Ezekiel 11:14-25

Easy-to-Read Version

Prophecies Against Survivors in Jerusalem

¹⁴ But then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, ¹⁵ “Son of man, remember your brothers, the family of Israel. They were forced to leave their country, but I will bring them back.^[a] But now, the people living in Jerusalem are saying, ‘Stay far away from the Lord. This land was given to us—it is ours!’

¹⁶ “So tell them this: The Lord God says, ‘It is true, I forced my people to go far away to other nations. I did scatter them among many countries. But I will be their temple for a short time while they are in those other countries. ¹⁷ But you must tell those people that the Lord God will bring them back. I have scattered you among many nations, but I will gather you together and bring you back from those nations. I will give the land of Israel back to you. ¹⁸ When my people come back, they will destroy all the terrible, filthy idols that are here now. ¹⁹ I will bring them together and make them like one person. I will put a new spirit^[b] in them. I will take away that heart of stone, and I will put a real heart in its place. ²⁰ Then they will obey my laws and my commands. They will do the things I tell them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.’”

The Glory of the Lord Leaves Jerusalem

²¹ Then God said, “But now, their hearts belong to those terrible, filthy idols, and I must punish those people for the bad things they have done.” This is what the Lord God said. ²² Then the Cherub angels raised their wings and flew into the air. The wheels went with them. The Glory of the God of Israel was above them. ²³ The Glory of the Lord rose into the air and left the city and stopped on the hill east of Jerusalem.^{[c] 24} Then the Spirit^[d] lifted me into the air and brought me back to Babylonia. It brought me back to the people who were forced to leave Israel. I saw all this in the vision from God. Then the one I saw in the vision rose into the air and left me. ²⁵ Then I spoke to the people in exile. I told them about everything the Lord showed me.