Ezekiel 8:1-18 NIV
Idolatry in the Temple
1In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I
was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me,
The Hand of The Sovereign Lord Came on me there.
2 I
looked, and I saw a Figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be His Waist
down HE Was like fire, and from there up His Appearance Was as bright as
glowing metal.
3He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair
of my head. The SPIRIT Lifted me Up between earth and heaven and in visions of
GOD He took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner
court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. 4And there before me was The Glory of The GOD of Israel, as in
the vision I had seen in the plain.
5Then He said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I
looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of
jealousy.
6And HE said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are
doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that
will drive ME far from My Sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more
detestable.”
7Then HE Brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I
saw a hole in the wall. 8HE Said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug
into the wall and saw a doorway there.
9And HE Said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable
things they are doing here.” 10So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls
all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel.
11In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah
son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a
fragrant cloud of incense was rising.
12HE said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of
Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say,
‘The Lord Does Not See us; The Lord Has Forsaken the land.’ ” 13Again, HE Said, “You will see them doing things that are even
more detestable.”
14Then HE Brought me to the entrance of the north gate of The House
of The Lord, and I saw women sitting
there, mourning the god Tammuz.
15HE Said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things
that are even more detestable than this.”
16HE Then Brought me into the inner court of The House of The Lord, and there at the entrance
to The Temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men.
With their backs toward The Temple of The Lord and their faces toward the east, they
were bowing down to the sun in the east.
17HE said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial
matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here?
Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse My Anger?
Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18Therefore I Will Deal With them in Anger; I Will Not Look On
them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in My Ears, I Will Not Listen To them.”
This chapter contains a vision the prophet had of the idolatry
of the Jews, which was the cause of their destruction.
The time when, place, where, and persons with whom he was, when
The Hand of The Lord Came Upon him, are mentioned, Ezekiel 8:1;
then follows a description of The Divine Person That Appeared to him, Ezekiel 8:2;
and an account is given how he was in a visionary way brought to Jerusalem, and
to The Temple, where he saw The Glory of The GOD of Israel, and the idolatry of
the people, Ezekiel
8:3; which latter was gradually represented to him; first the image
of jealousy in the entry at the gate of the altar northward, Ezekiel 8:5;
then greater abominations through a hole in the wall, by which he saw their
idols, in the form of reptiles and four footed beasts, portrayed on the wall, Ezekiel 8:6.
Next seventy of the ancients of Israel, among whom were one
mentioned by name, offering incense to these idols, Ezekiel 8:11;
after this, greater abominations still are shown to him, at the north of The Temple,
women weeping for Tammuz, Ezekiel
8:13; and then again far greater ones, twenty five
men, between the porch and the altar, with their backs to The Temple, and their
face to the east, worshiping the sun, and putting the branch to the
nose, Ezekiel
8:15; wherefore it is reasoned to deal with them
in fury, without any mercy, pity, and compassion, Ezekiel 8:18.
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