Beginning

The Vision of the Executioners

9 Then the Spirit^[a] shouted right in my ears with a loud voice! “Come forward,” he said, “you executioners of the city, and bring your weapon of destruction in your^[b] hand!”

² All of a sudden, I noticed six men approaching from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north. Each of them held a destructive weapon in his hand. Among them there was one man, clothed in linen, who was equipped with a writing set^[c] at his side. They went in and presented themselves beside the bronze altar. ³ Then the glory that is Israel’s God arose from the cherubim on which he had been seated and settled on the threshold of the Temple. He called out to the man dressed in linen who wore the writing case at his side.

⁴ The Lord told him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of everyone who sighs and moans over all of the loathsome things that are happening in it.”

⁵ As I continued to listen, he also told the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing. Don’t spare anyone you see, and don’t show pity of any kind. ⁶ You are to execute old men, young men, young women, little children, and women. But don’t touch anyone who has been marked. Begin at my Holy Place!” And so they started with the elders who were in standing in front of the Temple.

⁷ “Desecrate my Temple,” he told them, “and fill its courtyard with the dead!” So they went out and began striking down people throughout the city.

Ezekiel Intercedes for Israel

⁸ While they were out carrying out the executions, I was left alone. So I fell on my face and cried out, “O Lord God, are you going to destroy all of the survivors of Israel when you pour out your anger on Jerusalem?”

⁹ “The house of Israel and Judah is guilty—and theirs is a stubborn guilt, at that!” he replied to me. “The land is filled with blood, and the city overflows with injustice, because they keep saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land,’ and ‘The Lord isn’t watching.’ ¹⁰ So as for me, I’m not going to show pity, and I won’t look in their direction with mercy. I’m repaying them for what they have done.”

¹¹ Then I noticed the man dressed in linen who wore the writing case by his side as he brought back this message: “I’ve done as you have commanded me.”

The Vision of God’s Throne

10 As I continued to watch, there on the expanse above the heads of the cherubim was a massive^[d] sapphire stone that resembled a throne in form and appearance. ² The Lord^[e] spoke to the man who was clothed in white linen, telling him, “Go between the whirling wheels, under the cherubim, and fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim. Then scatter them^[f] over the city.” So he entered as I watched.^[g]

³ Now the cherubim were standing on the south^[h] side of the entrance to the Temple, when the man entered and a cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ The glory of the Lord rose above the cherub and moved to the threshold of the Temple. A cloud filled the Temple and the court was filled with the brilliance of the Lord’s glory. ⁵ The sound of the wings of the cherubim, reminiscent of the voice of the Sovereign God when he speaks, could be heard as far as the outer court.

⁶ He issued this order to the man who was clothed in white linen: “Take fire from within the whirling wheels, among the cherubim.” So he went and stood beside the wheels.

Ezekiel’s Vision of the Cherubim

⁷ Then a cherub stretched out his hand to the fire, which was among the cherubim, took some of the fire, and placed it in the hands of the one clothed in white linen, who took it and left. ⁸ There appeared to be human hands under the wings of the cherubim.

⁹ As I continued to watch, I observed four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub.^[i] The wheels resembled beryl stone. ¹⁰ In appearance, the four wheels looked like they consisted of a wheel within a wheel. ¹¹ Whenever they moved, they proceeded without turning around as they moved, but they followed in the direction where their head was facing, without looking around as they moved.

¹² Their entire bodies, backs, hands, and wings were filled with eyes around, including each of their four wheels. ¹³ The wheels whose sound I was hearing were called “the whirling wheels”. ¹⁴ Each had four faces. The first one was the face of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

¹⁵ The cherubim arose. These were the same beings that I had seen at the Chebar River. ¹⁶ When the cherubim moved, the wheels went alongside them. But when the cherubim started to ascend, beating their wings to rise above the earth, the wheels beside them didn’t turn. ¹⁷ When they stood still, the wheels stood still. When they rose up, the wheels rose up, too, because they were alive.^[j]

¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the Temple and stood over the cherubim. ¹⁹ The cherubim lifted their wings and rose above the earth while I watched. They went out, along with their wheels, and stood at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple as the glory of Israel’s God remained above, covering them.

