The Furnishings of the Temple

²³ In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high.^(A)

⁷ He made two cherubim of hammered gold; at the two ends of the cover he made them, ⁸ one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; of one piece with the cover he made the cherubim at its two ends. ⁹ The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the cover with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were turned toward the cover.

¹² It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look!^(A)

¹⁴ Are not all angels^[a] spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?^(A)

² He said to the man clothed in linen, “Go within the wheelwork underneath the cherubim; fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” He went in as I looked on.^{(A) 3} Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court.^{(B) 4} Then the glory of the Lord rose up from the cherub to the entryway of the temple; the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the glory of the Lord.^{(C) 5} The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty^[a] when he speaks.^(D)

⁶ When he commanded the man clothed in linen, “Take fire from within the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” he went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ And a cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, took some of it, and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings.

⁹ I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like gleaming beryl.^{(E) 10} And as for their appearance, the four looked alike, something like a wheel within a wheel. ¹¹ When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without veering as they moved, but in whatever direction the front wheel faced, the others followed without veering as they moved. ¹² Their entire bodies—backs, hands, and wings—were covered with eyes all around, as were the wheels of the four of them.^{(F) 13} As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing “the wheelwork.” ¹⁴ Each one had four faces: the first face was that of the cherub, the second face was that of a human, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.^(G)

¹⁵ The cherubim rose up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the River Chebar. ¹⁶ When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise up from the earth, the wheels at their side did not veer.^{(H) 17} When they stopped, the others stopped, and when they rose up, the others rose up with them, for a living spirit was in them.^(I)

¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord went out from the entryway of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. ¹⁹ The cherubim lifted up their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight as they went out with the wheels beside them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.^(J)

²⁰ These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew that they were cherubim.^{(K) 21} Each had four faces, each four wings, and underneath their wings something like human hands.^{(L) 22} As for what their faces were like, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the River Chebar. Each one moved straight ahead.^(M)

¹⁶ “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.^(A)

Psalm 80

Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the leader: on Lilies, a Covenant. Of Asaph. A Psalm.

¹⁰ In the most holy place he made two carved cherubim and overlaid^[a] them with gold.^{(A) 11} The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, five cubits long, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub; ¹² and of this cherub, one wing, five cubits long, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also five cubits long, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. ¹³ The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; the cherubim^[b] stood on their feet facing the main hall.