Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A song to sing as we climb.

I have great trouble

God gives Ezekiel visions

1 It was the 30th year.^[a] God spoke to me on the fifth day of the fourth month.^[b] I was among the prisoners from Judah at the side of the Kebar river.^[c] At that time the skies opened and I saw visions from God.

² King Jehoiachin of Judah had been a prisoner in Babylon for five years. On the fifth day of the month, ³ the Lord spoke to Ezekiel, the priest.^[d] He was the son of Buzi. He was standing beside the River Kebar in Babylon. While Ezekiel was there, the Lord came to him with power.

⁸ But you must listen to what I say to you, son of man. Do not refuse to obey me, as those people refuse to obey me. Open your mouth and eat what I will give to you.’

⁹ When I looked, I saw a hand! It held out a scroll towards me.^{[a] 10} He opened the scroll so that I could see inside it. I saw words that were written on both sides of the scroll. There were sad funeral songs, and words about great trouble that make you weep.

3 He said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what you can see in front of you. Eat this scroll with words on it. Then go and speak to the Israelites.’ ² So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat.

³ He said, ‘Son of man, I am giving you this scroll. Eat it all and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it. It had a sweet taste like honey in my mouth.^[b]

The angel and the little book

10 Then I saw another powerful angel. He was coming down from heaven. He had a cloud all round him, like his clothes. There was a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun and his legs shone like fire. ² He had a little book in his hand and it was open. He put his right foot on the sea and he put his left foot on the land. ³ Then he shouted with a loud voice, like a lion that roars. When he shouted, seven loud voices answered him. They were like the noise of thunder. ⁴ When the seven voices of thunder spoke, I was ready to write. But I heard a voice that came from heaven. The voice said to me, ‘Keep secret what the seven voices of thunder have said. Do not write it down.’

⁵ Then I looked again at the angel who stood with one foot on the sea and his other foot on the land. He raised his right hand towards heaven. ⁶ He made a strong promise by the name of God, who lives for ever. He created heaven, the earth and the sea, as well as everything that is in them. The angel said, ‘There is no more time to wait! ⁷ Now is the time when the seventh angel will make a sound with his trumpet. Then God will quickly finish what he wants to do. This has been a secret, but he told it long ago to the prophets who were his servants.’

⁸ Then I heard again the voice that spoke to me from heaven. He said, ‘Go to the angel who is standing with one foot on the sea and his other foot on the land. Go and take the book that is open in his hand.’ ⁹ So I went to the angel. I asked him to give me the little book. He said to me, ‘Take the book and then eat it. It will be very sweet like honey in your mouth. But it will hurt your stomach like bad food.’ ¹⁰ So I took the little book from the angel's hand and I ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten the book, it hurt my stomach. ¹¹ Then the voice said to me, ‘You must continue to tell God's message to people. You must say what will happen to people from everywhere in the world. They are the people of many nations, and people who speak many languages, and also their kings.’^[a]