¹⁴ The Spirit^(A) then lifted me up^(B) and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord^(C) on me.

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,^(A) and he brought me out by the Spirit^(B) of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley;^(C) it was full of bones.^(D)

¹⁵ But now bring me a harpist.”^(A)

While the harpist was playing, the hand^(B) of the Lord came on Elisha

Jeremiah’s Complaint

³ He stretched out what looked like a hand^(A) and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up^(B) between earth and heaven and in visions^(C) of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court,^(D) where the idol that provokes to jealousy^(E) stood.

³ the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel^(A) the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians.^[a] There the hand of the Lord was on him.^(B)

¹⁶ “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit^(A) of the Lord has picked him up^(B) and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

¹² Then the Spirit lifted me up,^(A) and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing.^[a]

¹¹ He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble^(A) on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?^{(B) 12} Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant,^(C) to the land you promised on oath^(D) to their ancestors?^{(E) 13} Where can I get meat for all these people?^(F) They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.^{(G) 15} If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me^(H)—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders^(I) who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people.^(J) Have them come to the tent of meeting,^(K) that they may stand there with you. ¹⁷ I will come down and speak with you^(L) there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them.^(M) They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.^(N)

¹⁸ “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves^(O) in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed,^(P) “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!”^(Q) Now the Lord will give you meat,^(R) and you will eat it. ¹⁹ You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days,