Ezekiel 1-13

New International Reader's Version

The Lord Gives Ezekiel Visions of His Glory

1 I was 30 years old. I was with my people. We had been taken away from our country. We were by the Kebar River in the land of Babylon. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the heavens were opened. I saw visions of God.

² It was the fifth day of the month. Jehoiachin had been king of Judah. It was the fifth year since he had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. ³ A message from the Lord came to me. I was by the Kebar River in Babylon. The power of the Lord came on me there. I am Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi.

⁴ I looked up and saw a windstorm coming from the north. I saw a huge cloud. The fire of lightning was flashing out of it. Bright light surrounded it. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal. ⁵ I saw in the fire something that looked like four living creatures. They appeared to have the shape of a human being. ⁶ But each of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like the feet of a calf. They were as bright as polished bronze. ⁸ The creatures had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. ⁹ The wings of one touched the wings of another. Each of the creatures went straight ahead. They didn’t change their direction as they moved.

¹⁰ Here’s what their faces looked like. Each of the four creatures had the face of a human being. On the right side each had the face of a lion. On the left each had the face of an ox. Each one also had an eagle’s face. ¹¹ That’s what their faces looked like. They each had two wings that spread out and lifted up. Each wing touched the wing of another creature on either side. They each had two other wings that covered their bodies. ¹² All the creatures went straight ahead. Anywhere their spirits would lead them to go, they would go. They didn’t change their direction as they went. ¹³ The living creatures looked like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures. It was bright. Lightning flashed out of it. ¹⁴ The creatures raced back and forth like flashes of lightning.

¹⁵ As I looked at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground beside them. Each creature had four faces. ¹⁶ Here’s how the wheels looked and worked. They gleamed like topaz. All four of them looked alike. Each one seemed to be made like a wheel inside another wheel at right angles. ¹⁷ The wheels could go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced. The wheels didn’t change their direction as the creatures moved. ¹⁸ Their rims were high and terrifying. All four rims were full of eyes all the way around them.

¹⁹ When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved. When the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. ²⁰ Anywhere their spirits would lead them to go, they would go. And the wheels would rise along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels. ²¹ When the living creatures moved, the wheels also moved. When the creatures stood still, they also stood still. When the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels.

²² Something that looked like a huge space was spread out above the heads of the living creatures. It gleamed like crystal. It was terrifying. ²³ The wings of the creatures were spread out under the space. They reached out toward one another. Each creature had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ When the living creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings. It was like the roar of rushing waters. It sounded like the thundering voice of the Mighty God. It was like the loud noise an army makes. When the creatures stood still, they lowered their wings.

²⁵ Then a voice came from above the huge space over their heads. They stood with their wings lowered. ²⁶ Above the space over their heads was something that looked like a throne made out of lapis lazuli. On the throne high above was a figure that appeared to be a man. ²⁷ From his waist up he looked like glowing metal that was full of fire. From his waist down he looked like fire. Bright light surrounded him. ²⁸ The glow around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day.

That’s what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell with my face toward the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking.

The Lord Appoints Ezekiel to Speak for Him

2 He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet. I will speak to you.” ² As he spoke, the Spirit of the Lord came into me. He raised me to my feet. I heard him speaking to me.

³ He said, “Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. That nation has refused to obey me. They have turned against me. They and their people of long ago have been against me to this day. ⁴ The people I am sending you to are very stubborn. Tell them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says.’ ⁵ They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me. But whether they listen or not, they will know that a prophet was among them. ⁶ Son of man, do not be afraid of them or of what they say. Do not be afraid, even if thorns and bushes are all around you. Do not be afraid, even if you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say. Do not be terrified by them. They always refuse to obey me. ⁷ You must give them my message. They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me. ⁸ Son of man, listen to what I tell you. Do not be like those who refuse to obey me. Open your mouth. Eat what I give you.”

⁹ Then I looked up. I saw a hand reach out to me. A scroll was in it. ¹⁰ He unrolled it in front of me. Both sides had words written on them. They spoke about sadness, sorrow and trouble.

