The Lord’s Judgment of Jerusalem Is Certain
1Then the Spirit of the Lord lifted me up. He brought me to the east gate of the Lord’s house. There were 25 men at the entrance of the gate. I saw Jaazaniah and Pelatiah among them. They were leaders of the people. Jaazaniah is the son of Azzur. Pelatiah is the son of Benaiah. 2The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these men are making evil plans. They are giving bad advice to the city. 3They say, ‘Haven’t our houses just been built again? The city is like a pot used for cooking. And we are the meat in it.’ 4So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”
5Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me. He told me to tell them, “The Lord says, ‘You leaders in Israel, that is what you are saying. But I know what you are thinking. 6You have killed many people in this city. In fact, you have filled its streets with dead bodies.’
7“So the Lord and King says, ‘The bodies you have thrown there are the meat. And the city is the cooking pot. But I will drive you out of it. 8You are afraid of the swords of war. But I will bring them against you,’ announces the Lord and King. 9‘I will drive you out of the city. I will hand you over to outsiders. And I will punish you. 10You will be killed by swords. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11This city will not be a pot for you. And you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. 12Then you will know that I am the Lord. You have not obeyed my rules. You have not kept my laws. Instead, you have lived by the standards of the nations around you.’ ”
13Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died as I was prophesying. Then I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out in a loud voice. I said, “Lord and King, will you destroy all the Israelites who are still left alive?”
The Lord Will Bring His People Back Home
14A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 15“Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have spoken about you. They have spoken about the others the Babylonians have taken away. They have also spoken about all the other people of Israel. The people of Jerusalem have said, ‘Those people are far away from the Lord. This land was given to us. And it belongs to us.’
16“So tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I sent some of my people far away among the nations. I scattered them among the countries. But for a little while I have been their temple in the countries where they have gone.” ’
17“Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered. I will give you back the land of Israel.” ’
18“They will return to it. They will remove all its statues of evil gods. I hate those gods. 19I will give my people hearts that are completely committed to me. I will give them a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove their stubborn hearts from them. And I will give them hearts that obey me. 20Then they will follow my rules. They will be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people. And I will be their God. 21But some people have hearts that are committed to worshiping the statues of their evil gods. I hate those gods. Anything that happens to those people will be their own fault,” announces the Lord and King.
22Then the cherubim spread their wings. The wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23The glory of the Lord went up from the city. It stopped above the Mount of Olives east of the city. 24The Spirit of God lifted me up. He took me to those who had been brought to Babylon as prisoners. These are the things that happened in the visions the Spirit gave me.
Then the visions I had seen were gone. 25I told my people everything the Lord had shown me.
审判以色列的首领
1那时，灵将我举起，带我到耶和华殿的东门，我见那里有二十五个人，当中有百姓的首领押朔的儿子雅撒尼亚和比拿雅的儿子毗拉提。 2耶和华对我说：“人子啊，这些人在这城里专给人出毒计，设恶谋。 3他们说，‘建造房屋的时候不是到了吗？我们的城像铁锅一样坚固，我们像在锅里的肉一样得到保护。’ 4人子啊，你要说预言，说预言斥责他们。”
5耶和华的灵降在我身上，并吩咐我说：“耶和华这样说，‘以色列人啊，我知道你们口中在说什么，心里在想什么。 6你们在城中杀人无数，大街小巷遍地尸体。 7所以，主耶和华说，你们在城中杀死的人就是肉，这城就是锅，但我必把你们从锅中拉出来。 8你们惧怕刀剑，我必使刀剑临到你们。这是主耶和华说的。 9我必把你们从城中赶出去，交给外族人。我必惩罚你们， 10使你们死于刀下。我要审判整个以色列，这样你们就知道我是耶和华。 11这城必不是你们的锅，你们也必不是其中的肉，我必在全以色列施行审判。 12这样你们就知道我是耶和华。因为你们没有遵行我的律例，没有顺从我的典章，却效法你们四邻外族的规矩。’”
13我正在说预言的时候，比拿雅的儿子毗拉提就死了。我便俯伏在地大喊：“唉，主耶和华啊，你要灭绝以色列的余民吗？”
14耶和华对我说： 15“人子啊，留在耶路撒冷的居民会这样谈论你、你的亲人和一切被掳的以色列人，说，‘他们远离了耶和华，这地方已经给了我们。’ 16因此，你要说，‘主耶和华这样说，我虽然把以色列人赶到远方各国，分散在列邦，却要在他们所去的国家暂作他们的圣所。’
17“你要说，‘主耶和华这样说，我必从各国召集你们，从你们被驱散到的列邦中聚集你们，将以色列再赐给你们。’ 18他们回来后，必除掉一切丑恶可憎的事。 19我必赐给他们一颗专一的心，将新灵放在他们里面，除去他们的石心，赐给他们肉心， 20使他们恪守我的律例，谨遵我的典章。他们将做我的子民，我将做他们的上帝。 21至于那些心里恋慕丑恶可憎之物的人，我必按他们所行的报应他们。这是主耶和华说的。”
22于是，基路伯天使展开翅膀，轮子跟在他们旁边，在他们上面有以色列上帝的荣耀。 23耶和华的荣耀从城中升起，停在城东的山上。 24灵将我举起，在异象中把我带到迦勒底被掳的人那里，我所见的异象从我面前上升消失了。 25我把耶和华让我看到的一切都告诉了那些被掳的人。
