Date of Vision of Living Creatures and Glory of the Throne of Yahweh

1 And it was in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, and I was in the midst ofa the exilesb by the ⌊Kebar River⌋.c The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of the king Jehoiachin— 3 the word of Yahweh came clearlyd to Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans at the ⌊Kebar River⌋,e and the hand of Yahweh was on him there.

4 And I looked,f and look! A storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire flashing back and forth, and brightness around and ⌊within it⌋,g and from its midsth it was like the outward appearance of amber stone from the midsti of the fire. 5 And from its midstj was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: ⌊a human form⌋,k 6 and ⌊each had four faces⌋,l and ⌊each of them had four wings⌋.m 7 And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of the foot of a calf, and they were sparkling like the outward appearance of polished bronze. 8 And under their wings were ⌊human hands⌋n on their four sides. And their faces and their wings for the four of them were as follows: 9 ⌊their wings were touching one another⌋;o ⌊each of them went straight forward⌋,p ⌊without turning right or left⌋.q 10 The likeness of their faces was the face of a human in front, and the face of a lion on the right ⌊of each of them⌋,r and the face of an ox on the left ⌊of each of them⌋,s and the face of an eagle ⌊for each of them⌋.t 11 So were their faces; their wings were spread out ⌊upward⌋;u each had two touching one another and two covering their bodies. 12 And each ⌊went straight forward⌋;v ⌊wherever the spirit went⌋w they went, and ⌊they did not turn as they went⌋.x 13 As fory the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. Itz was moving to and fro between the living creatures, and ⌊the fire was very bright⌋a and lightning was going out from the fire. 14 And the living creatures ⌊were speeding to and fro⌋b like the appearance of lightning.

15 And I saw the living creatures, and look! A wheel was on the earthc beside ⌊each of the living creatures that had four faces⌋.d 16 The appearance of the wheels and their construction was like the appearance of beryl,e and ⌊they all looked alike⌋,f and their appearance and their construction was ⌊like a wheel within a wheel⌋.g 17 When they moved, they went toward their four sides; they did not ⌊veer at all as they went⌋.h 18 And their rims ⌊were high and awesome⌋,i and ⌊all four of⌋j their rims were full of eyes all around. 19 And at the going of the living creatures, the wheels next to them also went, and ⌊when the creatures were lifted from the ground⌋k the wheels also rose. 20⌊Wherever⌋l the spirit went they would go there, and the wheels rose, for the spirit of the living creaturesm was in the wheels. 21 At theirn going, theyo go, and at their standing, they stood, and at their being lifted up from on the earth,p the wheels rose,q for the spirit of the living creaturesr was in the wheels.

22 Nows the likeness above the heads of the living creatures was an expanse like the outward appearance of ⌊awesome⌋t ⌊ice⌋u spread out above their heads ⌊upward⌋.v 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight ⌊one toward the other⌋;w each had two wings covering them, and each had two wings covering their bodies. 24 And I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai,x and ⌊when they moved⌋y there was a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; ⌊when they stood still⌋z they lowered their wings. 25 And there wasa a sound from above the expanse that was above their heads, ⌊and when they stood⌋b they lowered their wings. 26 And from above the expanse that was above their heads there was the likeness of a throne, ⌊looking like a sapphire⌋,c and above the likeness of the throne was a likeness similar tod the appearance of a human on it, but ⌊above it⌋.e 27 And I saw something like the outward appearance of amber, something like the appearance of fire, with a covering around it, from the likeness of his loins and ⌊upward⌋.f And from the likeness of his loins and ⌊downward⌋g I saw something like the appearance of fire, and ⌊it was radiant all around⌋.h 28 Like the appearancei of a bow that is in the cloud on ⌊a rainy day⌋,j such was the radiancek around it; thus was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw, and I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.

