Study Desk

Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the ^(C1)river Chebar among the exiles, the ^(C2)heavens were opened and I saw ^(F1)(C3)visions of God.

(On the fifth of the month ^(F1)in the ^(C1)fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,

the ^(C1)word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the ^(C2)land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there ^(C3)the hand of the LORD came upon him.)

As I looked, behold, a ^(C1)high wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like ^(C2)gleaming ^(F1)metal in the midst of the fire.

And within it there were figures resembling ^(C1)four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human ^(C2)form.

Each of them had ^(C1)four faces and ^(C2)four wings.

Their legs were straight and ^(F1)their feet were like a calf's ^(F2)hoof, and they sparkled like ^(C1)polished bronze.

Under their wings on their ^(C1)four sides were human ^(C2)hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,

their wings touched one another; their faces did ^(C1)not turn when they moved, each ^(C2)went straight forward.

As for the ^(C1)form of their faces, each had a human ^(C2)face; ^(F1)all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and ^(F1)all four had the face of an eagle.

Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and ^(C1)two covering their bodies.

And ^(C1)each went straight forward; ^(C2)wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.

^(F1)In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of ^(C1)fire, ^(F2)like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was ^(F3)flashing from the fire.

And the living beings ^(C1)ran back and forth like bolts of ^(C2)lightning.

Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one ^(C1)wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for ^(F1)each of the four of them.

The ^(C1)appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like ^(F1)sparkling ^(C2)topaz, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if ^(F2)one wheel were within another.

Whenever they ^(F1)moved, they ^(F1)moved in any of their four ^(F2)directions without ^(C1)turning as they ^(F1)moved.

As for their rims, they were high and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were ^(F1)(C1)covered with eyes all around.

^(C1)Whenever the living beings ^(F1)moved, the wheels ^(F1)moved with them. And whenever the living beings ^(C2)rose from the earth, the wheels rose also.

^(C1)Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction^(F1). And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living ^(F2)beings was in the wheels.

^(C1)Whenever those went, they went; and whenever those stopped, they stopped. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living ^(F1)beings was in the wheels.

Now ^(C1)over the heads of the living ^(F1)beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads.

Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had ^(C1)two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other.

And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the ^(C1)sound of abundant waters as they went, like the ^(C2)voice of ^(F1)the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the ^(C3)sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings.

And a voice came from above the ^(C1)expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

Now ^(C1)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something ^(C2)resembling a throne, like ^(F1)(C3)lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a ^(C4)man.

Then I ^(F1)noticed from the appearance of His waist and upward something ^(C1)like gleaming ^(F2)metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him.

Like the appearance of the ^(C1)rainbow ^(F1)in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the ^(C2)glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I ^(C3)fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

Then He said to me, "Son of man, ^(C1)stand on your feet, and I will speak with you."

And as He spoke to me the ^(C1)Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.

Then He said to me, "Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have ^(C1)rebelled against Me; ^(C2)they and their fathers have revolted against Me to this very day.

"So I am sending you to those who are ^(F1)(C1)impudent and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, 'This is what the Lord ^(F2)GOD says:'

"As for them, ^(C1)whether they listen or ^(F1)not—for they are a rebellious house—they will ^(C2)know that a prophet has been among them.

"And as for you, son of man, you are ^(C1)not to fear them nor fear their words, though ^(C2)thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; you are not to fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, since they are a rebellious house.

"But you shall ^(C1)speak My words to them ^(C2)whether they listen or ^(F1)not, for they are rebellious.

"Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth wide and ^(C1)eat what I am giving you."

Then I looked, and behold, a ^(C1)hand was extended to me; and behold, a ^(F1)(C2)scroll was in it.

When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were songs of mourning, sighing, and ^(C1)woe.

Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; ^(C1)eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel."

So I ^(C1)opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.

And He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and ^(C1)fill your ^(F1)body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ^(C2)ate it, and it was as sweet as ^(C3)honey in my mouth.

Then He said to me, "Son of man, ^(F1)go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.

"For ^(C1)you are not being sent to a people of ^(F1)(C2)unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel,

nor to many peoples of ^(F1)unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. ^(F2)But I have sent you to ^(F3)the people who understand you;

yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are ^(C1)not willing to listen to Me. The entire house of Israel certainly is ^(F1)stubborn and obstinate.

