Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

121 I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord.

² Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together.

⁴ For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.

⁵ Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David.

⁶ Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love thee.

⁷ Let peace be in thy strength: and abundance in thy towers.

⁸ For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of thee.

⁹ Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for thee.

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God.

² On the fifth day of the month, the same was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joachin,

³ The word of the Lord came to Ezechiel the priest the son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chobar: and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.

⁴ And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber:

⁵ And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them.

⁶ Every one had four faces, and every one four wings.

⁷ Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing brass.

⁸ And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they had faces, and wings on the four sides,

⁹ And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward.

¹⁰ And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four.

¹¹ And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies:

¹² And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went.

¹³ And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire.

¹⁴ And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.

¹⁵ Now as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared upon the earth by the living creatures one wheel with four faces.

¹⁶ And the appearance of the wheels, and the work of them was like the appearance of the sea: and the four had all one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel.

¹⁷ When they went, they went by their four parts: and they turned not when they went.

¹⁸ The wheels had also a size, and a height, and a dreadful appearance: and the whole body was full of eyes round about all the four.

¹⁹ And when the living creatures went, the wheels also went together by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up with them.

²⁰ Whithersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal, and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

²¹ When those went these went, and when those stood these stood, and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up together, and followed them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

²² And over the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of the firmament, as the appearance of crystal terrible to behold, and stretched out over their heads above.

²³ And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other, every one with two wings covered his body, and the other was covered in like manner.

²⁴ And I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as it were the voice of the most high God: when they walked, it was like the voice of a multitude, like the noise of an army, and when they stood, their wings were let down.

²⁵ For when a voice came from above the firmament, that was over their heads, they stood, and let down their wings.

¹⁹ And when he had taken meat, he was strengthened. And he was with the disciples that were at Damascus, for some days.

²⁰ And immediately he preached Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

²¹ And all that heard him, were astonished, and said: Is not this he who persecuted in Jerusalem those that called upon this name: and came hither for that intent, that he might carry them bound to the chief priests?

²² But Saul increased much more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, affirming that this is the Christ.

²³ And when many days were passed, the Jews consulted together to kill him.

²⁴ But their laying in wait was made known to Saul. And they watched the gates also day and night, that they might kill him.

²⁵ But the disciples taking him in the night, conveyed him away by the wall, letting him down in a basket.

²⁶ And when he was come into Jerusalem, he essayed to join himself to the disciples; and they all were afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

²⁷ But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and told them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him; and how in Damascus he had dealt confidently in the name of Jesus.

²⁸ And he was with them coming in and going out in Jerusalem, and dealing confidently in the name of the Lord.

²⁹ He spoke also to the Gentiles, and disputed with the Greeks; but they sought to kill him.

³⁰ Which when the brethren had known, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him away to Tarsus.

³¹ Now the church had peace throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria; and was edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and was filled with the consolation of the Holy Ghost.