1
It came about in the sixthyear, on the fifth day of the sixthmonth, as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judahsittingbefore me, that the hand of the LordGODfell on me there.
2
Then I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of a man; from His loins and downward there was the appearance of fire, and from His loins and upward the appearance of brightness, like the appearance of glowingmetal.
3
He stretched out the form of a hand and caught me by a lock of my head; and the Spiritlifted me up betweenearth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the northgate of the inner court, where* the seat of the idol of jealousy, whichprovokes to jealousy, was located.
5
Then He said to me, "Son of man, raise your eyesnowtoward the north." So I raised my eyestoward the north, and behold, to the north of the altargate was thisidol of jealousy at the entrance.
6
And He said to me, "Son of man, do you seewhat they are doing, the greatabominationswhich the house of Israel are committinghere, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will seestillgreaterabominations."
10
So I entered and looked, and behold, everyform of creepingthings and beasts and detestablethings, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wallallaround.
11
Standing in front of them were seventyelders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphanstandingamong them, eachman with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incenserising.
12
Then He said to me, "Son of man, do you seewhat the elders of the house of Israel are committing in the dark, eachman in the room of his carvedimages? For they say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.' "
16
Then He brought me into the innercourt of the LORD'Shouse. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five*men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun.
17
He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominationswhich they have committedhere, that they have filled the land with violence and provoked Me repeatedly? For behold, they are putting the twig to their nose.
18
"Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will havenopitynor will I spare; and though they cry in My ears with a loudvoice, yet I will not listen to them."