The Valley of Slaughter

³⁰ “‘The people of Judah have done evil^(A) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols^(B) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled^(C) it.

³¹ They have built the high places of Topheth^(A) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(B) to burn their sons and daughters^(C) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.^(D)

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^(A) of jealousy.

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

⁷ Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. ⁸ He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

⁹ And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” ¹⁰ So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls^(D) all kinds of crawling things and unclean^(E) animals and all the idols of Israel.^{(F) 11} In front of them stood seventy elders^(G) of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer^(H) in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense^(I) was rising.^(J)

¹² He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness,^(K) each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see^(L) 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.^{(M) 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^(N) of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar,^(O) 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^(P) in the east.^(Q)

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^(R) they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence^(S) and continually arouse my anger?^(T) Look at them putting the branch to their nose!