³ He stretched out what looked like a hand^(A) and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up^(B) between earth and heaven and in visions^(C) of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court,^(D) where the idol that provokes to jealousy^(E) stood. ⁴ And there before me was the glory^(F) of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.^(G)

⁵ Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol^(H) of jealousy.

⁶ And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable^(I) things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary?^(J) But you will see things that are even more detestable.”

¹⁶ He then brought me into the inner court^(A) of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar,^(B) were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun^(C) in the east.^(D)

¹⁷ He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things^(E) they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence^(F) and continually arouse my anger?^(G) Look at them putting the branch to their nose! ¹⁸ Therefore I will deal with them in anger;^(H) I will not look on them with pity^(I) or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen^(J) to them.”