1And on the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, the hand of the Sovereign God fell upon me there.
2Then I saw a figure of a man; from His waste downward, He looked like a burning fire; and from His waste upward, a bright amber color like glowing hot metal.
3And He put forth what looked like a hand, and took me by the hair of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and sky, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner north gate, where the image of the idol that provoked the jealousy of God was.
4And, there, before me, I saw the glory of the God of Israel there, just as I had seen in the vision that I saw in the valley (plain).
5Then He said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north”. So I looked toward the north, and there, beside the gate to the north, I saw upon an altar the idol of jealousy at the gate entrance.
6He said furthermore to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do - the great abominations that the people of Israel are doing here, things that should drive Me far from My sanctuary? But come, and you shall see even greater abominations.”
7And He brought me to the entrance to the court; and when I looked, I saw a hole in the wall.
8Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into that wall”; and when I had dug into the wall, I saw a hidden doorway.
9And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked and detestable things that they do here”.
10So I went in and saw, portrayed upon the walls, every form of creeping thing, and abominable (unclean) beasts, and all the idols of Israel.
11And standing there before them were seventy elders of Israel, and in the center of them stood Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan, and every man had his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense arose.
12Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel do in the dark, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they say, ‘The LORD doesn’t see us; the LORD has forsaken the land!’”.
13He also said to me, “Turn yet again, and you shall see them doing even more detestable things.”
14Then He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD's house; and, there I saw women weeping for the god Tammuz.
15Then He asked me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? And yet you shall see even greater abominations than these.”
16And He brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the bronze altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they bowed toward the east and worshipped the sun.
17Then He asked me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a light (trivial) thing to the people of Judah that they do these abominations here? Must they also fill the land with violence, and provoke Me to anger; by thumbing their noses at Me?
18Therefore, I will also deal with them in fury; My eye shall not spare, nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears for mercy, will I not hear them. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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