The prophet sees in a vision the abominations committed in Jerusalem; which determine the Lord to spare them no longer.

¹ And it happened that, in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, and the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there.

² And I saw, and behold, there was an image with the appearance of fire. From the appearance of his waist, and downward, there was fire. And from his waist, and upward, there was the appearance of splendor, like the sight of amber.¹

1. 8:2The word ‘electri’ can refer to amber, or to an alloy of gold and silver (which has roughly the same color as amber). The word ‘lumbis’ does not literally refer to the loins. It refers to the lower back, but is used to refer to the waistline, and also sometimes to the loins.(Conte)

³ And as the image of a hand went out, it took hold of me by a lock of my head. And the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven. And he brought me into Jerusalem, within a vision of God, next to the inner gate that looked toward the north, where there was stationed an idol of rivalry, so as to provoke an envious emulation.

⁴ And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, in accord with the vision that I had seen in the plain.

⁵ And he said to me: “Son of man, lift up your eyes to the way of the north.” And I lifted up my eyes to the way of the north. And behold, from the north of the gate of the altar was the idol of rivalry, at the same entrance.

⁶ And he said to me: “Son of man, you see what these ones are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here. Do you not think, then, that I should withdraw far away from my own sanctuary? But if you turn again, you will see even greater abominations.”

⁷ And he led me in by the door of the atrium. And I saw, and behold, there was an opening in the wall.

⁸ And he said to me: “Son of man, dig in the wall.” And when I had dug in the wall, there appeared one door.

⁹ And he said to me: “Enter and see the most wicked abominations which they are committing here.”

¹⁰ And entering, I saw, and behold, every kind of image of reptiles and animals, the abominations, and all of the idols of the house of Israel were depicted on the wall all around, throughout the entire place.

¹¹ And there were seventy men out of the elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, standing in their midst, and they stood before the pictures. And each one had a censer in his hand. And a cloud of smoke rose up from the incense.

¹² And he said to me: “Certainly, son of man, you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each one while hidden in his chamber. For they say: ‘The Lord does not see us. The Lord has forsaken the earth.’ ”

¹³ And he said to me: “If you turn again, you will see even greater abominations, which these ones are committing.”

¹⁴ And he led me in through the door of the gate of the Lord’s house, which looked toward the north. And behold, women were sitting there, mourning for Adonis.¹

1. 8:14Adonis: The favourite of Venus, slain by a wild boar, as feigned by the heathen poets, and which being here represented by an idol, is lamented by the female worshippers of that goddess. In the Hebrew, the name is Tammuz.(Challoner)

¹⁵ And he said to me: “Certainly, son of man, you have seen. But if you turn again, you will see even greater abominations than these.”

¹⁶ And he led me into the inner atrium of the house of the Lord. And behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the vestibule and the altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east. And they were adoring toward the rising of the Sun.

¹⁷ And he said to me: “Certainly, son of man, you have seen. Can this be so trivial to the house of Judah, when they commit these abominations, just as they have committed here, that, having filled the earth with iniquity, they now turn to provoke me? And behold, they are applying a branch to their nose.

¹⁸ Therefore, I also will act toward them in my fury. My eye will not be lenient, nor will I take pity. And when they will have cried out to my ears with a loud voice, I will not heed them.”