Ezekiel 8:5-18 ▼

5 And He said to me: “Son of man, lift up now your eyes to the way northward.” And I lifted my eyes to the way northward, and behold! From the north of the Gate of the Altar was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

6 And He said to me: “Son of man, are you seeing what they are doing? The great abominations that the house of Israel is doing here to keep Me far off from My sanctuary? And still you will turn and you will see greater abominations!”

7 And He brought me to the door of the court; and I looked, and behold, one hole in the wall.

8 And He said to me: “Son of man, dig now into the wall.” And I dug into the wall, and behold, one opening.

9 And He said to me: “Go in and see the evil abominations that they are doing here!”

10 And I went in and saw. And behold, every manner of creeping thing and detestable beast, and all the idols of the house of Israel were engraved on the walls all around,

11 and seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel—and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing in their midst—standing before them; and each man his censer in his hand, and the fragrance of a cloud of incense was rising up.

12 And He said to me: “Have you seen, Son of man, that which the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each man in the inner chambers of his imagery? For they say, ‘YHWH is not seeing us, for YHWH has forsaken the land.’”

13 And He said to me: “Again you will turn and will see greater abominations that they are doing!”

14 And He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the house of YHWH that was toward the north, and behold, there the women were sitting and weeping for Tammuz.

15 And He said to me: “Have you seen, son of man? Again you will turn and will see greater abominations than these!”

16 And He brought me into the inner court of the house of YHWH, and behold, at the opening of the temple of YHWH, between the porch and between the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of YHWH and with their faces toward the east; and they were worshiping eastward to the sun.

17 And He said to me: “Have you seen, son of man? Is it a light thing for the house of Judah to do the abominations that they do here, that they should fill the land with violence and turn back to provoke Me to anger? For behold, they are sending the branch to their nose!

18 I also will act in fury. My eye will not show pity, and I will not have pity, and though they cry into My ears in a great voice, not at all will I hear them!”