The Vision of the Eastern Gate

1The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east facing gate of the LORD’s Temple. At the entrance of the gate I saw 25 men. Included among them were Azzur’s son Jaazaniah and Benaiah’s son Pelatiah, who were princes of the people.

2Then he told me, “Son of Man, these men are plotting evil and are giving wicked advice in this city. 3They keep saying, ‘The right time to build familiesa hasn’t yet arrived. The city is the pot and we are the meat.’ 4Therefore you are to prophesy against them. Prophesy, Son of Man!”

God Rebukes those who Plot Evil

5Just then the Spirit of the LORD took control ofb me and told me, “You are to say, ‘This is what the LORD says: “You’ve said, O house of Israel, that I know what goes through your mind.c 6You’ve increased the number of fatally wounded in this city and you’ve filled your streets with the dead.”

7‘Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says, “The corpses that you’ve laid out in your midst are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. But you’ll be taken out from the middle of it. 8You’ve feared the sword,d but I’m bringing violent death in your direction,”e declares the Lord GOD. 9“I’m bringing you out from the middle of it and I’m going to deliver you into the hands of strangers, because I’m going to carry out my sentence against you. 10You’re going to die violently,f and I’ll judge you as far as the borders of Israel. Then you’ll learng that I am the LORD. 11This city won’t be your cooking pot and neither will you be the meat in it, because I’m going to judge you as far as the borders of Israel. 12Then you’ll learnh that I am the LORD, because you didn’t live by my statues or obey my ordinances. Instead, you obeyed the ordinances of the nations around you.”’”

Ezekiel Reacts to Pelatiah’s Death

13While I was prophesying, Benaiah’s son Pelatiah died, so I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice. “Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “are you going to put an end to the survivors within Israel?”

14Then this message came to me from the LORD: 15“Son of Man, your brothers, your other relatives, your fellow exiles,i and the entire house of Israel are the people to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They’ve abandoned the LORD. This land was given to us for an inheritance.’”

The Future Hope of Israel

16“Therefore you are to say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says, “Although I’ve removed them far away to live among the nations, and although I’ve scattered them throughout the earth, yet I’ve continued to be their sanctuary, even for the short time that they will be living in the lands to which they’ve gone.”’

17“Therefore you are to say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says, “I’m going to gather you from among the nations, assembling you from the lands among which you have been dispersed. I’ll give you the land of Israel. 18When they return from there and cast away all of their loathsome things and detestable practices, 19then I’ll give them a united heart, placing a new spirit within them.j I’ll remove their stubborn heartk and give them a heart that’s sensitive to me.l 20When they live by my statutes and keep my ordinances by observing them, then they’ll be my people and I will be their God. 21But to those whose hearts delight in loathsome things and detestable practices, I’ll bring the consequences of their behavior crashing down on their own heads,” declares the Lord GOD.’”

The Cherubim Leave

22Then the cherubim arose, with their wheels alongside, and the glory of Israel’s God remained above and over them. 23The glory of the LORD went up from the middle of the city and stood on the mountain, east of the city. 24Then in a vision from the Spirit of God, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Chaldea. At that point, the vision that I had been observing ended. 25Later, I spoke to the exiles concerning everything the LORD had spoken that I had witnessed.