Ezekiel Chapter 8 to 11 : Easy-to-Read Version  | SearchSearch | Next Version | Previous Page | Next Page |

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8 One day I (Ezekiel) was sitting in my house, and the elders (leaders) of Judah were sitting there in front of me. This was on the fifth day of the sixth month (September) of the sixth year {of exile}.* Suddenly, the power of the Lord my Master came on me. 2I saw something that looked like fire. {It looked like a man’s body.} From the waist down, he was like fire. From the waist up, he was bright and shining like hot metal* in a fire. 3Then I saw something that looked like an arm. The arm reached out and grabbed me by the hair on my head. Then the wind* lifted me into the air. And in God’s vision,* he took me to Jerusalem. He took me to the inner gate—the gate that is on the north side. The statue that makes God jealous is by that gate. 4But the Glory of the God of Israel was there. The Glory looked just like the vision I saw in the valley {by the Kebar Canal}. 5{God} spoke to me. He said, “Son of man,* look towards the north!” So I looked towards the north. And there, north of the Altar Gate by the entrance, was that statue that made God jealous. 6Then {God} said to me, “Son of man,* do you see what terrible things the people of Israel are doing? They built that thing here, right next to my temple! And if you come with me, you will see even more terrible things!” 7So I went to the entrance to the courtyard, and I saw a hole in the wall. 8{God} said to me, “Son of man,* make a hole in the wall.” So I made a hole in the wall. And there I saw a door. 9Then {God} said to me, “Go in and look at the terrible, evil things that the people are doing here.” 10So I went in and looked. I saw statues of all kinds of reptiles* and animals that you hate to think about. Those statues were the filthy idols that the people of Israel worshiped. There were pictures of those animals carved all around on every wall! 11Then I noticed that Jaazaniah son of Shapham and the 70 elders (leaders) of Israel were there with the people worshiping in that place. There they were, right at the front of the people! And each leader had his own incense* dish in his hand. The smoke from the burning incense was rising into the air. 12Then {God} said to me, “Son of man,* do you see what the elders of Israel do in the dark? Each man has a special room for his own false god! Those men say to themselves, ‘The Lord can’t see us. The Lord left this country.’” 13Then {God} said to me, “If you come with me, you will see those men doing even more terrible things!” 14Then {God} led me to the entrance to the Lord’s temple. This gate was on the north side. And there I saw women sitting and crying. They were sad about the false god Tammuz!* 15{God} said to me, “Son of man,* do you see these terrible things? Come with me and you will see things that are even worse than this!” 16Then he led me to the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple. At that place, I saw 25 men bowing down and worshiping. They were between the porch and the altar—but they were facing the wrong way! Their backs were to the Holy Place. They were bowing down to worship the sun! 17Then {God} said, “Son of man,* do you see this? The people of Judah think my temple is so unimportant that they will do these terrible things here in my temple! This country is filled with violence. And they constantly do things to make me mad. Look, they are wearing rings in their noses to honor the moon like a false god!* 18I will show them my anger! I won’t show them any mercy! I will not feel sorry for them! They will shout to me—but I refuse to listen to them!”

sixth year of exile This is the fall of 592 B.C. hot metal We are not sure of the meaning of this Hebrew word. It might mean, “melted copper” or “amber.” wind Or, “Spirit.”  vision Something like a dream that God used to speak to people.  Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person,” or “a human being.” But here this is a title for the man, Ezekiel. reptiles The Hebrew word can mean, “lizards,” “snakes,” and “all kinds of bugs and insects.” incense Special dried tree sap. Burned to make a sweet-smelling smoke, it was offered as a gift to God. Tammuz People thought this false god died and his wife Ishtar asked everyone to be sad and cry with her. Ishtar hoped this would bring him back to life. This ceremony was on the 2nd day of the fourth month (June/July). This month was named Tammuz because of this holiday. Look … god Or, “Look at them putting that cut branch in their noses.”


