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Ezekiel 9-12
Easy-to-Read Version

God’s Messengers Punish Jerusalem

9 Then God shouted to the leaders in charge of punishing the city. Each leader had his own destructive weapon in his hand.[a] 2 Then I saw six men walking on the road from the upper gate. This gate is on the north side. Each man had his own deadly weapon in his hand. One of the men wore linen clothes.[b] He wore a scribe’s pen and ink set[c] at his waist. Those men went to the bronze altar in the Temple and stood there. 3 Then the Glory of the God of Israel rose from above the Cherub angels where he had been. Then the Glory went to the door of the Temple and stopped when he was over the threshold. Then he called to the man wearing the linen clothes and the scribe’s pen and ink set.

4 Then the Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem. Put a mark on the forehead of everyone who feels sad and upset about all the terrible things people are doing in this city.”

5-6 Then I heard God say to the other men, “I want you to follow the first man. You must kill all those who do not have the mark on their foreheads. It doesn’t matter if they are elders, young men or young women, children or mothers—you must use your weapon and kill everyone who does not have the mark on their forehead. Don’t show any mercy. Don’t feel sorry for anyone. Start here at my Temple.” So they started with the elders in front of the Temple.

7 He said to them, “Make this Temple unclean—fill this courtyard with dead bodies! Now go!” So they went and killed the people in the city.

8 I stayed there while the men went to kill the people. I bowed with my face to the ground and said, “Oh, Lord God, in showing your anger against Jerusalem, are you killing all the survivors in Israel?”

9 He said, “The family of Israel and Judah has committed many terrible sins! People are being murdered everywhere in this country, and the city is filled with crime. That is because the people say to themselves, ‘The Lord has left this country. The Lord cannot see what we are doing.’ 10 So I will not show any mercy or feel sorry for them. They brought it on themselves. I am only giving them the punishment they deserve!”

11 Then the man wearing linen clothes and a scribe’s pen and ink set spoke up. He said, “I have done what you commanded.”

The Glory of the Lord Leaves the Temple

10 Then I looked up at the bowl[d] over the heads of the Cherub angels. The bowl looked clear blue like sapphire, and there was something that looked like a throne over it. 2 Then the one sitting on the throne said to the man dressed in linen clothes,[e] “Step into the area between the wheels[f] under the Cherub angels. Take a handful of the burning coals from between the Cherub angels and go throw them over the city of Jerusalem.”

The man walked past me. 3 The Cherub angels were standing in the area south[g] of the Temple as the man walked to them. The cloud filled the inner courtyard. 4 Then the Glory of the Lord rose up off the Cherub angels near the threshold of the door of the Temple. Then the cloud filled the Temple, and the bright light from the Glory of the Lord filled the whole courtyard. 5 The noise from the wings of the Cherub angels could be heard all the way out into the outer courtyard. The sound was very loud—like the thundering voice when God All-Powerful speaks.

6 God had given the man dressed in linen clothes a command. He had told him to go into the area between the wheels among the Cherub angels and get some hot coals. So the man went there and stood by the wheel. 7 One of the Cherub angels reached out his hand and took some of the hot coals from the area between the Cherub angels. He poured the coals into the man’s hands, and the man left. 8 (The Cherub angels had what looked like human arms under their wings.)

9 Then I noticed that there were four wheels. There was one wheel by each Cherub angel, and the wheels looked like a clear yellow jewel. 10 There were four wheels, and they all looked the same. They looked like there was a wheel in a wheel. 11 They could go in any direction when they moved, but the Cherub angels did not turn around when they moved. They went in the direction that the head was looking. They did not turn around when they moved. 12 There were eyes all over their bodies. There were eyes on their backs, on their arms, on their wings, and on their wheels—on all four wheels! 13 These wheels were what I heard called, “the area between the wheels.”

14-15 Each Cherub angel had four faces. The first was the face of a Cherub,[h] the second was the face of a man, the third was a lion’s face, and the fourth was an eagle’s face. (These Cherub angels were the living beings I saw in the vision by the Kebar Canal.[i])

Then the Cherub angels rose into the air, 16 and the wheels rose with them. When the Cherub angels raised their wings and flew into the air, not even the wheels turned around. 17 If they flew into the air, the wheels went with them. If they stood still, so did the wheels, because the spirit[j] of the living being was in them.

18 Then the Glory of the Lord rose from the threshold of the Temple, moved to the place over the Cherub angels, and stopped there. 19 Then the Cherub angels raised their wings and flew into the air. I saw them leave. The wheels went with them. Then they stopped at the East Gate of the Lord’s Temple. The Glory of the God of Israel was in the air above them.

