Old/New Testament

I. Call of the Prophet

Chapter 1

The Vision: God on the Cherubim. ¹ In the thirtieth year,^[a] on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens opened, and I saw divine visions.^(A)— ² On the fifth day of the month—this was the fifth year^[b] of King Jehoiachin’s exile^(B)— ³ the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar. There the hand of the Lord came upon him.^(C)

⁴ As I watched, a great stormwind came from the North,^[c] a large cloud with flashing fire, a bright glow all around it, and something like polished metal gleamed at the center of the fire.^{(D) 5} From within it figures in the likeness of four living creatures^[d] appeared. This is what they looked like:^{(E) 6} They were in human form, but each had four faces and four wings,^{(F) 7} and their legs were straight, the soles of their feet like the hooves of a bull, gleaming like polished brass.^{(G) 8} Human hands were under their wings, and the wings of one touched those of another.^{(H) 9} Their faces and their wings looked out on all their four sides; they did not turn when they moved, but each went straight ahead.^(I)

^10 [e]Their faces were like this:^(J) each of the four had a human face, and on the right the face of a lion, and on the left, the face of an ox, and each had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. On each one, two wings touched one another, and the other two wings covered the body.^{(K) 12} Each went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they went; they did not change direction when they moved.^{(L) 13 [f]}And the appearance of the living creatures seemed like burning coals of fire. Something indeed like torches moved back and forth among the living creatures. The fire gleamed intensely, and from it lightning flashed. ¹⁴ The creatures darting back and forth flashed like lightning.

^15 [g]As I looked at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground, one alongside each of the four living creatures.^{(M) 16} The wheels and their construction sparkled like yellow topaz, and all four of them looked the same: their construction seemed as though one wheel was inside the other. ¹⁷ When they moved, they went in any of the four directions without veering as they moved. ^18 (N)The four of them had rims, high and fearsome—eyes filled the four rims all around. ¹⁹ When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them; and when the living creatures were raised from the ground, the wheels also were raised. ²⁰ Wherever the spirit would go, they went. And they were raised up together with the living creatures, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. ²¹ Wherever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved; when they stood still, the wheels stood still. When they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up with them.^(O) For the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

^22 [h]Above the heads of the living creatures was a likeness of the firmament; it was awesome, stretching upwards like shining crystal over their heads.^{(P) 23} Beneath the firmament their wings stretched out toward one another; each had two wings covering the body. ²⁴ Then I heard the sound of their wings, like the roaring of mighty waters, like the voice of the Almighty. When they moved, the sound of the tumult was like the din of an army. And when they stood still, they lowered their wings.^{(Q) 25} While they stood with their wings lowered, a voice came from above the firmament over their heads.

²⁶ Above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne that looked like sapphire; and upon this likeness of a throne was seated, up above, a figure that looked like a human being.^{[i](R) 27} And I saw something like polished metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed on all sides, from what looked like the waist up; and from what looked like the waist down, I saw something like the appearance of fire and brilliant light surrounding him.^{(S) 28} Just like the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day so was the appearance of brilliance that surrounded him. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speak.^(T)

Chapter 2

Eating of the Scroll. ¹ The voice said to me: Son of man,^[j] stand up! I wish to speak to you. ² As he spoke to me, the spirit^[k] entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking^{(U) 3} say to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.^{(V) 4} Their children are bold of face and stubborn of heart—to them I am sending you. You shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God.^{(W) 5} And whether they hear or resist—they are a rebellious house—they shall know that a prophet has been among them.^{(X) 6} But as for you, son of man, do not fear them or their words. Do not fear, even though there are briers or thorns and you sit among scorpions.^[l] Do not be afraid of their words or be terrified by their looks for they are a rebellious house.^{(Y) 7} You must speak my words to them, whether they hear or resist, because they are rebellious.^{(Z) 8} But you, son of man, hear me when I speak to you and do not rebel like this rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.^(AA)

^9 (AB)It was then I saw a hand stretched out to me; in it was a written scroll. ¹⁰ He unrolled it before me; it was covered with writing front and back. Written on it was: Lamentation, wailing, woe!^(AC)

V. Examples, Discipline, Disobedience

Chapter 11^[a]

Faith of the Ancients. ¹ Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence^[b] of things not seen.^{(A) 2} Because of it the ancients were well attested. ^3 (B)By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God,^[c] so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. ^4 [d]By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks.^{(C) 5} By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.^{(D) 6 [e]}But without faith it is impossible to please him,^(E) for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷ By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.^(F)

⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.^{(G) 9} By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;^{(H) 10} for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.^{(I) 11} By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age—and Sarah herself was sterile—for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.^{(J) 12} So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.^(K)

¹³ All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,^{(L) 14} for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.^(M)

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,^{(N) 18} of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”^{(O) 19 [f]}He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,^(P) and he received Isaac back as a symbol.