‘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. 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. He stretched out what seemed to be a hand and seized 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. 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 River Chebar. God said to me, “Mortal man, look towards 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. 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.” He took me to the entrance of the outer courtyard and showed me a hole in the wall. He said, “Mortal man, break through the wall here.” I broke through it and found a door. He said to me, “Go in and look at the evil, disgusting things they are doing there.” 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 worshipping. Seventy Israelite leaders were there, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each one was holding an incense burner, and smoke was rising from the incense. 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.’ ” Then the LORD said to me, “You are going to see them do even more disgusting things than that.” So he took me to the north gate of the Temple and showed me women weeping over the death of the god Tammuz. He asked, “Mortal man, do you see that? You will see even more disgusting things.” 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. 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 here in the Temple itself and make me even more angry. Look how they insult me in the most offensive way possible! 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.”’
Ezekiel 8:1-18
‘“You were a nobody, but I made you the leader of my people Israel. And now you have sinned like Jeroboam and have led my people into sin. Their sins have aroused my anger, and so I will do away with you and your family, just as I did with Jeroboam. ‘
1 Kings 16:2-3
‘I will make the borders of your land extend from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Mediterranean Sea and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give you power over the inhabitants of the land, and you will drive them out as you advance. Do not make any agreement with them or with their gods. Do not let those people live in your country; if you do, they will make you sin against me. If you worship their gods, it will be a fatal trap for you.”’
Exodus 23:31-33
‘Some of the leaders of the Israelites came to consult me about the LORD ‘s will. Then the LORD spoke to me. “Mortal man,” he said, “these men have given their hearts to idols and are letting idols lead them into sin. Do they think I will give them an answer? “Now speak to them and tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD , am saying to them: every Israelite who has given his heart to idols and lets them lead him into sin and who then comes to consult a prophet, will get an answer from me — the answer that his many idols deserve! All those idols have turned the Israelites away from me, but by my answer I hope to win back their loyalty. ‘
Ezekiel 14:1-5
‘They may serve me in the Temple by taking charge of the gates and by performing the work of the Temple. They may kill the animals which the people offer for burnt offerings and for sacrifices, and they are to be on duty to serve the people. But because they conducted the worship of idols for the people of Israel and in this way led the people into sin, I, the Sovereign LORD , solemnly swear that they must be punished. They are not to serve me as priests or to go near anything that is holy to me or to enter the Most Holy Place. This is the punishment for the disgusting things they have done. ‘
Ezekiel 44:11-13
‘No other nation has ever changed its gods, even though they were not real. But my people have exchanged me, the God who has brought them honour, for gods that can do nothing for them. And so I command the sky to shake with horror, to be amazed and astonished, for my people have committed two sins: they have turned away from me, the spring of fresh water, and they have dug cisterns, cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all. ‘
Jeremiah 2:11-13
‘In the 37th year of the reign of King Joash of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel, and he ruled in Samaria for sixteen years. He too sinned against the LORD and followed the evil example of King Jeroboam, who had led Israel into sin. ‘
2 Kings 13:10-11
‘After the LORD had separated Israel from Judah, the Israelites made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam made them abandon the LORD and led them into terrible sins. They followed Jeroboam and continued to practise all the sins he had committed, until at last the LORD banished them from his sight, as he had warned through his servants the prophets that he would do. So the people of Israel were taken into exile to Assyria, where they still live. ‘
2 Kings 17:21-23