Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 God's spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the Temple. There near the gate I saw twenty-five men, including Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, two leaders of the nation.
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Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looks eastward. Behold, twenty-five men were at the door of the gate; and I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
2 God said to me, "Mortal man, these men make evil plans and give bad advice in this city.
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He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;
3 They say, "We will soon be building houses again. The city is like a cooking pot, and we are like the meat in it, but at least it protects us from the fire.'
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who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’
4 Now then, denounce them, mortal man."
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Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”
5 The spirit of the Lord took control of me, and the Lord told me to give the people this message: "People of Israel, I know what you are saying and what you are planning.
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The LORD’s Spirit fell on me, and he said to me, “Speak, ‘The LORD says: “Thus you have said, house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.
6 You have murdered so many people here in the city that the streets are full of corpses.
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You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.”
7 "So this is what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to you. This city is a cooking pot all right, but what is the meat? The corpses of those you have killed! You will not be here - I will throw you out of the city!
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“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the meat, and this is the cauldron; but you will be brought out of the middle of it.
8 Are you afraid of swords? I will bring soldiers with swords to attack you.
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You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,” says the Lord GOD.
9 I will take you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners. I have sentenced you to death,
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“I will bring you out of the middle of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
10 and you will be killed in battle in your own country. Then everyone will know that I am the Lord.
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You will fall by the sword. I will judge you in the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
11 This city will not protect you the way a pot protects the meat in it. I will punish you wherever you may be in the land of Israel.
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This will not be your cauldron, neither will you be the meat in the middle of it. I will judge you in the border of Israel.
12 You will know that I am the Lord and that while you were keeping the laws of the neighboring nations, you were breaking [my ]laws and disobeying [my ]commands."
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You will know that I am the LORD, for you have not walked in my statutes. You have not executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you.”’”
13 While I was prophesying, Pelatiah dropped dead. I threw myself face downward on the ground and shouted, "No, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to kill everyone left in Israel?"
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When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”
14 The Lord spoke to me.
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The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
15 "Mortal man," he said, "the people who live in Jerusalem are talking about you and those of your nation who are in exile. They say, "The exiles are too far away to worship the Lord. He has given us possession of the land.'
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“Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are the ones to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from the LORD. This land has been given to us for a possession.’
16 "Now tell your fellow exiles what I am saying. I am the one who sent them to live in far-off nations and scattered them in other countries. Yet, for the time being I will be present with them in the lands where they have gone.
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“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.”’
17 "So tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying. I will gather them out of the countries where I scattered them, and will give the land of Israel back to them.
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“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “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 When they return, they are to get rid of all the filthy, disgusting idols they find.
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“‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.
19 I will give them a new heart and a new mind. I will take away their stubborn heart of stone and will give them an obedient heart.
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I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,
20 Then they will keep my laws and faithfully obey all my commands. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
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that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
21 But I will punish the people who love to worship filthy, disgusting idols. I will punish them for what they have done." The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
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But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord GOD.”
22 The living creatures began to fly, and the wheels went with them. The dazzling light of the presence of the God of Israel was over them.
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Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
23 Then the dazzling light left the city and moved to the mountain east of it.
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The LORD’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
24 In the vision the spirit of God lifted me up and brought me back to the exiles in Babylonia. Then the vision faded,
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The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the captives. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
25 and I told the exiles everything that the Lord had shown me.
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Then I spoke to the captives all the things that the LORD had shown me.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.