Israel’s wicked leaders are condemned

11 Then God’s Spirit lifted me up and took me to the gate on the east side of the temple area. There at the gate were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people. 2 Yahweh said to me, “You human, these are the new leaders in Jerusalem who are planning to do evil things and who are giving wicked advice to people in this city. 3 They say, ‘Everything will go well for us, so it will surely soon be [RHQ] time to build houses. We are like [MET] fine/choice pieces of meat that are carefully stored in covered pots, and we are protected from the bad things that will happen to others.’ 4 So, you human, prophesy aboutthe terrible things that will happen to them.”

5 Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon me and told me to sayto the people, “This is what Yahweh says: You Israeli people [MTY] are saying those things, but I know what you are thinking. 6 You have killed many people in this city and filled the streets with their corpses.

7 Therefore this is what Yahweh the Lord says: The corpses of the people whom you have killed here are like the meat [MET], and this city is like the pot [MET], but I will expel you from this city. 8 You are afraid ofbeing killed by enemies’ swords, and that is what I will cause to happen to you. 9 I will expel you from this city and enable foreigners to capture you and punish you. 10 They will kill [EUP] you with their swords; you will be punished right here in Israel. Then people will realize that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. 11 This city will not be aa place were you will be protected like [MET] meat in a covered pot. I will punish you wherever you are in Israel. 12 And you will know that I, Yahweh, have predicted that would happen, because you have not obeyed my commands and decrees; instead, you have imitated thewicked behavior of the people of the nearby nations.”

13 While I was prophesying that, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah suddenly died. Then I prostrated myself on the ground and cried out loudly, “Yahweh my Lord, are you going tosimilarly get rid of all the Israeli people who are still alive?”

14 Then Yahweh gave me this message: 15 “You human, the people who are still in Jerusalem are talking about you and your own relatives and about all the other people who were ◄exiled/forced to go to other countries►, saying, ‘They arein Babylonia, far from Yahweh. They have left their propertyhere in Israel, so their property now belongs to us!’ ”