The Call of Ezekiel to Speak God’s Words

2 And he said to me, “Son of man,a stand on your feet, so that I can speak with you.” 2 And the Spiritb came into me as he was speaking to me, and it set me on my feet, and I heard the one speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man,c I am sending you to the ⌊Israelites⌋,d to nationse who are rebelling, who rebelled against me, they and their ancestors,f they transgressed against me ⌊until this very day⌋.g 4 And the childrenh are ⌊impudent⌋i and ⌊stubborn⌋,j and so I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh!’ 5 And they, whether they listen or whether they fail to listen, for they are a rebellious house, they will know that a prophet was in their midst. 6 And you, son of man,k you must not be afraid of them, and you must not be afraid of their words, becausel briers and thorns are with you, and you are sitting among scorpions. You must not be afraid of their words, and you must not be dismayed because of their ⌊looks⌋,m for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you must speak my words to them whether they listen or whether they fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8 And you, son of man,n hear what I am speaking to you: you must not be rebellious like the house of rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving to you.” 9 And I looked,o and look! There was a hand stretched out to me, and look! In it was ⌊a scroll with writing⌋.p 10 And he rolled it outq ⌊before me⌋,r and it was written on the front and back, and there were written on it laments and mourning and wailing.s

3 And he said to me, “Son of man,a what you find, eat! Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 And I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat, 3 and he said to me, “Son of man,b you must give your stomach this to eat, and you must fill your belly with this scroll that I am giving to you.” And I ate, and it became ⌊like sweet honey⌋c in my mouth. 4 And he said to me, “Son of man,d come! Go to the house of Israel, and you must speak to them with my words. 5 For you are sent to the house of Israel, not to a people ⌊of obscure speech⌋e and ⌊of a difficult language⌋,f 6 and not to many nations ⌊of obscure speech⌋g and ⌊a difficult language⌋h ⌊whose words⌋i you do not understand, for if I had sent you to them they would have listened to you. 7 And the house of Israel, they are not willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me, for all of the house of Israel is hard of forehead, and they are hard of heart. 8 But look, I have madej your face hard ⌊against⌋k their faces and your forehead hard ⌊against⌋l their forehead. 9 Like a diamond ⌊harder than flint⌋m I have made your forehead; you must not fear them, and you must not be dismayed ⌊on account of them⌋,n for they ⌊are a rebellious house⌋.o 10 And he said to me, “Son of man,p all of my words that I shall speak to you, receive intoq your heart and hear with your ears. 11 And come, go to the exiles,r to the childrens of your people, and you must speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh!’ whether they listen or whether they fail to listen.” 12 And the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the sound of a great earthquake when the glory of Yahweh rose from its place. 13 And it was the sound of the wings of the living creatures touching lightlyt ⌊one against the other⌋,u and the sound of the wheels beside them and the sound of a great earthquake. 14 And the Spirit lifted me and took me, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Yahweh was strong on me. 15 And I went to the exilesv at Tel Abib, who were dwelling near the ⌊Kebar River⌋,w and I sat where they were dwelling. I sat there seven days in the midst of them, stunned. 16 And then it happenedx at the end of seven days, the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man,y I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, then you must warn them from me. 18 ⌊When I say⌋z to the wicked, ‘Surely you will die,’ and you do not warn him and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way ⌊so that he may live⌋,a that wicked person will die because of his guilt, and from your hand I will seek his blood. 19 And you, if you do warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness and from his wicked way, on account of his guilt he will die, and you yourself will have saved your life.b 20 And ⌊when the righteous turns from his righteousness⌋c and does injustice, and I placed a stumbling block ⌊before him⌋,e he will die, for you did not warn him. Because of his sin he will die, and his righteousnessf that he did will not be remembered, and his blood I shall seek from your hand. 21 And if you warn him, the righteous, not to sin, and the righteous does not sin, surely he will live, for he heeded a warning. And you will have saved your life.”g

22 And the hand of Yahweh was on me there, and he said to me, “Rise up, go out to the valley, and there I will speak with you.” 23 And I rose up, and I went to the valley, and, look, there the glory of Yahweh was standing, like the glory that I saw near the ⌊Kebar River⌋,h and I fell on my face. 24 And the Spiriti came into me, and it made me stand on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Come