Old/New Testament

The Vision of Four Living Creatures

1 Now it happened in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the ^(A)river Chebar among the exiles, that the ^(B)heavens were opened, and I saw ^[a](C)visions of God. ² (On the fifth of the month ^[b]in the ^(D)fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, ³ the ^(E)word of ^[c]Yahweh came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the ^(F)land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there ^(G)the hand of Yahweh came upon him.)

⁴ Then I looked, and behold, a ^(H)storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light all around it, and in its midst something like the gleam of ^(I)glowing metal in the midst of the fire. ⁵ And within it there were figures with the likeness of ^(J)four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the ^(K)likeness of a man. ⁶ And each of them had ^(L)four faces and ^(M)four wings. ⁷ And their legs were straight, and ^[d]their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like the gleam of ^(N)burnished bronze. ⁸ And under their wings on their ^(O)four sides were ^(P)hands of a man. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, ⁹ their wings touched one another; their faces did ^(Q)not turn as they went; each ^(R)went straight forward. ¹⁰ And as for the ^(S)likeness of their faces, each had the ^(T)face of a man; ^[e]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and ^[f]all four had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ And such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and ^(U)two covering their bodies. ¹² And ^(V)each went straight forward; ^(W)wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. ^13 [g]As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of ^(X)fire, ^[h]like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning was ^[i]flashing from the fire. ¹⁴ And the living creatures ^(Y)ran to and fro with the appearance of ^(Z)lightning.

¹⁵ Then I looked at the living creatures, and behold, there was one ^(AA)wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, ^[j]for each of the four of them. ¹⁶ The ^(AB)appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like the gleam of ^(AC)beryl, and all four of them had the same likeness, their appearance and workmanship being as if ^[k]one wheel were within another. ¹⁷ Whenever they went, they went in any of their four ^[l]directions without ^(AD)turning as they went. ¹⁸ And as for their rims, they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were ^(AE)full of eyes all around. ^19 (AF)And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. And when the living creatures ^(AG)rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. ^20 (AH)Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction, ^[m]where the spirit was about to go. And the wheels rose alongside of them; for the spirit of the living ^[n]creatures was in the wheels. ^21 (AI)Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living ^[o]creatures was in the wheels.

The Vision of the Glory of Yahweh

²² Now ^(AJ)over the heads of the living ^[p]creatures there was something with the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome gleam of ^[q]crystal, spread out over their heads above. ²³ And underneath the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had ^(AK)two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. ²⁴ I also heard the sound of their wings like the ^(AL)sound of many waters as they went, like the ^[r](AM)sound of ^[s]the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the ^(AN)sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. ²⁵ And there came a sound from above the ^(AO)expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.

²⁶ Now ^(AP)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something in the ^(AQ)likeness of a throne, like ^(AR)sapphire stone in appearance; and upon the likeness of the throne, high up, was the likeness of one with the appearance of a ^(AS)man. ²⁷ Then I saw from the appearance of His loins and upward something ^(AT)like the gleam of ^[t]glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something with the appearance of fire; and there was a radiance all around Him. ²⁸ As the appearance of the ^(AU)rainbow ^[u]in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the ^(AV)glory of Yahweh. And I saw this, and I ^(AW)fell on my face and heard a sound of a voice speaking.

The Sending of Ezekiel

2 Then He said to me, “Son of man, ^(AX)stand on your feet that I may speak with you!” ² And as He spoke to me, the ^(AY)Spirit entered me and caused me to stand on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. ³ Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have ^(AZ)rebelled against Me; ^(BA)they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. ⁴ I am sending you to them who are ^[v](BB)stiff-^[w]faced and strong-hearted children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh.’ ⁵ As for them, ^(BC)whether they listen or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—they will ^(BD)know that a prophet has been among them. ⁶ Now as for you, son of man, ^(BE)do not fear them and do not fear their words, though ^(BF)thistles and briers are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. ⁷ But you shall ^(BG)speak My words to them ^(BH)whether they listen or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.

⁸ “Now as for you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and ^(BI)eat what I am giving you.” ⁹ Then I looked, and behold, a ^(BJ)hand was sent forth to me; and behold, a ^[x](BK)scroll was in it. ¹⁰ Then He spread it out before me, and it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, sighing, and ^(BL)woe.

By Faith

11 Now faith is the ^[a](A)assurance of things ^[b](B)hoped for, the ^[c]conviction of ^(C)things not seen. ² For by it the ^[d](D)men of old ^[e](E)gained approval.

³ By faith we understand that the ^[f](F)worlds were prepared ^(G)by the word of God, so that what is seen ^(H)was not made out of things which are visible. ⁴ By faith ^(I)Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he ^(J)was approved as being righteous—God approving ^[g]his ^(K)gifts—and through ^[h]faith, though ^(L)he is dead, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith ^(M)Enoch was taken up so that he would not ^(N)see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for prior to being taken up, he was approved as being pleasing to God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who ^(O)draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. ⁷ By faith ^(P)Noah, being ^(Q)warned about ^(R)things not yet seen, ^[i](S)in reverence ^(T)prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of ^(U)the righteousness which is according to faith.

⁸ By faith ^(V)Abraham, when he was called, obeyed ^[j]by going out to a place which he was to ^(W)receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he sojourned in ^(X)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(Y)dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^(Z)fellow heirs of the same promise, ¹⁰ for he was looking for ^(AA)the city which has ^(AB)foundations, ^(AC)whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith even ^(AD)Sarah herself ^[k]received ^[l]ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she regarded Him ^(AE)faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore there were born even of one man, and ^(AF)him as good as dead ^[m]at that, as many ^(AG)as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

^13 (AH)All these died in faith, ^(AI)without receiving the promises, but ^(AJ)having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and ^(AK)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been remembering that country from which they went out, ^(AL)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now, they aspire to a better country, that is, a ^(AM)heavenly one. Therefore ^(AN)God is not ^[n]ashamed to be ^(AO)called their God, for ^(AP)He prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith ^(AQ)Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had ^(AR)received the promises was offering up his only son, ¹⁸ to whom it was said, “^(AS)In Isaac your seed shall be called.” ^19 [o]He considered that ^(AT)God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which, ^[p](AU)figuratively speaking, he also received him back.