審判以色列的首領
1那時，靈將我舉起，帶我到耶和華殿的東門，我見那裡有二十五個人，當中有百姓的首領押朔的兒子雅撒尼亞和比拿雅的兒子毗拉提。 2耶和華對我說：「人子啊，這些人在這城裡專給人出毒計，設惡謀。 3他們說，『建造房屋的時候不是到了嗎？我們的城像鐵鍋一樣堅固，我們像在鍋裡的肉一樣得到保護。』 4人子啊，你要說預言，說預言斥責他們。」
5耶和華的靈降在我身上，並吩咐我說：「耶和華這樣說，『以色列人啊，我知道你們口中在說什麼，心裡在想什麼。 6你們在城中殺人無數，大街小巷遍地屍體。 7所以，主耶和華說，你們在城中殺死的人就是肉，這城就是鍋，但我必把你們從鍋中拉出來。 8你們懼怕刀劍，我必使刀劍臨到你們。這是主耶和華說的。 9我必把你們從城中趕出去，交給外族人。我必懲罰你們， 10使你們死於刀下。我要審判整個以色列，這樣你們就知道我是耶和華。 11這城必不是你們的鍋，你們也必不是其中的肉，我必在全以色列施行審判。 12這樣你們就知道我是耶和華。因為你們沒有遵行我的律例，沒有順從我的典章，卻效法你們四鄰外族的規矩。』」
13我正在說預言的時候，比拿雅的兒子毗拉提就死了。我便俯伏在地大喊：「唉，主耶和華啊，你要滅絕以色列的餘民嗎？」
14耶和華對我說： 15「人子啊，留在耶路撒冷的居民會這樣談論你、你的親人和一切被擄的以色列人，說，『他們遠離了耶和華，這地方已經給了我們。』 16因此，你要說，『主耶和華這樣說，我雖然把以色列人趕到遠方各國，分散在列邦，卻要在他們所去的國家暫作他們的聖所。』
17「你要說，『主耶和華這樣說，我必從各國召集你們，從你們被驅散到的列邦中聚集你們，將以色列再賜給你們。』 18他們回來後，必除掉一切醜惡可憎的事。 19我必賜給他們一顆專一的心，將新靈放在他們裡面，除去他們的石心，賜給他們肉心， 20使他們恪守我的律例，謹遵我的典章。他們將做我的子民，我將做他們的上帝。 21至於那些心裡戀慕醜惡可憎之物的人，我必按他們所行的報應他們。這是主耶和華說的。」
22於是，基路伯天使展開翅膀，輪子跟在他們旁邊，在他們上面有以色列上帝的榮耀。 23耶和華的榮耀從城中升起，停在城東的山上。 24靈將我舉起，在異象中把我帶到迦勒底被擄的人那裡，我所見的異象從我面前上升消失了。 25我把耶和華讓我看到的一切都告訴了那些被擄的人。
God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem
1Then 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 son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city. 3They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot, and we are the meat in it.’ 4Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man.”
5Then 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. 6You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.
7“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. 8You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 9I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners and inflict punishment on you. 10You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. 12And you will know that I am the Lord, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.”
13Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?”
The Promise of Israel’s Return
14The word of the Lord came to me: 15“Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.’
16“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.’
17“Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’
18“They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
22Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. 24The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia11:24 Or Chaldea in the vision given by the Spirit of God.
Then the vision I had seen went up from me, 25and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.
