Information Retrieved -> Ezekiel 1 - 19(NLT)

Book Chapter Verse Text
Ezekiel 1 1 On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened to me, and I saw visions of God.
Ezekiel 1 2 This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity.
Ezekiel 1 3 The LORD gave a message to me, Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, there beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and I felt the hand of the LORD take hold of me.
Ezekiel 1 4 As I looked, I saw a great storm coming toward me from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. The fire inside the cloud glowed like gleaming amber.
Ezekiel 1 5 From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human,
Ezekiel 1 6 except that each had four faces and two pairs of wings.
Ezekiel 1 7 Their legs were straight like human legs, but their feet were split like calves' feet and shone like burnished bronze.
Ezekiel 1 8 Beneath each of their wings I could see human hands.
Ezekiel 1 9 The wings of each living being touched the wings of the two beings beside it. The living beings were able to fly in any direction without turning around.
Ezekiel 1 10 Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.
Ezekiel 1 11 Each had two pairs of outstretched wings--one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body.
Ezekiel 1 12 They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in all directions without having to turn around.
Ezekiel 1 13 The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and it looked as though lightning was flashing back and forth among them.
Ezekiel 1 14 And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.
Ezekiel 1 15 As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels on the ground beneath them, one wheel belonging to each.
Ezekiel 1 16 The wheels sparkled as if made of chrysolite. All four wheels looked the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.
Ezekiel 1 17 The beings could move forward in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved.
Ezekiel 1 18 The rims of the four wheels were awesomely tall, and they were covered with eyes all around the edges.
Ezekiel 1 19 When the four living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too.
Ezekiel 1 20 The spirit of the four living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings went, too.
Ezekiel 1 21 When the living beings moved, the wheels moved. When the living beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the living beings flew into the air, the wheels rose up. For the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
Ezekiel 1 22 There was a surface spread out above them like the sky. It sparkled like crystal.
Ezekiel 1 23 Beneath this surface the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others' wings, and each had two wings covering its body.
Ezekiel 1 24 As they flew their wings roared like waves crashing against the shore, or like the voice of the Almighty, or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings.
Ezekiel 1 25 As they stood with their wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them.
Ezekiel 1 26 Above the surface over their heads was what looked like a throne made of blue sapphire. And high above this throne was a figure whose appearance was like that of a man.
Ezekiel 1 27 From his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor.
Ezekiel 1 28 All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining through the clouds. This was the way the glory of the LORD appeared to me. When I saw it, I fell face down in the dust, and I heard someone's voice speaking to me.
Ezekiel 2 1 "Stand up, son of man," said the voice. "I want to speak with you."
Ezekiel 2 2 The Spirit came into me as he spoke and set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words.
Ezekiel 2 3 "Son of man," he said, "I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a nation that is rebelling against me. Their ancestors have rebelled against me from the beginning, and they are still in revolt to this very day.
Ezekiel 2 4 They are a hard-hearted and stubborn people. But I am sending you to say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says!'
Ezekiel 2 5 And whether they listen or not--for remember, they are rebels--at least they will know they have had a prophet among them.
Ezekiel 2 6 "Son of man, do not fear them. Don't be afraid even though their threats are sharp as thorns and barbed like briers, and they sting like scorpions. Do not be dismayed by their dark scowls. For remember, they are rebels!
Ezekiel 2 7 You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won't listen, for they are completely rebellious!
Ezekiel 2 8 Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in being a rebel. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you."
Ezekiel 2 9 Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me, and it held a scroll.
Ezekiel 2 10 He unrolled it, and I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, other words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom.
Ezekiel 3 1 The voice said to me, "Son of man, eat what I am giving you--eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel."
Ezekiel 3 2 So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll.
Ezekiel 3 3 "Eat it all," he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey.
Ezekiel 3 4 Then he said, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel with my messages.
Ezekiel 3 5 I am not sending you to some foreign people whose language you cannot understand.
Ezekiel 3 6 No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen!
Ezekiel 3 7 I am sending you to the people of Israel, but they won't listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn.
Ezekiel 3 8 But look, I have made you as hard and stubborn as they are.
