The Vision of Four Figures

1 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. ² (On the fifth of the month ^[b]in the ^(D)fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, ³ 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.)

⁴ As I looked, behold, a ^(H)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 ^(I)gleaming ^[c]metal in the midst of the fire. ⁵ And within it there were figures resembling ^(J)four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human ^(K)form. ⁶ Each of them had ^(L)four faces and ^(M)four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight and ^[d]their feet were like a calf’s ^[e]hoof, and they sparkled like ^(N)polished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings on their ^(O)four sides were human ^(P)hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, ⁹ their wings touched one another; their faces did ^(Q)not turn when they moved, each ^(R)went straight forward. ¹⁰ As for the ^(S)form of their faces, each had a human ^(T)face; ^[f]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and ^[g]all four had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and ^(U)two covering their bodies. ¹² And ^(V)each went straight forward; ^(W)wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. ^13 [h]In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of ^(X)fire, ^[i]like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was ^[j]flashing from the fire. ¹⁴ And the living beings ^(Y)ran back and forth like bolts of ^(Z)lightning.

¹⁵ Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one ^(AA)wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for ^[k]each of the four of them. ¹⁶ The ^(AB)appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like ^[l]sparkling ^(AC)topaz, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if ^[m]one wheel were within another. ¹⁷ Whenever they ^[n]moved, they ^[o]moved in any of their four ^[p]directions without ^(AD)turning as they ^[q]moved. ¹⁸ As for their rims, they were high and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were ^[r](AE)covered with eyes all around. ^19 (AF)Whenever the living beings ^[s]moved, the wheels ^[t]moved with them. And whenever the living beings ^(AG)rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. ^20 (AH)Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction^[u]. And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living ^[v]beings was in the wheels. ^21 (AI)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 ^[w]beings was in the wheels.

Vision of Divine Glory

²² Now ^(AJ)over the heads of the living ^[x]beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads. ²³ 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. ²⁴ And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the ^(AL)sound of abundant waters as they went, like the ^(AM)voice of ^[y]the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the ^(AN)sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings. ²⁵ And a voice came from above the ^(AO)expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

²⁶ Now ^(AP)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something ^(AQ)resembling a throne, like ^[z](AR)lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a ^(AS)man. ²⁷ Then I ^[aa]noticed from the appearance of His waist and upward something ^(AT)like gleaming ^[ab]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. ²⁸ Like the appearance of the ^(AU)rainbow ^[ac]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.

The Prophet’s Call

2 Then He said to me, “Son of man, ^(AX)stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” ² And as He spoke to me the ^(AY)Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. ³ Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have ^(AZ)rebelled against Me; ^(BA)they and their fathers have revolted against Me to this very day. ⁴ So I am sending you to those who are ^[ad](BB)impudent and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Lord ^[ae]God says:’ ⁵ As for them, ^(BC)whether they listen or ^[af]not—for they are a rebellious house—they will ^(BD)know that a prophet has been among them. ⁶ And as for you, son of man, you are ^(BE)not to fear them nor fear their words, though ^(BF)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. ⁷ But you shall ^(BG)speak My words to them ^(BH)whether they listen or ^[ag]not, for they are rebellious.

⁸ “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 ^(BI)eat what I am giving you.” ⁹ Then I looked, and behold, a ^(BJ)hand was extended to me; and behold, a ^[ah](BK)scroll was in it. ¹⁰ 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 ^(BL)woe.

The Triumphs of Faith

11 Now faith is the ^(A)certainty of things ^[a](B)hoped for, a ^[b]proof of ^(C)things not seen. ² For by it the ^(D)people of old ^[c](E)gained approval.

³ By faith we understand that the ^[d](F)world has been created ^(G)by the word of God so that what is seen ^(H)has not been made out of things that are visible. ⁴ By faith ^(I)Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was ^(J)attested to be righteous, God testifying ^[e]about his ^(K)gifts, and through ^[f]faith, though ^(L)he is dead, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith ^(M)Enoch was taken up so that he would not ^(N)see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who ^(O)comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him. ⁷ By faith ^(P)Noah, being ^(Q)warned by God about ^(R)things not yet seen, ^[g](S)in reverence ^(T)prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of ^(U)the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸ By faith ^(V)Abraham, when he was called, obeyed ^[h]by going out to a place which he was to ^(W)receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he lived as a stranger in ^(X)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(Y)living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^(Z)fellow heirs of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he was looking for ^(AA)the city which has ^(AB)foundations, ^(AC)whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith even ^(AD)Sarah herself received ^[i]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him ^(AE)faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore even from one man, and ^(AF)one who was as good as dead ^[j]at that, there were born descendants who were ^(AG)just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.

^13 (AH)All these died in faith, ^(AI)without receiving the promises, but ^(AJ)having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and ^(AK)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been ^[k]thinking of that country which they left, ^(AL)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a ^(AM)heavenly one. Therefore ^(AN)God is not ^[l]ashamed to be ^(AO)called their God; for ^(AP)He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith ^(AQ)Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had ^(AR)received the promises was offering up his ^[m]only son; ¹⁸ it was he to whom it was said, “^(AS)Through Isaac your ^[n]descendants shall be named.” ^19 [o]He considered that ^(AT)God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back ^[p]as a ^[q](AU)type.