"Behold, I have made your face just as hard as their faces, and your forehead just as hard as their foreheads.

"Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, since they are a rebellious house."

Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man, take into your heart all My ^(C1)words which I will speak to you and listen ^(F1)closely.

"^(F1)Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or ^(F2)not, 'This is what the Lord ^(F3)GOD says.'"

Then the ^(C1)Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great ^(C2)rumbling sound behind me: "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place!"

And I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the ^(C1)wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound.

So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and ^(C1)the hand of the LORD was strong on me.

Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there for ^(C1)seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them.

Now ^(C1)at the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, I have appointed you as a ^(C1)watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, ^(C2)warn them from Me.

"When I say to the wicked, 'You will certainly die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way so that he may live, that wicked person shall die for wrongdoing, but his ^(C1)blood I will require from your hand.

"However if you have ^(C1)warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die for wrongdoing, but you have ^(C2)saved yourself.

"Again, ^(C1)when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits sin, and I place an ^(C2)obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require from your hand.

"However, if you have ^(C1)warned ^(F1)the righteous person that the righteous is not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall certainly live because he took warning; and you have saved yourself."

Now the hand of the LORD was on me there, and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will ^(C1)speak to you."

So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the ^(C1)glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory that ^(C2)I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face.

But the ^(C1)Spirit entered me and set me up on my feet; and He spoke with me and said to me, "Go, shut yourself inside your house.

"And as for you, son of man, they will ^(C1)put ropes ^(F1)around you and bind you with them so that you do not go out among them.

"Moreover, ^(C1)I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be unable to speak and will not be a man who reprimands them, since they are a rebellious house.

"But ^(C1)when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says:' The one who hears, let him hear; and the one who refuses, let him refuse; ^(C2)for they are a rebellious house.

"Now you, son of man, ^(C1)get yourself a brick, place it before you, and inscribe a city on it—Jerusalem.

"Then ^(C1)lay siege against it, build a siege wall, pile up an assault ramp, set up camps, and place battering rams against it all around.

"Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city, and direct your face toward it so that ^(C1)it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a ^(C2)sign to the house of Israel.

"Then you are to lie down on your left side and put the wrongdoing of the house of Israel on it; you shall ^(C1)bear their wrongdoing for the number of days that you lie on it.

"For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their wrongdoing, 390 days; so ^(C1)you shall bear the wrongdoing of the house of Israel.

"When you have completed these days, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the wrongdoing of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for ^(C1)each year.

"Then you shall direct your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and ^(C1)prophesy against it.

"Now behold, I will ^(C1)put ropes ^(F1)around you so that you cannot turn from your one side to your other until you have completed the days of your siege.

"But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and ^(C1)spelt, and put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, 390 days.

"Your food which you eat shall be ^(C1)twenty shekels a day by weight; you shall eat it from time to time.

"The water you drink shall be a ^(F1)sixth of a hin by measure; you shall drink it from time to time.

"You shall eat it as a barley cake, having baked it in their sight over human ^(C1)dung."

Then the LORD said, "In this way the sons of Israel will eat their bread ^(C1)unclean among the nations where I will scatter them."

But I said, "^(C1)Oh, Lord ^(F1)GOD! Behold, ^(F2)I have ^(C2)never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what ^(C3)died of itself or was torn by animals, nor has any ^(C4)unclean meat ever entered my mouth!"

Then He said to me, "See, I will give you cow's dung in place of human dung, so that you may prepare your bread over it."

Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man, behold, I am going to ^(C1)break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by ^(C2)weight and with anxiety, and drink water by ^(C3)measure and in horror,

because bread and water will be scarce; and they will tremble with one another and ^(C1)waste away in their guilt.

"As for you, son of man, take a ^(C1)sharp sword; take and ^(F1)use it as a barber's razor on your head and beard. Then take ^(C2)scales for weighing and divide ^(F2)the hair.

"A third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the ^(C1)days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take a third and strike it with the sword all around ^(F1)the city, and a third you shall scatter to the wind; for I will ^(C2)unsheathe a sword behind them.

"Take also a few hairs in number from ^(F1)them and bind them in the hems of your robes.

"Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will ^(F1)spread to all the house of Israel.

"This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: 'This is ^(C1)Jerusalem; I have placed her at the ^(C2)center of the nations, with lands around her.