Ezekiel 3 9 I have made you as hard as rock! So don't be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are such rebels."
Ezekiel 3 10 Then he added, "Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.
Ezekiel 3 11 Then go to your people in exile and say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' Do this whether they listen to you or not."
Ezekiel 3 12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. (May the glory of the LORD be praised in his place!)
Ezekiel 3 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them.
Ezekiel 3 14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the LORD's hold on me was strong.
Ezekiel 3 15 Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles in Tel-abib, beside the Kebar River. I sat there among them for seven days, overwhelmed.
Ezekiel 3 16 At the end of the seven days, the LORD gave me a message. He said,
Ezekiel 3 17 "Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, pass it on to the people immediately.
Ezekiel 3 18 If I warn the wicked, saying, `You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs.
Ezekiel 3 19 If you warn them and they keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved your life because you did what you were told to do.
Ezekiel 3 20 If good people turn bad and don't listen to my warning, they will die. If you did not warn them of the consequences, then they will die in their sins. Their previous good deeds won't help them, and I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs.
Ezekiel 3 21 But if you warn them and they repent, they will live, and you will have saved your own life, too."
Ezekiel 3 22 Then the LORD took hold of me, and he said to me, "Go out into the valley, and I will talk to you there."
Ezekiel 3 23 So I got up and went, and there I saw the glory of the LORD, just as I had seen it in my first vision by the Kebar River. And I fell face down in the dust.
Ezekiel 3 24 Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. He talked to me and said, "Go, shut yourself up in your house.
Ezekiel 3 25 There you will be bound with ropes so you cannot go out among the people.
Ezekiel 3 26 And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so you won't be able to pray for them, for they are rebellious.
Ezekiel 3 27 But whenever I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says!' Some of them will listen, but some will ignore you, for they are rebels.
Ezekiel 4 1 "And now, son of man, take a large brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it.
Ezekiel 4 2 Build siege ramps against the city walls. Surround it with enemy camps and battering rams.
Ezekiel 4 3 Then take an iron griddle and place it between you and the city. Turn toward it and demonstrate how the enemy will attack Jerusalem. This will be a warning to the people of Israel.
Ezekiel 4 4 "Now lie on your left side and place the sins of Israel on yourself. You are to bear their sins for the number of days you lie there on your side.
Ezekiel 4 5 You will bear Israel's sins for 390 days--one day for each year of their sin.
Ezekiel 4 6 After that, turn over and lie on your right side for 40 days--one day for each year of Judah's sin.
Ezekiel 4 7 "Meanwhile, continue your demonstration of the siege of Jerusalem. Lie there with your arm bared and prophesy her destruction.
Ezekiel 4 8 I will tie you up with ropes so you won't be able to turn from side to side until the days of your siege have been completed.
Ezekiel 4 9 "Now go and get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use this food to make bread for yourself during the 390 days you will be lying on your side.
Ezekiel 4 10 Ration this out to yourself, eight ounces of food for each day, and eat it at set times.
Ezekiel 4 11 Then measure out a jar of water for each day, and drink it at set times.
Ezekiel 4 12 Each day prepare your bread as you would barley cakes. While all the people are watching, bake it over a fire using dried human dung as fuel and then eat the bread.
Ezekiel 4 13 For this is what the LORD says: Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands, where I will banish them!"
Ezekiel 4 14 Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, must I be defiled by using human dung? For I have never been defiled before. From the time I was a child until now I have never eaten any animal that died of sickness or that I found dead. And I have never eaten any of the animals that our laws forbid."
Ezekiel 4 15 "All right," the LORD said. "You may bake your bread with cow dung instead of human dung."
Ezekiel 4 16 Then he told me, "Son of man, I will cause food to be very scarce in Jerusalem. It will be weighed out with great care and eaten fearfully. The water will be portioned out drop by drop, and the people will drink it with dismay.
Ezekiel 4 17 Food and water will be so scarce that the people will look at one another in terror, and they will waste away under their punishment.
Ezekiel 5 1 "Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a razor to shave your head and beard. Use a scale to weigh the hair into three equal parts.