3 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, eat what is in front of you. Eat this scroll. Then go and speak to the people of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth. And he gave me the scroll to eat.

³ Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you. Fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it. And it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

⁴ Then he said to me, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel. Give them my message. ⁵ I am not sending you to people who speak another language that is hard to learn. Instead, I am sending you to the people of Israel. ⁶ You are not being sent to many nations whose people speak other languages that are hard to learn. You would not be able to understand them. Suppose I had sent you to them. Then they certainly would have listened to you. ⁷ But the people of Israel do not want to listen to you. That is because they do not want to listen to me. All the Israelites are very stubborn. ⁸ But I will make you just as stubborn as they are. ⁹ I will make you very brave. So do not be afraid of them. Do not let them terrify you, even though they refuse to obey me.”

¹⁰ He continued, “Son of man, listen carefully. Take to heart everything I tell you. ¹¹ Go now to your own people who were brought here as prisoners. Speak to them. Tell them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says.’ Speak to them whether they listen or not.”

¹² Then the Spirit of the Lord lifted me up. I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. The sound was made when the glory of the Lord rose up. It rose up from the place it had been standing. ¹³ The sound was made by the wings of the living creatures. They were brushing against one another. The sound was also made by the wheels beside them. It was a loud rumbling sound. ¹⁴ Then the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. My spirit was bitter. I was very angry. The power of the Lord was on me. ¹⁵ I came to my people who had been brought as prisoners to Tel Aviv. It was near the Kebar River. I went to where they were living. There I sat among them for seven days. I was very sad and scared about everything that had happened.

The Lord Has Appointed Ezekiel to Warn Israel

¹⁶ After seven days, a message from the Lord came to me. ¹⁷ The Lord said, “Son of man, I have appointed you as a prophet to warn the people of Israel. So listen to my message. Give them a warning from me. ¹⁸ Suppose I say to a sinful person, ‘You can be sure you will die.’ And you do not warn them. You do not try to get them to change their evil ways in order to save their life. Then that sinful person will die because they have sinned. And I will hold you responsible for their death. ¹⁹ But suppose you do warn that sinful person. And they do not turn away from their sin or their evil ways. Then they will die because they have sinned. But you will have saved yourself.

²⁰ “Or suppose a godly person turns away from their godliness and does what is evil. And suppose I put something in their way that will trip them up. Then they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The godly things that person did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for their death. ²¹ But suppose you do warn a godly person not to sin. And they do not sin. Then you can be sure that they will live because they listened to your warning. And you will have saved yourself.”

²² The power of the Lord was on me. He said, “Get up. Go out to the plain. I will speak to you there.” ²³ So I got up and went out to the plain. The glory of the Lord was standing there. It was just like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River. So I fell with my face toward the ground.

²⁴ Then the Spirit of the Lord came into me. He raised me to my feet. He said to me, “Go, son of man. Shut yourself inside your house. ²⁵ Some people will tie you up with ropes. So you will not be able to go out among your people. ²⁶ I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth. Then you will be silent. You will not be able to correct them. That’s because they always refuse to obey me. ²⁷ But later I will speak to you. I will open your mouth. Then you will tell them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says.’ Those who listen will listen. And those who refuse to listen will refuse. They always refuse to obey me.

An Attack on Jerusalem Is Pictured

4 “Son of man, get a block of clay. Put it in front of you. Draw the city of Jerusalem on it. ² Then pretend to surround it and attack it. Make some little models of war machines. Build a ramp up to it. Set camps up around it. Surround it with models of logs to be used for knocking down its gates. ³ Then get an iron pan. Put it between you and the city. Pretend it is an iron wall. Turn your face toward the city. It will be under attack when you begin to attack it. That will show the people of Israel what is going to happen to Jerusalem.

⁴ “Next, lie down on your left side. Pretend that you are putting Israel’s sin on yourself. Keep their sin on you for the number of days you lie on your side. ⁵ Let each day you lie there stand for one year of their sin. So you will keep Israel’s sin on you for 390 days.

