11Then the Spirit picked me up and took me to the gate of the Temple that faces east. There were twenty-five men standing at the gate. I recognized the leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah.H7307H5375H935H6931H8179H3068H1004H6437H6921H6607H8179H2568H6242H376H8432H7200H2970H1121H5809H6410H1121H1141H8269H59712GOD said, "Son of man, these are the men who draw up blueprints for sin, who think up new programs for evil in this city.H559H1121H120H582H2803H205H3289H7451H6098H58923They say, 'We can make anything happen here. We're the best. We're the choice pieces of meat in the soup pot.'H559H7138H1129H1004H5518H13204"Oppose them, son of man. Preach against them."H5012H5012H1121H1205Then the Spirit of GOD came upon me and told me what to say: "This is what GOD says: 'That's a fine public speech, Israel, but I know what you are thinking.H7307H3068H5307H559H559H559H3068H559H1004H3478H3045H4609H73076You've murdered a lot of people in this city. The streets are piled high with corpses.'H7235H2491H5892H4390H2351H24917"Therefore this is what GOD, the Master, says: 'The corpses that you've piled in the streets are the meat and this city is the soup pot, and you're not even in the pot! I'm throwing you out!H559H136H3069H2491H7760H8432H1320H5518H3318H84328You fear war, but war is what you're going to get. I'm bringing war against you.H3372H2719H935H2719H5002H136H30699I'm throwing you out of this city, giving you over to foreigners, and punishing you good.H3318H8432H5414H3027H2114H6213H820110You'll be killed in battle. I'll carry out judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you'll realize that I am GOD.H5307H2719H8199H1366H3478H3045H306811This city will not be your soup pot and you won't be the choice pieces of meat in it either. Hardly. I will carry out judgment on you at the borders of IsraelH5518H1320H8432H8199H1366H347812and you'll realize that I am GOD, for you haven't followed my statutes and ordinances. Instead of following my ways, you've sunk to the level of the laws of the nations around you.'"H3045H3068H1980H2706H6213H4941H6213H4941H1471H543913Even while I was preaching, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. I fell down, face to the ground, and prayed loudly, "O Master, GOD! Will you completely wipe out what's left of Israel?"H5012H6410H1121H1141H4191H5307H6440H2199H1419H6963H559H162H136H3069H6213H3617H7611H347814The answer from GOD came back:H1697H3068H55915"Son of man, your brothers—I mean the whole people of Israel who are in exile with you—are the people of whom the citizens of Jerusalem are saying, 'They're in the far country, far from GOD. This land has been given to us to own.'H1121H120H251H251H582H1353H1004H3478H3427H3389H559H7368H3068H776H5414H418116"Well, tell them this: 'This is your Message from GOD, the Master. True, I sent you to the far country and scattered you through other lands. All the same, I've provided you a temporary sanctuary in the countries where you've gone.H559H559H136H3069H7368H1471H6327H776H4592H4720H776H93517I will gather you back from those countries and lands where you've been scattered and give you back the land of Israel.H559H559H136H3069H6908H5971H622H776H6327H5414H127H347818You'll come back and clean house, throw out all the rotten images and obscene idols.H935H5493H8251H844119I'll give you a new heart. I'll put a new spirit in you. I'll cut out your stone heart and replace it with a red-blooded, firm-muscled heart.H5414H259H3820H5414H2319H7307H7130H5493H68H3820H1320H5414H3820H132020Then you'll obey my statutes and be careful to obey my commands. You'll be my people! I'll be your God!H3212H2708H8104H4941H6213H5971H43021"'But not those who are self-willed and addicted to their rotten images and obscene idols! I'll see that they're paid in full for what they've done.' Decree of GOD, the Master."H3820H1980H3820H8251H8441H5414H1870H7218H5002H136H306922Then the cherubim spread their wings, with the wheels beside them and the Glory of the God of Israel hovering over them.H3742H5375H3671H212H5980H3519H430H3478H460523The Glory of GOD ascended from within the city and rested on the mountain to the east of the city.H3519H3068H5927H8432H5892H5975H2022H6924H589224Then, still in the vision given me by the Spirit of God, the Spirit took me and carried me back to the exiles in Babylon. And then the vision left me.H7307H5375H935H4758H7307H430H3778H1473H4758H7200H592725I told the exiles everything that GOD had shown me.H1696H1473H1697H3068H7200
Dublin, OH
