Revised Standard Version RSV
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
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.
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Then the Spirit lifted me and took me to the east gate of the LORD's temple. (It's the gate that faces east.) Twenty-five men were at the entrance of the gate. I saw among them Azzur's son Jaazaniah and Benaiah's son Pelatiah. They were leaders 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;
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Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who plan evil and give bad advice in this city.
3 who say, 'The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.'
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They say, 'It's almost time to rebuild homes. This city is a cooking pot, and we're the meat.'
4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man."
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So prophesy against them. Prophesy, 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.
5
The LORD's Spirit came to me and told me to say, "This is what the LORD says: You are saying these things, nation of Israel. But I know what's going through your mind.
6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, and have filled its streets with the slain.
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You have killed many people in this city and have filled its streets with corpses.
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.
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"So this is what the Almighty LORD says: The corpses that you put in the middle of the city are the meat, and the city is the cooking pot. I will force you out of the city.
8 You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, says the Lord GOD.
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You are afraid of swords, so I will bring swords to attack you, declares the Almighty LORD.
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.
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I will force you out of the city. I will hand you over to foreigners, and I will punish 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.
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You will die in battle. I will judge you at Israel's borders. Then you will 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;
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The city will not be your cooking pot, and you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at Israel's borders.
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."
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Then you will know that I am the LORD. You haven't lived by my laws, and you haven't obeyed my rules. You have followed the standards set by the nations around 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?"
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While I was prophesying, Benaiah's son Pelatiah died. I immediately bowed down and cried out, "Almighty LORD, will you completely destroy all the remaining people in Israel?"
14 And the word of the LORD came to me:
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Then the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,
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.'
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"Son of man, the people who live in Jerusalem are talking about your own relatives and about the entire nation of Israel. The people who live in Jerusalem say, 'They are far away from the LORD. This land has been given to us as our own property.'
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.'
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"So tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, I have been their sanctuary for a little while among the countries where they've 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.'
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"So tell them, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I will bring them together from the nations and gather them from the countries where I've scattered them. I will give them the land of Israel.
18 And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations.
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They will come and remove all the disgusting and detestable things that are there.
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,
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I will give them a single purpose and put a new spirit in them. I will remove their stubborn hearts and give them obedient hearts.
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.
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Then they will live by my laws and obey my rules. They will 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."
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But as for those whose minds are set on following detestable and disgusting idols, I will pay them back for what they have done, declares the Almighty LORD.'"
22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.
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Then the angels raised their wings, with the wheels beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was above 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.
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The LORD's glory left the middle of the city and stopped above the mountain east 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.
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In this vision from God's Spirit, the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia. Then the vision I saw left me.
25 And I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had showed me.
25
I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.