{26} Ezekiel
{{26} Ezekiel} Chapter 1
(1) Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month {Tammuz [June-July]}, on the fifth day of the month {4/5/3533 A.H.}, while I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
(2)On the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity {3533 A.H./C-509 B.C.},
(3) The word of the LORD {Jehovah} came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD {Jehovah} was upon him there.
(4) And I looked, and saw, as a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire enfolding itself, and a brightness was around it, and out of its midst as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
(5)Also out of its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
(6)And every one had four faces, and every one had 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 color of burnished brass.
(8)And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings.
(9)Their wings were joined together; they did not turn when they went; they each went straight forward.
(10) As for the likeness of their faces, the four of them had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side; the four of them also had the face of an eagle.
(11) This is how their faces were: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of each one were joined together, and two covered their bodies.
(12)And each one went straight forward: wherever the spirit was to go, they went; and they did not turn 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 lamps: it {the fire} went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
(14) And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
(15)Now as I watched the living creatures, there was one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, with his four faces.
(16) The appearance of the wheels and their work was like the color of a beryl {blue-green}: and the four of them had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was like a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
(17) When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they did not turn when they went.
(18) As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes around the four of them.
(19)And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up also.
(20)Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, their spirit was to go there; and the wheels were lifted up beside them: because the spirit of the living creature 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 beside them: because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
(22)And the likeness of the firmament {sky; crystal dome}was upon the heads of the living creature as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
(23)And under the firmament {sky; crystal dome} their wings werestraight, towards one another: each one had two, which covered one side, and each one had two, which covered the opposite side of their bodies.
(24)And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the sound of great {rushing} waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.
(25)And there was a voice from the firmament {sky; crystal dome} that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
(26)And above the firmament {sky; crystal dome} that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire {bright blue} stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a Man above upon it.
(27)And I saw the color of amber, as the appearance of fire around within it, from the appearance of His waist upwards, and from the appearance of His waist downwards, I saw what appeared to be fire, and it had brightness around it.
(28)As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD {Jehovah}. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One Who spoke.
{{26} Ezekiel} Chapter 2
(1)And He said to me, Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak to you.
(2)And the spirit entered into me when He spoke to me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him Who spoke to me.
(3)And He said to me, Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me: they and their forefathers have sinned against Me, even to this very day.
(4) Because they are arrogant children and stubborn. I send you to them; and you must say to them, This is what the Lord GOD {Jehovah} says.
(5)And they, whether they will listen, or whether they will not listen, (because they are a rebellious household,) will know that there has been a prophet among them.
(6) And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you live among scorpions: do not be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, even though they are a rebellious house.
(7) And you must speak My words to them, whether they will listen, or whether they will not listen: because they are most rebellious.
(8)But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you; Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house: open your mouth, and eat what I give you.
(9)And when I looked, a hand was sent to me; and a scroll of a book was in it;
(10)And He spread it before me; and it was written inside and outside: and therewas written in it lamentations {sorrows}, and mourning, and woe.
{{26} Ezekiel} Chapter 3
(1)Furthermore He said to me, Son of man, eat what you see; eat this scroll, and go speak to the house of Israel.
(2) So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat the scroll.
(3)And He said to me, Son of man, cause your belly to eat, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you. Then I ate it; and it was in my mouth as honey because of its sweetness.
(4)And He said to me, Son of man, go, get yourself to the house of Israel, and speak My words to them.
(5) Because you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a difficult language, but to the house of Israel;
(6) Not to many people of a strange speech and of a difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
(7) But the house of Israel will not listen to you; because they will not listen to Me: because all the house of Israel are hard headed and hardhearted.
(8) Indeed, I have made your face steadfast against their faces, and your forehead firm against their foreheads.
(9) As a gem-stone harder than flint I have made your forehead: do not fear them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
(10)Furthermore He said to me, Son of man, all My words that I will speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.
(11) And go, get yourself to those of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, This is what the Lord GOD {Jehovah} says; whether they will listen, or whether they will not listen.
(12)Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a great rushing sound, saying, Blessed is the glory of the LORD {Jehovah} from His place.
(13) I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a noise of a great rushing sound.
(14) So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD {Jehovah} was strong upon me.
(15) Then I came to those of the captivity at Tel-abib, who lived by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
(16) And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD {Jehovah} came to me, saying,
(17) Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.