²⁰ These were the living beings that I had seen under the God of Israel on the bank of the Chebar River. I knew that they were cherubim. ²¹ Each one had four faces. Each one had four wings, and the form of human hands could be seen under their wings. ²² As to the likeness of their faces, they were like what I had seen on the bank of the Chebar River. They each moved straight ahead.

The Vision of the Eastern Gate

11 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east facing gate of the Lord’s Temple. At the entrance of the gate I saw 25 men. Included among them were Azzur’s son Jaazaniah and Benaiah’s son Pelatiah, who were princes of the people.

² Then he told me, “Son of Man, these men are plotting evil and are giving wicked advice in this city. ³ They keep saying, ‘The right time to build families^[k] hasn’t yet arrived. The city is the pot and we are the meat.’ ⁴ Therefore you are to prophesy against them. Prophesy, Son of Man!”

God Rebukes those who Plot Evil

⁵ Just then the Spirit of the Lord took control of^[l] me and told me, “You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You’ve said, O house of Israel, that I know what goes through your mind.^{[m] 6} You’ve increased the number of fatally wounded in this city and you’ve filled your streets with the dead.”

⁷ ‘Therefore this is what the Lord God says, “The corpses that you’ve laid out in your midst are the meat, and this city is the cooking pot. But you’ll be taken out from the middle of it. ⁸ You’ve feared the sword,^[n] but I’m bringing violent death in your direction,”^[o] declares the Lord God. ⁹ “I’m bringing you out from the middle of it and I’m going to deliver you into the hands of strangers, because I’m going to carry out my sentence against you. ¹⁰ You’re going to die violently,^[p] and I’ll judge you as far as the borders of Israel. Then you’ll learn^[q] that I am the Lord. ¹¹ This city won’t be your cooking pot and neither will you be the meat in it, because I’m going to judge you as far as the borders of Israel. ¹² Then you’ll learn^[r] that I am the Lord, because you didn’t live by my statues or obey my ordinances. Instead, you obeyed the ordinances of the nations around you.”’”

Ezekiel Reacts to Pelatiah’s Death

¹³ While I was prophesying, Benaiah’s son Pelatiah died, so I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice. “Ah, Lord God,” I said, “are you going to put an end to the survivors within Israel?”

¹⁴ Then this message came to me from the Lord: ¹⁵ “Son of Man, your brothers, your other relatives, your fellow exiles,^[s] and the entire house of Israel are the people to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They’ve abandoned the Lord. This land was given to us for an inheritance.’”

The Future Hope of Israel

¹⁶ “Therefore you are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “Although I’ve removed them far away to live among the nations, and although I’ve scattered them throughout the earth, yet I’ve continued to be their sanctuary, even for the short time that they will be living in the lands to which they’ve gone.”’

¹⁷ “Therefore you are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “I’m going to gather you from among the nations, assembling you from the lands among which you have been dispersed. I’ll give you the land of Israel. ¹⁸ When they return from there and cast away all of their loathsome things and detestable practices, ¹⁹ then I’ll give them a united heart, placing a new spirit within them.^[t] I’ll remove their stubborn heart^[u] and give them a heart that’s sensitive to me.^{[v] 20} When they live by my statutes and keep my ordinances by observing them, then they’ll be my people and I will be their God. ²¹ But to those whose hearts delight in loathsome things and detestable practices, I’ll bring the consequences of their behavior crashing down on their own heads,” declares the Lord God.’”

The Cherubim Leave

²² Then the cherubim arose, with their wheels alongside, and the glory of Israel’s God remained above and over them. ²³ The glory of the Lord went up from the middle of the city and stood on the mountain, east of the city. ²⁴ Then in a vision from the Spirit of God, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Chaldea. At that point, the vision that I had been observing ended. ²⁵ Later, I spoke to the exiles concerning everything the Lord had spoken that I had witnessed.

