Ezekiel
Chapter 8
1 In the sixth year, the sixth month, and on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the leaders of Judah were sitting before me, the power of God came over me.
2 I saw something that looked like fire below his waist, and from his waist up, he shone brightly, like amber.
3 He reached out like a hand and grabbed my hair; the spirit lifted me up between the ground and sky, and in a vision from God, took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner north gate, where there was a place for the jealousy-causing idol.
4 I saw the glory of Israel’s God there, just like the vision I had in the open field.
5 He told me, “Human, look up now to the north.” So I looked up to the north, and I saw at the entrance of the altar’s gate this idol that makes God jealous.
6 He said to me again, “Human, do you see what they are doing? The terrible things the people of Israel are doing here, making me want to stay far from my holy place? But look again, and you will see even worse things.”
7 He took me to the entrance of the courtyard; when I looked, I saw a hole in the wall.
8 Then he said to me, “Human, start digging in the wall.” So I began to dig in the wall, and soon I found a door.
9 He said to me, “Go in and see the terrible things they are doing here.”
10 So I went inside and saw; and look, all kinds of crawling creatures, horrible animals, and the idols of Israel, drawn on the walls all around.
11 Seventy elders of Israel stood in front of them, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan among them, each holding an incense burner, and a large cloud of incense rose up.
12 He said to me, “Human, have you seen what Israel’s elders do in secret, each in their own room of pictures? They say, ‘God does not see us; God has left the earth.’”
13 He also told me, “Turn again, and you will see even worse things they are doing.”
14 Then he led me to the entrance of God’s temple gate facing north; and there, I saw women crying for Tammuz.
15 He said to me, “Have you seen this, human? Look again, and you will see even worse things than these.”
16 He took me to the inner yard of God’s house, and I saw at the temple door, between the entrance and the altar, about 25 men. They turned their backs to God’s temple and faced east, worshiping the sun in the east.
17 He asked me, “Have you seen this, human? Do the people of Judah think it’s no big deal that they do such disgusting things here? They fill the land with violence and keep making me angry. Look, they are even insulting me right to my face.”
18 So I will act in anger. I won’t look away or feel sorry. Even if they cry loudly in my ears, I still won’t listen.