⁶ “After you have finished this, lie down again. This time lie on your right side. Pretend that you are putting Judah’s sin on yourself. Lie there for 40 days. That is one day for each year of their sin. ⁷ Next, turn your face toward the model of Jerusalem under attack. Uncover your arm as if you were a soldier ready to fight. Prophesy against the city. ⁸ I will tie you up with ropes. Then you will not be able to turn from one side to the other. You will stay that way until you have finished attacking Jerusalem.

⁹ “Get some wheat and barley. Also get some beans and lentils. And get some millet and spelt. Put everything in a storage jar. Use it to make some bread for yourself. Eat it during the 390 days you are lying down on your side. ¹⁰ Weigh out eight ounces of food to eat each day. Eat it at your regular mealtimes. ¹¹ Also measure out two-thirds of a quart of water. Drink it at your regular mealtimes. ¹² Eat your food as you would eat a loaf of barley bread. Bake it over human waste in front of the people.” ¹³ The Lord said, “That is how the people of Israel will eat ‘unclean’ food. They will eat it in the nations where I will drive them.”

¹⁴ Then I said, “No, Lord and King! I won’t do this! I’ve never eaten anything ‘unclean.’ From the time I was young until now, I’ve never eaten anything that was found dead. And I’ve never eaten anything torn apart by wild animals. ‘Unclean’ meat has never entered my mouth.”

¹⁵ “All right,” he said. “I will let you bake your bread over waste from cows. You can use that instead of human waste.”

¹⁶ He continued, “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will be worried as they eat their tiny share of food. They will not have any hope as they drink their tiny share of water. ¹⁷ There will be very little food and water. The people will be shocked as they look at one another. They will become weaker and weaker because of their sin.

God’s Judgment Will Be Like a Barber’s Razor

5 “Son of man, get a sharp sword. Use it as a barber’s razor. Shave your head and beard with it. Then get a set of scales and weigh the hair. Separate it into three piles. ² Burn up a third of the hair inside the city. Do this when you stop attacking the model of Jerusalem. Next, get another third of the hair. Strike it with a sword all around the city. Then scatter the last third to the winds. That is because I will chase the people with a sword that is ready to strike them down. ³ But save a few hairs. Tuck them away in the clothes you are wearing. ⁴ Next, get a few more hairs. Throw them into the fire. Burn them up. The fire will spread to all the people of Israel.”

⁵ The Lord and King says, “What you do with the hair stands for what I will do with Jerusalem’s people. I have placed that city in the center of the nations. Countries are all around it. ⁶ But its people are sinful. They have refused to obey my laws and rules. They have turned their backs on my laws. They have not followed my rules. These people are worse than the nations and countries around them.”

⁷ The Lord and King continues, “You people have been worse than the nations around you. You have not lived by my rules or kept my laws. You have not even lived up to the standards of the nations around you.”

⁸ The Lord and King continues, “Jerusalem, I myself am against you. I will punish you in the sight of the nations. ⁹ I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. That is because you worship statues of gods. I hate them. ¹⁰ So parents will eat their own children inside the city. And children will eat their parents. I will punish you. And I will scatter to the winds anyone who is left alive. ¹¹ You have made my temple ‘unclean.’ You have set up statues of all your evil gods. You have done other things I hate. So I will cut you off just like Ezekiel cut off his hair. I will not spare you or feel sorry for you. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the Lord and King. ¹² A third of your people will die of the plague inside your walls. Or they will die of hunger there. Another third will be killed by swords outside your walls. And I will scatter the last third of your people to the winds. I will chase them with a sword that is ready to strike them down.

¹³ “Then I will not be angry anymore. My great anger against them will die down. And I will be satisfied. Then they will know that I have spoken with strong feelings. And my great anger toward them will come to an end. I am the Lord.

