1 Then a spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate ofAdonai’s house, the gate that faces eastward. At the entrance of the gate I saw twenty-five men; among them were Ya’azanyah the son of ‘Azur and P’latyahu the son of B’nayahu, leaders of the people.
2 He said to me, “Human being, these are the men who make evil plans and give wicked advice in this city.
3 They say, ‘The time hasn’t come to build houses. This city is the cooking pot, and we’re the meat!’
4 Therefore prophesy against them, human being, prophesy!”
5 The Spirit ofAdonaifell on me, and he said to me, “Say, ‘Here is whatAdonaisays: “What you are saying is correct, house of Isra’el; because I know how your minds work.
6 You have killed many in this city, you have filled its streets with the dead.”
7 ThereforeAdonaiElohimsays this: “Those you have killed and strewn all over it, they are the meat; and this city is indeed the cooking pot; but you will be removed from it.
8 You are afraid of the sword, but I will bring the sword upon you,” saysAdonaiElohim.
9 “I will bring you out of it, hand you over to foreigners and execute judgments among you.
10 You will die by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Isra’el; and you will know that I amAdonai.
11 This city will not be your cooking pot, but you will be the meat in it — I will judge you at Isra’el’s frontier;
12 and you will know that I amAdonai. For you have not lived by my laws or obeyed my rulings but have acted according to the rules of the nations surrounding you.”’”
13 As I was prophesying, P’latyahu the son of B’nayah died. I fell down on my face and cried out, “Oh,AdonaiElohim! Are you going to destroy completely those of Isra’el who are left?”
14 Then the word ofAdonaicame to me:
15 “Human being, it is to your kinsmen — your brothers, your relatives and the whole house of Isra’el — that the people living in Yerushalayim have said, ‘Get away fromAdonai! This land has been given to us to possess!’
16 Therefore, say thatAdonaiElohimsays this: ‘True, I removed them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries; nevertheless, I have been a little sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’
17 Therefore, say thatAdonaiElohimsays this: ‘“I will gather you from the peoples and collect you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give the land of Isra’el to you.”
18 Then they will go there and remove all its loathsome things and disgusting practices,
19 and I will give them unity of heart. “I will put a new spirit among you.” I will remove from their bodies the hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh;
20 so that they will live by my regulations, obey my rulings and act by them. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God.
21 But as for those whose hearts go after the heart of their loathsome things and disgusting practices, I will bring [the consequences of] their ways on their own heads,’ saysAdonaiElohim.”
22 Thek’ruvimlifted their wings, and the wheels were next to them, with the glory of the God of Isra’el over them, above.
23 Next, the glory ofAdonairose from within the city and stood over the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
24 Then a spirit lifted me up and brought me, in the vision, by the Spirit of God, to the exiles in the land of the Kasdim; after which the vision I had seen left me.
25 So I told the exiles everythingAdonaihad shown me.