Ezekiel 8:1-18
8 And it came about in the sixth year, in the sixth [month], on the fifth day of the month, that I was sitting in my house and the older men* of Judah were sitting before me,+ when the hand of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah fell upon me there.+
2 And I began to see, and, look! a likeness similar to the appearance of fire;+ from the appearance of his hips even downward there was fire,+ and from his hips even upward there was something like the appearance of a shining, like the glow of electrum.*+
3 Then he thrust out the representation of a hand+ and took me by a tuft of hair of my head, and a spirit*+ carried me between the earth and the heavens and brought me to Jerusalem in the visions of God,+ to the entrance of the inner gate+ that is facing northward, where the dwelling place is of the symbol of jealousy that is inciting to jealousy.+
4 And, look! the glory of the God* of Israel was there,+ like the appearance that I had seen in the valley plain.
5 And he proceeded to say to me: “Son of man, please, raise your eyes in the direction of the north.” So I raised my eyes in the direction of the north, and, look! to the north of the gate of the altar there was this symbol* of jealousy*+ in the entranceway.
6 And he went on to say to me: “Son of man, are you seeing what great detestable things they are doing,+ the things that the house of Israel are doing here [for me] to become far off from my sanctuary?+ And yet you will see again great detestable things.”
7 Accordingly he brought me to the entrance of the courtyard, and I began to see, and, look! a certain hole in the wall.
8 He now said to me: “Son of man, bore, please, through the wall.”+ And I gradually bored through the wall, and, look! there was a certain entrance.
9 And he further said to me: “Go in and see the bad detestable things that they are doing here.”+
10 So I went in and began to see, and, look! there was every representation+ of creeping things and loathsome beasts,+ and all the dungy idols of the house of Israel,+ the carving being upon the wall all round about.
11 And seventy men*+ of the elderly ones of the house of Israel, with Ja·az·a·niʹah* the son of Shaʹphan+ standing in among them, were standing before them, each one with his censer in his hand, and the perfume of the cloud of the incense was ascending.+
12 And he proceeded to say to me: “Have you seen, O son of man, what the elderly ones of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness,+ each one in the inner rooms of his showpiece? For they are saying, ‘Jehovah is not seeing us.*+ Jehovah has left the land.’”*
13 And he continued on to say to me: “You will yet see again great detestable things that they are doing.”+
14 So he brought me to the entrance of the gate of the house of Jehovah, which is toward the north, and, look! there the women were sitting, weeping over the [god] Tamʹmuz.*
15 And he further said to me: “Have you seen [this], O son of man? You will yet see again great detestable+ things worse than these.”
16 So he brought me to the inner courtyard of the house of Jehovah,+ and, look! at the entrance of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar,+ there were about twenty-five men*+ with their backs to the temple* of Jehovah+ and their faces to the east, and they were bowing down to the east, to the sun.+
17 And he went on to say to me: “Have you seen [this], O son of man? Is it such a light thing to the house of Judah to do the detestable things that they have done here, that they have to fill the land* with violence+ and that they should offend me again, and here they are thrusting out the shoot* to my nose?*
18 And I myself also shall act in rage.+ My eye will not feel sorry, neither shall I feel compassion.+ And they will certainly call out in my ears with a loud voice, but I shall not hear them.”+
Footnotes
^ Or, “elders.”
^ “God of.” Heb., ʼElo·hehʹ, pl.
^ “The gate of the altar there was this symbol [Heb., seʹmel, “image”],” M; by substitution of a similar letter in M in harmony with LXXSy, “the gate toward the sunrising . . .”; by a slight change in vowel pointing in M, “the gate, there was the altar of this symbol.”
^ “With Jaazaniah.” Heb., weYa·ʼazan·yaʹhu, meaning “Jehovah Gives Ear.”
^ “Men of.” Heb., ʼish.
^ Or, “There is no Jehovah seeing us.”
^ Or, “the earth.” Heb., ha·ʼaʹrets.
^ “The [god] Tammuz.” Heb., hat·Tam·muzʹ; Gr., ton Tham·mouzʹ; Lat., A·doʹni·dem.
^ “Men.” Heb., ʼish.
^ Or, “the earth.” Heb., ha·ʼaʹrets.
^ Or, “the branch (twig).” Heb., haz·zemoh·rahʹ; doubtless used in idolatrous worship. It may represent the human male organ.
^ “My nose,” in the original Heb. text; M, “their nose.” One of the Eighteen Emendations of the Sopherim to avoid an apparent derogatory reference to Jehovah. See App 2B.