¹⁴ “I will destroy you. I will bring shame on you in the sight of the nations around you. All those who pass by will see it. ¹⁵ You will be put to shame. The nations will make fun of you. You will serve as a warning to others. They will be shocked when they see you. So I will punish you because I am very angry with you. You will feel the sting of my warning. I have spoken. I am the Lord. ¹⁶ I will shoot at you with my deadly, destroying arrows of hunger. I will shoot to kill. I will bring more and more hunger on you. I will cut off your food supply. ¹⁷ I will send hunger and wild animals against you. They will destroy all your children. Plague and murder will sweep over you. And I will send swords to kill you. I have spoken. I am the Lord.”

Ezekiel Prophesies Against the Mountains of Israel

6 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ² “Son of man, turn your attention to the mountains of Israel. Prophesy against them. ³ Say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the message of the Lord and King. Here is what he says to the mountains and hills. And here is what he says to the canyons and valleys. He tells them, “I will send swords to kill your people. I will destroy the high places where you worship other gods. ⁴ Your altars will be torn down. Your incense altars will be smashed. And I will kill your people in front of the statues of your gods. ⁵ I will put the dead bodies of Israelites in front of those statues. I will scatter your bones around your altars. ⁶ No matter where you live, the towns will be destroyed. The high places will be torn down. So your altars will be completely destroyed. The statues of your gods will be smashed to pieces. Your incense altars will be broken down. And everything you have made will be wiped out. ⁷ Your people will fall down dead among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

⁸ “ ‘ “But I will spare some of you. Some will escape from being killed by swords. You will be scattered among other lands and nations. ⁹ You will be taken away to those nations as prisoners. Those of you who escape will remember me. You will recall how much pain your unfaithful hearts gave me. You turned away from me. Your eyes longed to see the statues of your gods. You will hate yourselves because of all the evil things you have done. I hate those things too. ¹⁰ You will know that I am the Lord. I said I would bring trouble on you. And my warning came true.” ’ ”

¹¹ The Lord and King said to me, “Clap your hands. Stamp your feet. Cry out, ‘How sad!’ Do this because the people of Israel have done so many evil things. I hate those things. Israel will be destroyed by war, hunger and plague. ¹² The one who is far away will die of the plague. The one who is near will be killed by swords. Anyone who is left alive and is spared will die of hunger. And in this way I will pour out my great anger on them. ¹³ Then they will know that I am the Lord. Their people will lie dead among the statues of their gods around their altars. Their bodies will lie on every high hill and every mountaintop. They will lie under every green tree and leafy oak tree. They used to offer sweet-smelling incense to all their gods at those places. ¹⁴ I will reach out my powerful hand against them. The land will become dry and empty. Those people will live from the desert all the way to Diblah. They will know that I am the Lord.”

The End Has Come

7 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ² “Son of man, I am the Lord and King. I say to the land of Israel, ‘The end has come! It has come on the four corners of the land. ³ The end has now come for you. I will pour out my anger on you. I will judge you based on how you have lived. I will pay you back for all your evil practices. I hate them.

⁴ “ ‘I will not feel sorry for you. I will not spare you. You can be sure that I will pay you back for how you have lived. I will judge you for your evil practices. I hate them. You will know that I am the Lord.’

⁵ “I am the Lord and King. I say, ‘Horrible trouble is coming! No one has ever heard of anything like it. It is here!

⁶ “ ‘The end has come! The end has come! It has stirred itself up against you. It is here! ⁷ Death has come on you who live in the land. The time for you to be destroyed has come. The day when it will happen is near. There is no joy on your mountains. There is nothing but panic.

⁸ “ ‘I am about to pour out all my great anger on you. I will judge you based on how you have lived. I will pay you back for all your evil practices. I hate them.

⁹ “ ‘I will not feel sorry for you. I will not spare you. I will pay you back for how you have lived. I will judge you for your evil practices. I hate them. You will know that I am the one who strikes you down. I am the Lord.

¹⁰ “ ‘The day for me to punish you is here! It is here! Death has arrived. The time is ripe for you to be judged. Your pride has grown so much that you will be destroyed. ¹¹ Your mean and harmful acts have become like a rod. I will use it to punish those who do evil. None of them will be left. None of their wealth or anything of value will remain.

