Evil in High Places
וַתִּשָּׂ֨א אֹתִ֜י ר֗וּחַ וַתָּבֵ֣א אֹ֠תִי אֶל־שַׁ֨עַר בֵּית־יְהוָ֤ה הַקַּדְמוֹנִי֙ הַפּוֹנֶ֣ה קָדִ֔ימָה וְהִנֵּה֙ בְּפֶ֣תַח הַשַּׁ֔עַר עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה אִ֑ישׁ וָאֶרְאֶ֨ה בְתוֹכָ֜ם אֶת־יַאֲזַנְיָ֧ה בֶן־עַזֻּ֛ר וְאֶת־פְּלַטְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־בְּנָיָ֖הוּ שָׂרֵ֖י הָעָֽם׃ פ
Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם אֵ֣לֶּה הָאֲנָשִׁ֞ים הַחֹשְׁבִ֥ים אָ֛וֶן וְהַיֹּעֲצִ֥ים עֲצַת־רָ֖ע בָּעִ֥יר הַזֹּֽאת׃
And the LORD said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked counsel in this city.
הָאֹ֣מְרִ֔ים לֹ֥א בְקָר֖וֹב בְּנ֣וֹת בָּתִּ֑ים הִ֣יא הַסִּ֔יר וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ הַבָּשָֽׂר׃
They are saying, ‘Is not the time near to build houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat.’
לָכֵ֖ן הִנָּבֵ֣א עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם הִנָּבֵ֖א בֶּן־אָדָֽם׃
Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man!”
וַתִּפֹּ֣ל עָלַי֮ ר֣וּחַ יְהוָה֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י אֱמֹר֙ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה כֵּ֥ן אֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּמַעֲל֥וֹת רֽוּחֲכֶ֖ם אֲנִ֥י יְדַעְתִּֽיהָ׃
And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me and told me to declare that this is what the LORD says: “That is what you are thinking, O house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your minds.
הִרְבֵּיתֶ֥ם חַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם בָּעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֑את וּמִלֵּאתֶ֥ם חוּצֹתֶ֖יהָ חָלָֽל׃ פ
You have multiplied those you killed in this city and filled its streets with the dead.
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ חַלְלֵיכֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שַׂמְתֶּ֣ם בְּתוֹכָ֔הּ הֵ֥מָּה הַבָּשָׂ֖ר וְהִ֣יא הַסִּ֑יר וְאֶתְכֶ֖ם הוֹצִ֥יא מִתּוֹכָֽהּ׃
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: The slain you have laid within this city are the meat, and the city is the pot; but I will remove you from it.
חֶ֖רֶב יְרֵאתֶ֑ם וְחֶ֙רֶב֙ אָבִ֣יא עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
You fear the sword, so I will bring the sword against you, declares the Lord GOD.
וְהוֹצֵאתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ מִתּוֹכָ֔הּ וְנָתַתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּיַד־זָרִ֑ים וְעָשִׂ֛יתִי בָכֶ֖ם שְׁפָטִֽים׃
I will bring you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners, and I will execute judgments against you.
בַּחֶ֣רֶב תִּפֹּ֔לוּ עַל־גְּב֥וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶשְׁפּ֣וֹט אֶתְכֶ֑ם וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
You will fall by the sword, and I will judge you even to the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
הִ֗יא לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ לְסִ֔יר וְאַתֶּ֛ם תִּהְי֥וּ בְתוֹכָ֖הּ לְבָשָׂ֑ר אֶל־גְּב֥וּל יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶתְכֶֽם׃
The city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat within it. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel.
וִֽידַעְתֶּם֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּחֻקַּי֙ לֹ֣א הֲלַכְתֶּ֔ם וּמִשְׁפָּטַ֖י לֹ֣א עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם וּֽכְמִשְׁפְּטֵ֧י הַגּוֹיִ֛ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר סְבִיבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם עֲשִׂיתֶֽם׃
Then you will know that I am the LORD. For you have neither followed My statutes nor practiced My ordinances, but you have conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.”