'But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations, and against My statutes ^(C1)more than the lands which surround her; for they have ^(C2)rejected My ordinances and have not walked ^(F1)in My statutes.'

"Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Because you have ^(C1)more turmoil than the nations that surround you and have not walked in My statutes, nor executed My ordinances, nor acted in accordance with the ordinances of the nations around you,'

therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I, even I, am ^(C1)against you, and I will ^(C2)execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations.

'And because of all your abominations I will do among you what I have ^(C1)not done, and the like of which I will never do again.

'Therefore, ^(C1)fathers will eat their sons among you, and sons will eat their fathers; for I will execute judgments on you and ^(C2)scatter all your remnant to every wind.

'Therefore as I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'Because you have ^(C1)defiled My sanctuary with all your ^(C2)detestable idols and with all your abominations, I definitely will also withdraw and My eye will have no pity, and I also will not spare.

'A third of you will die by ^(C1)plague or perish by famine among you, a third will fall by the sword around you, and a third I will ^(C2)scatter to every wind, and I will ^(C3)unsheathe a sword behind them.

'Then My anger will be spent and I will satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be ^(C1)appeased; then they will know that I, the LORD, have ^(C2)spoken in My zeal, when I have spent My wrath upon them.

'Moreover, I will make you a site of ruins and a ^(C1)disgrace among the nations that surround you, in the sight of everyone who passes by.

'So ^(F1)it will be a disgrace, an object of abuse, a ^(C1)warning, and an object of horror to the nations that surround you when I ^(C2)execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and raging reprimands. I, the LORD, have spoken.

'When I send against them the ^(F1)deadly arrows of famine which ^(F2)were for the destruction of those whom I will send to destroy you, then I will also intensify the famine upon you and break off your ^(F3)provision of bread.

'^(C1)I will send on you famine and vicious animals, and they will bereave you of children; ^(C2)plague and bloodshed also will pass through you, and I will bring the sword on you. I, the LORD, have spoken.'"

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, set your face toward the ^(C1)mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them

and say, 'Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord ^(F1)GOD! This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says to the mountains, the hills, the ravines, and the valleys: "Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword against you, and ^(C1)I will destroy your high places.

"So your ^(C1)altars will become deserted and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols.

"I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your ^(C1)bones around your altars.

"^(F1)Everywhere you live, ^(C1)cities will be in ruins and the high places will be deserted, so that your altars will be in ruins and ^(F2)deserted, your ^(C2)idols will be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars will be cut down, and your works wiped out.

"The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.

"However, I will leave a ^(C1)remnant, in that you will have those who ^(C2)escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries.

"Then those of you who escape will ^(C1)remember Me among the nations to which they will be taken captive, how I have ^(F1)(C2)been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which committed infidelity with their idols; and they will ^(C3)loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations.

"Then they will know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would inflict this disaster on them."'

"This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: 'Clap your hands, ^(C1)stamp your foot and say, "^(C2)Woe, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by the ^(C3)sword, famine, and plague!

"Anyone who is ^(C1)far away will die by the plague, anyone who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who remains and is spared from these will die by the famine. So I will ^(C2)expend My wrath on them.

"Then you will know that I am the LORD, when their ^(C1)dead are among their idols around their altars, on ^(C2)every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every leafy tree and under every massive oak with thick branches—the places where they offered a soothing aroma to all their idols.

"So through all their dwelling places I will ^(C1)stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; so they will know that I am the LORD."'"

Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"And you, son of man, this is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says to the land of Israel: 'An ^(C1)end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land.

'Now the end is upon you, for I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and ^(F1)bring all your abominations upon you.

'And My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will ^(F1)(C1)bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will ^(C2)know that I am the LORD!'

"This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: 'A ^(C1)disaster, a unique disaster, behold, it is coming!

'An end ^(F1)is coming; the end has come! It has ^(C1)awakened against you; behold, it has come!

'Your ^(F1)doom has come to you, you inhabitant of the land. The ^(C1)time has come, the ^(C2)day is near—panic rather than joyful shouting on the mountains.

'Now I will shortly ^(C1)pour out My wrath on you and expend My anger against you; I will ^(C2)judge you according to your ways and ^(F1)bring on you all your abominations.

'My eye will have no pity nor will I spare you. I will ^(F1)repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the LORD, am striking.

'Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your ^(F1)doom has gone forth; the ^(C1)rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed.