9 Then {God} shouted to the leaders {in charge of punishing} the city. Each leader had his own destructive weapon in his hand.* 2Then I saw six men walking on the road from the upper gate. This gate is on the north side. Each man had his own deadly weapon in his hand. One of the men wore linen clothes.* He wore a scribe’s pen and ink set* at his waist. Those men went to the bronze altar {in the temple} and stood there. 3Then the Glory of the God of Israel rose from above the Cherub angels* where he had been. Then the Glory went to the door of the temple. He stopped when he was over the threshold. Then the Glory called to the man wearing the linen clothes and the scribe’s pen and ink set. 4Then the Lord (Glory) said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem. Put a mark on the forehead of every person that feels sad and upset about all the terrible things people are doing in this city.” 5–6Then I heard {God} say to the other men, “I want you to follow the first man. You must kill every person that does not have the mark on his forehead. It does not matter if they are elders (leaders), young men or young women, children or mothers—you must use your weapon and kill every person that does not have the mark on his forehead. Don’t show any mercy. Don’t feel sorry for any person! Start here at my temple.” So they started with the elders (leaders) in front of the temple. 7God said to them, “Make this temple unclean* —fill this courtyard with dead bodies! Now go!” So they went and killed the people in the city. 8I stayed there while those men went to kill the people. I bowed with my face to the ground and said, “Oh Lord my Master, in showing your anger against Jerusalem, are you killing all the survivors in Israel?” 9{God} said, “The family of Israel and Judah have done many, many very bad sins! People are being murdered everywhere in this country. And this city is filled with crime. Why? Because the people say to themselves, ‘The Lord left this country. He can’t see the things we are doing.’ 10And I won’t show any mercy. I won’t feel sorry for these people. They brought it on themselves—I am only giving these people the punishment they deserve!” 11Then the man wearing linen clothes and a scribe’s pen and ink set* spoke up. He said, “I have done what you commanded.”

Each … hand In Hebrew, this is like Ez. 8:11. linen clothes Priests usually wore these clothes. scribe’s pen and ink set A scribe was a person that copied official documents and counted supplies and things. He often carried a small board with dry ink in it and a pen. He could put water on the ink and then write with it. Cherub angels Special angels from God. Statues of these angels were on top of the Box of the Agreement. unclean Not pure or not acceptable to God for worship.


10 Then I looked up at the bowl* over the heads of the Cherub angels.* The bowl looked clear blue like sapphire. And there was something that looked like a throne over the bowl. 2Then {the person sitting on the throne} said to the man dressed in linen clothes,* “Step into the area between the wheels* under the Cherub angels. Take a handful of the burning coals from between the Cherub angels and go throw them over the city of Jerusalem.” The man walked past me. 3The Cherub angels* were standing in the area south* of the temple as the man walked to them. The cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4Then the Glory of the Lord rose up off of the Cherub angels near the threshold of the door of the temple. Then the cloud filled the temple. And the bright light from the Glory of the Lord filled the whole courtyard. 5The noise from the wings of the Cherub angels could be heard all the way out in the outer courtyard. The sound was very loud—like the thundering voice when God All-Powerful speaks. 6{God} had given the man dressed in linen clothes a command. {God} had told him to go into the area between the wheels* among the Cherub angels* and get some hot coals. So the man went there and stood by the wheel. 7One of the Cherub angels reached out his hand and took some of the hot coals from the area between the Cherub angels. He poured the coals into the man’s hands. And the man left. (8The Cherub angels had what looked like human arms under their wings.) 9Then I noticed that there were four wheels. There was one wheel by each Cherub angel.* And the wheels looked like a clear yellow jewel. 10There were four wheels and they all looked the same. They looked like there was a wheel in a wheel. 11They could go in any direction when they moved. But {the Cherub angels} did not turn around when they moved. They went in the direction that the head was looking. They did not turn around when they moved. 12There were eyes all over their bodies. There were eyes on their backs, on their arms, on their wings, and on their wheels. {Yes, there were eyes on} all four wheels! 13These wheels were what I heard called, “the area between the wheels.” 14–15Each Cherub angel* had four faces. The first face was a Cherub’s face.* The second face was a man’s face. The third face was a lion’s face. And the fourth face was an eagle’s face. Then {I realized that} the animals I saw in the vision by the Kebar Canal* were Cherub angels! Then the Cherub angels* rose into the air. 16And the wheels rose with them. When the Cherub angels raised their wings and flew into the air, not even the wheels turned around. 17If the Cherub angels flew into the air, the wheels went with them. If the Cherub angels stood still, so did the wheels. Why? Because the wind* (power) of the animal was in them. 18Then the Glory of the Lord rose from the threshold of the temple, moved to the place over the Cherub angels* and stopped there. 19Then the Cherub angels raised their wings and flew into the air. I saw them leave {the temple}! The wheels went with them. Then they stopped at the East Gate of the Lord’s temple. The Glory of the God of Israel was in the air above them. 20Then I remembered the animals under the Glory of the God of Israel in the vision at the Kebar Canal. And I realized those animals were Cherub angels.* 21{I mean,} each animal had four faces, four wings, and something that looked like human arms under their wings. 22The faces of the Cherub angels were the same as the four faces on the animals in the vision by the Kebar Canal. And they all looked straight ahead in the direction they were going.

