The Storm and the Throne

¹Now in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

²In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,

³the LORD’s word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the LORD’s hand was there on him.

⁴I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of the middle of it as it were glowing metal, out of the middle of the fire.

⁵Out of its center came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man.

⁶Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.

⁷Their feet were straight feet. The sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.

⁸They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. The four of them had their faces and their wings like this:

⁹Their wings were joined to one another. They didn’t turn when they went. Each one went straight forward.

¹⁰As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. 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.

¹¹Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.

¹²Each one went straight forward. Where the spirit was to go, they went. They didn’t turn when they went.

¹³As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. The fire went up and down among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire.

¹⁴The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

¹⁵Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.

¹⁶The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl. The four of them had one likeness. Their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.

¹⁷When they went, they went in their four directions. They didn’t turn when they went.

¹⁸As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.

¹⁹When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

²⁰Wherever the spirit was to go, they went. The spirit was to go there. The wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

²¹When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood. When those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

²²Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like an awesome crystal to look at, stretched out over their heads above.

²³Under the expanse, their wings were straight, one toward the other. Each one had two which covered on this side, and each one had two which covered their bodies on that side.

²⁴When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁵There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁶Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.

²⁷I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.

²⁸As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the LORD’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.

¹He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”

²The Spirit entered into me when he spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard him who spoke to me.

³He said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me even to this very day.

⁴The children are impudent and stiff-hearted. I am sending you to them, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’

⁵They, whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that there has been a prophet among them.

⁶You, son of man, don’t be afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you dwell among scorpions. Don’t be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.

⁷You shall speak my words to them, whether they will hear or whether they will refuse; for they are most rebellious.

⁸But you, son of man, hear what I tell you. Don’t be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth, and eat that which I give you.”

⁹When I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it.

¹⁰He spread it before me. It was written within and without; and lamentations, mourning, and woe were written in it.

¹He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”

²So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the scroll.

³He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your belly and your bowels with it.” Then I ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

⁴He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.

⁵For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel—

⁶not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words you can’t understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.

⁷But the house of Israel will not listen to you, for they will not listen to me; for all the house of Israel are obstinate and hard-hearted.

⁸Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads.

⁹I have made your forehead as a diamond, harder than flint. Don’t be afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”

¹⁰Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, receive in your heart and hear with your ears all my words that I speak to you.

¹¹Go to them of the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse.”

¹²Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, “Blessed be the LORD’s glory from his place.”

¹³I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.

¹⁴So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the LORD’s hand was strong on me.

¹⁵Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Aviv who lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.