The Vision of Idolatry in the Temple

1And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month, that I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, and fell upon me there the hand of the Lord YHWH.

2And I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of His loins and downward was fire, and from His loins and above was like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber.† 3And He sent out the form of a hand, and He took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted up me between the earth and between the heavens, and brought me to Jerusalem in visions of God, to the door of the inner gate facing north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy which provokes to jealousy.

4And behold, there was the glory of the God of Israel, according to the vision that I had seen in the plain. 5And 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.

6And 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!”

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

8And He said to me: “Son of man, dig now into the wall.”

And I dug into the wall, and behold, one opening.

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

10And 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, 11and 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.

12And 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.’”

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

14And 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.†

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

16And 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.

17And 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! 18I 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!”