Chapter 8
001
It happened in the sixth year, in the sixth month], in the fifth [day of the month, as I sat in my house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Domina Yahweh fell there on me.
002
Then I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of her waist and downward, fire; and from her waist and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.
003
She put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner court that looks toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
004
Behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the appearance that I saw in the plain.
005
Then said she to me, Daughter of woman, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and see, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
006
She said to me, Daughter of woman, see you what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but you shall again see yet other great abominations.
007
She brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
008
Then said she to me, Daughter of woman, dig now in the wall: and when I had dug in the wall, behold, a door.
009
She said to me, Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.
010
So I went in and saw; and see, every form of creeping things, and abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed on the wall round about.
011
There stood before them seventy women of the elders of the house of Israel; and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the daughter of Shaphan, every woman with her censer in her hand; and the odor of the cloud of incense went up.
012
Then said she to me, Daughter of woman, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every woman in her chambers of imagery? for they say, Yahweh doesn't see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.
013
She said also to me, You shall again see yet other great abominations which they do.
014
Then she brought me to the door of the gate of Yahweh's house which was toward the north; and see, there sat the men weeping for Tammuz.
015
Then said she to me, Have you seen this, daughter of woman? you shall again see yet greater abominations than these.
016
She brought me into the inner court of Yahweh's house; and see, at the door of the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five women, with their backs toward the temple of Yahweh, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east.
017
Then she said to me, Have you seen this, daughter of woman? Is 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 violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and behold, they put the branch to their nose.
018
Therefore will I also deal in wrath; my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.