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Date of Vision of Living Creatures and Glory of the Throne of Yahweh
1 And it was in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, and I was in the midst of[a] the exiles[b] by the Kebar River.[c] The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of the king Jehoiachin— 3 the word of Yahweh came[d] clearly[e] to Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans at the Kebar River,[f] and the hand of Yahweh was on him there.
4 And I looked,[g] and look! A storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire flashing back and forth, and brightness around and within it,[h] and from its midst[i] it was like the outward appearance of amber stone from the midst[j] of the fire. 5 And from its midst[k] was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: a human form,[l] 6 and each had four faces,[m] and each of them had four wings.[n] 7 And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of the foot of a calf, and they were sparkling like the outward appearance of polished bronze. 8 And under their wings were human hands[o] on their four sides. And their faces and their wings for the four of them were as follows: 9 their wings were touching one another;[p] each of them went straight forward,[q] without turning right or left.[r] 10 The likeness of their faces was the face of a human in front, and the face of a lion on the right of each of them,[s] and the face of an ox on the left of each of them,[t] and the face of an eagle for each of them.[u] 11 So were their faces; their wings were spread out upward;[v] each had two touching one another and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward;[w] wherever the spirit went[x] they went, and they did not turn as they went.[y] 13 As for[z] the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. It[aa] was moving to and fro between the living creatures, and the fire was very bright[ab] and lightning was going out from the fire. 14 And the living creatures were speeding to and fro[ac] like the appearance of lightning.
15 And I saw the living creatures, and look! A wheel was on the earth[ad] beside each of the living creatures that had four faces.[ae] 16 The appearance of the wheels and their construction was like the appearance of beryl,[af] and they all looked alike,[ag] and their appearance and their construction was like a wheel within a wheel.[ah] 17 When they moved, they went toward their four sides; they did not veer at all as they went.[ai] 18 And their rims were high and awesome,[aj] and all four of[ak] their rims were full of eyes all around. 19 And at the going of the living creatures, the wheels next to them also went, and when the creatures were lifted from the ground[al] the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever[am] the spirit went they would go there, and the wheels rose, for the spirit of the living creatures[an] was in the wheels. 21 At their[ao] going, they[ap] go, and at their standing, they stood, and at their being lifted up from on the earth,[aq] the wheels rose,[ar] for the spirit of the living creatures[as] was in the wheels.
22 Now[at] the likeness above the heads of the living creatures was an expanse like the outward appearance of awesome[au] ice[av] spread out above their heads upward.[aw] 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight one toward the other;[ax] each had two wings covering them, and each had two wings covering their bodies. 24 And I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai,[ay] and when they moved[az] there was a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stood still[ba] they lowered their wings. 25 And there was[bb] a sound from above the expanse that was above their heads, and when they stood[bc] they lowered their wings. 26 And from above the expanse that was above their heads there was the likeness of a throne, looking like a sapphire,[bd] and above the likeness of the throne was a likeness similar to[be] the appearance of a human on it, but above it.[bf] 27 And I saw something like the outward appearance of amber, something like the appearance of fire, with a covering around it, from the likeness of his loins and upward.[bg] And from the likeness of his loins and downward[bh] I saw something like the appearance of fire, and it was radiant all around.[bi] 28 Like the appearance[bj] of a bow that is in the cloud on a rainy day,[bk] such was the radiance[bl] around it; thus was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw, and I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.
