Study Desk

Then He called to me directly with a loud voice, "Come near, executioners of the city, each of you with a destructive weapon in his hand."

And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate,^(a) which faces north, each with a war club in his hand. There was another man among them, clothed in linen,^(b) with writing equipment at his side. They came and stood beside the bronze altar.

Then the glory of the God of Israel^(c) rose from above the cherub where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side.

"Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem," the Lord said to him, "and put a mark on the foreheads^(d) of the men who sigh and groan^(e) over all the detestable practices committed in it."

He spoke as I listened to the others, "Pass through the city after him and start killing; do not show pity or spare them!^(f)

Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, as well as the older women and little children,^(g) but do not come near anyone who has the mark.^(h) Now begin at My sanctuary."⁽ⁱ⁾ So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.

Then He said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.^(j) Go!" So they went out killing people in the city.

While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, "Oh, Lord God !^(k) Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem?"

He answered me: "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of bloodshed,^(l) and the city full of perversity. For they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land;^(m) He does not see.'⁽ⁿ⁾

But as for Me, I will not show pity or spare them.^(o) I will bring their actions down on their own heads."^(p)

Then the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side reported back, "I have done as You commanded me."

Then I looked, and there above the expanse over the heads^(a) of the cherubim was something like sapphire^[a] stone resembling the shape of a throne that appeared above them.

The Lord spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, "Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with hot coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city."^(b) So he went in as I watched.

Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud^(c) filled the inner court.^(d)

Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the temple.^(e) The temple was filled with the cloud,^(f) and the court was filled with the brightness of the Lord 's glory.^(g)

The sound of the cherubim's wings could be heard as far as the outer court; it was like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

After the Lord commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take fire from inside the wheelwork, from among the cherubim," the man went in and stood beside a wheel.

Then the cherub reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took some, and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out.

The cherubim appeared to have the form of human hands under their wings.^(h)

I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim,⁽ⁱ⁾ one wheel beside each cherub. The luster of the wheels was like the gleam of beryl.^(j)

In appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel.

When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions,^(k) without pivoting as they moved. But wherever the head faced, they would go in that direction,^[b] without pivoting as they went.

Their entire bodies,^(l) including their backs, hands, wings, and the wheels that the four of them had, were full of eyes all around.^(m)

As I listened the wheels were called "the wheelwork."

Each one had four faces:⁽ⁿ⁾ the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

The cherubim ascended; these were the living creatures I had seen by the Chebar Canal.^(o)

When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when they lifted their wings to rise from the earth, even then the wheels did not veer away from them.

When the cherubim stood still,^(p) the wheels stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple^(q) and stood above the cherubim.^(r)

The cherubim lifted their wings and ascended from the earth right before my eyes;^(s) the wheels were beside them as they went. The glory of the God of Israel was above them, and it stood at the entrance to the eastern gate of the Lord 's house.

These were the living creatures I had seen^(t) beneath the God of Israel by the Chebar Canal,^(u) and I recognized that they were cherubim.

Each had four faces and each had four wings,^(v) with the form of human hands under their wings.

Their faces looked like the same faces I had seen^(w) by the Chebar Canal. Each creature went straight ahead.

The Spirit then lifted me up^(a) and brought me to the eastern gate of the Lord 's house, which faces east, and at the gate's entrance were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

The Lord said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who plan evil^(b) and give wicked advice in this city.

They are saying, ‘Isn't the time near to build houses?^[a](c) The city is the pot,^(d) and we are the meat.'

Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!"

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and He told me, "You are to say: This is what the Lord says: That is what you are thinking, house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your mind.^(e)

You have multiplied your slain in this city,^(f) filling its streets with the dead.

"Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: The slain you have put within it are the meat,^(g) and the city is the pot, but I^[b] will remove you from it.^(h)

You fear the sword,⁽ⁱ⁾ so I will bring the sword against you."^(j) This is the declaration of the Lord God .

"I will bring you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners; I will execute judgments against you.^(k)

You will fall by the sword,^(l) and I will judge you at the border of Israel.^(m) Then you will know that I am Yahweh.