Ezekiel 5 2 Place a third of it at the center of your map of Jerusalem. After acting out the siege, burn it there. Scatter another third across your map and slash at it with a sword. Scatter the last third to the wind, for I will scatter my people with the sword.
Ezekiel 5 3 Keep just a bit of the hair and tie it up in your robe.
Ezekiel 5 4 Then take a few of these hairs out and throw them into the fire, burning them up. A fire will then spread from this remnant and destroy all of Israel.
Ezekiel 5 5 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This is an illustration of what will happen to Jerusalem. I placed her at the center of the nations,
Ezekiel 5 6 but she has rebelled against my regulations and has been even more wicked than the surrounding nations. She has refused to obey the laws I gave her to follow.
Ezekiel 5 7 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have refused to obey my laws and regulations and have behaved even worse than your neighbors,
Ezekiel 5 8 I myself, the Sovereign LORD, am now your enemy. I will punish you publicly while all the nations watch.
Ezekiel 5 9 Because of your detestable idols, I will punish you more severely than I have punished anyone before or ever will again.
Ezekiel 5 10 Parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. And I will punish you by scattering the few who survive to the far reaches of the earth.
Ezekiel 5 11 "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, I will cut you off completely. I will show you no pity at all because you have defiled my Temple with idols and vile practices.
Ezekiel 5 12 A third of your people will die in the city from famine and disease. A third of them will be slaughtered by the enemy outside the city walls. And I will scatter a third to the winds and chase them with my sword.
Ezekiel 5 13 Then at last my anger will be spent, and I will be satisfied. And when my fury against them has subsided, all Israel will know that I, the LORD, have spoken to them in my jealous anger.
Ezekiel 5 14 "So I will turn you into a ruin, a mockery in the eyes of the surrounding nations and to everyone who travels by.
Ezekiel 5 15 You will become an object of mockery and taunting and horror. You will be a warning to all the nations around you. They will see what happens when the LORD turns against a nation in furious rebuke. I, the LORD, have spoken!
Ezekiel 5 16 "I will shower you with the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you. The famine will become more and more severe until every crumb of food is gone.
Ezekiel 5 17 And along with the famine, wild animals will attack you, robbing you of your children. Disease and war will stalk your land, and I will bring the sword of the enemy against you. I, the LORD, have spoken!"
Ezekiel 6 1 Again a message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 6 2 "Son of man, look over toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.
Ezekiel 6 3 Give the mountains of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring war upon you, and I will destroy your pagan shrines.
Ezekiel 6 4 All your altars will be demolished, and your incense altars will be smashed. I will kill your people in front of your idols.
Ezekiel 6 5 I will lay your corpses in front of your idols and scatter your bones around your altars.
Ezekiel 6 6 Wherever you live there will be desolation. I will destroy your pagan shrines, your altars, your idols, your incense altars, and all the other religious objects you have made.
Ezekiel 6 7 Then when the place is littered with corpses, you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 6 8 "But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world.
Ezekiel 6 9 Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how grieved I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for other gods. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their wickedness.
Ezekiel 6 10 They will know that I alone am the LORD and that I was serious when I predicted that all this would happen to them.
Ezekiel 6 11 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Clap your hands in horror, and stamp your feet. Cry out, `Alas!' because of all the evil that the people of Israel have done. Now they are going to die from war and famine and disease.
Ezekiel 6 12 Disease will strike down those who are far away in exile. War will destroy those who are nearby. And anyone who survives will be killed by famine. So at last I will spend my fury on them.
Ezekiel 6 13 When their dead lie scattered among their idols and altars, on every hill and mountain and under every green tree and great oak where they offered incense to their gods, then they will know that I alone am the LORD.
Ezekiel 6 14 I will crush them and make their cities desolate from the wilderness in the south to Riblah in the north. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel 7 1 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 7 2 "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to Israel: The end is here! Wherever you look--east, west, north, or south--your land is finished.
Ezekiel 7 3 No hope remains, for I will unleash my anger against you. I will call you to account for all your disgusting behavior.
Ezekiel 7 4 I will turn my eyes away and show no pity, repaying you in full for all your evil. Then you will know that I am the LORD!
Ezekiel 7 5 "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: With one blow after another I will bring total disaster!
