Ezekiel 8

1. And it was in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me. And the hand of the Lord GOD fell on me there.

2. And I looked, and behold! A likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of His loins and downward, like fire. And from His loins and upward as the look of brightness, like the color of amber.

3. And He put out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head. And the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heavens, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the opening of the inner gate facing north, where there was a seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.

4. And, behold! The glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

5. And He said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now to the way of the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the way of the north, and behold, northward at the gate of the altar the image of jealousy was at the entrance.

6. And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they do; even the great abominations which the house of Israel is doing here, that I should go far off from My sanctuary? But turn again, and you shall see greater abominations.”

7. And He brought me to the opening of the court; and I looked, and behold, a hole in the wall.

8. And He said to me, “Son of man, dig in the wall now.” And I dug in the wall, and, behold, an opening.

9. And he said to me. “Go in and see the evil abominations that they do here.”

10. And I went in and saw. And behold, every kind of creeping thing, and hateful beast, and all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around.

11. And seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, standing in front of them, these were before them, and each man with his censer in his hand. And the sweet smelling cloud of incense was rising.

12. And He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, each man in his room of idols? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the earth.’ ”

13. He also said to me, “You shall see greater abominations that they are committing.”

14. And He brought me to the opening of the gate of the LORD’S house, toward the north. And behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.

15. And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? You shall see greater abominations than these.”

16. And He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and behold, at the opening of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east.

17. And He said to me, “Have you seen, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they do the hateful things which they do here? For they have filled the land with violence and have turned to provoke Me to anger still more. And lo, they put the branch to their nose.

18. Therefore I will also deal with fury; My eye shall not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”