[11:1] God's spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the Temple. There near the gate I saw twenty-five men, including Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, two leaders of the nation.
[11:2] God said to me, “Mortal man, these men make evil plans and give bad advice in this city.
[11:3] They say, ‘We will soon be building houses again. The city is like a cooking pot, and we are like the meat in it, but at least it protects us from the fire.’
[11:4] Now then, denounce them, mortal man.”
[11:5] The spirit of the Lord took control of me, and the Lord told me to give the people this message: “People of Israel, I know what you are saying and what you are planning.
[11:6] You have murdered so many people here in the city that the streets are full of corpses.
[11:7] “So this is what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to you. This city is a cooking pot all right, but what is the meat? The corpses of those you have killed! You will not be here—I will throw you out of the city!
[11:8] Are you afraid of swords? I will bring soldiers with swords to attack you.
[11:9] I will take you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners. I have sentenced you to death,
[11:10] and you will be killed in battle in your own country. Then everyone will know that I am the Lord.
[11:11] This city will not protect you the way a pot protects the meat in it. I will punish you wherever you may be in the land of Israel.
[11:12] You will know that I am the Lord and that while you were keeping the laws of the neighboring nations, you were breaking my laws and disobeying my commands.”
[11:13] While I was prophesying, Pelatiah dropped dead. I threw myself face downward on the ground and shouted, “No, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to kill everyone left in Israel?”