Eze 11 | EE | STEP | Then the Spirit lifted me and he took me to the LORD‘s house. We stood by the east gate. I saw Jaazaniah, Azzur’s son and Pelatiah, Benaiah’s son among them. They were leaders of the people.

Ezekiel 11

1 Then the Spirit lifted me and he took me to the LORD‘s house. We stood by the east gate. I saw Jaazaniah, Azzur’s son and Pelatiah, Benaiah’s son among them. They were leaders of the people. 2 The LORD spoke to me. ‘These are the men who want to do evil things in this city’, he said. ‘They are saying wrong things to the people. 3 They are saying, “It will soon be time to build houses. This city is like a pot to cook meat. And we are that good meat.”

4 Son of man, you must prophesy against them.’ ^{▼▼11:4 The name Pelatiah means ‘God provides escape.’ There would be no escape.}

5 Then the LORD‘s Spirit told me what I should say. ‘I know what you are saying, Israel’s people. And I know what you want to do. 6 You have killed so many people that the streets are full of dead bodies.’

7 So this is what the LORD God says: ‘The bodies that you threw into the street are the meat. And the city is the pot in which to cook them. But I will push you out of the city. 8 You are afraid of swords. So I will send men with swords to attack you,’ says the LORD God.

9 ‘I will make you run from the city. I will send foreign men to punish you. 10 Their swords will kill you in your own country. This is how I have decided to punish you. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 11 This city will not be like a pot that holds the meat inside it. And you will not be the meat in the pot. I will punish you near the edges of Israel. 12 Then you will know that I am the LORD. This is because you have not obeyed my rules. Instead you have done the same things as the nations round you.’

13 While I was speaking the words from the LORD, Pelatiah, Benaiah’s son, died. Then I fell with my face down. And I shouted to the LORD. ‘LORD God will you kill all Israel’s people who remain?’

14 The LORD spoke to me. 15 ‘Son of man, this is what the people in Jerusalem say. They say that your family and all Israel’s people are far away from me. They say that I gave them this country to keep.’

The LORD promises that some of the people will return to their country

16 ‘So say this to them. “This is what the LORD God says. I did send them to many different lands far away. But for that short time I have kept them safe in those countries.”’

17 Then say, ‘This is what the LORD God says. “I will fetch you and bring you home. I will bring you back from the countries where I sent you. I will give the land of Israel back to you.”’

18 ‘The people will return and burn their idols and their evil things. 19 They will want to worship only me. I will put a new spirit into them. I will take away the bad spirit that is in them. I will make them understand how I want them to live. 20 Then they will know my rules. They will be careful to obey them. They will be my people and I will be their God. 21 But I will punish those who continue to worship idols. I will punish them because of the evil things that they do,’ says the LORD God.

22 Then the living things put out their wings to fly. The wheels were by their sides. And the glory of Israel’s God was above them. 23 The glory of the LORD rose up from the city. It stopped to the east of it. The glory was above the mountain. 24 In my dream, the Spirit took me back to Babylon. I went to the Israelites who were there. That was the end of the dream. 25 I told the people everything that the LORD‘s dream had showed me. ^{▼▼11:25 The mountain to the east of the city is called the Mountain of Olives.}