(18) When I say to the wicked, You will surely die; and you do not give him warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man will die in his sin; but his blood I will require at your hand.
(19) But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he will die in his sin; but you have delivered your soul.
(20) Again, When a righteous man turns from his righteousness, and commits sin, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he will die: because you have not given him warning, he will die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done will not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.
(21) But if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous not sin, and he does not sin, he will surely live, because he is warned; also you have delivered your soul.
(22) And the hand of the LORD {Jehovah} was upon me there; and He said to me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will talk with you there.
(23) Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, indeed, the glory of the LORD {Jehovah} stood there, as the glory which I had seen by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.
(24) Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spoke with me, and said to me, Go, shut yourself inside your house.
(25) But you, O son of man, indeed, they will put bands upon you, and will bind you with them, and you will not go out among them:
(26) And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, so that you will be dumb, and will not be one who reproves them: because they are a rebellious house.
(27) But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, This is what the Lord GOD {Jehovah} says; He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will not hear let him not hear: because they are a rebellious household.
{{26} Ezekiel} Chapter 4
(1) You also, son of man, take for yourself a tile, and lay it before you, and draw upon it the city, even Jerusalem:
(2) And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it all around.
(3) Furthermore take to yourself an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city: and set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This willbe a sign to the house of Israel.
(4) Lie also upon your left side, and lay the sin of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that you shall lie upon it you shall bear their sin.
(5) Because I have laid upon you the years of their sin, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shall you bear the sin of the house of Israel.
(6) And when you have accomplished them, lie again on your right side, and you shall bear the sin of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed you each day for a year.
(7) Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and your arm shallbe uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it.
(8) And, indeed, I will lay bands upon you, and you shall not turn from one side to another, until you have ended the days of your siege.
(9) Take for yourself also wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and rye, and put them in one vessel, and make bread with it, according to the number of the days that you shall lie upon your side, three hundred and ninety days you shall eat it.
(10) And your food which you shall eat shallbe by weight, twenty shekels a day {about 8 oz.; 227 g.}: from time to time you shall eat it.
(11) You shall drink also water by measure, the sixth part of a hin {about 0.65 qts.; 0.62 L.}a day: from time to time you shall drink.
(12) And you shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it with dung that comes out of man, in their sight.
(13) And the LORD {Jehovah} said, Even so shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles {nations; non-Jews}, wherever I will drive them.
(14) Then said I, Ah Lord GOD {Jehovah}! indeed, my soul has not been polluted: because from my youth up even until now I have not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither has there come any abominable flesh into my mouth.
(15) Then He said to me, Look! I have given you cow's dung for man's dung, and you shall prepare your bread with it.
(16) Furthermore He said to me, Son of man, indeed, I will break the supply of bread in Jerusalem: and they will eat bread by weight, and with care; and they will drink water by measure, and with astonishment:
(17) That they may want bread and water, and be astonished with one another, and be consumed away because of their sin.
{{26} Ezekiel} Chapter 5
(1) And you, son of man, take a sharp knife, take a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon your head and upon your beard: then take balances to weigh, and divide the hair
(2) You shall burn with fire a third of it in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and you shall take a third of it, and strike around it with a knife: and a third of it you shall scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.
(3) You shall also take a few pieces of it in number, and bind them in your skirts.
(4) Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; because a fire will come forth into all the house of Israel.
(5) This is what the Lord GOD {Jehovah} says; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries thatare around her.
(6) And she has changed My judgments into wickedness more than the other nations, and My laws more than the countries that are around her: because they have refused My judgments and My laws, they have not obeyed them.
(7) Therefore this is what the Lord GOD {Jehovah} says; Because you have multiplied more than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in My laws, neither have kept My judgments, neither have done even according to the judgments of the nations that are around you;
(8) Therefore this is what the Lord GOD {Jehovah} says; Indeed, I, even I, am against you, and will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations.
(9) And I will do in you that which I have not done, and the likes of which I will not do anymore, because of all your abominations.
(10) Therefore the fathers will eat the sons in your midst, and the sons will eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in you, and the whole remnant of you I will scatter into all the winds.
(11) Therefore, as I live, says the Lord GOD {Jehovah}; Surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary {temple} with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you; neither will My eye spare, neither will I have any pity.