¹Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD ’s house , which looks eastward . Behold , twenty-five men were at the door of the gate ; and I saw amongst them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur , and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah , princes of the people .

²He said to me , “Son of man , these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city ;

³who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses . This is the cauldron, and we are the meat .’

⁴Therefore prophesy against them . Prophesy , son of man .”

⁵The LORD ’s Spirit fell on me , and he said to me , “Speak, ‘The LORD says : “Thus you have said , house of Israel ; for I know the things that come into your mind .

⁶You have multiplied your slain in this city , and you have filled its streets with the slain .”

⁷“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says : “Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it , they are the meat , and this is the cauldron; but you will be brought out of the middle of it .

⁸You have feared the sword ; and I will bring the sword on you ,” says the Lord GOD .

⁹“I will bring you out of the middle of it , and deliver you into the hands of strangers , and will execute judgements amongst you .

¹⁰You will fall by the sword . I will judge you in the border of Israel . Then you will know that I am the LORD .

¹¹This will not be your cauldron, neither will you be the meat in the middle of it . I will judge you in the border of Israel .

¹²You will know that I am the LORD , for you have not walked in my statutes . You have not executed my ordinances , but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you .”’”

¹³When I prophesied , Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died . Then I fell down on my face , and cried with a loud voice , and said, “Ah Lord GOD ! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel ?”

¹⁴The LORD ’s word came to me , saying ,

¹⁵“Son of man , your brothers , even your brothers , the men of your relatives , and all the house of Israel , all of them , are the ones to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from the LORD . This land has been given to us for a possession .’

¹⁶“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says : “Whereas I have removed them far off amongst the nations , and whereas I have scattered them amongst the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come .”’

¹⁷“Therefore say , ‘The Lord GOD says : “I will gather you from the peoples , and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered , and I will give you the land of Israel .”

¹⁸“‘They will come there , and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there .

¹⁹I will give them one heart , and I will put a new spirit within them . I will take the stony heart out of their flesh , and will give them a heart of flesh ,

²⁰that they may walk in my statutes , and keep my ordinances , and do them . They will be my people , and I will be their God.

²¹But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations , I will bring their way on their own heads ,’ says the Lord GOD .”

²²Then the cherubim lifted up their wings , and the wheels were beside them . The glory of the God of Israel was over them above .

²³The LORD ’s glory went up from the middle of the city , and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city .

²⁴The Spirit lifted me up , and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea , to the captives .

So the vision that I had seen went up from me .

²⁵Then I spoke to the captives all the things that the LORD had shown me .