EZEKIEL'S SECOND VISION OF GOD (8.1—10.22)
Idolatry in Jerusalem
1 On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of our exile, the leaders of the exiles from Judah were sitting in my house with me. Suddenly the power of the Sovereign Lord came on me. 2 I looked up and saw a vision of a fiery human form. From the waist down his body looked like fire, and from the waist up he was shining like polished bronze. 3 He reached out what seemed to be a hand and grabbed me by the hair. Then in this vision God's spirit lifted me high in the air and took me to Jerusalem. He took me to the inner entrance of the north gate of the Temple, where there was an idol that was an outrage to God.
4 There I saw the dazzling light that shows the presence of Israel's God, just as I had seen it when I was by the Chebar River. 5 God said to me, “Mortal man, look toward the north.” I looked, and there near the altar by the entrance of the gateway I saw the idol that was an outrage to God.
6 God said to me, “Mortal man, do you see what is happening? Look at the disgusting things the people of Israel are doing here, driving me farther and farther away from my holy place. You will see even more disgraceful things than this.”
7 He took me to the entrance of the outer courtyard and showed me a hole in the wall. 8 He said, “Mortal man, break through the wall here.” I broke through it and found a door. 9 He told me, “Go in and look at the evil, disgusting things they are doing there.” 10 So I went in and looked. The walls were covered with drawings of snakes and other unclean animals, and of the other things which the Israelites were worshiping. 11 Seventy Israelite leaders were there, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each one was holding an incense burner, and smoke was rising from the incense. 12 God asked me, “Mortal man, do you see what the Israelite leaders are doing in secret? They are all worshiping in a room full of images. Their excuse is: ‘The Lord doesn't see us! He has abandoned the country.’”
13 Then the Lord said to me, “You are going to see them do even more disgusting things than that.” 14 So he took me to the north gate of the Temple and showed me women weeping over the death of the god Tammuz.
15 He asked, “Mortal man, do you see that? You will see even more disgusting things.” 16 So he took me to the inner courtyard of the Temple. There near the entrance of the sanctuary, between the altar and the porch, were about twenty-five men. They had turned their backs to the sanctuary and were bowing low toward the east, worshiping the rising sun.
17 The Lord said to me, “Mortal man, do you see that? These people of Judah are not satisfied with merely doing all the disgusting things you have seen here and with spreading violence throughout the country. No, they must come and do them right here in the Temple and make me even more angry. Look how they insult me in the most offensive way possible! 18 They will feel all the force of my anger. I will not spare them or show them any mercy. They will shout prayers to me as loud as they can, but I will not listen to them.”
عبادة الأصنام في أورشليم
1 في الخامسِ مِنَ الشَّهرِ السَّادسِ مِنَ السَّنةِ السَّادسةِ بَعدَ السَّبْـي. وأنا جالِسٌ في بَيتي وشيوخُ يَهوذا جالسونَ أمامي نزَلَت عليَّ هُناكَ يَدُ السَّيِّدِ الرّبِّ. 2 فنظَرتُ وإذا بشَكلٍ يُشبِهُ إنسانا مِنْ وسطِهِ إلى تَحتُ نارٌ، ومِنْ وسَطِهِ إلى فَوقُ شِبْهُ لمَعانِ النُّحاسِ. 3 فمدَّ ما يُشبِهُ اليَدَ وأخذني بشَعرِ رأسي. ورفعَني الرُّوحُ بَينَ الأرضِ والسَّماءِ وجاءَ بـي في رُؤيا مِنْ رُؤى اللهِ إلى أُورُشليمَ، إلى مَدخلِ البابِ الدَّاخلي المُتَّجهِ إلى الشِّمالِ، حَيثُ مُقامُ الصَّنمِ الّذي يُثيرُ غَيرةَ الرّبِّ، 4 فإذا بمَجدِ إلهِ إِسرائيلَ هُناكَ، كما تراءى لي في الوادي.
