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 1appearance of fire, and from His loins and upward the appearance of brightness, like the appearance2of glowingmetal.
3
He stretched out the form of a hand and caught me by a lock of my head; and the 3Spiritlifted 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, which4provokes to jealousy, was located.
4
And behold, the 5glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearancewhich I saw in the plain.
5
Then He said to me, "Son of man, 6raise your eyesnowtoward the north." So I raised my eyestoward the north, and behold, to the north of the altargate was this7idol of jealousy at the entrance.
6
And He said to me, "Son of man, do you seewhat they are doing, the great8abominationswhich the house of Israel are committinghere, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will seestillgreaterabominations."
7
Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
8
He said to me, "Son of man, now9dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance.
9
And He said to me, "Go in and see the wickedabominations that they are committinghere."
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 10seventy11elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphanstandingamong them, eachman with his 12censer 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, '13The LORD does not see us; the LORD has 14forsaken the land.' "
13
And He said to me, "Yet you will seestillgreaterabominationswhich they are committing."
14
Then He brought me to the entrance of the 15gate of the LORD'Shousewhich was toward the north; and behold, women were sittingthereweeping for Tammuz.
15
He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will seestillgreaterabominationsthanthese."
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 16backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and 17they 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 18filled the land with violence and 19provoked 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 20though they cry in My ears with a loudvoice, yet I will not listen to them."