What will happen to Jerusalem

1 Then a spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the Lord's temple. When I was there, near the entrance of the gate, I could see 25 men. Azzur's son Jaazaniah and Benaiah's son Pelatiah were among them. They were leaders of the people. 2 The Lord said to me. ‘Son of man, these are the men who decide to do evil things in this city. They also give wicked advice to the people. 3 They say, “It is not the right time now to build houses. This city is like a pot to cook meat on a fire. We are like the meat in that pot.”

4 Son of man, you must speak my message to warn them.’

5 Then the Lord's Spirit took hold of me. He said to me, ‘This is the Lord's message to the people: Tell them, “People of Israel, I know what you are saying. I know the thoughts that you have in your minds. 6 You have killed many people in this city. The streets are full of the dead bodies of people that you have killed.”

7 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: “The dead bodies that you have put in this city are the meat. And the city is the pot to cook them in. But as for you, I will remove you from it! 8 You are afraid that an enemy will attack you. So I will bring an army to attack you.” That is what the Almighty Lord says.

9 “I will remove you from this city. I will put you under the power of a foreign army. I will use them to punish you. 10 Enemy soldiers will use their swords to kill you. I will punish you in your own country. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11 This city will not be like a pot where you can be safe. You will not be like the meat in that pot. I will punish you while you are still inside Israel. 12 Then you will know that I am the Lord. You have not obeyed my rules or my laws. Instead, you have lived in the same wicked way as the nations around you.” ’

13 While I was speaking the Lord's message, Benaiah's son Pelatiah died. Then I bent down low with my face towards the ground. I shouted, ‘Almighty Lord, do not do this! You will completely destroy all Israel's people who remain!’

14 Then the Lord gave this message to me: 15 ‘Son of man, listen to what the people of Jerusalem are saying about you, your brothers and your relatives. They say this about all the people of Israel who are now in Babylon. They are saying, “Those people have gone far away from the Lord. So now this land belongs to us and we can keep it.”

16 So say this: “This is what the Almighty Lord says. I removed my people from their own land and I sent them far away. I sent them to live among other nations and in other countries. But I am still near to them in the countries where they have gone.” 

17 Then say, “This is what the Almighty Lord says. I will fetch you from the places where you have been living. I will bring you back together from those countries. I will give the land of Israel back to you.” 

18 The people will return to their land. Then they will destroy their idols and other disgusting things. 19 I will give them new thoughts so that they will choose to worship only me. I will put a new spirit in them. They will no longer refuse to change their way of life. Instead, I will help them to want to obey me. 20 Then they will know my rules and my laws. They will be careful to obey them. They will be my people and I will be their God. 21 But it will be different for those who continue to worship their disgusting idols. I will punish them as they deserve because of the evil things that they have done. That is what the Almighty Lord says.’

22 Then the cherubs lifted up their wings to fly. The wheels were at their sides. And the bright glory of Israel's God was above them. 23 The glory of the Lord rose up and it went away from the city. It stopped over a mountain on the east side of the city.

24 In the vision, a spirit lifted me up and took me back to Babylon. I returned to the Israelites who were prisoners there. That was the end of the vision.

25 I told the Israelites everything that the Lord had shown me in the vision.

Ezekiel 12

1 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, you are living among a people who refuse to obey me. They have eyes, but they do not see anything. They have ears, but they do not hear anything. They refuse to listen to me.

3 Because of that, son of man, pretend that you are going away as a prisoner. During the day, prepare your things for the journey. While people are watching, prepare to leave your home and go to another place. The people refuse to obey me, but perhaps they will understand what you are doing. 4 Bring out the things that you have prepared for your journey. Do that during the day while the people are watching you. Then leave your home in the evening while they are watching you. Go away like someone who is travelling to a far country as a prisoner. 5 While the people are watching, dig a hole in the wall of your house. Go out through the hole and carry your things with you. 6 Put your bag of things on your shoulder while the people watch you. Carry it out when it starts to become dark. Cover your face so that you cannot see the ground. I want you to do this so that it warns Israel's people about danger.’

7 So I did what the Lord had told me to do. I carried out a bag of my things to show that I was going on a journey. I prepared these things during the day. Then in the evening I used my hands to dig a hole in the wall of my house. When it became dark, I went out. I carried my bag of things on my shoulder. The people watched me do all this.

8 In the morning, the Lord gave this message to me: 9 ‘Son of man, listen to Israel's people who refuse to obey me. They have asked you, “What are you doing?” 10 Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: This is a message about the prince who rules in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.”

11 Tell them, “I am teaching you a lesson to warn you about what will happen to you.” As you have done, the people will have to go as prisoners to another country.

12 Their king will leave Jerusalem when it starts to become dark. He will carry his things on his shoulder as he goes out. They will dig a hole in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. 13 I will throw my net over him and I will catch him in my trap. I will take him to Babylon city, in the land of the Chaldeans. But he will not see that land. He will die there. 14 I will cause all his officers and soldiers to run away in different directions. Then their enemies will chase after them, to kill them with their swords.

15 I will send the people away from their homes to other countries. They will have to live among foreign people. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 16 But I will save a few of them. War, famine and disease will not kill all of them. When they live among those other nations, they will realize that they have done many disgusting things. And they will know that I am the Lord.’

17 The Lord gave this message to me: 18 ‘Son of man, shake with fear while you eat your food or you drink your water. 19 Then say to the people of Israel, “This is what the Almighty Lord says about the people who live in Jerusalem and in all the land of Israel: They will be afraid while they eat their food. They will shake with fear when they drink their water. An enemy will destroy their land so that nothing remains in it. This will happen because all the people who live there have done violent things. 20 The towns where people live will become heaps of stones. An enemy will destroy the whole land. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’

21 The Lord gave this message to me: 22 ‘Son of man, you have this proverb in the land of Israel: “A long time passes and visions never truly happen.” 23 But you must say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will soon stop you from saying the words of that proverb.” Instead, say to them “The time will soon be here when every vision will truly happen. 24 Israel's people will no longer have visions that are false. Nobody will prophesy things that deceive people. 25 But I, the Lord, will speak. Whatever I say will certainly happen. It will happen very soon. Understand this, you people who refuse to obey me. I will do this while you are still alive. I will do all the things that I have said. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’

26 The Lord gave this message to me: 27 ‘Son of man, listen to what Israel's people are saying about you! They say, “The things that you see in your vision will not happen for many years. It will be a long time before his messages become true.” 28 So say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will not wait any longer to do what I have said. I will do everything that I have told you. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’