5 فقالَ لي: «يا ابنَ البشَرِ، إرفعْ عينَيكَ نحوَ طريقِ الشِّمالِ. فرفعتُ عينيَّ نحوَ طريقِ الشِّمال، فإذا عَنْ شِمال بابِ المذبَح صَنمُ الغَيرةِ هذا في المَدخلِ». 6 وقالَ لي: «يا ابنَ البشَرِ، أرأيتَ ما يعمَلونَ؟ أرأيتَ الأرجاسَ العظيمةَ الّتي يعمَلُها بَيتُ إِسرائيلَ هُنا ليُبعدوني عَنْ هَيكلي؟ ولكنْ ستَرى أرجاسا أعظَم مِنْ هذِهِ».
7 ثُمَّ جاءَ بـي إلى مَدخلِ الدَّارِ، فنظَرتُ وإذا بثقبٍ في الحائطِ. 8 فقالَ لي: «يا ابنَ البشَرِ، أُنقبِ الحائطَ». فنَقبتُ الحائطَ، فإذا بمَدخلٍ. 9 وقالَ لي: «أُدخُلْ وانظُرِ الأرجاسَ الشَّائنةَ الّتي يعمَلونَها هُناكَ». 10 فدخَلتُ ونظَرتُ فإذا كُلُّ شَكلٍ مِنْ أشكالِ الدَّوابِ والبَهائمِ النَّجِسةِ وجميع أصنامِ بَيتِ إِسرائيلَ مرسومةٌ على الحائطِ مِنْ كُلِّ جانبٍ. 11 وكانَ يقفُ أمامَها سبعونَ رجُلا مِنْ شُيوخِ بَيتِ إِسرائيلَ، وفي وسَطِهِم يازنيا بنُ شافانَ، وكُلُّ واحدٍ مِبخرتُهُ بـيَدِهِ وسَحابةٌ عطِرةٌ مِنَ البَخورِ تصعدُ مِنها.
12 فقالَ لي: «أرأيتَ يا ابنَ البشَرِ ما يعمَلُهُ شُيوخُ بَيتِ إِسرائيلَ في الظَّلامِ، كُلُّ واحدٍ في مَخادعِ أصنامِهِ؟ فهُم يقولونَ: الرّبُّ لا يرانا! الرّبُّ هجَر الأرضَ!» 13 وقالَ لي: «سترى أرجاسا أعظمَ مِنْ هذِهِ يعمَلونَها».
14 ثُمَّ جاءَ بـي إلى مَدخلِ بابِ هَيكلِ الرّبِّ الّذي هوَ مِنْ جِهةِ الشِّمالِ، فإذا هُناكَ نِساءٌ جالساتٌ يـبكينَ على تموزَ. 15 فقالَ لي: «أرأيتَ يا ابنَ البشَرِ؟ سترى أرجاسا أعظمَ مِنْ هذِهِ».
16 ثُمَّ جاءَ بـي إلى دارِ هَيكلِ الرّبِّ الدَّاخليَّةِ، فإذا عِندَ المَدخلِ بَينَ الرِّواقِ والمذبَحِ، نحوَ خمسةٍ وعشرينَ رجُلا، ظُهورُهُم إلى هيكَلِ الرّبِّ ووجوهُهُم إلى الشَّرقِ وهُم يَسجدونَ للشَّمسِ. 17 فقالَ لي: «أرأيتَ يا ابنَ البشَرِ؟ ألا يكفي ما يعمَلُهُ بَيتُ يَهوذا مِنَ الأرجاسِ هُنا؟ هُم يَملأونَ الأرضَ جَورا ويُثيرونَ غضَبـي؟ اُنظرْ إليهِم يُقرِّبونَ الغُصنَ إلى أنوفِهِم: 18 سأعامِلُهُم بغيظٍ، لا أشفِقُ علَيهِم ولا أعفو. وإذا صرخوا في أذني بصوتٍ عظيمٍ فلا أسمَعُهُم».