How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?

Ezekiel in Babylon

1 ^(A)In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by ^(B)the Chebar canal, ^(C)the heavens were opened, and I saw ^(D)visions of God.^{[a] 2} On the fifth day of the month (it was ^(E)the fifth year of ^(F)the exile of King Jehoiachin), ³ the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel ^(G)the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by ^(H)the Chebar canal, and ^(I)the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

The Glory of the Lord

⁴ As I looked, behold, ^(J)a stormy wind came ^(K)out of the north, and a great cloud, with ^(L)brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, ^(M)as it were gleaming metal.^{[b] 5} And from the midst of it came the likeness of ^(N)four living creatures. ^(O)And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, ^6 (P)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 ^(Q)like burnished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings ^(R)on their four sides ^(S)they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: ⁹ their wings touched one another. ^(T)Each one of them went straight forward, ^(U)without turning as they went. ¹⁰ As for the likeness of their faces, ^(V)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 ^(W)two covered their bodies. ^12 (X)And each went straight forward. ^(Y)Wherever the spirit^[c] would go, they went, without turning as they went. ¹³ As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was ^(Z)like burning coals of fire, ^(AA)like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. ^(AB)And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. ¹⁴ And the living creatures ^(AC)darted to and fro, ^(AD)like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

^15 (AE)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.^{[d] 16 (AF)}As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like ^(AG)the gleaming of beryl. ^(AH)And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. ^17 (AI)When they went, they went ^(AJ)in any of their four directions^{[e] (AK)}without turning as they went. ¹⁸ And their rims were tall and awesome, ^(AL)and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. ^19 (AM)And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; ^(AN)and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. ^20 (AO)Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, ^(AP)for the spirit of the living creatures^[f] was in the wheels. ^21 (AQ)When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; ^(AR)and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, ^(AS)for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

²² Over the heads of the living creatures there was ^(AT)the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring ^(AU)crystal, spread out above their heads. ²³ And under the expanse their wings were ^(AV)stretched out straight, one toward another. ^(AW)And each creature had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings ^(AX)like the sound of many waters, like ^(AY)the sound of the ^(AZ)Almighty, a sound of tumult ^(BA)like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. ²⁵ And there came a voice from above ^(BB)the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

²⁶ And above the expanse over their heads there was ^(BC)the likeness of a throne, ^(BD)in appearance ^(BE)like sapphire;^[g] and seated above the likeness of a throne was ^(BF)a likeness with a human appearance. ²⁷ And ^(BG)upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were ^(BH)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 ^(BI)there was brightness around him.^{[h] 28} Like the appearance of ^(BJ)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 ^(BK)the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, ^(BL)I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Ezekiel's Call

2 And he said to me, ^(BM)“Son of man,^{[i] (BN)}stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” ² And as he spoke to me, ^(BO)the Spirit entered into me and ^(BP)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 ^(BQ)nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. ^(BR)They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. ⁴ The descendants also are ^(BS)impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ⁵ And ^(BT)whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are ^(BU)a rebellious house) ^(BV)they will know that a prophet has been among them. ⁶ And you, son of man, ^(BW)be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, ^(BX)though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on ^(BY)scorpions.^[j] 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, ^(BZ)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. ^(CA)Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and ^(CB)eat what I give you.” ⁹ And when I looked, behold, ^(CC)a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, ^(CD)a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰ And he spread it before me. And it had writing ^(CE)on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

Pray for All People

2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ^2 (A)for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and ^(B)dignified in every way. ³ This is good, and ^(C)it is pleasing in the sight of ^(D)God our Savior, ⁴ who desires ^(E)all people to be saved and ^(F)to come to ^(G)the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For ^(H)there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man^[a] Christ Jesus, ^6 (I)who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is ^(J)the testimony given ^(K)at the proper time. ^7 (L)For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (^(M)I am telling the truth, I am not lying), ^(N)a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸ I desire then that ^(O)in every place the men should pray, ^(P)lifting ^(Q)holy hands without anger or quarreling; ⁹ likewise also ^(R)that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, ^10 (S)but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. ¹¹ Let a woman learn quietly ^(T)with all submissiveness. ^12 (U)I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. ^13 (V)For Adam was formed first, ^(W)then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but ^(X)the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. ¹⁵ Yet she will be saved through ^(Y)childbearing—if they continue in ^(Z)faith and love and holiness, with self-control.