20 These were the living beings under the Glory of the God of Israel in the vision at the Kebar Canal, and now I realized that they were Cherub angels. 21 Each living being had four faces, four wings, and something that looked like human arms under their wings. 22 The faces of the Cherub angels were the same as the four faces on the living beings in the vision by the Kebar Canal. They all looked straight ahead in the direction they were going.

Prophecies Against the Leaders

11 Then the Spirit[k] carried me to the East Gate of the Lord’s Temple. This gate faces the east, where the sun comes up. I saw 25 men there at the entrance of this gate. Some of the leaders were among them, including Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah.

2 Then God spoke to me and said, “Son of man,[l] these are the men who make evil plans for this city. They always tell the people to do evil things. 3 These men say, ‘We will be building our houses again very soon. We are as safe in this city as meat in a pot!’ 4 So you must speak to the people for me. Son of man, prophesy against the people.”

5 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me. He said to me, “Tell them that this is what the Lord said: House of Israel, you are planning big things. But I know what you are thinking. 6 You have killed many people in this city. You have filled the streets with dead bodies. 7 Now, the Lord God says this: ‘The dead bodies are the meat, and the city is the pot. But someone will come and take you out of this safe pot. 8 You are afraid of the sword, but I am bringing the sword against you!’” This is what the Lord God said.

9 He also said, “I will take you out of this city and give you to strangers. I will punish you. 10 You will die by the sword. I will punish you here in Israel, so you will know that I am the Lord. 11 Yes, this place will be the cooking pot, and you will be the meat cooking in it. I will punish you here in Israel. 12 Then you will know that I am the Lord. It was my law that you broke. You did not obey my commands. You decided to live like the nations around you.”

13 As soon as I finished speaking for God, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died! I fell to the ground. I bowed with my face touching the ground and said, “Oh, Lord God, you are going to completely destroy all the survivors of Israel!”

Prophecies Against Survivors in Jerusalem

14 But then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 15 “Son of man, remember your brothers, the family of Israel. They were forced to leave their country, but I will bring them back.[m] But now, the people living in Jerusalem are saying, ‘Stay far away from the Lord. This land was given to us—it is ours!’

16 “So tell them this: The Lord God says, ‘It is true, I forced my people to go far away to other nations. I did scatter them among many countries. But I will be their temple for a short time while they are in those other countries. 17 But you must tell those people that the Lord God will bring them back. I have scattered you among many nations, but I will gather you together and bring you back from those nations. I will give the land of Israel back to you. 18 When my people come back, they will destroy all the terrible, filthy idols that are here now. 19 I will bring them together and make them like one person. I will put a new spirit[n] in them. I will take away that heart of stone, and I will put a real heart in its place. 20 Then they will obey my laws and my commands. They will do the things I tell them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.’”

The Glory of the Lord Leaves Jerusalem

21 Then God said, “But now, their hearts belong to those terrible, filthy idols, and I must punish those people for the bad things they have done.” This is what the Lord God said. 22 Then the Cherub angels raised their wings and flew into the air. The wheels went with them. The Glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The Glory of the Lord rose into the air and left the city and stopped on the hill east of Jerusalem.[o] 24 Then the Spirit[p] lifted me into the air and brought me back to Babylonia. It brought me back to the people who were forced to leave Israel. I saw all this in the vision from God. Then the one I saw in the vision rose into the air and left me. 25 Then I spoke to the people in exile. I told them about everything the Lord showed me.

Ezekiel Leaves Like a Captive

12 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 “Son of man,[q] you live among people who refuse to obey me. They have eyes to see what I have done for them, but they don’t see those things. They have ears to hear what I told them to do, but they don’t hear my commands, because they are a rebellious people. 3 So, son of man, pack some things as if you are leaving on a trip. Pretend that you are a prisoner being taken far away. Do this during the day so that everyone can see you. Even though these people refuse to listen to me, maybe when they see you going away, they will understand what I have been trying to tell them.

4 “During the day, take your bags outside so that the people can see you. Then in the evening, pretend you are going away. Act as if you are a prisoner going to a faraway country. 5 While the people are watching, make a hole in the wall and go out through that hole in the wall. 6 At night, put your bag on your shoulder and leave. Cover your face so that you cannot see where you are going. You must do these things so that the people can see you, because I am using you as an example to the family of Israel.”

7 So I did as I was commanded. During the day, I took my bags and acted as if I were going to a faraway country. That evening, I used my hands and made a hole in the wall. During the night, I put my bag on my shoulder and left. I did this so that all the people could see me.