¹² “ ‘The time has come! The day has arrived! I will soon pour out my great anger on the whole crowd of you. Do not let the buyer be happy. Do not let the seller be sad. ¹³ The seller will not get back the land that was sold. That will be true as long as both the buyer and seller are alive.

“ ‘Ezekiel, the vision I gave you about that whole crowd will come true. They have committed many sins. So not one of them will be able to save their life. ¹⁴ They have blown trumpets. They have made everything ready. But no one will go into battle. I will soon pour out my great anger on the whole crowd.

¹⁵ “ ‘There is trouble everywhere. War is outside the city. Plague and hunger are inside it. Those out in the country will die in battle. Those in the city will be destroyed by hunger and plague. ¹⁶ All those who escape and are left alive will run to the mountains. They will sound like doves of the valley when they cry over their sins.

¹⁷ “ ‘Their hands will be powerless to help them. They will wet themselves. ¹⁸ They will put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. They will put on terror as if it were their clothes. Every face will be covered with shame. Every head will be shaved.

¹⁹ “ ‘They will throw their silver into the streets. They will treat their gold like an “unclean” thing. Their silver and gold won’t be able to save them on the day I pour out my anger. It will not be able to satisfy their hunger. Their stomachs can’t be filled with it. Their silver and gold have tripped them up. It has made them fall into sin. ²⁰ My people were so proud of their beautiful jewelry. They used it to make statues of their evil gods. I hate those gods. So I will turn their jewelry into an “unclean” thing for them.

²¹ “ ‘I will hand over their wealth to outsiders. I will turn it over to sinful people in other countries. They will make it “unclean.” ²² I will turn my face away from my people. Robbers will make “unclean” the temple I love. They will enter it and make it “unclean.”

²³ “ ‘Ezekiel, get ready to put my people in chains. The land is full of murderers. They are harming one another all over Jerusalem. ²⁴ I will bring the most evil nations against them. They will take over the houses in the city. I will put an end to the pride of those who are mighty. Their holy places will be made “unclean.”

²⁵ “ ‘When terror comes, they will look for peace. But there will not be any. ²⁶ Trouble after trouble will come. One report will follow another. But they will not be true. The people will go searching for a vision from the prophets. But there will not be any. The teaching of the law by the priests will be gone. Advice from the elders will come to an end.

²⁷ “ ‘The king will be filled with sadness. The princes will lose all hope. The hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will punish them based on how they have lived. I will judge them by their own standards. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

The People Worship Other Gods in the Temple

8 It was the sixth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house. The elders of Judah were sitting there with me. The power of the Lord and King came on me there. ² I looked up and saw a figure that appeared to be human. From his waist down he looked like fire. From his waist up he looked as bright as glowing metal. ³ He reached out what appeared to be a hand. He took hold of me by the hair of my head. The Spirit of the Lord lifted me up between earth and heaven. In visions God gave me, the Spirit took me to Jerusalem. He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the inner courtyard. The statue of a god was standing there. It made God very angry. ⁴ There in front of me was the glory of the God of Israel. It looked just as it did in the vision I had seen on the plain.

⁵ Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I did. I saw a statue that made God angry. It was in the entrance of the gate north of the altar.

⁶ He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the Israelites are doing here? They are doing things I hate very much. Those things will cause me to go far away from my temple. But you will see things I hate even more.”

⁷ Then he brought me to the entrance to the courtyard. I looked up and saw a hole in the wall. ⁸ He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall.” So I did. And I saw a door there.

⁹ He continued, “Go through it. Look at the evil things they are doing here. I hate those things.” ¹⁰ So I went in and looked. All over the walls were pictures of all kinds of crawling things and “unclean” animals. The Lord hates it when people worship those things. There were also carvings of the gods of the people of Israel. ¹¹ In front of them stood 70 elders of Israel. Jaazaniah was standing there among them. He is the son of Shaphan. Each elder was holding a shallow cup. A sweet-smelling cloud of incense was rising from the cups.