Ezekiel Packs for Exile

12 This message came to me from the Lord: ² “Son of Man, you live in a rebellious house that has eyes to see, but they can’t see, and ears to hear, but they can’t hear, since they’re a rebellious house.

³ “So now, Son of Man, you are to prepare your luggage for a trip into exile, and then you are to leave during the daytime so they see you leaving. Leave from your place to another while they’re watching. Then perhaps they’ll realize that they’re a rebellious house.

⁴ “Bring out your luggage, like you’re packing to go into exile, and do this during the daytime while they’re watching you.^[w] Later that evening, leave while they’re watching you like someone heading into exile. ⁵ While they continue to watch, dig a hole for yourself in the wall and enter through it.

⁶ “While they’re watching, carry your luggage^[x] on your shoulder and go out in total^[y] darkness. Cover your face so that you won’t see the land, because I’m using you as a sign to Israel’s house.”

⁷ I did just as I was commanded. I brought out the luggage as if it were luggage for exile. I did this during the day. Then in the evening I dug a hole in the wall with my hand and brought the luggage out in total^[z] darkness and carried it out on my shoulder while they were watching.

The Meaning of the Message

⁸ The next morning, this message came to me from the Lord: ⁹ “Son of Man, didn’t the house of Israel, that rebellious house, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’ ¹⁰ Answer them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “This oracle concerns the prince of Jerusalem and the whole of Israel’s house that is in their midst. ¹¹ Tell them, ‘I’m a sign for you. Just as I enacted it,^[aa] it’s going to happen to them. They’ll go into exile and captivity. ¹² Then the prince, who will be one of them, will carry his luggage^[ab] on his shoulder in the dark and will go out. They’ll dig a hole in the wall for him to go through. His face will be covered so that he won’t be able to see the land with his eyes. ¹³ But I’ll throw my net over him. As a result, he’ll be captured with my net, and with it I’ll bring him to Babel, the land of the Chaldeans. He won’t see it, though he’ll die there. ¹⁴ I’ll scatter every attendant who surrounds him, along with his entire army, to every wind. When I unsheathe my sword to pursue them, ¹⁵ they’ll learn^[ac] that I am the Lord, when I’ve dispersed them among the nations and scattered them throughout the earth.”’”

The Purpose of the Surviving Remnant

¹⁶ “But I’ll preserve^[ad] a few people out of the violent death,^[ae] famine, and pestilence, so they can recount their detestable practices among the nations when they’ll go there. Then they’ll know that I am the Lord.”

The Coming Devastation

¹⁷ This message came to me from the Lord: ¹⁸ “Son of Man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. ¹⁹ Then tell the people of the land, ‘This is what the Lord says to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to Israel’s land: “They’ll eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in trepidation, because their land will be desolate in its entirety due to all the violence committed by all who live in it. ²⁰ The towns that are inhabited will lie in ruins, because the land will be devastated. Then they’ll learn^[af] that I am the Lord.”’”

The Coming Fulfillment of Visions

²¹ Later, this message came to me from the Lord: ²² “Son of Man, what’s this proverb you have concerning Israel’s land that says, ‘The days pass slowly and every vision ends in nothing.’?^{[ag] 23} Therefore you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “I’m about to put an end to use of this proverb in Israel. It will never be used again as a proverb in Israel. Instead, tell them that the days are drawing near when every vision will be fulfilled. ²⁴ There will no longer be worthless visions and flattering divinations in the midst of Israel’s house. ²⁵ Because I am the Lord, I’ll speak and the message that I communicate will be accomplished without delay. While you continue to be a rebellious house, I’ll speak the message and then fulfill it,” declares the Lord God.’”

The Imminent Fulfillment

²⁶ Later, this message came to me from the Lord: ²⁷ “Son of Man, pay attention! The house of Israel keeps on saying, ‘The vision that he’s talking about concerns the distant future. He’s prophesying concerning times that are far in the future!’ ²⁸ Therefore tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says, “None of my messages will be delayed any longer. Any message that I speak will be fulfilled,” declares the Lord God.’”