Question 48

Ezekiel 8:5–18

^8:5 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. ^8:6 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. ^8:7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. ^8:8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. ^8:9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. ^8:10 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. ^8:11 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. ^8:12 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. ^8:13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. ^8:14 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. ^8:15 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. ^8:16 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. ^8:17 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. ^8:18 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.

^8:5 "Son of man," He said to me, "now lift up your eyes to the north." So I lifted up my eyes to the north, and in the entrance north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol of jealousy. ^8:6 "Son of man," He said to me, "do you see what they are doing-the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing-to drive Me far from My sanctuary? Yet you will see even greater abominations." ^8:7 Then He brought me to the entrance to the court, and I looked and saw a hole in the wall. ^8:8 "Son of man," He told me, "dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall and discovered a doorway. ^8:9 Then He said to me, "Go in and see the wicked abominations they are committing here." ^8:10 So I went in and looked, and engraved all around the wall was every kind of crawling creature and detestable beast, along with all the idols of the house of Israel. ^8:11 Before them stood seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. ^8:12 "Son of man," He said to me, "do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.'" ^8:13 Again, He told me, "You will see them committing even greater abominations." ^8:14 Then He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, weeping for Tammuz. ^8:15 "Son of man," He said to me, "do you see this? Yet you will see even greater abominations than these." ^8:16 So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing to the east in worship of the sun. ^8:17 "Son of man," He said to me, "do you see this? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the abominations they are practicing here, that they must also fill the land with violence and continually provoke Me to anger? Look, they are even putting the branch to their nose! ^8:18 Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them."