¹² The Lord spoke to me. He said, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of Israel are doing in the dark? Each of them is in his own room worshiping his own god. They say, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us. He has deserted the land.’ ” ¹³ He continued, “You will see them doing things I hate even more.”

¹⁴ Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house. I saw women sitting there. They were mourning for the god named Tammuz. ¹⁵ The Lord said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing? You will see things I hate even more.”

¹⁶ Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord’s house. About 25 men were there. They were at the entrance to the Lord’s temple between the porch and the altar. Their backs were turned toward the temple. Their faces were turned toward the east. And they were bowing down to the sun.

¹⁷ He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen all of this? The people of Judah are doing things here that I hate. This is a very serious matter. They are harming one another all through the land. They continue to make me very angry. Just look at them making fun of me! ¹⁸ So I am angry with them. I will punish them. I will not spare them or feel sorry for them. They might even shout in my ears. But I will not listen to them.”

The Lord Judges Those Who Worship Other Gods

9 Then I heard the Lord call out in a loud voice. He said, “Bring here those who are appointed to bring my judgment on the city. Make sure each of them has a weapon in his hand.” ² I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate. It faces north. Each of them had a deadly weapon in his hand. A man wearing linen clothes came along with them. He was carrying a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

³ The glory of the God of Israel had been above the cherubim. It moved from there to the doorway of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man who was dressed in linen clothes. He had the writing kit. ⁴ The Lord said to him, “Go all through Jerusalem. Look for those who are sad and sorry about all the things being done there. I hate those things. Put a mark on the foreheads of those people.”

⁵ I heard him speak to the six men. He said, “Follow him through the city. Do not show any pity or concern. ⁶ Kill the old men and women, the young men and women, and the children. But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Start at my temple.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.

⁷ Then he said to the men, “Make the temple ‘unclean.’ Fill the courtyards with dead bodies. Go!” So they went out and started killing people all through the city. ⁸ While they were doing it, I was left alone. I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out, “Lord and King, are you going to destroy all the Israelites who are still left alive? Will you pour out your great anger on all those who remain in Jerusalem?”

⁹ He answered me, “The sin of Israel and Judah is very great. The land is full of murderers. Its people are not being fair to one another anywhere in Jerusalem. They say, ‘The Lord has deserted the land. He doesn’t see us.’ ¹⁰ So I will not spare them or feel sorry for them. Anything that happens to them will be their own fault.”

¹¹ Then the man wearing linen clothes returned. He had the writing kit. He reported, “I’ve done what you commanded.”

The Glory of the Lord Moves Out of the Temple

10 I looked up and saw something that appeared to be a throne made out of lapis lazuli. It was above the huge space that was spread out over the heads of the cherubim. ² The Lord spoke to the man who was wearing linen clothes. He said, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from the fire that is among the cherubim. Scatter the coals over the city.” As I watched, he went in.

³ The cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in. A cloud filled the inner courtyard. ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim. It moved to the doorway of the temple. The cloud filled the temple. And the courtyard was full of the brightness of the glory of the Lord. ⁵ The sound the wings of the cherubim made could be heard as far away as the outer courtyard. It was like the voice of the Mighty God when he speaks.

⁶ The Lord gave a command to the man who was dressed in linen clothes. He said, “Get some coals of fire from among the wheels. Take them from among the cherubim.” So the man went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand. He picked up some of the burning coals that were among the wheels. He handed them to the man who was wearing linen clothes. The man took them and left. ⁸ I saw what looked like human hands. They were under the wings of the cherubim.

⁹ I looked up and saw four wheels beside the cherubim. One wheel was beside each of them. The wheels gleamed like topaz. ¹⁰ All four of them looked alike. Each wheel appeared to be inside another wheel at right angles. ¹¹ The wheels could go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced. The wheels didn’t change their direction as the cherubim moved. The cherubim went in the direction their heads faced. They didn’t change their direction as they moved. ¹² Their whole bodies were completely covered with eyes. That included their backs, hands and wings. Their four wheels were covered with eyes too. ¹³ I heard someone tell the wheels to start spinning around. ¹⁴ Each of the cherubim had four faces. One face was the face of a cherub. The second was the face of a human being. The third was the face of a lion. And the fourth was an eagle’s face.