'Violence ^(F1)has grown into a rod of ^(C1)wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their ^(F2)people, none of their ^(C2)wealth, nor anything eminent among them.

'The ^(C1)time has come, the day has arrived. Let neither the ^(C2)buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn; for ^(C3)wrath is against all their multitude.

'Indeed, the seller will not ^(F1)(C1)regain ^(F2)what he sold as long as ^(F3)they both live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not ^(F4)be averted, nor will any of them maintain his life by his wrongdoing.

'They have ^(C1)blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all ^(F1)their multitude.

'The ^(C1)sword is outside the city and the plague and the famine are within. Anyone who is in the field will die by the sword, while famine and the plague will consume those in the city.

'Even when their survivors ^(C1)escape, they will be on the mountains like ^(C2)doves of the valleys, all of them ^(C3)moaning, each over his own wrongdoing.

'All ^(C1)hands will hang limp, and all ^(F1)knees will drip with water.

'They will ^(C1)put on sackcloth and ^(C2)shuddering will overwhelm them; and shame will be on all faces, and a ^(F1)(C3)bald patch on all their heads.

'They will ^(C1)fling their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their ^(C2)silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their ^(F1)appetite, nor can they fill their stomachs, because their wrongdoing has become a cause of stumbling.

'Moreover, they transformed the splendor of His jewels into pride, and ^(C1)they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an abhorrent thing to them.

'And I will hand it over to the ^(C1)foreigners as plunder, and to the wicked of the earth as spoils; and they will profane it.

'I will also turn My ^(C1)face away from them, and they will profane My treasure; then robbers will enter and profane it.

'^(C1)Make the ^(F1)chain, for the land is full of ^(F2)(C2)bloody crimes, and the city is ^(C3)full of violence.

'Therefore, I will bring the worst of the ^(C1)nations, and they will take possession of their houses. I will also put an end to the ^(C2)pride of the strong ones, and their ^(C3)holy places will be profaned.

'When anguish comes, they will seek ^(C1)peace, but there will be none.

'^(C1)Disaster will come upon disaster and ^(C2)rumor will be added to rumor; then they will seek a ^(C3)vision from a prophet, but the ^(C4)Law will be lost from the priest, and ^(C5)counsel from the elders.

'The king will mourn, the prince will be ^(C1)clothed in horror, and the hands of the people of the land will ^(F1)tremble. I will deal with them because of their conduct, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the LORD.'"

Now it came about in the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord ^(F1)GOD fell upon me there.

Then I looked, and behold, something like the appearance of ^(F1)a man; from His waist and downward there was the ^(C1)appearance of fire, and from His waist and upward like the appearance of a glow, like ^(C2)gleaming ^(F2)metal.

And He extended the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; and the ^(C1)Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the ^(F1)north gate of the inner courtyard, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which ^(C2)provokes to jealousy, was located.

And behold, the ^(C1)glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain.

Then He said to me, "Son of man, ^(C1)raise your eyes now toward the north." So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this ^(C2)idol of jealousy at the entrance.

And He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great ^(C1)abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations!"

Then He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.

And He said to me, "Son of man, now ^(C1)dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance.

Then He said to me, "Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here."

So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of crawling things and animals and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around.

And standing in front of them were ^(C1)seventy ^(C2)elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his ^(C3)censer in his hand; and the fragrance of the cloud of incense was rising.

Then He said to me, "Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each man in the rooms of his carved images? For they say, '^(C1)The LORD does not see us; the LORD has ^(C2)abandoned the land.'"

And He said to me, "Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing!"

Then He brought me to the entrance of the ^(C1)gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for ^(F1)Tammuz.

And He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these!"

Then He brought me into the inner courtyard of the LORD'S house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their ^(C1)backs to the temple of the LORD while their faces were toward the east; and ^(C2)they were ^(F1)prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun.

And He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Is it a trivial thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have ^(C1)filled the land with violence and ^(C2)provoked Me to anger repeatedly? Yet behold, they are ^(F1)putting the twig to their nose!

"Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and ^(C1)though they cry out in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them."

Then He cried out in my ^(F1)presence with a loud ^(C1)voice, saying, "Come forward, you ^(F2)executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand."

