so a sword I will bring upon you,” Lord Yahweh declares. 9“And I will bring you out of the midst of [†]the city and give you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you. 10You will fall by the sword. I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am Yahweh. 11This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be flesh in the midst of it, but I will judge you to the border of Israel. 12Thus you will know that I am Yahweh; for you have not walked in My statutes, nor have you executed My judgments, but have executed according to the judgments of the nations around you.”’”

13Now it happened as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to complete destruction?”

Yahweh Will Gather the Exiles

14Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 15“Son of man, your brothers, your [†]relatives, [†]your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from Yahweh; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16Therefore say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Though I had removed them far away among the nations, and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.”’ 17Therefore say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ 18When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it. 19And I will give them one heart and give within [†]them a new spirit. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. 21[†]But as for those whose hearts walk after their detestable things and abominations, I will give what is due for their way on their heads,” declares Lord Yahweh.

The Glory of Yahweh Leaves Jerusalem

22Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel [†]hovered over them. 23The glory of Yahweh went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city. 24Now the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in [†]Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen went up and away from me. 25Then I told the exiles all the things that Yahweh had shown me.