*THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
EZEKIEL
Ezekiel 8 ©
When, where and how this vision was revealed unto the prophet, verses 1, 2, 3, 4. God brings him into the temple at Jerusalem, and shows him the abominable idolatry which the Jews committed there with the image of jealousy, or provocation of God, 5. With several creeping things, abominable beasts, and dung-gods, 8. He shows him also the women who wept for the idol Tammuz, 14. The men who worshipped the sun, 15. All which abominations they esteemed light, 17. Therefore God will punish them without mercy, 18.
AND it came to pass in the 1sixth year, in the 2sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in 3mine house, and the 4elders of Judah 5sat before me, that 6the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
Then I 7beheld, and lo a 8likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, 9fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance 10of brightness, as the colour of 11amber.
And 12he put forth thea form of an hand, and took me by 13a lock of mine head; and the 14spirit 15lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me 16in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner 17gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of 18the image of 19jealousy, which provoketh to 20jealousy.
And, behold, 21the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the 22plain.b
¶Then said 23he unto me, Son of man, lift up 24thine eyes now 25the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward 26at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even 27the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, 28that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and 29thou shalt see greater abominations.
¶And he brought me to the door of the 30court; and when I looked, behold a 31hole in the wall.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, 32behold a door.
And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
So I went in and saw; and behold 33every form of creeping things, and 34abominable 35beasts, and all the 36idols of the house of Israel, 37pourtrayed upon the wall 38round about.
And there 39stood 40before them 41seventy men of the ancients of 42the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood 43Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a 44thick cloud of incense went up.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do 45in the dark, every man in the 46chambers of his imageryc? for they say, 47Thed LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
¶He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and 48thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
Then he brought me 49to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat 50women weeping for 51Tammuz.
¶Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
And he brought me into the 52inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between 53the porch and 54the altar, were about 55five and twenty men, with their backs toward 56the temple of the LORD, and their faces 57toward the east; and they 58worshipped the sun toward the east.
¶Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? 59Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with 60violence, and have returned 61to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the 62branch to their nose.
Therefore will I also deal in fury: minee eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, 63yetf will I not hear them.