And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each with his smashing weapon in his hand; and among them was ^(C1)one man clothed in linen with a scribe's kit at his waist. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Then the ^(C1)glory of the God of Israel ascended from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the ^(F1)temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose waist was the scribe's kit.

And the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a ^(C1)mark on the foreheads of the people who ^(C2)groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst."

But to the others He said in my ^(F1)presence, "Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare.

"^(F1)Utterly ^(C1)kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not ^(C2)touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall ^(C3)start from My sanctuary." So they started with the ^(F2)elders who were before the ^(F3)temple.

He also said to them, "^(C1)Defile the ^(F1)temple and fill the courtyards with the dead. Go out!" So they went out and struck and killed the people in the city.

And as they were striking the people and I alone was left, I ^(C1)fell on my face and cried out, ^(F1)saying, "^(C2)Oh, Lord ^(F2)GOD! Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel ^(F3)by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?"

Then He said to me, "The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is ^(C1)filled with blood, and the city is ^(C2)full of perversion; for ^(C3)they say, 'The LORD has abandoned the land, and the LORD does not see!'

"But as for Me, ^(C1)My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but ^(C2)I will bring their conduct upon their heads."

Then behold, the man clothed in linen, at whose waist was the scribe's kit, ^(F1)reported, saying, "I have done just as You have commanded me."

Then I looked, and behold, in the ^(F1)(C1)expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a ^(C2)sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a ^(C3)throne, appeared above them.

And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, "Enter between the ^(C1)whirling wheels under the ^(F1)cherubim and fill your hands with ^(C2)coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city." And he entered in my sight.

Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the ^(F1)temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the ^(C1)inner courtyard.

Then the ^(C1)glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the ^(C2)temple was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the ^(C3)brightness of the glory of the LORD.

Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer courtyard, like the ^(C1)voice of ^(F1)God Almighty when He speaks.

And it came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim," he entered and stood beside a wheel.

Then the cherub reached out with his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some coals and put them into the hands of the one clothed in linen; and he took them and went out.

The cherubim appeared to have something like a human hand under their wings.

Then I looked, and behold, ^(C1)four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a ^(F1)(C2)Tarshish stone.

And as for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel.

When they moved, they went ^(C1)in any of their four ^(F1)directions without turning as they went; but they followed in the direction which ^(F2)they faced, without turning as they went.

And their ^(C1)whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the ^(C2)wheels were ^(F1)covered with eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them.

The wheels were called, ^(F1)as I heard, the ^(F2)whirling wheels.

And ^(C1)each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a human, the third, the face of a lion, and the fourth, the face of an eagle.

Then the cherubim rose up. They are the ^(C1)living beings that I saw by the river Chebar.

Now when the cherubim moved, the wheels would move beside them; also when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels themselves would not turn away from beside them.

When ^(F1)the cherubim ^(C1)stood still, ^(F1)the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, ^(F1)the wheels would rise with them, because the spirit of the living beings was in them.

Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood ^(C1)over the cherubim.

When ^(C1)the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the ground in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD'S house, and the glory of the God of Israel ^(F1)hovered over them.

These are the ^(C1)living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by ^(C2)the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim.

^(C1)Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands.

As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went straight ahead.

Now the ^(C1)Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD'S house which faced eastward. And behold, there were twenty-five men at the entrance of the gate, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and ^(C2)Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

Then He said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who devise wrongdoing and ^(C1)give evil advice in this city,

who say, 'The time is not near to build houses. ^(F1)This ^(C1)city is the pot and we are the meat.'

"Therefore, ^(C1)prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man!"

Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said to me, "Say, 'This is what the LORD says: "This is how you think, house of Israel, for ^(C1)I know ^(F1)your ^(C2)thoughts.

"You have ^(C1)multiplied your slain in this city, and filled its streets with ^(F1)them."

'Therefore, this is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: "Your ^(C1)slain whom you have laid in the midst of ^(F2)the city are the meat and this city is the pot; but ^(F3)I will ^(C2)bring you out of it.

"You have ^(C1)feared a sword; so I will ^(C2)bring a sword upon you," the Lord GOD declares.

"And I will bring you out of the midst of ^(F1)the city, and hand you over to ^(C1)strangers, and ^(C2)execute judgments against you.

"You will ^(C1)fall by the sword. I will judge you to the ^(C2)border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD.

"This city will ^(C1)not be a pot for you, nor will you be meat in the midst of it; I will judge you to the border of Israel.

