1. Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord which faces eastward. And at the door of the gate were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, officials of the people.
2. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise mischief and give wicked counsel in this city,
3. who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the flesh.’
4. Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man!”
5. Then the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and He said to me, Say, Thus says the Lord: Thus you have said, O house of Israel, for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
6. You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled the streets with them.
7. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh and this city is the cauldron. But I will bring you out of the midst of it.
8. You have feared the sword, so I will bring a sword upon you, says the Lord God.
9. I will bring you out of the midst of the city and deliver you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you.
10. You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you in the border of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
11. This city shall not be your cauldron, nor shall you be the flesh in the midst of it, but I will judge you in the border of Israel.
12. Thus you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in My statutes, or executed My judgments, but have done after the customs of the nations all around you.
13. Now while I was prophesying, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Ah, Lord God! Will You make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”
14. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying: