The Prophet Ezekiel

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

And the Spirit lifted me up, and he brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which looks toward the rising of the sun. And behold, at the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men. And I saw, in their midst, Jaazaniah, the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

And he said to me: “Son of man, these are men who devise iniquity. And they offer a wicked counsel in this city,

saying: ‘Was it so long ago that houses were being built? This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat.’(a)

Therefore, prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.”

And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me: “Speak: Thus says the Lord: So have you spoken, O house of Israel. And I know the thoughts of your heart.

You have killed very many in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.

Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Your slain, whom you have placed in its midst, these are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. And I will draw you out of its midst.

You have dread the sword, and so I will lead the sword over you, says the Lord God.

And I will cast you out of its midst, and I will give you over to the hand of the enemies, and I will execute judgments among you.

You will fall by the sword. I will judge you within the borders of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord.(b)

This city will not be a cooking pot for you, and you will not be like meat in its midst. I will judge you within the borders of Israel.

And you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my precepts, and you have not accomplished my judgments. Instead, you have acted in accord with the judgments of the Gentiles, who are all around you.”

A Promise of Restoration

(Jeremiah 32:36–44)

And it happened that, when I prophesied, Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died. And I fell upon my face, and I cried out with a loud voice, and I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Will you cause the consummation of the remnant of Israel?”

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Son of man, your brothers, the men among your close relatives, your brothers and the entire house of Israel, are all among those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said: ‘Withdraw far from the Lord; the earth has been given to us as a possession.’(c)

Because of this, thus says the Lord God: Since I have caused them to be far away, among the Gentiles, and since I have dispersed them among the lands, I will be a little sanctuary for them within the lands to which they have gone.

Because of this, say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from among the peoples, and I will unite you, from the lands into which you were dispersed, and I will give the soil of Israel to you.

And they shall go to that place, and they shall remove all the offenses and all its abominations from that place.

And I will give them one heart. And I will distribute a new spirit to their interior. And I will take away the heart of stone from their body. And I will give them a heart of flesh.

So may they may walk in my precepts, and observe my judgments, and accomplish them. And so may they be my people, and I will be their God.

But as for those whose heart walks after their offenses and abominations, I will set their own way upon their head, says the Lord God.”

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels with them. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

And the glory of the Lord ascended from the midst of the city and stood above the mountain, which is to the east of the city.

And the Spirit lifted me up, and he brought me into Chaldea, to those of the transmigration, in a vision, in the Spirit of God. And the vision that I had seen was raised up, away from me.

And I spoke, to those of the transmigration, all the words of the Lord that he had revealed to me.

Footnotes

(a)11:3 Were not houses lately built, etc:These men despised the predictions and threats of the prophets; who declared to them from God, that the city should be destroyed, and the inhabitants carried into captivity: and they made use of this kind of argument against the prophets, that the city, so far from being like to be destroyed, had lately been augmented by the building of new houses; from whence they further inferred, by way of a proverb, using the similitude of a cauldron, out of which the flesh is not taken, till it is thoroughly boiled, and fit to be eaten, that they should not be carried away out of their city, but there end their days in peace.(Challoner)

(b)11:10 In the borders of Israel:They pretended that they should die in peace in Jerusalem; God tells them it should not be so; but that they should be judged and condemned, and fall by the sword in the borders of Israel: viz., in Reblatha in the land of Emath, where all their chief men were put to death by Nabuchodonosor. 4 Kings 25., and Jer. 52:10, 27.(Challoner)

(c)11:15 Thy brethren, etc:He speaks of them that had been carried away captives before; who were despised by them that remained in Jerusalem: but as the prophet here declares to them from God, should be in a more happy condition than they, and after some time return from their captivity.(Challoner)

Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looks eastward. Behold, twenty-five men were at the door of the gate; and I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;

who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’

Therefore prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”

The LORD’s Spirit fell on me, and he said to me, “Speak, ‘The LORD says: “Thus you have said, house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.

You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.”

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the meat, and this is the cauldron; but you will be brought out of the middle of it.

You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,” says the Lord GOD.

“I will bring you out of the middle of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

You will fall by the sword. I will judge you in the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

This will not be your cauldron, neither will you be the meat in the middle of it. I will judge you in the border of Israel.

You will know that I am the LORD, for you have not walked in my statutes. You have not executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you.”’”

A Promise of Restoration

(Jeremiah 32:36–44)

When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are the ones to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from the LORD. This land has been given to us for a possession.’

“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.”’

“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”

“‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.

I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,

that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord GOD.”

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

The LORD’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the captives. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

Then I spoke to the captives all the things that the LORD had shown me.