Ezekiel

8 And it came to pass in the sixth year in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month, I being seated in my house, and the elders of Judah being seated before me then fell upon me there the hand of My Lord Yahweh.

2 So I looked and lo! a likeness as the appearance of a man, from the appearance of his loins and downward fire, and from his loins and upwards as an appearance of shining as the look of amber.

3 Then put he forth the similitude of a hand, and took me by the forelock of my head,—and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens and brought me to Jerusalem in the visions of God, into the opening of the inner gate that looketh toward the north, where was the seat of the Statue of Jealousy that provoketh to jealousy;

4 and lo! there the glory of the God of Israel, like the appearance which I had seen in the valley.

5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and lo! on the north by the gate of the altar this Statue of Jealousy in the entrance.

6 Then said he unto me, Son of man, Canst thou see what they are doing,—the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, that I should go far away from my sanctuary? Howbeit yet again shalt thou see great abominations.

7 So he brought me into the opening of the court,—and I looked and lo! a single hole in the wall.

8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, Break, I pray thee, through the wall. So I broke through the wall, and lo! a single opening.

9 Then said he unto me,—Go in and see the wicked abominations which they are committing here.

10 So I went in and looked, and lo! every similitude of creeping thing and detestable beast, and all the manufactured gods of the house of Israel,—pourtrayed upon the wall round about on every side;

11 and seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan who stood in their midst were standing before them, even every man with his censer in his hand,—and the fragrance of the cloud of incense ascending.

12 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen, Son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, every man in his image-chambers? for they are saying—Yahweh doth not see us! Yahweh hath forsaken the land!

13 Then said he unto me,—Yet again shalt thou see great abominations which they are committing.

14 So he brought me into the opening of the gate of the house of Yahweh, which was toward the north,—and lo! there women sitting, weeping for Tammuz.

15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen, O son of man? Yet again shalt thou see greater abominations than these.

16 So he brought me into the inner court of the house of Yahweh, and lo! at the opening of the temple of Yahweh between the porch and the altar about twenty-five men,—their backs towards the temple of Yahweh and their faces eastward, and they were bowing down eastward unto the Sun.

17 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen, O son of man? Is it too small a thing for the house of Judah to be committing the abominations which they have committed here,—that they have filled the land with violence and have again provoked me to anger, and there they are! putting the branch to my nose.

18 Therefore even I will act with indignation, Mine eye shall not shield Neither will I pity,—Though they have cried in mine ears with a loud voice yet will I not hear them.