1 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.
Chapter 11
1 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, the 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.
Chapter 12
1 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. |