The Call of Ezekiel to Speak God’s Words
2 And he said to me, “Son of man,[bm] stand on your feet, so that I can speak with you.” 2 And the Spirit[bn] came into me as he was speaking to me, and it set me on my feet, and I heard the one speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man,[bo] I am sending you to the Israelites,[bp] to nations[bq] who are rebelling, who rebelled against me, they and their ancestors,[br] they transgressed against me until this very day.[bs] 4 And the children[bt] are impudent[bu] and stubborn,[bv] and so I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh!’ 5 And they, whether they listen or whether they fail to listen, for they are a rebellious house, they will know that a prophet was in their midst. 6 And you, son of man,[bw] you must not be afraid of them, and you must not be afraid of their words, because[bx] briers and thorns are with you, and you are sitting among scorpions. You must not be afraid of their words, and you must not be dismayed because of their looks,[by] for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you must speak my words to them whether they listen or whether they fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8 And you, son of man,[bz] hear what I am speaking to you: you must not be rebellious like the house of rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving to you.” 9 And I looked,[ca] and look! There was a hand stretched out to me, and look! In it was a scroll with writing.[cb] 10 And he rolled it out[cc] before me,[cd] and it was written on the front and back, and there were written on it laments and mourning and wailing.[ce]
3 And he said to me, “Son of man,[cf] what you find, eat! Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 And I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat, 3 and he said to me, “Son of man,[cg] you must give your stomach this to eat, and you must fill your belly with this scroll that I am giving to you.” And I ate, and it became like sweet honey[ch] in my mouth. 4 And he said to me, “Son of man,[ci] come! Go to the house of Israel, and you must speak to them with my words. 5 For you are sent to the house of Israel, not to a people of obscure speech[cj] and of a difficult language,[ck] 6 and not to many nations of obscure speech[cl] and a difficult language[cm] whose words[cn] you do not understand, for if I had sent you to them they would have listened to you. 7 And the house of Israel, they are not willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me, for all of the house of Israel is hard of forehead, and they are hard of heart. 8 But look, I have made[co] your face hard against[cp] their faces and your forehead hard against[cq] their forehead. 9 Like a diamond harder than flint[cr] I have made your forehead; you must not fear them, and you must not be dismayed on account of them,[cs] for they are a rebellious house.[ct] 10 And he said to me, “Son of man,[cu] all of my words that I shall speak to you, receive into[cv] your heart and hear with your ears. 11 And come, go to the exiles,[cw] to the children[cx] of your people, and you must speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh!’ whether they listen or whether they fail to listen.” 12 And the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound of a great earthquake when the glory of Yahweh rose from its place. 13 And it was the sound of the wings of the living creatures touching lightly[cy] one against the other,[cz] and the sound of the wheels beside them and the sound of a great earthquake. 14 And the Spirit lifted me and took me, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Yahweh was strong on me. 15 And I went to the exiles[da] at Tel Abib, who were dwelling near the Kebar River,[db] and I sat where they were dwelling. I sat there seven days in the midst of them, stunned.
The Superiority of Jesus to Moses
3 Therefore, holy brothers, sharers in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to the one who appointed him, as Moses also was in his household.[a] 3 For this one is considered worthy of greater glory than Moses, inasmuch as the one who builds it has greater honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the one who built all things is God. 5 And Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony to the things that would be spoken, 6 but Christ was faithful[b] as a son over his house, whose house we are, if[c] we hold fast to our confidence and the hope we can be proud of.
A Serious Warning Against Unbelief
7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
in the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers tested me by trial
and saw my works 10 for forty years.
Therefore I was angry with this generation,
and I said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
and they do not know my ways.’
11 As I swore in my anger,
‘They will never enter[d] into my rest.’”[e]
12 Watch out, brothers, lest there be in some of you an evil, unbelieving heart, with the result that you fall away[f] from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day by day[g], as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you become hardened[h] by the deception of sin. 14 For we have become partners of Christ, if indeed we hold fast the beginning of our commitment steadfast until the end, 15 while it is said[i],
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”[j]
16 For who, when they[k] heard it, were disobedient? Surely it was not all who went out from Egypt through Moses? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear they would not enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient? 19 And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
Praise to Yahweh for His Creation and Providence
104 Bless Yahweh, O my soul.
O Yahweh my God, you are very great.
You clothe yourself with splendor and majesty,
2 you who cover yourself with light as with a garment,
who stretch out the heavens like a tent curtain,
3 the one who sets beams in the waters for his upper chambers,
who makes clouds his chariot,
who rides[a] on the wings of the wind,
4 who makes his messengers the winds,
his attendants a flame of fire.
5 He established the earth on her foundations,
so that it will not be moved forever and ever.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment.
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they ran off.
8 They ascended the mountains and drained though the valleys
to the place that you established[b] for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not cross over,
so that they would not return to cover the earth.
10 You are the one who sends forth springs into the valleys;
they flow between the mountains.
11 They give drink for every beast of the field.
The wild donkeys quench[c] their thirst.
12 Along them the birds of the heavens abide.
From among the branches they sing.[d]
13 You are the one who waters[e] the mountains
from his upper chambers.
The earth is full[f] with the fruit of your labors:
14 who causes grass to grow for the cattle
and herbs for the service of humankind,
to bring forth food from the earth,
15 and wine that makes glad the heart of man,
so that their faces shine from oil,
and bread that strengthens the heart of man.
16 The trees of Yahweh drink their fill,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted,
17 where birds make their nest.
The stork has its home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He made the moon for appointed times;
the sun knows its time for setting.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
when[g] all the animals of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions are roaring for the prey
and seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
and lie down in their dens.
23 Humankind goes out to its work,
and to its labor until evening.
24 On his lips, an enemy will pretend,
but inside[a] he will harbor deceit.
25 When he makes his voice gracious, do not believe him,
for seven abominations are in his heart.
26 Though hatred is covered with guile,
its evil will be exposed in the assembly.
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