Ezekiel

Contains visions and prophecies of judgment and restoration for Israel and the nations.

Chapter 11

1 Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD’s house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

*The spirit took me to the east gate of God's temple, which faces east. There, I saw 25 men including Jaazaniah, son of Azur, and Pelatiah, son of Benaiah - both important leaders.

2 Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:

*Then he told me, "Son of man, these people plan trouble and give bad advice in this city."

3 Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.

*Which say, "It's not close," Let's build homes. This city is like a cooking pot, and we are like the meat inside.

4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

*So, tell them the message, son of man.

5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

*The Spirit of God gave me a message, saying to speak for Him. He told me what you, Israel, have said in your thoughts, because He knows all of them.

6 Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

*You have increased the number of those killed in this city and have filled its streets with dead bodies.

7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.

*So, God says this: The people you killed and put in the center will be like meat, and this city is like a cooking pot. But I will rescue you from inside it.

8 Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.

*You were afraid of the sword. But I will bring a sword to you, says the Lord God.

9 And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

*I will take you out from that place and give you to other people, and punish you there.

10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

*You will be defeated by swords; I will punish you at Israel's border; and you will understand that I am God.

11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:

*This city won't be your cooking pot, and you won't be the meat inside it. Instead, I will judge you near the edge of Israel.

12 And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

*You will realize that I am God because you haven't followed my rules or carried out my decisions. Instead, you've acted like the other non-believers around you.

13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

*One day, when I spoke for God, Pelatiah, son of Benaiah, passed away. So I fell on the ground, called out loudly, and asked, "Lord God, will you completely destroy what's left of Israel?"

14 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

*Once more, God's message came to me, saying,

15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.

*Son, your relatives, including those closely related to you and all the people of Israel, are the ones who the people living in Jerusalem are telling to stay away from God. They say that the land belongs only to them.

16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

*So say this: The Lord God says that even though He has taken them far away among non-believers and spread them out in different places, He will still be their safe place wherever they go.

17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

*So, say this: The Lord God says He will bring you back from all the people and places where you've been scattered, and He will give you the land of Israel.

18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

*They will go there, remove all the disgusting things, and all the horrible things from that place.

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

*I will give them one united heart, and put a new spirit in them. I will remove their hard, unyielding heart and replace it with a soft, flexible one.

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

*So they follow my rules, obey my instructions, and do them; then they'll be my special people, and I'll be their loving God.

21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

*But for those whose hearts follow wicked things they hate, and their disgusting actions, God says He will repay them for their ways by giving it to them in return.

22 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

*Then, the cherubim angels lifted their wings, and the wheels next to them moved too; God's great light shone down on them from above.

23 And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

*The greatness of God rose from the city and stood on a mountain on the city's east side.

24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

*Later, the spirit lifted me and, through a divine vision, transported me to Chaldea, where the captured people lived. The vision I had then disappeared.

25 Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

*Then, I told everyone about the captivity everything the Lord showed me.

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