²⁷ There at Riblah,^(A) in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

So Judah went into captivity, away^(B) from her land.

²⁸ I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains^(A) of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.^(B)

¹¹ In front of them stood seventy elders^(A) of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer^(B) in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense^(C) was rising.^(D)

¹² He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness,^(E) each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see^(F) us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” ¹³ Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”

¹⁴ Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz.^{(G) 15} He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”

¹⁶ He then brought me into the inner court^(H) of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar,^(I) 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^(J) in the east.^(K)

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^(L) they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence^(M) and continually arouse my anger?^(N) Look at them putting the branch to their nose! ¹⁸ Therefore I will deal with them in anger;^(O) I will not look on them with pity^(P) or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen^(Q) to them.”

⁹ I will summon^(A) all the peoples of the north^(B) and my servant^(C) Nebuchadnezzar^(D) king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy^[a](E) them and make them an object of horror and scorn,^(F) and an everlasting ruin.^{(G) 10} I will banish from them the sounds^(H) of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom,^(I) the sound of millstones^(J) and the light of the lamp.^{(K) 11} This whole country will become a desolate wasteland,^(L) and these nations will serve^(M) the king of Babylon seventy years.^(N)

¹¹ Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”^(A)

And he answered:

God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem

11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah^(A) son of Benaiah, leaders^(B) of the people.^{(C) 2} The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil^(D) and giving wicked advice in this city.^{(E) 3} They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,^(F) and we are the meat in it.’^{(G) 4} Therefore prophesy^(H) against them; prophesy, son of man.”

⁵ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.^{(I) 6} You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.^(J)

⁷ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot,^(K) but I will drive you out of it.^{(L) 8} You fear the sword,^(M) and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(N) 9} I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands^(O) of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.^{(P) 10} You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.^(Q) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹ This city will not be a pot^(R) for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.