Vision of Abominations in Jerusalem

8 Now it came about in the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord ^[a]God fell upon me there. ² Then I looked, and behold, something like the appearance of ^[b]a man; from His waist and downward there was the ^(A)appearance of fire, and from His waist and upward like the appearance of a glow, like ^(B)gleaming ^[c]metal. ³ And He extended the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; and the ^(C)Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the ^[d]north gate of the inner courtyard, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which ^(D)provokes to jealousy, was located. ⁴ And behold, the ^(E)glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain.

⁵ Then He said to me, “Son of man, ^(F)raise your eyes now toward the north.” So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this ^(G)idol of jealousy at the entrance. ⁶ And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great ^(H)abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations!”

⁷ Then He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. ⁸ And He said to me, “Son of man, now ^(I)dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. ⁹ Then He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here.”

Ezekiel Prepares for Exile

12 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, you live in the ^(A)midst of the ^(B)rebellious house, who ^(C)have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house. ³ So as for you, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; that is, go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. ^(D)Perhaps they will ^[a]understand, though they are a rebellious house. ⁴ Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you shall go out ^(E)at evening in their sight, as those who are going into exile. ⁵ Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and ^[b]go out through it. ⁶ Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall ^(F)cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a ^(G)sign to the house of Israel.”

⁷ Then I ^(H)did so, just as I had been commanded. By day I ^(I)brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.

⁸ And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹ “Son of man, has the house of Israel, the ^(J)rebellious house, not said to you, ‘^(K)What are you doing?’ ¹⁰ Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord ^[c]God says: “This ^(L)pronouncement concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are ^[d]in it.”’ ¹¹ Say, ‘I am ^[e]a ^(M)sign to you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will ^(N)go into exile, into captivity.’ ¹² The ^(O)prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. ^[f]They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out through it. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. ¹³ I will also spread My ^(P)net over him, and he will be caught in My net. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will ^(Q)not see it, though he will die there. ¹⁴ And I will ^(R)scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them. ¹⁵ So they will ^(S)know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries. ¹⁶ But I will ^[g]spare a few of them from the ^(T)sword, the famine, and plague so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations where they go, and ^[h]may ^(U)know that I am the Lord.”

Death of Ezekiel’s Wife Is a Sign

¹⁵ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹⁶ “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you ^(A)what is precious to your eyes with a ^(B)fatal blow; but you shall not ^(C)mourn and you shall not weep, and your ^(D)tears shall not come. ¹⁷ Groan silently; do ^(E)no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on your feet, and do not ^[a]cover your mustache, and ^(F)do not eat the ^[b]bread of other people.” ¹⁸ So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. ¹⁹ And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing?” ²⁰ Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²¹ ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, ^(G)that which is precious in your eyes and the longing of your soul; and your ^(H)sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. ²² And you will do just as I have done; you will not ^[c]cover your mustache, and you will not eat the ^[d]bread of other people. ²³ Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You ^(I)will not mourn and you will not weep; but ^(J)you will rot away in your guilty deeds, and you will groan ^[e]to one another. ²⁴ So Ezekiel will be a ^(K)sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”