"So you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes, nor have you ^(C1)executed My ordinances, but you have acted in accordance with the ordinances of the ^(C2)nations around you."'"

Now it came about, as I prophesied, that ^(C1)Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice, and said, "^(C2)Oh, Lord GOD! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete destruction?"

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, ^(F1)your fellow exiles, and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'Keep far from the LORD; this land has been given ^(C1)to us as a possession.'

"Therefore say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Though I had removed them far away among the nations, and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a ^(C1)sanctuary for them for a little while in the countries where they had gone."'

"Therefore say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will ^(C1)gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."'

"When they come there, they will ^(C1)remove all its ^(C2)detestable things and all its abominations from it.

"And I will ^(C1)give them one heart, and put a new spirit within ^(F1)them. And I will remove the ^(C2)heart of stone from their flesh and give them a ^(C3)heart of flesh,

so that they may ^(C1)walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be ^(C2)My people, and I shall be their God.

"^(F1)But as for those whose hearts go after their ^(C1)detestable things and abominations, I will ^(F2)(C2)bring their conduct down on their heads," declares the Lord GOD.

Then the cherubim ^(C1)lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and ^(C2)the glory of the God of Israel ^(F1)hovered over them.

The ^(C1)glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and ^(C2)stood over the mountain which is east of the city.

And the ^(C1)Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to ^(F1)Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen ^(F2)(C2)left me.

And I ^(C1)told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, you live in the ^(C1)midst of the ^(C2)rebellious house, who ^(C3)have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

"So as for you, son of man, prepare for yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; that is, go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. ^(C1)Perhaps they will ^(F1)understand, though they are a rebellious house.

"Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you shall go out ^(C1)at evening in their sight, as those who are going into exile.

"Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and ^(F1)go out through it.

"Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall ^(C1)cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a ^(C2)sign to the house of Israel."

Then I ^(C1)did so, just as I had been commanded. By day I ^(C2)brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.

And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, has the house of Israel, the ^(C1)rebellious house, not said to you, '^(C2)What are you doing?'

"Say to them, 'This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: "This ^(C1)pronouncement concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are ^(F2)in it."'

"Say, 'I am ^(F1)a ^(C1)sign to you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will ^(C2)go into exile, into captivity.'

"The ^(C1)prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. ^(F1)They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out through it. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes.

"I will also spread My ^(C1)net over him, and he will be caught in My net. And I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will ^(C2)not see it, though he will die there.

"And I will ^(C1)scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops; and I will draw out a sword after them.

"So they will ^(C1)know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.

"But I will ^(F1)spare a few of them from the ^(C1)sword, the famine, and plague so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations where they go, and ^(F2)may ^(C2)know that I am the LORD."

Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, ^(C1)eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

"Then say to the people of the land, 'This is what the Lord GOD says concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: "They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water with horror, because ^(F1)their land will be ^(F2)(C1)stripped of its fullness on account of the violence of all who live in it.

"The inhabited ^(C1)cities will be in ruins, and the ^(C2)land will be a desolation. So you will know that I am the LORD."'"

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, what is this ^(C1)proverb you people have about the land of Israel, saying, 'The ^(C2)days are long, and every ^(C3)vision fails'?

"Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will put an end to this proverb so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel." But tell them, "^(C1)The days are approaching as well as the ^(F1)fulfillment of every vision.

"For there will no longer be any ^(F1)(C1)false vision or deceptive divination within the house of Israel.

"For I the LORD will speak whatever ^(C1)word I speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in ^(C2)your days, you ^(C3)rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it," declares the Lord GOD.'"

Furthermore, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for ^(C1)many ^(F1)years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.'

"Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,"'" declares the Lord GOD.

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

"Son of man, prophesy against the ^(C1)prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own ^(F1)inspiration, '^(C2)Listen to the word of the LORD!

'This is what the Lord ^(F1)GOD says: "Woe to the ^(C1)foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have ^(C2)seen nothing!

"Israel, your prophets have been like jackals among ruins.

"You have not ^(C1)gone up into the ^(C2)breaches, nor did you build up a stone wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the ^(C3)day of the LORD.

"They see ^(C1)deceit and lying divination, those who are saying, 'The LORD declares,' when the LORD has not sent them; ^(C2)yet they wait for the fulfillment of their word!