Evil in High Places

1And the Spirit lifted me up, and he brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which looks toward the rising of the sun. And behold, at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men. And I saw, in their midst, Jaazaniah, the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2And he said to me: “Son of man, these are men who devise iniquity. And they offer a wicked counsel in this city, 3saying: ‘Was it so long ago that houses were being built? This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.’ 4Therefore, prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.”

5And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me: “Speak: Thus says the Lord: So have you spoken, O house of Israel. And I know the thoughts of your heart. 6You have killed very many in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain. 7Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Your slain, whom you have placed in its midst, these are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. And I will draw you out of its midst. 8You have dread the sword, and so I will lead the sword over you, says the Lord God. 9And I will cast you out of its midst, and I will give you over to the hand of the enemies, and I will execute judgments among you. 10You will fall by the sword. I will judge you within the borders of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord. 11This city will not be a cooking pot for you, and you will not be like meat in its midst. I will judge you within the borders of Israel. 12And you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my precepts, and you have not accomplished my judgments. Instead, you have acted in accord with the judgments of the Gentiles, who are all around you.”

A Promise of Restoration
(Jeremiah 32:36–44)

13And it happened that, when I prophesied, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died. And I fell upon my face, and I cried out with a loud voice, and I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Will you cause the consummation of the remnant of Israel?”

14And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 15“Son of man, your brothers, the men among your close relatives, your brothers and the entire house of Israel, are all among those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said: ‘Withdraw far from the Lord; the earth has been given to us as a possession.’ 16Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since I have caused them to be far away, among the Gentiles, and since I have dispersed them among the lands, I will be a little sanctuary for them within the lands to which they have gone. 17Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from among the peoples, and I will unite you, from the lands into which you were dispersed, and I will give the soil of Israel to you. 18And they shall go to that place, and they shall remove all the offenses and all its abominations from that place. 19And I will give them one heart. And I will distribute a new spirit to their interior. And I will take away the heart of stone from their body. And I will give them a heart of flesh. 20So may they may walk in my precepts, and observe my judgments, and accomplish them. And so may they be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those whose heart walks after their offenses and abominations, I will set their own way upon their head, says the Lord God.”

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

22And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels with them. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23And the glory of the Lord ascended from the midst of the city and stood above the mountain, which is to the east of the city. 24And the Spirit lifted me up, and he brought me into Chaldea, to those of the transmigration, in a vision, in the Spirit of God. And the vision that I had seen was raised up, away from me. 25And I spoke, to those of the transmigration, all the words of the Lord that he had revealed to me.