VISION OF ISRAEL’S CORRUPT LEADERS

11 The Spirit then lifted me upj and brought me to the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, which faces east, and at the gate’s entrance were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 The LordA said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evilk and give wicked advice in this city. 3 They are saying, ‘Isn’t the time near to build houses?B,l The city is the pot,m and we are the meat.’ 4 Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!”

5 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me, “You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord says: That is what you are thinking, house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your mind.n 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city,o filling its streets with them.

7 “ ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: The slain you have put within it are the meat,p and the city is the pot, but IC will take you out of it.q 8 You fear the sword,r so I will bring the sword against you.s This is the declaration of the Lord God. 9 I will take you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners; I will execute judgments against you.t 10 You will fall by the sword,u and I will judge you at the border of Israel.v Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11 The city will not be a pot for you,w and you will not be the meat within it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, 12 so you will know that I am the Lord, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not practiced. Instead, you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.’ ”x

13 Now while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died.y Then I fell facedown and cried out loudly, “Oh, Lord God!z You are bringing the remnant of Israel to an end!”

PROMISE OF ISRAEL’S RESTORATION

14 The word of the Lord came to me again: 15 “Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem your property,D,E along with the entire house of Israel—all of them—are those to whom the residents of Jerusalem have said, ‘You are far from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’

16 “Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for themaa in the countries where they have gone.’

17 “Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoplesab and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’

18 “When they arrive there, they will remove all itsac abhorrent actsad and detestable practices from it. 19 I will give them integrity ofF heartae and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stoneaf from their bodiesG and give them a heart of flesh,ag 20 so that they will follow my statutes,ah keep my ordinances, and practice them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.ai 21 But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for abhorrent acts and detestable practices, I will bring their conduct down on their own heads.”aj This is the declaration of the Lord God.

GOD’S GLORY LEAVES JERUSALEM

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings,ak and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The glory of the Lorda rose up from within the city and stopped on the mountainb east of the city.A,c 24 The Spirit lifted me upd and brought me to Chaldea and to the exiles in a vision from the Spirit of God. After the vision I had seen left me, 25 I spoke to the exiles about all the things the Lord had shown me.