The Vision of the Eastern Gate

11 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east facing gate of the Lord’s Temple. At the entrance of the gate I saw 25 men. Included among them were Azzur’s son Jaazaniah and Benaiah’s son Pelatiah, who were princes of the people.

² Then he told me, “Son of Man, these men are plotting evil and are giving wicked advice in this city. ³ They keep saying, ‘The right time to build families^[a] hasn’t yet arrived. The city is the pot and we are the meat.’ ⁴ Therefore you are to prophesy against them. Prophesy, Son of Man!”

God Rebukes those who Plot Evil

⁵ Just then the Spirit of the Lord took control of^[b] me and told me, “You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You’ve said, O house of Israel, that I know what goes through your mind.^{[c] 6} You’ve increased the number of fatally wounded in this city and you’ve filled your streets with the dead.”

⁷ ‘Therefore this is what the Lord God says, “The corpses that you’ve laid out in your midst are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. But you’ll be taken out from the middle of it. ⁸ You’ve feared the sword,^[d] but I’m bringing violent death in your direction,”^[e] declares the Lord God. ⁹ “I’m bringing you out from the middle of it and I’m going to deliver you into the hands of strangers, because I’m going to carry out my sentence against you. ¹⁰ You’re going to die violently,^[f] and I’ll judge you as far as the borders of Israel. Then you’ll learn^[g] that I am the Lord. ¹¹ This city won’t be your cooking pot and neither will you be the meat in it, because I’m going to judge you as far as the borders of Israel. ¹² Then you’ll learn^[h] that I am the Lord, because you didn’t live by my statues or obey my ordinances. Instead, you obeyed the ordinances of the nations around you.”’”

Ezekiel Reacts to Pelatiah’s Death

¹³ While I was prophesying, Benaiah’s son Pelatiah died, so I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice. “Ah, Lord God,” I said, “are you going to put an end to the survivors within Israel?”