8:1 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month,1 as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting in front of me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord touched me.2 8:2 I saw a form that appeared to be a man.3 From his waist downward he was like fire, and from his waist upward he looked like a bright glowing substance.4 8:3 The form5 of a hand stretched out and grabbed me by the hair of my head. Then a wind lifted me up into the air6 and brought me in visions from God to Jerusalem,7 to the door of the inner gate which faces north. This was the location of the statue8 which provokes to jealousy. 8:4 And the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision I had seen earlier in the valley.
8:5 He said to me, “Son of man, look up toward9 the north.” So I looked up toward the north, and there at the entrance, north of the altar gate, was this statue of jealousy.
8:6 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the people10 of Israel are practicing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see greater abominations than these.”
8:7 He brought me to the entrance of the court; and there I saw a hole in the wall. 8:8 He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall, and there was a doorway.
8:9 He said to me, “Go in and see the evil abominations they are practicing here.” 8:10 So I went in and looked. The walls were engraved all around with every kind of creeping thing and detestable beast, as well as all the idols of the house of Israel.11 8:11 Seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel12 stood in front of them, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant13 cloud of incense14 was swirling upward.
8:12 He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each in the rooms of his image?15 For they think, ‘The Lord does not see us. The Lord has abandoned the land.’” 8:13 He said to me, “You will see them practicing even greater abominations.”
8:14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house, and I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz.16 8:15 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these.”
8:16 Then he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house. There at the entrance to the Lord’s temple, between the porch and the altar,17 were about twenty-five18 men facing east, with their backs to the Lord’s temple,19 and they were worshiping the sun20 toward the east.
8:17 He said to me, “Do you see, son of man? Is it a trivial thing that the house of Judah commits these abominations they are practicing here? For they have filled the land with violence and provoked me to anger still further. Look, they are putting the branch to their nose!21 8:18 Therefore I will act in rage, my eye will not pity them nor will I spare them. Though they cry out loudly in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
The Execution of Idolaters