Ezekiel 11 Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition

Bible > RFP > Ezekiel 11

◄ Ezekiel 11 ►

Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition

1Then the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the LORD's Temple; and there, at the entrance of that east-facing gate I saw twenty-five men; including two leaders of the people, Jaazaniah, son of Azzur, and Pelatiah, son of Benaiah.

Verse 3 introduces an analogy with an obscure meaning when the LORD quotes those remaining in Jerusalem as saying– “this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh (or meat) in the pot.” the LORD uses and alters the analogy in verse 7, when He says, “Your slain (the innocents you have murdered), whom you have laid in the center of the city, are the flesh, and this city is the caldron, but I will drive you out of it (the city).” And again, in verse 11, He says, “This city shall not be a caldron for you, nor shall you be the flesh in the center of it; but I will judge you at the borders of Israel (outside of the stronghold of the city).”

2Then He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men that plot mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city, 3Who say, ‘It (the fall of the city) is not near; let us build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the meat’. 4Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.” 5And then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He told me to say, “Thus says the LORD: ‘I know the things that you have said, O leaders of Israel; for I know the thoughts that come into your mind, every one of them. 6You have killed many in this city, and you have filled its streets with their bodies. 7Therefore, thus says the LORD God, “Your slain, whom you have laid in the center of it, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron, but I will bring you out of the center of it. 8You have feared the sword, but I will bring a sword upon you”, says the LORD God. 9“And I will drive you out of the city, and turn you over to the foreigners, and will impose punishment upon you. 10You will fall by the sword; I will bring judgment within all the borders of Israel; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 11This city shall not be caldron for you, nor shall you be the meat in the center of it; but I will bring My judgment upon you to the borders of Israel. 12And you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have disobeyed My statutes and My ordinances, but have preferred to conform to the standards of those nations that are around you.” 13And as I was prophesying (v4), Pelatiah, son of Benaiah, died. Then I fell facedown, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, LORD God! Will You make a full end of all the remnant of Israel?”’”

Verse 14 signals a shift from denouncing the Jews who were left in Judea to a word of encouragement to the captives in exile. The Jews who were left in Judea had come to think of themselves as more favored by God than those who had been carried away captive; they looked upon the exiles as outcasts who had no right to either the privileges of Jews or to the land of Judea. Hence the latter part of verse 15 might be better rendered, “They (the exiles) have departed far from the LORD; this land is given in possession to us.” This assurance is culminated by “they shall be My people, and I will be their God” in verse 20, an oft repeated promise from God in the Bible - from Genesis 17 through Revelation, which illustrates God’s resolute determination to bless the nation of Israel, in spite of their seemingly unending unfaithfulness to Him.

14And the word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 15“Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles, and all the other Israelites, ‘These people are far from the LORD; so now, this land is given to us as our possession’. 16Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the LORD God says: “Although I have cast them (you exiles) far off among the nations, and I have scattered them (you) among the countries, yet I will be as a little sanctuary to them (you) in the countries where they have gone.” 17Therefore say, “Thus says the LORD God: ‘I will yet gather you (exiles) from the people, and return you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will restore you and give you the land of Israel.’ 18And when they shall return there, they (the restored exiles) shall remove every trace of all detestable things and its abominations from there. 19And I will give them singleness of heart, and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will remove their stony heart, and will give them a heart of flesh, 20So that they may obey My statutes, and keep and do My ordinances; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their detestable things and abominations, I will repay them fully for what they do’, says the LORD God.”’”

22Then the cherubim spread their wings, with the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23And the glory of the LORD went up from within the city, and stopped above the mountain east of the city. 24Afterwards the Spirit of God took me up, and brought me in a vision to the captivity (those in exile) in Chaldea (Babylonia). So then the vision that I had seen went up (departed) from me and was ended. 25Then I told those of the captivity all that the LORD had told me.