8 The next morning, the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 9 “Son of man, did the people of Israel—those people who always refuse to obey—ask you what you were doing? 10 Tell them that this is what the Lord God said. This sad message is about the leader of Jerusalem and all the people of Israel who live there. 11 Tell them, ‘I am an example for all of you. What I have done will happen to you.’ You will be forced to go to a faraway country as prisoners. 12 And your leader will make a hole in the wall and sneak out at night. He will cover his face so that people will not recognize him. His eyes will not be able to see where he is going. 13 He will try to escape, but I will catch him! He will be caught in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylonia—the land of the Chaldeans. But he will not be able to see where he is going.[r] 14 I will force the king’s people to live in the foreign countries around Israel, and I will scatter his army to the winds. The enemy soldiers will chase after them. 15 Then they will know that I am the Lord. They will know that I scattered them among the nations. They will know that I forced them to go to other countries.

16 “But I will let a few of the people live. They will not die from the disease, hunger, and war. I will let them live so that they can tell other people about the terrible things they did against me. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Shake With Fear

17 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 18 “Son of man, you must act as if you are very frightened. You must shake when you eat your food. You must act worried and afraid when you drink your water. 19 You must say this to the common people: ‘This is what the Lord God says to the people living in Jerusalem and in the other parts of Israel. You will be very worried while you eat your food. You will be terrified while you drink your water, because everything in your country will be destroyed! This will happen because the people living there are so violent. 20 Many people live in your cities now, but those cities will be ruined. Your whole country will be destroyed! Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Disaster Will Come

21 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 22 “Son of man, why do people quote this saying about the land of Israel:

‘Trouble will not come soon;
    what is seen in visions will not come’?

23 “Tell the people that the Lord God will end that saying. They will not say that about Israel anymore. Now they will quote this saying:

‘Trouble will come soon;
    what is seen in visions will happen.’

24 “There will not be any more false visions in Israel. There will not be any more magicians telling things that don’t come true. 25 That’s because I am the Lord, and if I say something will happen, it will happen! I will not wait any longer. Those troubles are coming soon—in your own lifetime. Hear me, you people who always refuse to obey! When I say something, I make it happen.” This is what the Lord God said.

26 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 27 “Son of man, the people of Israel think that the visions I give you are for a time far in the future. They think you are talking about things that will happen many years from now. 28 So you must tell them this: ‘The Lord God says, I will not delay any longer. If I say something will happen, it will happen!’” This is what the Lord God said.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 9:1 Each … hand In Hebrew this is like Ezek. 8:11.
  2. Ezekiel 9:2 linen clothes Priests usually wore these clothes.
  3. Ezekiel 9:2 scribe’s pen and ink set A scribe was a person who copied official documents and counted supplies and things. Scribes often carried a small board with dry ink in it and a pen. They could put water on the ink and then write with it. Also in verse 11.
  4. Ezekiel 10:1 bowl This Hebrew word is the same word used in Gen. 1:6-7 to describe the dome of the sky.
  5. Ezekiel 10:2 linen clothes Priests usually wore these clothes.
  6. Ezekiel 10:2 area between the wheels The Hebrew word can mean “chariot wheel,” “whirling (spinning) wheel,” or “tumbling weed.” See chapter 1 for Ezekiel’s full description. Also in verse 6.
  7. Ezekiel 10:3 south Literally, “right.”
  8. Ezekiel 10:14 face of a Cherub This is the bull’s face mentioned in Ezek. 1:10. See Ezek. 10:22.
  9. Ezekiel 10:14 vision by the Kebar Canal See Ezek. 1.
  10. Ezekiel 10:17 spirit Or “wind.”
  11. Ezekiel 11:1 Spirit Or “wind.”
  12. Ezekiel 11:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verses 4, 15.
  13. Ezekiel 11:15 They were … back This is a wordplay. The word meaning “redeemed” sounds like the word meaning “exiled.”
  14. Ezekiel 11:19 spirit Or “wind.”
  15. Ezekiel 11:23 hill east of Jerusalem This is the Mount of Olives.
  16. Ezekiel 11:24 Spirit Or “wind.”
  17. Ezekiel 12:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel. Also in verses 3, 9, 18, 22, 27.
  18. Ezekiel 12:13 But he … is going The enemy will poke out his eyes and make him blind.
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Ezekiel 9-12
New International Version

Judgment on the Idolaters

9 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” 2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen(A) who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Now the glory(B) of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim,(C) where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem(D) and put a mark(E) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament(F) over all the detestable things that are done in it.(G)”

5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity(H) or compassion.(I) 6 Slaughter(J) the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children,(K) but do not touch anyone who has the mark.(L) Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men(M) who were in front of the temple.(N)

7 Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.(O) Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 8 While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown,(P) crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord!(Q) Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath(R) on Jerusalem?(S)”

9 He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.(T) They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’(U) 10 So I will not look on them with pity(V) or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.(W)”