bowl This Hebrew word is the same word used in Gen. 1:6–7 to describe the dome over the sky. Cherub angels Special angels from God. Statues of these angels were on top of the Box of the Agreement. linen clothes Priests usually wore these clothes. area between the wheels The Hebrew word can mean, “chariot wheel,” “whirling (spinning) wheel,” or “tumbleweed.” See chapter 1 for Ezekiel’s full description.  south Literally, “right.” Cherub’s face This is the bull’s face mentioned in Ez. 1:10. See Ez. 10:22. vision by Kebar Canal See Ez. 1. wind Or, “Spirit.”


11 Then the wind* carried me to the East Gate of the Lord’s temple. This gate faces the east, {where the sun comes up}. I saw 25 men there at the entrance of this gate. Jaazaniah son of Azzur was with those men. And Pelatiah son of Benaiah was there. Pelatiah was the leader of the people.  2Then {God} spoke to me. He said, “Son of man,* these are the men who make evil plans for this city. These men always tell the people to do bad things. 3These men say, ‘We will be building our houses again very soon. {We are as safe in this city as} meat in a pot!' 4{They are telling these lies.} So you must speak to the people for me. Son of man, go prophesy to the people.” 5Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me. He said to me, “Tell them that the Lord said these things: House of Israel, you are planning big things. But I know what you are thinking! 6You have killed many people in this city. You have filled the streets with dead bodies. 7Now, the Lord our Master says these things, ‘Those dead bodies are the meat. And the city is the pot. But he (Nebuchadnezzar) will come and take you out of this safe pot! 8You are afraid of the sword. But I am bringing the sword against you!’” The Lord our Master said these things. {So they will happen!} 9{God also said,} “I will take you people out of this city. And I will give you to strangers. I will punish you! 10You will die by the sword. I will punish you here in Israel, so you will know that {I am the One punishing you}. I am the Lord. 11Yes, this place will be the cooking pot. And you will be the meat cooking in it! I will punish you here in Israel. 12Then you will know that I am the Lord. It was my law that you broke! You did not obey my commands. You decided to live like the nations around you.” 13As soon as I finished speaking for God, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died! I fell to the ground. I bowed with my face touching the ground and said, “Oh, Lord my Master, you are going to completely destroy all the survivors of Israel!” 14But then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 15“Son of man,* remember your brothers, the family of Israel. They were forced to leave their country, but I will bring them back!* But now, the people living in Jerusalem are saying, ‘Stay far away from the Lord. This land was given to us—it is ours!’ 16“So tell those people these things: The Lord our Master says, ‘It is true, I forced my people to go far away to other nations. I did scatter them among many countries. But I will be their temple for a short time while they are in those other countries. 17But you must tell those people that the Lord their Master will bring them back. I have scattered you among many nations. But I will gather you together and bring you back from those nations. I will give the land of Israel back to you! 18And when my people come back, they will destroy all the terrible, filthy idols that are here now. 19I will bring them together and make them like one person. I will put a new spirit* in them. I will take away that heart of stone, and I will put a real heart in its place. 20Then they will obey my laws. They will obey my commands. They will do the things I tell them. They will truly be my people, and I will be their God.’” 21{Then God said,} “But now, their hearts belong to those terrible, filthy idols. And I must punish those people for the bad things they did.” The Lord my Master said those things. 22And then the Cherub angels* raised their wings {and flew into the air}. The wheels went with them. And the Glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23The Glory of the Lord rose into the air and left Jerusalem. He stopped on the hill east of Jerusalem.* 24Then the wind* lifted me into the air and brought me back to Babylonia. It brought me back to the people that were forced to leave Israel. I saw all of those things in the vision of God. Then {the One I saw} in the vision rose into the air and left me. 25Then I spoke to the people in exile. I told them about all the things the Lord showed me.

wind Or, “Spirit.” Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person,” or “a human being.” But here this is a title for the man, Ezekiel. They were … them back! This is a word play. The word meaning, “redeemed” sounds like the word meaning, “exiled.” spirit Or, “Spirit.” Cherub angels Special angels from God. Statues of these angels were on top of the Box of the Agreement. hill east of Jerusalem This is the Mount of Olives.

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