Ezekiel 11:1-13 ▼

1 Then the Spirit lifted me and took me to the east gate of the LORD's temple. (It's the gate that faces east.) Twenty-five men were at the entrance of the gate. I saw among them Azzur's son Jaazaniah and Benaiah's son Pelatiah. They were leaders of the people.

2 Then the LORD said to me, |Son of man, these are the men who plan evil and give bad advice in this city.

3 They say, 'It's almost time to rebuild homes. This city is a cooking pot, and we're the meat.'

4 So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.|

5 The LORD's Spirit came to me and told me to say, |This is what the LORD says: You are saying these things, nation of Israel. But I know what's going through your mind.

6 You have killed many people in this city and have filled its streets with corpses.

7 |So this is what the Almighty LORD says: The corpses that you put in the middle of the city are the meat, and the city is the cooking pot. I will force you out of the city.

8 You are afraid of swords, so I will bring swords to attack you, declares the Almighty LORD.

9 I will force you out of the city. I will hand you over to foreigners, and I will punish you.

10 You will die in battle. I will judge you at Israel's borders. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

11 The city will not be your cooking pot, and you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at Israel's borders.

12 Then you will know that I am the LORD. You haven't lived by my laws, and you haven't obeyed my rules. You have followed the standards set by the nations around you.|

13 While I was prophesying, Benaiah's son Pelatiah died. I immediately bowed down and cried out, |Almighty LORD, will you completely destroy all the remaining people in Israel?|