11 Now it came about in the thirtieth year , on the fifth day of the fourth month , while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles , the heavens were opened and I saw [1] visions of God . 2 (On the fifth of the month [2]in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile , 3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest , son of Buzi , in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar ; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.)
4 As I looked , behold , a storm wind was coming from the north , a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire . 5 Within it there were figures resembling four living beings . And this was their appearance : they had human form . 6 Each of them had four faces and four wings . 7 Their legs were straight and [3]their feet were like a calf's hoof e , and they gleamed like burnished bronze . 8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands . As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another ; their faces did not turn when they moved , each went straight e e forward . 10 As for the form of their faces , each had the face of a man ; [4]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left , and [4]all four had the face of an eagle . 11 Such were their faces . Their wings were spread out above e ; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies . 12 And each went straight e e forward ; wherever e e the spirit was about to go , they would go , without turning as they went . 13 [6]In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire , [7]like torches darting back and forth among the living beings . The fire was bright , and lightning was [8]flashing from the fire . 14 And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning .
15 Now as I looked at the living beings , behold , there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings , [9]for each of the four of them. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like [10]sparkling beryl , and all four of them had the same form , their appearance and workmanship being as if [11]one wheel were within another . 17 Whenever they [12]moved , they [12]moved in any of their four [14]directions without turning as they [12]moved . 18 As for their rims they were lofty and awesome , and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes round about . 19 Whenever the living beings [16]moved , the wheels [16]moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth , the wheels rose also. 20 Wherever e e the spirit was about to go , they would go in that direction [18]. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living [19]beings was in the wheels . 21 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 [20]beings was in the wheels . 22 Now over the heads of the living [21]beings there was something like an expanse , like the awesome gleam of [22]crystal , spread out over e their heads . 23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight , one toward the other ; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other . 24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went , like the voice of [23]the Almighty , a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp ; whenever they stood still , they dropped their wings . 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads ; whenever they stood still , they dropped their wings .
26 Now above e the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne , like [24] lapis e lazuli e in appearance ; and on that which resembled a throne , high e up, was a figure with the appearance of a man . 27 Then I [25]noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like [26]glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire ; and there was a radiance around Him. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow [27]in the clouds on a rainy day , so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance . Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord . And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking .
21 Then He said to me, "Son of man , stand on your feet that I may speak with you!" 2 As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet ; and I heard Him speaking to me. 3 Then He said to me, "Son of man , I am sending you to the sons of Israel , to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day . 4 "I am sending you to them who are stubborn e and obstinate e children , and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD .' 5 "As for them, whether they listen or not-for they are a rebellious house -they will know that a prophet has been among them.
6 "And you, son of man , neither fear them nor fear their words , though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions ; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence , for they are a rebellious house . 7 "But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious . 8 "Now you, son of man , listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house . Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you." 9 Then I looked , and behold , a hand was extended to me; and lo , a scroll e was in it. 10 When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back , and written on it were lamentations , mourning and woe .
31 Then He said to me, "Son of man , eat what you find ; eat this scroll , and go , speak to the house of Israel ." 2 So I opened my mouth , and He fed me this scroll . 3 He said to me, "Son of man , feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth . 4 Then He said to me, "Son of man , go e to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 "For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language , but to the house of Israel , 6 nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language , whose words you cannot understand . But I have sent you to them who should listen to you; 7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn e and obstinate e . 8 "Behold , I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads . 9 "Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead . Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before e them, though they are a rebellious house ." 10 Moreover, He said to me, "Son of man , take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely . 11 "Go to the exiles , to the sons of your people , and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says the Lord GOD .' " 12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me, "Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place ." 13 And I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound . 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit , and the hand of the Lord was strong on me. 15 Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib , and I sat there seven days where they were living , causing consternation among them.
16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying , 17 "Son of man , I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel ; whenever you hear a word from My mouth , warn them from Me. 18 "When I say to the wicked , 'You will surely die ,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live , that wicked man shall die in his iniquity , but his blood I will require at your hand . 19 "Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way , he shall die in his iniquity ; but you have delivered yourself . 20 "Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity , and I place an obstacle before him, he will die ; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin , and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered ; but his blood I will require at your hand . 21 "However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin , he shall surely live because he took warning ; and you have delivered yourself ."
22 The hand of the Lord was on me there , and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain , and there I will speak to you." 23 So I got up and went out to the plain ; and behold , the glory of the Lord was standing there , like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar , and I fell on my face . 24 The Spirit then entered me and made me stand on my feet , and He spoke with me and said to me, "Go , shut yourself up in your house . 25 "As for you, son of man , they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them. 26 "Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house . 27 "But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD .' He who hears , let him hear ; and he who refuses , let him refuse ; for they are a rebellious house .
