8 And
it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day
of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before
me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me. 2 Then
I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance
of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the
appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber. 3 And
he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head;
and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought
me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that
looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy,
which provoketh to jealousy. 4 And,
behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision
that I saw in the plain. 5 Then
said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the
north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward
at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. 6 He
said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the
great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should
go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt
see greater abominations. 7 And
he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole
in the wall. 8 Then
said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged
in the wall, behold a door. 9 And
he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do
here.
10
So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable
beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall
round about. 11 And
there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel,
and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every
man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. 12 Then
said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house
of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for
they say, the LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth. 13 He
said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations
that they do. 14 Then
he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward
the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 15 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. 16 And
he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at
the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were
about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD,
and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the
east. 17 Then
he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? 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 returned to
provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore
will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have
pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not
hear them.