Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
11 ¶ False witnesses rose up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good until my soul was alone.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer rose up in my bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns for his mother.
15 But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; yea, the smiters gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they tore me apart and did not cease:
16 With immature hypocritical mockers, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 ¶ Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Restore my soul from their destructions, my life from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among many people.
19 Let not those that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those that hate me wink with the eye without a cause.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against those that are meek in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me and said, Aha, aha, our eye has seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O LORD; do not keep silence; O Lord, do not be far from me.
23 Stir up thyself and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it; let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause; let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the peace of his slave.
28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
1 ¶ Now it came to pass at thirty years, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3 the word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the LORD came upon him.
4 ¶ And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, and a great cloud, and a fire enfolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of man.
6 And each one had four faces, and four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like the colour of highly burnished brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and their faces and their wings on all four sides.
9 With their wings they joined one to another; they did not return when they went; they went each one straight in the direction they were facing.
10 And the likeness of their faces was human faces; and lion faces, on the right side; and they four had ox faces on the left side; likewise they four had eagle faces.
11 Thus were their faces; and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of each one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And they went each one straight forward in the direction they were facing: wherever the Spirit directed them to go, they went; and they did not return when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire and like the appearance of lit torches; the fire went up and down among the living creatures and the brightness of the fire; and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran and turned as the appearance of lightnings.
15 ¶ Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold a wheel upon the earth with its four rims by the living creatures.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a stone of Tarsis or beryl; and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their workmanship was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they did not return when they went.
18 And their ribs were high and dreadful, and full of eyes round about them in all four.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went with them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Wherever the spirit wished to go, they went; wherever the spirit directed them, the wheels also rose up after them: for the spirit of the living creatures 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 were lifted up after them: for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 And over the heads of each living creature there appeared a heaven like a marvellous crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23 And under the heaven their wings were straight, one toward the other: each one had two, and another two which covered their bodies.
24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as the voice of the Almighty, when they went; the voice of the word, as the voice of an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.
25 And there was heard a voice from the heaven that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26 ¶ And above the heaven that was over their heads was the figure of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the figure of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man seated upon it.
27 And I saw something that looked like the colour of amber, that appeared to have fire round about within it, which could be seen from his loins upward; and from his loins downward, I saw what looked like fire, and it had brightness round about
28 that looked like the bow of heaven that is in the clouds in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And I saw it and fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
2 ¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee.
23 Then he called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And the next day they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together.
28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an abominable thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation; but God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29 Therefore I came unto you without doubting, as soon as I was sent for; I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?
30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing
31 and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call here Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side, who, when he comes, shall speak unto thee.
33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast done well to come. Now therefore we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
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