Ezekiel 11:1-13 ▼

1 A wind lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the Lord's temple that faces the east. There, at the entrance of the gate, I noticed twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, officials of the people.

2 The LORD said to me, |Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked advice in this city.

3 They say, 'The time is not near to build houses; the city is a cooking pot and we are the meat in it.'

4 Therefore, prophesy against them! Prophesy, son of man!|

5 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me and said to me, |Say: This is what the LORD says: 'This is what you are thinking, O house of Israel; I know what goes through your minds.

6 You have killed many people in this city; you have filled its streets with corpses.'

7 Therefore, this is what the sovereign LORD says: 'The corpses you have dumped in the midst of the city are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot, but I will take you out of it.

8 You fear the sword, so the sword I will bring against you,' declares the sovereign LORD.

9 But I will take you out of the city. And I will hand you over to foreigners. I will execute judgments on you.

10 You will die by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

11 This city will not be a cooking pot for you, and you will not be meat within it; I will judge you at the border of Israel.

12 Then you will know that I am the LORD, whose statutes you have not followed and whose regulations you have not carried out. Instead you have behaved according to the regulations of the nations around you!'|

13 Now, while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I threw myself face down and cried out with a loud voice, |Alas, sovereign LORD! You are completely wiping out the remnant of Israel!|