¹⁵ The cherubim rose from the ground. They were the same living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. ¹⁶ When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved. The cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground. As they did, the wheels didn’t leave their side. ¹⁷ When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still. When the cherubim rose, the wheels rose along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels.

¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the doorway of the temple. It stopped above the cherubim. ¹⁹ While I watched, they spread their wings. They rose from the ground. As they went, the wheels went along with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house. And the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

²⁰ These were the same living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. I had seen them beneath the God of Israel. I realized that they were cherubim. ²¹ Each one had four faces and four wings. Under their wings was what looked like human hands. ²² Their faces looked the same as the ones I had seen by the Kebar River. Each of the cherubim went straight ahead.

The Lord’s Judgment of Jerusalem Is Certain

11 Then the Spirit of the Lord lifted me up. He brought me to the east gate of the Lord’s house. There were 25 men at the entrance of the gate. I saw Jaazaniah and Pelatiah among them. They were leaders of the people. Jaazaniah is the son of Azzur. Pelatiah is the son of Benaiah. ² The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these men are making evil plans. They are giving bad advice to the city. ³ They say, ‘Haven’t our houses just been built again? The city is like a pot used for cooking. And we are the meat in it.’ ⁴ So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”

⁵ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me. He told me to tell them, “The Lord says, ‘You leaders in Israel, that is what you are saying. But I know what you are thinking. ⁶ You have killed many people in this city. In fact, you have filled its streets with dead bodies.’

⁷ “So the Lord and King says, ‘The bodies you have thrown there are the meat. And the city is the cooking pot. But I will drive you out of it. ⁸ You are afraid of the swords of war. But I will bring them against you,’ announces the Lord and King. ⁹ ‘I will drive you out of the city. I will hand you over to outsiders. And I will punish you. ¹⁰ You will be killed by swords. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹ This city will not be a pot for you. And you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. ¹² Then you will know that I am the Lord. You have not obeyed my rules. You have not kept my laws. Instead, you have lived by the standards of the nations around you.’ ”

¹³ Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died as I was prophesying. Then I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out in a loud voice. I said, “Lord and King, will you destroy all the Israelites who are still left alive?”

The Lord Will Bring His People Back Home

¹⁴ A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ¹⁵ “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have spoken about you. They have spoken about the others the Babylonians have taken away. They have also spoken about all the other people of Israel. The people of Jerusalem have said, ‘Those people are far away from the Lord. This land was given to us. And it belongs to us.’

¹⁶ “So tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I sent some of my people far away among the nations. I scattered them among the countries. But for a little while I have been their temple in the countries where they have gone.” ’

¹⁷ “Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered. I will give you back the land of Israel.” ’

¹⁸ “They will return to it. They will remove all its statues of evil gods. I hate those gods. ¹⁹ I will give my people hearts that are completely committed to me. I will give them a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove their stubborn hearts from them. And I will give them hearts that obey me. ²⁰ Then they will follow my rules. They will be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people. And I will be their God. ²¹ But some people have hearts that are committed to worshiping the statues of their evil gods. I hate those gods. Anything that happens to those people will be their own fault,” announces the Lord and King.

²² Then the cherubim spread their wings. The wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was above them. ²³ The glory of the Lord went up from the city. It stopped above the Mount of Olives east of the city. ²⁴ The Spirit of God lifted me up. He took me to those who had been brought to Babylon as prisoners. These are the things that happened in the visions the Spirit gave me.

Then the visions I had seen were gone. ²⁵ I told my people everything the Lord had shown me.

Ezekiel Gives a Picture of What Will Happen

12 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ² “Son of man, you are living among people who refuse to obey me. They have eyes that can see. But they do not really see. They have ears that can hear. But they do not really hear. They refuse to obey me.

