[1] The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the house
of the LORD, which faces east. And behold, at the door of the gateway there
were twenty-five men; and I saw among them Ja-azani'ah the son of Azzur,
and Pelati'ah the son of Benai'ah, princes of the people. [2] And he said
to me, "Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give
wicked counsel in this city; [3] who say, `The time is not near to build
houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.' [4] Therefore
prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man." [5] And the Spirit of the
LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, "Say, Thus says the LORD: So you
think, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.
[6] You have multiplied your slain in this city, and have filled its
streets with the slain. [7] Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Your slain
whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is
the caldron; but you shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. [8] You
have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, says the Lord
GOD. [9] And I will bring you forth out of the midst of it, and give you
into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. [10] You
shall fall by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel; and you
shall know that I am the LORD. [11] This city shall not be your caldron,
nor shall you be the flesh in the midst of it; I will judge you at the
border of Israel; [12] and you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have
not walked in my statutes, nor executed my ordinances, but have acted
according to the ordinances of the nations that are round about you." [13]
And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelati'ah the son of
Benai'ah died. Then I fell down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice,
and said, "Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of
Israel?" [14] And the word of the LORD came to me: [15] "Son of man, your
brethren, even your brethren, your fellow exiles, the whole house of
Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have
said, `They have gone far from the LORD; to us this land is given for a
possession.' [16] Therefore say, `Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed
them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the
countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries
where they have gone.' [17] Therefore say, `Thus says the Lord GOD: I will
gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where
you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.' [18] And
when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things
and all its abominations. [19] And I will give them one heart, and put a
new spirit within them; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and
give them a heart of flesh, [20] that they may walk in my statutes and keep
my ordinances and obey them; and they shall be my people, and I will be
their God. [21] But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable
things and their abominations, I will requite their deeds upon their own
heads, says the Lord GOD." [22] Then the cherubim lifted up their wings,
with the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over
them. [23] And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city,
and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. [24] And
the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God
into Chalde'a, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from
me. [25] And I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had showed me.