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 worshipping 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 passage, were about 25 men. They had turned their backs to the sanctuary and were bowing low towards the east, worshipping the rising sun.