8
1 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 bais, and the zekenim of Yehudah sat before me, that the yad Adonoi Hashem fell there upon me. 2 Then I beheld, and hinei a demut (likeness) as of the appearance of eish; from the appearance of His waist and downward, eish; and from His waist and upward, as the appearance of zohar (brightness), as of gleaming amber. 3 And He put forth the form of a yad, and took me by a lock of mine rosh; and the Ruach lifted me up between Ha'Aretz and Shomayim, and brought me in mar'ot Elohim ([divinely granted] visions) to Yerushalayim, to the Petach Sha'ar Hapenimit (entrance of the inner gate), the one facing north; where was the moshav (seat) of the semel hakinah (statue of jealousy), which provoketh [Hashemʼs] jealousy. 4 And, hinei, the Kavod Elohei Yisroel was there, according to the mareh (vision) that I saw in the plain.
5 Then said He unto me, Ben adam, lift up thine eynayim now the derech (toward) north. So I lifted up mine eynayim the derech (toward) north, and hinei northward at the Sha'ar HaMizbe'ach was this semel hakinah in the entrance. 6 He said furthermore unto me, Ben adam, seest thou what they do? Even the to'evot gedolot (great abominations) that Bais Yisroel committeth here, causing that I go far off from My Mikdash? But turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see to'evot gedolot (greater abominations).
7 And He brought me to the petach (entrance) of the khatzer (court); and when I looked, hinei, a hole in the kir (wall)! 8 Then said He unto me, Ben adam, dig now in the kir (wall); and when I had dug in the kir (wall), hinei, a petach (entrance). 9 And He said unto me, Go in, and behold the to'evot hara'ot (wicked abominations) that they do here. 10 So I went in and saw; and, hinei, every form of remes (creeping things), and behemah sheketz (abominable beasts), and all the gillulim (idols) of the Bais Yisroel, portrayed upon the kir (wall) all around. 11 And there stood before them seventy ish of the zekenim of the Bais Yisroel, and in the midst of them stood Ya'azanyahu Ben Shaphan, with every ish his mikteret (censer, incense burner) in his yad; and a thick anan (cloud) of ketoret (incense) went up. 12 Then said He unto me, Ben adam, hast thou seen what the zekenim of Bais Yisroel do in the choshech (dark), every ish in the cheder (room) of his maskit (image)? For they say, Hashem seeth us not; Hashem hath forsaken ha'aretz. 13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see to'evot gedolot (greater abominations) that they do.
14 Then He brought me to the petach sha'ar Beis Hashem toward the north; and, hinei, there sat nashim weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then said He unto me, Hast thou seen this, O ben adam? Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see to'evot gedolot (greater abominations) than these.
16 And He brought me into the khatzer Beis Hashem hapenimit,* and, hinei, at the petach (entrance) of the Heikhal Hashem, between the Ulam and the Mizbe'ach, were about five and twenty ish, with their backs toward the Heikhal Hashem, and their faces toward the east; and they bowing down toward the east worshiping the sun. 17 Then He said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O ben adam? Is it a trivial thing to Bais Yehudah that they commit the to'evot (abominations) which they commit here? For they have filled ha'aretz with chamas, and yet have returned to provoke Me to anger; and, behold, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore will I also deal in chemah (fury); Mine eye shall not pity, neither will I spare; and though they cry in Mine oznayim with a kol gadol, yet will I not hear them.
* 8:16 i.e., the Court of the Kohanim