Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

The Lord Gives Ezekiel Visions of His Glory

1 I was 30 years old. I was with my people. We had been taken away from our country. We were by the Kebar River in the land of Babylon. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the heavens were opened. I saw visions of God.

² It was the fifth day of the month. Jehoiachin had been king of Judah. It was the fifth year since he had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. ³ A message from the Lord came to me. I was by the Kebar River in Babylon. The power of the Lord came on me there. I am Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi.

⁴ I looked up and saw a windstorm coming from the north. I saw a huge cloud. The fire of lightning was flashing out of it. Bright light surrounded it. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal. ⁵ I saw in the fire something that looked like four living creatures. They appeared to have the shape of a human being. ⁶ But each of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like the feet of a calf. They were as bright as polished bronze. ⁸ The creatures had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. ⁹ The wings of one touched the wings of another. Each of the creatures went straight ahead. They didn’t change their direction as they moved.

¹⁰ Here’s what their faces looked like. Each of the four creatures had the face of a human being. On the right side each had the face of a lion. On the left each had the face of an ox. Each one also had an eagle’s face. ¹¹ That’s what their faces looked like. They each had two wings that spread out and lifted up. Each wing touched the wing of another creature on either side. They each had two other wings that covered their bodies. ¹² All the creatures went straight ahead. Anywhere their spirits would lead them to go, they would go. They didn’t change their direction as they went. ¹³ The living creatures looked like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures. It was bright. Lightning flashed out of it. ¹⁴ The creatures raced back and forth like flashes of lightning.

¹⁵ As I looked at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground beside them. Each creature had four faces. ¹⁶ Here’s how the wheels looked and worked. They gleamed like topaz. All four of them looked alike. Each one seemed to be made like a wheel inside another wheel at right angles. ¹⁷ The wheels could go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced. The wheels didn’t change their direction as the creatures moved. ¹⁸ Their rims were high and terrifying. All four rims were full of eyes all the way around them.

¹⁹ When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved. When the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. ²⁰ Anywhere their spirits would lead them to go, they would go. And the wheels would rise along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels. ²¹ When the living creatures moved, the wheels also moved. When the creatures stood still, they also stood still. When the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them. That’s because the spirits of the living creatures were in the wheels.

²² Something that looked like a huge space was spread out above the heads of the living creatures. It gleamed like crystal. It was terrifying. ²³ The wings of the creatures were spread out under the space. They reached out toward one another. Each creature had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ When the living creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings. It was like the roar of rushing waters. It sounded like the thundering voice of the Mighty God. It was like the loud noise an army makes. When the creatures stood still, they lowered their wings.

²⁵ Then a voice came from above the huge space over their heads. They stood with their wings lowered.

¹⁹ After eating some food, he got his strength back.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul spent several days with the believers in Damascus. ²⁰ Right away he began to preach in the synagogues. He taught that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹ All who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Isn’t he the man who caused great trouble in Jerusalem? Didn’t he make trouble for those who worship Jesus? Hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” ²² But Saul grew more and more powerful. The Jews living in Damascus couldn’t believe what was happening. Saul proved to them that Jesus is the Messiah.

²³ After many days, the Jews had a meeting. They planned to kill Saul. ²⁴ But he learned about their plan. Day and night they watched the city gates closely in order to kill him. ²⁵ But his followers helped him escape by night. They lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

²⁶ When Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the believers. But they were all afraid of him. They didn’t believe he was really one of Jesus’ followers. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him to the apostles. He told them about Saul’s journey. He said that Saul had seen the Lord. He told how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Barnabas also said that Saul had preached without fear in Jesus’ name in Damascus. ²⁸ So Saul stayed with the believers. He moved about freely in Jerusalem. He spoke boldly in the Lord’s name. ²⁹ He talked and argued with the Greek Jews. But they tried to kill him. ³⁰ The other believers heard about this. They took Saul down to Caesarea. From there they sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹ Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. The church was strengthened and grew larger. That’s because they worshiped the Lord and the Holy Spirit helped them.