Ezekiel 8

¹ In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month,[*a] as I was sitting at home and the elders of Judah were sitting with me, when the hand of the Lord Yahweh fell on me.

² I looked and saw something that looked like a man. Downwards from what seemed to be his loins he was fire; and upwards from his loins he seemed to shine like polished bronze.

³ He stretched out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hair; and the spirit lifted me into the air and, in visions from God, took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner north gate, where the idol of Jealousy stands, provoking jealousy.[*b]

⁴ There I saw the glory of the God of Israel, as I had seen it in the valley.

⁵ He said, ‘Son of man, raise your eyes to the north’. I raised my eyes to the north, and there, to the north of the altar gate, stood this statue of Jealousy at the entrance.

⁶ He said, ‘Son of man, do you see what they are doing? Do you see all the filth practised here by the House of Israel, to drive me out of my sanctuary? You will see filthier practices yet.’

⁷ He next took me to the entrance to the court. I looked; there was a hole in the wall.

⁸ He said, ‘Son of man, break through the wall’. I broke through the wall; there was a door.

⁹ He said, ‘Go in and look at the filthy things they are doing inside’.

¹⁰ I went in and looked: all sorts of images of snakes and repulsive animals and all the idols of the House of Israel drawn on the wall all round.

¹¹ Seventy elders of the House of Israel were standing in front of the idols, among them Jaazaniah son of Shaphan, each one, censer in hand; the fragrance of incense was rising.

¹² He said, ‘Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the House of Israel do in the dark, each in his painted room? They say, “Yahweh cannot see us; Yahweh has abandoned the country”.’

¹³ He said, ‘You will see them at filthier practices still’.

¹⁴ He next took me to the entrance of the north gate of the Temple of Yahweh where women were sitting, weeping for Tammuz.[*c]

¹⁵ He said, ‘Son of man, do you see that? You will see even filthier things than that.’

¹⁶ He then led me to the inner court of the Temple of Yahweh. And there, at the entrance to the sanctuary of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, there were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the sanctuary of Yahweh and their faces turned to the east. They were bowing to the east, towards the sun.

¹⁷ He said to me, ‘Son of man, do you see that? Is it not bad enough for the House of Judah to do the filthy things that they are doing here? But they fill the country with violence and provoke my anger further; look at them now putting that branch to their nostrils.

¹⁸ My anger forces me to it; I will show neither pity nor mercy. They may shout as loud as they like; I will not listen to them.’