A Promise of Restoration
וַֽיְהִי֙ כְּהִנָּ֣בְאִ֔י וּפְלַטְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־בְּנָיָ֖ה מֵ֑ת וָאֶפֹּ֨ל עַל־פָּנַ֜י וָאֶזְעַ֣ק קוֹל־גָּד֗וֹל וָאֹמַר֙ אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה כָּלָה֙ אַתָּ֣ה עֹשֶׂ֔ה אֵ֖ת שְׁאֵרִ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ
Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”
בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם אַחֶ֤יךָ אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י גְאֻלָּתֶ֔ךָ וְכָל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כֻּלֹּ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֩ אָמְר֨וּ לָהֶ֜ם יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם רַֽחֲקוּ֙ מֵעַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה לָ֥נוּ הִ֛יא נִתְּנָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ לְמוֹרָשָֽׁה׃ ס
“Son of man, your brothers—your relatives, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel—are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, ‘They are far away from the LORD; this land has been given to us as a possession.’
לָכֵ֣ן אֱמֹ֗ר כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ כִּ֤י הִרְחַקְתִּים֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם וְכִ֥י הֲפִֽיצוֹתִ֖ים בָּאֲרָצ֑וֹת וָאֱהִ֤י לָהֶם֙ לְמִקְדָּ֣שׁ מְעַ֔ט בָּאֲרָצ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥אוּ שָֽׁם׃ ס
Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’
לָכֵ֣ן אֱמֹ֗ר כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ וְקִבַּצְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ מִן־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים וְאָסַפְתִּ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִן־הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר נְפֹצוֹתֶ֖ם בָּהֶ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֥י לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־אַדְמַ֥ת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.’
וּבָ֖אוּ־שָׁ֑מָּה וְהֵסִ֜ירוּ אֶת־כָּל־שִׁקּוּצֶ֛יהָ וְאֶת־כָּל־תּוֹעֲבוֹתֶ֖יהָ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃
When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations.
וְנָתַתִּ֤י לָהֶם֙ לֵ֣ב אֶחָ֔ד וְר֥וּחַ חֲדָשָׁ֖ה אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וַהֲסִ֨רֹתִ֜י לֵ֤ב הָאֶ֙בֶן֙ מִבְּשָׂרָ֔ם וְנָתַתִּ֥י לָהֶ֖ם לֵ֥ב בָּשָֽׂר׃
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,
לְמַ֙עַן֙ בְּחֻקֹּתַ֣י יֵלֵ֔כוּ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֥י יִשְׁמְר֖וּ וְעָשׂ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם וְהָיוּ־לִ֣י לְעָ֔ם וַאֲנִ֕י אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃
so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.
וְאֶל־לֵ֧ב שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶ֛ם וְתוֹעֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֖ם לִבָּ֣ם הֹלֵ֑ךְ דַּרְכָּם֙ בְּרֹאשָׁ֣ם נָתַ֔תִּי נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”
God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem
וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ הַכְּרוּבִים֙ אֶת־כַּנְפֵיהֶ֔ם וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֖ים לְעֻמָּתָ֑ם וּכְב֧וֹד אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃
Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
וַיַּ֙עַל֙ כְּב֣וֹד יְהוָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל תּ֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר וַֽיַּעֲמֹד֙ עַל־הָהָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר מִקֶּ֥דֶם לָעִֽיר׃
And the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city.
וְר֣וּחַ נְשָׂאַ֗תְנִי וַתְּבִיאֵ֤נִי כַשְׂדִּ֙ימָה֙ אֶל־הַגּוֹלָ֔ה בַּמַּרְאֶ֖ה בְּר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֙עַל֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י הַמַּרְאֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִֽיתִי׃
And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me,
וָאֲדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־הַגּוֹלָ֑ה אֵ֛ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶרְאָֽנִי׃ פ
I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.