Ezekiel 11

Judgment on Wicked Leaders

1 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the LORD, the gate facing east. At the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

2 He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked advice in this city.

3 They say, ‘Is it not time to build houses, This city is the pot, and we are the meat.’

4 Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man.”

5 Then the Spirit of the LORD fell on me, and He said to me, “Say, ‘This is what the LORD says: That is what you are saying, house of Israel, and I know the thoughts running through your minds.

6 You have multiplied your slain in this city and filled its streets with the dead.’

7 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘The bodies you have piled in the streets are the meat, and this city is the pot, but I will drag you out of it.

8 You fear the sword, so I will bring the sword on you,’ declares the Lord GOD.

9 ‘I will bring you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners, and I will execute judgments against you.

10 You will fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you will know that I am the LORD.

11 This city will not be a pot for you, and you will not be the meat inside it. I will judge you at the border of Israel.

12 Then you will know that I am the LORD, because you have not walked in My statutes or carried out My ordinances, but have lived by the ordinances of the nations around you.’”

13 While I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out with a loud voice, “Ah, Lord GOD! Are You going to wipe out the rest of Israel?”

Promise to the Exiles

14 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

15 “Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles, the whole house of Israel, are the ones the people of Jerusalem say, ‘Stay far away from the LORD; this land was given to us as a possession.’

16 Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Even though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the lands, I have been a sanctuary for them for a little while in the countries where they have gone.’

17 Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I will gather you from the peoples and collect you from the lands where you were scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’

18 When they come back, they will remove all its disgusting things and detestable practices from it.

19 I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

20 so they may walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and carry them out. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for those whose hearts chase after their disgusting things and detestable practices, I will bring their actions down on their own heads,” declares the Lord GOD.

The Glory Leaves Jerusalem

22 Then the cherubim lifted their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

23 The glory of the LORD went up from the middle of the city and stood on the mountain east of the city.

24 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me back to the exiles in Babylon in the vision by the Spirit of God. After that, the vision I had seen left me.

25 So I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.