Seventy elders from the house of Israel were standing before them, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a firepan in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising up.

So he brought me to the inner court of the LORD’s house, and there were about twenty-five men at the entrance of the LORD’s temple, between the portico and the altar, with their backs to the LORD’s temple and their faces turned to the east. They were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.

Then the glory of the God of Israel rose from above the cherub where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man clothed in linen and carrying writing equipment.

“Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem,” the LORD said to him, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the detestable practices committed in it.”

“Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, as well as the children and older women, but do not come near anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.

Then the man clothed in linen and carrying writing equipment reported back, “I have done all that you commanded me.”

Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court.

After the LORD commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from inside the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel.

The LORD[fn] said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked advice in this city.

“Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem your property,[fn][fn] along with the entire house of Israel ​— ​all of them ​— ​are those to whom the residents of Jerusalem have said, ‘You are far from the LORD; this land has been given to us as a possession.’

“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put their sinful stumbling blocks in front of themselves. Should I actually let them inquire of me?

“Even if these three men ​— ​Noah, Daniel, and Job ​— ​were in it, they would rescue only themselves by their righteousness.” This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.

“Even if these three men were in it, as I live” ​— ​the declaration of the Lord GOD ​— ​“they could not rescue their sons or daughters. They alone would be rescued, but the land would be desolate.

“Even if these three men were in it, as I live” ​— ​the declaration of the Lord GOD ​— ​“they could not rescue their sons or daughters, but they alone would be rescued.

You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hethite and your father an Amorite.

“I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one.

“In addition, they sent for men who came from far away when a messenger was dispatched to them. And look how they came! You bathed, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry for them.

“The sound of a carefree crowd was there. Drunkards[fn] from the desert were brought in, along with common men. They put bracelets on the women’s hands and beautiful tiaras on their heads.

“But righteous men will judge them the way adulteresses and those who shed blood are judged, for they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.

“Then you will do just as I have done: You will not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.

“Your wealth, merchandise, and goods,

your sailors and captains,

those who repair your leaks,

those who barter for your goods,

and all the warriors on board,

with all the other people within you,

sink into the heart of the sea

on the day of your downfall.

“At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, of mighty men and all the warriors. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD.’

He spoke to me: “Son of man, look with your eyes, listen with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you. Report everything you see to the house of Israel.”

Now there was a wall surrounding the outside of the temple. The measuring rod in the man’s hand was six units of twenty-one inches;[fn] each unit was the standard length plus three inches.[fn] He measured the thickness of the wall structure; it was 10 ¹/₂ feet,[fn] and its height was the same.