Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
My Help Comes from Yahweh
A Song of Ascents.
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.
19 and he took food and was strengthened.
Saul Begins to Preach Christ
Now (A)for several days he was with (B)the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus (C)in the synagogues, [a]saying, “He is (D)the Son of God.” 21 And all those hearing him continued to be astounded, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem (E)destroyed those that (F)called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this One is the [b]Christ.
23 And when (G)many days had elapsed, (H)the Jews plotted together to put him to death, 24 but (I)their plot became known to Saul. (J)They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a large basket.
26 (K)And when he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples, [c]but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But (L)Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and recounted to them how he had (M)seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how (N)at Damascus he had (O)spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them, [d]moving about freely in Jerusalem, (P)speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he was talking and arguing with the [e](Q)Hellenistic Jews, but they were attempting to put him to death. 30 But when (R)the brothers learned of it, they brought him down to (S)Caesarea and (T)sent him away to (U)Tarsus.
31 So (V)the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria was having peace, being built up. And going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to multiply.
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