Ezekiel, 11

1. Then the spirit lifted me up and brought me to the eastern gate of Yahweh's house, the one facing east, and there at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Peletiah, son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

2. Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who plot wickedness and give evil counsel in the city.

3. They say: 'Now there is no need of more houses! The city is the pot and we are the meat!'

4. Because of that, prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man!"

5. The spirit of Yahweh seized me and said, "Speak! This is the word of Yahweh: I know what you have said, Israel! I know what you are thinking.

6. You have multiplied your victims in the city; you have filled the streets with the slain.

7. That is why Yahweh has spoken. The slain you have left in its midst; they are the meat, this city is the pot and I will bring you out of it.

8. Yahweh says: Because you are afraid of the sword, I will send the sword against you.

9. I will make you leave and deliver you over to foreigners and I will pass sentence on you.

10. You will fall by the sword; I will judge you on the borders of Israel and you will know that I am Yahweh.

11. The city will not be like a pot to preserve you, nor will you be meat within her.

12. And you will know that I am Yahweh, for until now you have not walked according to my ordinances; you have not applied my laws, but instead you have acted according to the laws of the nations around you."

13. It happened that while I was prophesying, Pelatiah, son of Beniah, died. I fell on my face and cried aloud saying, "Ah, Yahweh! Are you to destroy even the remnant of Israel?"

14. The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms,

15. "Son of man, these people have said of your brothers, your relatives, and all the exiled Israelites: 'They are well far from Yahweh! He gave this land to us as our possession.'

16. Give them therefore this word from Yahweh: I myself have sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the peoples, but I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries they entered.

17. For that reason Yahweh says, "I will gather you from among the peoples; I will group you together out of the countries where you were scattered and give you the land of Israel.

18. When you have come back and removed all the horrors and abominations, I will give you a new heart; I will put a new spirit in you.

19. Yes, I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,

20. that they may walk in my statutes, observe my laws and practice them, and they shall be my people and I will be their God.

21. As for those whose hearts follow their horrors and abominations, I will punish them according to their deeds."

22. Then the cherubim lifted up their wings and the wheels went with them.

23. The Glory of the God of Israel was over them. The Glory of Yahweh rose, leaving the city to rest on the mountain that is to the east.

24. At that point the spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Chaldea - all this happened in vision by the power of the spirit of God - and the vision I had seen left me.

25. Then I told the exiles all that Yahweh had shown me.