The city will not be a pot for you,⁽ⁿ⁾ and you will not be the meat within it. I will judge you at the border of Israel,

so you will know that I am Yahweh, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not practiced. Instead, you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you."^(o)

Now while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died.^(p) Then I fell facedown and cried out with a loud voice: "Oh, Lord God !^(q) Will You bring to an end the remnant of Israel?"

The word of the Lord came to me again:

"Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem you,^[c][d] and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are those that the residents of Jerusalem have said this to, ‘Stay away from the Lord ; this land has been given to us as a possession.'

"Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them^(r) in the countries where they have gone.

"Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoples^(s) and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

"When they arrive there, they will remove all its^(t) detestable things^(u) and practices from it.

And I will give them one heart^(v) and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone^(w) from their bodies^[e] and give them a heart of flesh,^(x)

so they may follow My statutes,^(y) keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.^(z)

But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and practices, I will bring their actions down on their own heads."^(aa) This is the declaration of the Lord God .

Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings,^(ab) and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

The glory of the Lord ^(ac) rose up from within the city and stood on the mountain^(ad) east of the city.^[f](ae)

The Spirit lifted me up^(af) and brought me to Chaldea and to the exiles in a vision from the Spirit of God. After the vision I had seen left me,

I spoke to the exiles about all the things the Lord had shown me.

The word of the Lord came to me:

"Son of man, you are living among a rebellious house.^(a) They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear,^(b) for they are a rebellious house.^(c)

"Son of man, get your bags ready for exile and go into exile in their sight during the day. You will go into exile from your place to another place while they watch; perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.

During the day, bring out your bags like an exile's bags while they look on. Then in the evening go out in their sight like those going into exile.

As they watch, dig through the wall and take the bags out through it.

And while they look on, lift the bags to your shoulder and take them out in the dark; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel."^(d)

So I did just as I was commanded. In the daytime I brought out my bags like an exile's bags. In the evening I dug through the wall by hand; I took them out in the dark, carrying them on my shoulder in their sight.

Then the word of the Lord came to me in the morning:

"Son of man, hasn't the house of Israel, that rebellious house,^(e) asked you, ‘What are you doing?'^(f)

Say to them: This is what the Lord God says: This oracle is about the prince^[a] in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are living there.^[b]

You are to say, ‘I am a sign for you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile,^(g) into captivity.'

The prince who is among^(h) them will lift his bags to his shoulder in the dark and go out. They^[c] will dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land with his eyes.

But I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he will not see it,⁽ⁱ⁾ and he will die there.

I will also scatter all the attendants who surround him and all his troops to every direction of the wind,^(j) and I will draw a sword to chase after them.

They will know that I am Yahweh^(k) when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.^(l)

But I will spare a few of them from the sword,^(m) famine, and plague so they can tell about all their detestable practices among the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am Yahweh."

The word of the Lord came to me:

"Son of man, eat your bread with⁽ⁿ⁾ trembling and drink your water with shaking and anxiety.

Then say to the people of the land: This is what the Lord God says about the residents of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their^[d][e] land will be stripped of everything^(o) in it because of the violence of all who live there.

The inhabited cities will be destroyed, and the land will become a desolation. Then you will know that I am Yahweh."

Again the word of the Lord came to me:

"Son of man, what is this proverb you people have about the land of Israel,^(p) which goes: The days keep passing by,^(q) and every vision fails?

Therefore say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I will put a stop to this proverb, and they will not use it again in Israel.^(r) But say to them: The days draw near,^(s) as well as the fulfillment of every vision.

For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination^(t) within the house of Israel.

But I, Yahweh, will speak whatever message I will speak, and it will be done.^(u) It will no longer be delayed.^(v) For in your days, rebellious house, I will speak a message and bring it to pass." This is the declaration of the Lord God .

The word of the Lord came to me:

"Son of man, notice that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees concerns many years from now;^(w) he prophesies about distant times.'

Therefore say to them: This is what the Lord God says: None of My words will be delayed any longer. The message I speak will be fulfilled." This is the declaration of the Lord God .