Idolatry in the Temple
1In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there. 2I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man.8:2 Or saw a fiery figure From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. 3He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. 4And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.
5Then 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 of jealousy.
6And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable.”
7Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. 8He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.
9And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” 10So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel. 11In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.
12He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ” 13Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”
14Then 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. 15He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”
16He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, 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 in the east.
17He 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 they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
Ibada Ya Sanamu Hekaluni
18:1 2Fal 6:32; Eze 14:1; 33:31; 40:1; 24:1Katika siku ya tano ya mwezi wa sita mwaka wa sita, baada ya kupelekwa uhamishoni nilipokuwa nimeketi katika nyumba yangu na wazee wa Yuda walikuwa wameketi mbele yangu, mkono wa Bwana Mwenyezi ulikuja juu yangu. 28:2 Eze 1:4, 26-27; Dan 7:9Nikatazama, nikaona umbo mfano wa mwanadamu. Kutokana na kile kilichoonekana kuwa kiuno chake kuelekea chini alifanana na moto. Kuanzia kwenye kiuno kuelekea juu sura yake kama chuma kingʼaavyo kikiwa ndani ya moto. 38:3 Eze 3:12; 11:1; Kut 20:5; Kum 32:16; Yer 7:30; Kut 24:10; Eze 2:9Akanyoosha kitu kilichoonekana kama mkono, akaniinua kwa kushika nywele za kichwa changu. Roho akaniinua juu kati ya nchi na mbingu nikiwa katika maono ya Mungu akanichukua mpaka Yerusalemu, kwenye ingilio la lango la upande wa kaskazini ya ukumbi wa ndani, mahali iliposimama ile sanamu ichocheayo wivu. 48:4 Kut 24:16; Eze 1:28; 3:22Hapo mbele yangu palikuwa na utukufu wa Mungu wa Israeli, kama utukufu ule niliouona katika maono kule ua wa ndani.
58:5 Za 78:58-60; Yer 4:1; 32:34Kisha akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, tazama kuelekea kaskazini.” Hivyo nikatazama na kwenye ingilio upande wa kaskazini wa lango la madhabahu, nikaona sanamu hii ya wivu.
68:6 Eze 5:11; Kum 31:16; Hos 5:6Ndipo akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, je, unaona yale wanayofanya, haya mambo ya machukizo kabisa nyumba ya Israeli wanayotenda hapa, ambayo yatanifanya niende mbali na mahali pangu patakatifu? Lakini utaona vitu ambavyo vinachukiza zaidi hata kuliko hivi.”
7Kisha akanileta mpaka ingilio la ukumbi. Nikatazama, nami nikaona tundu ukutani. 8Akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, sasa toboa kwenye ukuta huu.” Ndipo nikatoboa ule ukuta, nikaona hapo pana mlango.
9Naye akaniambia, “Ingia ndani, ukaone maovu na machukizo wanayofanya humu.” 108:10 Kum 4:15-18; Yer 16:18; Amu 17:4-5; Eze 23:14; Yer 44:4; Kut 20:4Hivyo nikaingia ndani na kutazama, nikaona kuta zote zimechorwa kila aina ya vitu vitambaavyo na ya wanyama wachukizao wa kila aina na sanamu zote za nyumba ya Israeli. 118:11 Hes 16:17; Yer 26:24; Law 10:1; Hes 16:17-35; Kut 3:16; Eze 11:1-2Mbele yao walisimama wazee sabini wa nyumba ya Israeli, naye Yaazania mwana wa Shafani alikuwa amesimama miongoni mwao. Kila mmoja alikuwa na chetezo mkononi na moshi wa harufu nzuri ya uvumba ulikuwa unapanda juu.
128:12 2Fal 21:16; Za 10:11; Ay 22:13; Isa 29:15; Eze 9:9Akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, umeona wanayoyafanya wazee wa nyumba ya Israeli gizani, kila mmoja kwenye sehemu yake mwenyewe ya kufanyia ibada za sanamu yake? Wao husema, ‘Bwana hatuoni, Bwana ameiacha nchi.’ ” 13Akasema tena, “Bado utaona machukizo wanayofanya ambayo ni makubwa kuliko haya.”
148:14 Eze 11:12Ndipo akanileta mpaka ingilio la lango la kaskazini la nyumba ya Bwana, nami nikaona wanawake wameketi hapo, wakimwombolezea Tamuzi. 15Akaniambia, “Unaliona hili, mwanadamu? Utaona vitu ambavyo ni machukizo kuliko hili.”
168:16 Yoe 2:17; Kum 4:19; Ay 31:28; Mwa 1:16; Yer 2:27; Eze 40:6; 9:6Ndipo akanileta mpaka kwenye ukumbi wa ndani wa nyumba ya Bwana, nako huko katika ingilio la Hekalu, kati ya baraza na madhabahu, walikuwepo wanaume wapatao ishirini na watano. Wakiwa wamelipa kisogo Hekalu la Bwana na kuelekeza nyuso zao upande wa mashariki, wakilisujudia jua huko mashariki.
178:17 Mwa 6:11; Ezr 9:6; Hes 11:33; 1Fal 14:9; Eze 16:2; 16:26Akaniambia, “Je, umeona hili mwanadamu? Je, ni jambo dogo sana kwa nyumba ya Yuda kufanya machukizo wanayoyafanya hapa? Je, ni lazima pia waijaze nchi dhuluma na kuendelea siku zote kunikasirisha? Watazame wanavyonibania pua kana kwamba ninanuka! 188:18 Yer 13:14; 44:6; Eze 24:14; Isa 1:15; Mik 3:4; Mit 1:28; 1Sam 8:18; Isa 58:4; Eze 9:10Kwa hiyo nitashughulika nao kwa hasira, sitawaonea huruma wala kuwaachilia. Wajapopiga makelele masikioni mwangu, sitawasikiliza.”
