Study Desk

Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the ^(a)river Chebar among the exiles, the ^(b)heavens were opened and I saw ^[a](c)visions of God.

(On the fifth of the month ^[b]in the ^(d)fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,

the ^(e)word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the ^(f)land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there ^(g)the hand of the Lord came upon him.)

As I looked, behold, a ^(h)storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like ⁽ⁱ⁾glowing metal in the midst of the fire.

Within it there were figures resembling ^(j)four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human ^(k)form.

Each of them had ^(l)four faces and ^(m)four wings.

Their legs were straight and ^[c]their feet were like a calf's hoof, and they gleamed like ⁽ⁿ⁾burnished bronze.

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

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

As for the ^(s)form of their faces, each had the ^(t)face of a man; ^[d]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and ^[e]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 ^(u)two covering their bodies.

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

^[f]In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of ^(x)fire, ^[g]like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was ^[h]flashing from the fire.

And the living beings ^(y)ran to and fro like bolts of ^(z)lightning.

Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one ^(aa)wheel on the earth beside the living beings, ^[i]for each of the four of them.

The ^(ab)appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like ^[j]sparkling ^(ac)beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if ^[k]one wheel were within another.

Whenever they ^[l]moved, they ^[m]moved in any of their four ^[n]directions without ^(ad)turning as they ^[o]moved.

As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were ^(ae)full of eyes round about.

^(af)Whenever the living beings ^[p]moved, the wheels ^[q]moved with them. And whenever the living beings ^(ag)rose from the earth, the wheels rose also.

^(ah)Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction^[r]. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living ^[s]beings was in the wheels.

^(ai)Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living ^[t]beings was in the wheels.

Now ^(aj)over the heads of the living ^[u]beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of ^[v]crystal, spread out over their heads.

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

I also heard the sound of their wings like the ^(al)sound of abundant waters as they went, like the ^(am)voice of ^[w]the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the ^(an)sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.

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

Now ^(ap)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something ^(aq)resembling a throne, like ^[x](ar)lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a ^(as)man.

Then I ^[y]noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something ^(at)like ^[z]glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him.

As the appearance of the ^(au)rainbow ^[aa]in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the ^(av)glory of the Lord . And when I saw it, I ^(aw)fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

Then He said to me, "Son of man, ^(a)stand on your feet that I may speak with you!"

As He spoke to me the ^(b)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 ^(c)rebelled against Me; ^(d)they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.

I am sending you to them who are ^[a](e)stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord ^[b] God .'

As for them, ^(f)whether they listen or ^[c]not—for they are a rebellious house—they will ^(g)know that a prophet has been among them.

And you, son of man, ^(h)neither fear them nor fear their words, though ⁽ⁱ⁾thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.

But you shall ^(j)speak My words to them ^(k)whether they listen or ^[d]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 and ^(l)eat what I am giving you."

Then I looked, and behold, a ^(m)hand was extended to me; and lo, a ^[e](n)scroll was in it.

When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and ^(o)woe.