Ezekiel 11

1 Then the Spirit [breath of life, divine wind] lifted me up and brought me to the gate [entrance, doorway] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] that faces [looks towards, is oriented towards] east [the direction of the rising sun]. And there at the entrance [doorway] of the gate were twenty-five men [individuals, people]. Among them I saw Jaazaniah [Jehovah hears] son of Azzur [he that assists, helper] and Pelatiah [Jehovah delivers] son of Benaiah [Jehovah has built, leader], who were leaders [princes, rulers] of the people [nation, community]. word study 2 And the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] said to me, “Son of man [human, mortal], these are the men who plot [devise, plan] evil [wickedness, iniquity] and give wicked [bad, harmful] counsel [advice, guidance] in this city [town, urban area]. word study 3 They are saying [speaking, proclaiming], ‘Is not [certainly not, by no means] the time [season, opportunity] near [at hand, close] to build [construct, establish] houses [dwelling places, homes]? The city [metropolis, community] is the cooking pot [caldron, vessel], and we [us, ourselves] are the meat [flesh, living beings].’ word study 4 Therefore [so, thus, in agreement] prophesy [speak under divine influence, declare God’s message] against them; prophesy [declare the Lord’s judgment, speak as a prophet], O son [descendant, human] of man [Adam, humanity, mankind]!” word study 5 And the Spirit [breath of life, divine wind] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] fell [came upon, rested] upon me and told me to declare [speak, proclaim] that this is what the LORD [the supreme God] says: “That is what you are thinking [considering, reasoning], O house [family, descendants] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob]; and I know [am aware of, understand] the thoughts [intentions, ideas] that arise [come into your mind, are conceived] in your minds [hearts, inner beings]. word study 6 You have [greatly increased] multiplied those you killed [slain, murdered, profaned] in this [specific, particular] city and filled its streets [outdoors, high ways, public places] with the dead [slain, wounded, corpses]. word study 7 Therefore [in this manner, thus] this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: The slain [killed, profaned] you have laid [set, placed] within this city [the midst of it] are the meat [flesh, the body], and the city [this town] is the pot [caldron, a vessel for cooking]; but I will remove [bring forth, take out] you from it [out of the midst of it]. word study 8 You [have been, are] fear [ing, in awe of] the sword [a cutting instrument, knife], so I will bring [cause to come, send] the sword [invaders with swords] against you, declares [utters, speaks] the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah]. word study 9 I will bring [lead forth, expel] you out of the city [midst, from the center] and deliver [give, hand over] you into the hands [power, control] of foreigners [strangers, those from other lands], and I will execute [carry out, make] judgments [sentences, acts of judgment] against you. word study 10 You will fall [to the ground, be defeated] by the sword [a cutting instrument], and I will judge [vindicate, punish] you even to the borders [boundaries, limits] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. Then you will know [ascertain, perceive, understand] that I am [exist, have being] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 11 The city [this town, metropolis] will not be a pot [caldron, cooking vessel] for you, nor will you be the meat [flesh, living beings] within it. I will judge [vindicate, punish] you even to the borders [boundaries, limits] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, God’s chosen people]. word study 12 Then you will know [be certain, understand] that I am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. For you have neither followed [walked in, obeyed] My statutes [divine decrees, laws] nor practiced [executed, carried out] My ordinances [judgments, justice], but you have conformed to [done after, imitated] the ordinances [customs, manners] of the nations [Gentiles, heathen] around you [surrounding, neighboring].” word study 13 Now as I was prophesying [speaking under the divine spirit], Pelatiah [Jehovah delivers] son of Benaiah [Jehovah has built] died [came to an end, perished]. Then I fell facedown [on my face, in a posture of reverence] and cried out [with a loud voice, in anguish] in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord [Adonay, my Master] GOD [Yehovah], will You bring [make, cause to be] the remnant [what is left, the surviving ones] of Israel [the people of God, the descendants of Jacob] to a complete [full, utter] end [destruction, consumption]?” word study 14 Then the word [message from God, divine communication] of the LORD [Yehovah] came to me, saying [to speak, to command, to proclaim], word study 15 “Son of man [human, a mortal], your brothers [relatives, fellow exiles]—your relatives [kinsmen, family members], your fellow exiles [those who were forced to leave their homes], and the whole house of Israel [the entire nation, all the people of Israel]—are those of whom the people of Jerusalem [the inhabitants of the city, the residents] have said, ‘They are far away [removed, distant] from the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]; this land [the earth, the territory] has been given to us as a possession [an inheritance, a gift].’ word study 16 Therefore declare that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the supreme Ruler] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘Although I sent them far away [to distant lands, among the Gentiles] among the nations and scattered them [like seed, dispersed] among the countries, yet for a little while [a short time, a brief season] I have been a sanctuary [a holy refuge, a place of safety] for them in the countries to which they have gone [as exiles, in a foreign land].’ word study 17 Therefore declare [say, proclaim, speak] that this is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: ‘I will gather [collect, assemble] you from the peoples [nations, Gentiles] and assemble [bring together, unite] you from the countries [lands, territories] to which you have been scattered [dispersed, dispersed as exiles], and I will give [bestow, restore] back to you the land [ground, soil] of Israel [the chosen people, descendants of Jacob].’ word study 18 When they return [come back, go in thither] to it, they will remove [take away, turn aside] all its detestable things [abominations, vile statues of gods] and all its abominations [disgusting practices, filthy things, idol worship]. word study 19 And I will give [bestow, impart] them singleness [oneness, unity] of heart [the seat of emotions, will, and intellect] and put [place, set] a new [fresh, renewed] spirit [the breath of life, the divine influence] within them; I will remove [take away, eliminate] their heart [the inner being, the center of feelings] of stone [hard, unyielding, unresponsive] and give [grant, impart] them a heart [the inner self, the source of emotions] of flesh [soft, vulnerable, capable of feeling], word study 20 so that they may follow [walk in, obey] My statutes [divine laws, commandments], keep [obey, guard] My ordinances [judgments, decrees], and practice [do, fulfill] them. Then they will be [become, are] My people [nation, community], and I [the Lord, God] will be their God [Elohim, the supreme God]. word study 21 But as for those whose hearts [mind, will, and emotions] pursue detestable things [idols, filthy practices] and abominations [disgusting, unclean things], I will bring their conduct [way of life, actions] down upon their own heads [to punish, to judge], declares the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah].” word study 22 Then the cherubim [angelic beings, heavenly guardians], with the wheels [chariot wheels, whirlwind-like] beside them, spread their wings [extremities, edges], and the glory [great honor, splendor] of the God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] of Israel [Jacob’s descendants, the chosen people] was above [over, higher than] them. word study 23 And the glory [great honor or splendor] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] rose up [ascended, went up] from within [in the midst of] the city [a place with a wall or a watchman] and stood [to stand in a strong sense] over [upon, above] the mountain [a hill] east [toward the front, in the eastern direction] of the city [a settlement or town]. word study 24 And the Spirit [breath of life, divine wind] lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea [a region in Mesopotamia], to the exiles [captives, those taken away] in the vision [supernatural appearance, prophetic sight] given by the Spirit [the divine presence, God’s essence] of God [Elohim, the supreme deity]. After the vision [prophetic experience, revelation] had gone up from me, word study 25 I told [spoke unto, declared to] the exiles [those in captivity, led away as prisoners] everything [all the things, all the matters] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had shown [made me see, revealed to] me [in a vision, through His providence]. word study