³ “Son of man, pack your belongings as if you were going on a long trip. Leave in the daytime. Let the people see you. Start out from where you are. Go to another place. Perhaps they will understand the meaning of what you are doing. But they will still refuse to obey me. ⁴ Bring out your belongings packed for a long trip. Do this during the daytime. Let the people see you. Then in the evening, pretend you are being forced to leave home. Let the people see you. ⁵ While the people are watching, dig through the mud bricks of your house. Then take your belongings out through the hole in the wall. ⁶ Put them on your shoulder. Carry them out at sunset. Let the people see you. Cover your face so you can’t see the land. All of that will show the Israelites what is going to happen to them.”

⁷ So I did just as he commanded me. During the day I brought out my things as if I were going on a long trip. In the evening I dug through the wall of my house with my hands. At sunset I took my belongings out. I put them on my shoulders. The people watched what I was doing.

⁸ In the morning a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ⁹ “Son of man, didn’t the Israelites ask you, ‘What are you doing?’ They always refuse to obey me.

¹⁰ “Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “This prophecy is about Zedekiah, the prince in Jerusalem. It is also about all the Israelites who still live there.” ’ ¹¹ Tell them, ‘The things I’ve done are a picture of what’s going to happen to you.

“ ‘So what I’ve done will happen to you. You will be forced to leave home. You will be taken to Babylon as prisoners.’

¹² “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder and leave. He will do this at sunset. Someone will dig a hole in the city wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so he can’t see the land. ¹³ I will spread out my net to catch him. He will be caught in my trap. I will bring him to Babylon. It is the land where the Chaldeans live. But he will not see it. He will die there. ¹⁴ I will scatter to the winds all those around him. I will scatter his officials and all his troops. And I will chase them with a sword that is ready to strike them down.

¹⁵ “They will know that I am the Lord when I scatter them among the nations. I will send them to other countries. ¹⁶ But I will spare a few of them. I will save them from war, hunger and plague. In those countries they will admit they have done all kinds of evil things. I hate those things. They will know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁷ A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ¹⁸ “Son of man, tremble with fear as you eat your food. Tremble as you drink your water. ¹⁹ Speak to the people of the land. Say to them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says. He says this about those who live in Jerusalem and Israel. “They will be worried as they eat their food. They will not have any hope as they drink their water. Their land will be stripped of everything in it because all those who live there are harming one another. ²⁰ The towns where people live will be completely destroyed. The land will become a dry and empty desert. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

The Lord’s Judgment Will Come Soon

²¹ A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ²² “Son of man, you have a proverb in the land of Israel. It says, ‘The days go by, and not even one vision comes true.’ ²³ Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I am going to put an end to this proverb. They will not use that saying in Israel anymore.” ’ Tell them, ‘The days are coming soon when every vision will come true. ²⁴ There will be no more false visions. People will no longer use magic to find out whether good things are going to happen in Israel. ²⁵ I am the Lord. So I will say what I want to. And it will come true when I want it to. In your days I will do everything I say I will. But you people always refuse to obey me,’ announces the Lord and King.”

²⁶ A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ²⁷ “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision Ezekiel sees won’t come true for many years. He is prophesying about a time that is a long way off.’

²⁸ “So tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “Everything I say will come true. It will happen when I want it to,” announces the Lord and King.’ ”

The Lord Punishes Those Who Pretend to Be True Prophets

13 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, ² “Son of man, prophesy against those who are now prophesying in Israel. What they prophesy comes out of their own minds. Tell them, ‘Listen to the Lord’s message! ³ The Lord and King says, “How terrible it will be for you foolish prophets! You say what your own minds tell you to. Your visions do not come from me. ⁴ Israel, your prophets are like wild dogs that live among broken-down buildings. ⁵ You have not repaired the cracks in the city wall for the people of Israel. So it will not stand firm in the battle on the day I judge you. ⁶ The visions of those prophets are false. They use magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But their magic tricks are lies. They say, ‘The Lord announces.’ But I have not sent them. In spite of that, they expect him to make their words come true.