The Glory of the Lord

⁴ As I looked, behold, ^(A)a stormy wind came ^(B)out of the north, and a great cloud, with ^(C)brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, ^(D)as it were gleaming metal.^{[a] 5} And from the midst of it came the likeness of ^(E)four living creatures. ^(F)And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, ^6 (G)but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled ^(H)like burnished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings ^(I)on their four sides ^(J)they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: ⁹ their wings touched one another. ^(K)Each one of them went straight forward, ^(L)without turning as they went. ¹⁰ As for the likeness of their faces, ^(M)each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while ^(N)two covered their bodies. ^12 (O)And each went straight forward. ^(P)Wherever the spirit^[b] would go, they went, without turning as they went. ¹³ As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was ^(Q)like burning coals of fire, ^(R)like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. ^(S)And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. ¹⁴ And the living creatures ^(T)darted to and fro, ^(U)like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

^15 (V)Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.^{[c] 16 (W)}As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like ^(X)the gleaming of beryl. ^(Y)And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. ^17 (Z)When they went, they went ^(AA)in any of their four directions^{[d] (AB)}without turning as they went. ¹⁸ And their rims were tall and awesome, ^(AC)and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. ^19 (AD)And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; ^(AE)and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. ^20 (AF)Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, ^(AG)for the spirit of the living creatures^[e] was in the wheels. ^21 (AH)When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; ^(AI)and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, ^(AJ)for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

²² Over the heads of the living creatures there was ^(AK)the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring ^(AL)crystal, spread out above their heads. ²³ And under the expanse their wings were ^(AM)stretched out straight, one toward another. ^(AN)And each creature had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings ^(AO)like the sound of many waters, like ^(AP)the sound of the ^(AQ)Almighty, a sound of tumult ^(AR)like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. ²⁵ And there came a voice from above ^(AS)the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

²⁶ And above the expanse over their heads there was ^(AT)the likeness of a throne, ^(AU)in appearance ^(AV)like sapphire;^[f] and seated above the likeness of a throne was ^(AW)a likeness with a human appearance. ²⁷ And ^(AX)upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were ^(AY)gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and ^(AZ)there was brightness around him.^{[g] 28} Like the appearance of ^(BA)the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of ^(BB)the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, ^(BC)I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Ezekiel's Call

2 And he said to me, ^(BD)“Son of man,^{[h] (BE)}stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” ² And as he spoke to me, ^(BF)the Spirit entered into me and ^(BG)set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to ^(BH)nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. ^(BI)They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. ⁴ The descendants also are ^(BJ)impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ⁵ And ^(BK)whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are ^(BL)a rebellious house) ^(BM)they will know that a prophet has been among them. ⁶ And you, son of man, ^(BN)be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, ^(BO)though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on ^(BP)scorpions.^[i] Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. ⁷ And you shall speak my words to them, ^(BQ)whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

⁸ “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. ^(BR)Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and ^(BS)eat what I give you.” ⁹ And when I looked, behold, ^(BT)a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, ^(BU)a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰ And he spread it before me. And it had writing ^(BV)on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

3 And he said to me, ^(BW)“Son of man, eat whatever you find here. ^(BX)Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” ^(BY)Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth ^(BZ)as sweet as honey.

⁴ And he said to me, ^(CA)“Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. ⁵ For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— ⁶ not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. ^(CB)Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. ^7 (CC)But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel ^(CD)have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. ^8 (CE)Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. ⁹ Like ^(CF)emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. ^(CG)Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” ¹⁰ Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, ^(CH)all my words that I shall speak to you receive ^(CI)in your heart, and hear with your ears. ¹¹ And go to the exiles, ^(CJ)to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ^(CK)‘Thus says the Lord God,’ ^(CL)whether they hear or refuse to hear.”

^12 (CM)Then the Spirit^[j] lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice^[k] of ^(CN)a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its place!” ¹³ It was the sound of the wings of ^(CO)the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of ^(CP)a great earthquake. ^14 (CQ)The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the ^(CR)hand of the Lord being strong upon me. ^15 (CS)And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling ^(CT)by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling.^[l] And ^(CU)I sat there ^(CV)overwhelmed among them ^(CW)seven days.

Isaiah's Vision of the Lord

6 In the year that ^(A)King Uzziah died I ^(B)saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train^[a] of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him stood the seraphim. Each had ^(C)six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one called to another and said:

⁴ And ^(F)the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and ^(G)the house was filled with smoke. ⁵ And I said: “Woe is me! ^(H)For I am lost; ^(I)for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the ^(J)King, the Lord of hosts!”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ And he ^(K)touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah's Commission from the Lord

⁸ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for ^(L)us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” ⁹ And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

The Call of Jeremiah

⁴ Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁶ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, ^(D)I do not know how to speak, ^(E)for I am only a youth.” ⁷ But the Lord said to me,

^9 (I)Then the Lord put out his hand and ^(J)touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,

¹¹ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^(N)“Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond^[a] branch.” ¹² Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

¹³ The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see ^(O)a boiling pot, facing away ^(P)from the north.” ¹⁴ Then the Lord said to me, ^(Q)“Out of the north disaster^[b] shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁵ For behold, ^(R)I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, ^(S)and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. ¹⁶ And ^(T)I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil ^(U)in forsaking me. ^(V)They have made offerings to other gods and ^(W)worshiped the works of their own hands. ¹⁷ But you, ^(X)dress yourself for work;^[c] arise, and ^(Y)say to them everything that I command you. ^(Z)Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. ¹⁸ And I, behold, I make you this day ^(AA)a fortified city, ^(AB)an iron pillar, and ^(AC)bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. ^19 (AD)They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for ^(AE)I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”