11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne(X) of lapis lazuli(Y) above the vault(Z) that was over the heads of the cherubim.(AA) 2 The Lord said to the man clothed in linen,(AB) “Go in among the wheels(AC) beneath the cherubim. Fill(AD) your hands with burning coals(AE) from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the Lord(AF) rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. 5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice(AG) of God Almighty[a] when he speaks.(AH)

6 When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels,(AI) from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire(AJ) that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. 8 (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)(AK)

9 I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz.(AL) 10 As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 11 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about[b] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. 12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes,(AM) as were their four wheels.(AN) 13 I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” 14 Each of the cherubim(AO) had four faces:(AP) One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion,(AQ) and the fourth the face of an eagle.(AR)

15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures(AS) I had seen by the Kebar River.(AT) 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. 17 When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.(AU)

18 Then the glory(AV) of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.(AW) 19 While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.(AX) They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory(AY) of the God of Israel was above them.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River,(AZ) and I realized that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces(BA) and four wings,(BB) and under their wings was what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River.(BC) Each one went straight ahead.

God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem

11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah(BD) son of Benaiah, leaders(BE) of the people.(BF) 2 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil(BG) and giving wicked advice in this city.(BH) 3 They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,(BI) and we are the meat in it.’(BJ) 4 Therefore prophesy(BK) against them; prophesy, son of man.”

5 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.(BL) 6 You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.(BM)

7 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot,(BN) but I will drive you out of it.(BO) 8 You fear the sword,(BP) and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BQ) 9 I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands(BR) of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.(BS) 10 You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.(BT) Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11 This city will not be a pot(BU) for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. 12 And you will know that I am the Lord,(BV) for you have not followed my decrees(BW) or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.(BX)”

13 Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah(BY) son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?(BZ)”

The Promise of Israel’s Return

14 The word of the Lord came to me: 15 “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.’(CA)

16 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary(CB) for them in the countries where they have gone.’

17 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’(CC)

18 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images(CD) and detestable idols.(CE) 19 I will give them an undivided heart(CF) and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone(CG) and give them a heart of flesh.(CH) 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(CI) They will be my people,(CJ) and I will be their God.(CK) 21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols,(CL) I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CM)”

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory(CN) of the God of Israel was above them.(CO) 23 The glory(CP) of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain(CQ) east of it. 24 The Spirit(CR) lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia[c] in the vision(CS) given by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me, 25 and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.(CT)

The Exile Symbolized

12 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people.(CU) They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.(CV)

3 “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps(CW) they will understand,(CX) though they are a rebellious people.(CY) 4 During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile.(CZ) 5 While they watch, dig through the wall(DA) and take your belongings out through it. 6 Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign(DB) to the Israelites.”

7 So I did as I was commanded.(DC) During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

8 In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’(DD)

10 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’ 11 Say to them, ‘I am a sign(DE) to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.(DF)

12 “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk(DG) and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.(DH) 13 I will spread my net(DI) for him, and he will be caught in my snare;(DJ) I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans,(DK) but he will not see(DL) it, and there he will die.(DM) 14 I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.(DN)

15 “They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations(DO) and scatter them through the countries. 16 But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(DP)”

17 The word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, tremble as you eat your food,(DQ) and shudder in fear as you drink your water. 19 Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything(DR) in it because of the violence of all who live there.(DS) 20 The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(DT)’”

There Will Be No Delay

21 The word of the Lord came to me: 22 “Son of man, what is this proverb(DU) you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?(DV) 23 Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near(DW) when every vision will be fulfilled.(DX) 24 For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations(DY) among the people of Israel. 25 But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay.(DZ) For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill(EA) whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.(EB)’”

26 The word of the Lord came to me: 27 “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’(EC)

28 “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 10:5 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Ezekiel 10:11 Or aside
  3. Ezekiel 11:24 Or Chaldea
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Ezekiel 9-12
King James Version

9 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;

4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.

10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

10 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

2 And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

3 Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory.

5 And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.

6 And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.

7 And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.

8 And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings.

9 And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.

10 And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.

11 When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.

12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.

13 As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.

14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.

16 And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.

17 When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.

19 And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

20 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

21 Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.

22 And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.

11 Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord's house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

2 Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:

3 Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.

4 Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

6 Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

7 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.

8 Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord God.

9 And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:

12 And ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

14 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession.

16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.

22 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

25 Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me.

12 The word of the Lord also came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

3 Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.

4 Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.

5 Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

6 In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

7 And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.

8 And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

9 Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?

10 Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.

11 Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.

12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.

16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

17 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

18 Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

19 And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

20 And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

21 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

22 Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

23 Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.

24 For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

25 For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.

26 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying.

27 Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.

28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God.

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