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The Vision of the Lord’s Glory
1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Kebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin, 3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And the hand of the Lord was on him there.
4 As I looked, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually, and a brightness was all around it, and in its midst something as glowing metal in the midst of the fire. 5 Also out of the midst came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man. 6 Every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s hoof. And they gleamed like the color of burnished bronze. 8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings were joined to one another. Their faces did not turn when they went. Each went straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man, and all four had the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. And their wings were stretched upward. Two wings of every one were joined to one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 Each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit was to go, they would go and not turn as 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 went up and down among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 The living creatures ran to and fro as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, one wheel was on the ground by the living creatures for each of the four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like the color of sparkling beryl. And all four of them had one likeness. And their appearance and their work was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 Whenever they went, they went in any of their four sides and did not turn as they went. 18 As for their rims, they were so high that they were dreadful. And the rims of all four of them were full of eyes all around.
19 Whenever the living creatures went, the wheels went with them. And whenever the living creatures were lifted up from the ground, the wheels also were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them. For the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 Whenever those went, these went. And whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the ground, the wheels rose close beside them. For the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 The likeness of the expanse over the heads of the living creatures was as the awesome gleam of crystal, stretched out over their heads above. 23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, the one toward the other. Each one also had two wings which covered its body on the one side and the other. 24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of abundant waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the noise of tumult as the noise of an army camp. Whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.
25 There was a voice from the expanse that was over their heads whenever they stood still and let down their wings. 26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. And on the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man on it high up. 27 Then I saw as glowing metal, as the appearance of fire all around within it, from the appearance of His loins and upward; and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was a brightness around Him. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice of one speaking.
The Call of Ezekiel
2 Then He said to me: Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you! 2 When He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet. Then I heard Him speaking to me.
3 And He said to me: Son of man, I send you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. They and their fathers have transgressed against Me even to this very day. 4 And as for the impudent and obstinate children, I am sending you to them. And you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.” 5 As for them, whether they listen or not (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with you, and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 You shall speak My words to them, whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.
9 When I looked, a hand was sent to me. And a scroll was in it. 10 And He spread it before me. And there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe.
3 Moreover He said to me, Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel. 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.
3 He said to me, Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your inward parts with this scroll that I give you. Then I ate it, and it was as honey for sweetness in my mouth.
4 Then He said to me: Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people of foreign speech and hard language, but to the house of Israel, 6 nor to many peoples of foreign speech and hard language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me. For all the house of Israel is impudent and obstinate. 8 But I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 As emery harder than flint, I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
10 Moreover He said to me: Son of man, all My words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart and hear with your ears. 11 Go to the captives, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, “Thus says the Lord God.”
12 Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a great thundering voice: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place.” 13 I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another and the noise of the wheels beside them, even 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, and the hand of the Lord was strong upon me. 15 Then I came to the captives at Tel Aviv, who lived by the River Kebar, and I sat there where they sat seven days, causing consternation among them.
Jesus Superior to Moses
3 Therefore, holy brothers, partakers in a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus Christ, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses was faithful in all His house. 3 For the One was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, in that He who builds the house has more honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the One who builds all things is God. 5 Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, testifying about those things that were to be spoken later. 6 But Christ is faithful over God’s house as a Son, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of our hope firm to the end.
A Rest for God’s People
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear His voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion,
on the day of temptation in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers tested Me and tried Me
and saw My works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
and they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”[a]
12 Be attentive, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, and you depart from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence firmly to the end, 15 while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion.”[b]
16 For who were they who heard and rebelled? Was it not all of those who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 And with whom was He grieved for forty years? Was it not with those who had sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.
Psalm 104
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great!
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 covering Yourself with light as a garment,
who stretches out the heavens like a tent curtain,
3 who lays the upper beams of His chambers on the waters above,
who makes the clouds His chariot,
who rides upon the wings of the wind,
4 who makes His angels as winds,
His ministers a flaming fire.
5 You laid the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of Your thunder they departed away.
8 The mountains rose up;
the valleys went down
to the place that You appointed them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass over,
that they may not again cover the earth.
10 You send the springs to gush forth in the valleys,
which flow between the hills.
11 They give drink to every animal of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their habitation;
they sing among the branches.
13 You water the mountains from Your lofty chamber;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
14 You cause the grass to grow for the cattle
and plants for the cultivation of man,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
15 and wine that makes glad the heart of man,
and oil that makes shine his face,
and bread that strengthens his heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that He has planted,
17 where the birds make their nests,
where the stork has its home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats,
and the rocks a refuge for the badgers.
19 He set the moon to mark the appointed seasons;
the sun knows its time for going down.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the animals of the forest go forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 When the sun arises, they gather themselves together
and lay down in their dens.
23 Man goes forth to his work
and to his labor until the evening.
24 He who hates dissembles with his lips,
and lays up deceit within him;
25 when he speaks kindly, do not believe him,
for there are seven abominations in his heart;
26 though his hatred is covered by deceit,
his wickedness will be shown before the whole congregation.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.