Ezekiel 7 6 The end has come! It has finally arrived! Your final doom is waiting!
Ezekiel 7 7 O people of Israel, the day of your destruction is dawning. The time has come; the day of trouble is near. It will ring with shouts of anguish, not shouts of joy.
Ezekiel 7 8 Soon I will pour out my fury to complete your punishment for all your disgusting behavior.
Ezekiel 7 9 I will neither spare nor pity you. I will repay you for all your detestable practices. Then you will know that it is I, the LORD, who is striking the blow.
Ezekiel 7 10 "The day of judgment is here; your destruction awaits! The people's wickedness and pride have reached a climax.
Ezekiel 7 11 Their violence will fall back on them as punishment for their wickedness. None of these proud and wicked people will survive. All their wealth will be swept away.
Ezekiel 7 12 Yes, the time has come; the day is here! There is no reason for buyers to rejoice over the bargains they find or for sellers to grieve over their losses, for all of them will fall under my terrible anger.
Ezekiel 7 13 And if any merchants should survive, they will never return to their business. For what God has said applies to everyone--it will not be changed! Not one person whose life is twisted by sin will recover.
Ezekiel 7 14 "The trumpets call Israel's army to mobilize, but no one listens, for my fury is against them all.
Ezekiel 7 15 Any who leave the city walls will be killed by enemy swords. Those who stay inside will die of famine and disease.
Ezekiel 7 16 The few who survive and escape to the mountains will moan like doves, weeping for their sins.
Ezekiel 7 17 Everyone's hands will be feeble; their knees will be as weak as water.
Ezekiel 7 18 They will dress themselves in sackcloth; horror and shame will cover them. They will shave their heads in sorrow and remorse.
Ezekiel 7 19 "They will throw away their money, tossing it out like worthless trash. It won't buy their deliverance in that day of the LORD's anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their love of money made them stumble into sin.
Ezekiel 7 20 They were proud of their gold jewelry and used it to make vile and detestable idols. That is why I will make all their wealth disgusting to them.
Ezekiel 7 21 I will give it as plunder to foreigners from the most wicked of nations, and they will defile it.
Ezekiel 7 22 I will hide my eyes as these robbers invade my treasured land and corrupt it.
Ezekiel 7 23 "Prepare chains for my people, for the land is bloodied by terrible crimes. Jerusalem is filled with violence.
Ezekiel 7 24 I will bring the most ruthless of nations to occupy their homes. I will break down their proud fortresses and defile their sanctuaries.
Ezekiel 7 25 Terror and trembling will overcome my people. They will look for peace but will not find it.
Ezekiel 7 26 Calamity will follow calamity; rumor will follow rumor. They will look in vain for a vision from the prophets. They will receive no teaching from the priests and no counsel from the leaders.
Ezekiel 7 27 The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people's hands will tremble with fear. I will bring against them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the LORD!"
Ezekiel 8 1 Then on September 17, during the sixth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, while the leaders of Judah were in my home, the Sovereign LORD took hold of me.
Ezekiel 8 2 I saw a figure that appeared to be a man. From the waist down he looked like a burning flame. From the waist up he looked like gleaming amber.
Ezekiel 8 3 He put out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hair. Then the Spirit lifted me up into the sky and transported me in a vision of God to Jerusalem. I was taken to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple, where there is a large idol that has made the LORD very angry.
Ezekiel 8 4 Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel was there, just as I had seen it before in the valley.
Ezekiel 8 5 Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate of the altar, stood the idol that had made the LORD so angry.
Ezekiel 8 6 "Son of man," he said, "do you see what they are doing? Do you see the great sins the people of Israel are doing to drive me from my Temple? But come, and you will see even greater sins than these!"
Ezekiel 8 7 Then he brought me to the door of the Temple courtyard, where I could see an opening in the wall.
Ezekiel 8 8 He said to me, "Now, son of man, dig into the wall." So I dug into the wall and uncovered a door to a hidden room.
Ezekiel 8 9 "Go in," he said, "and see the unspeakable wickedness going on in there!"
Ezekiel 8 10 So I went in and saw the walls engraved with all kinds of snakes, lizards, and hideous creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel.
Ezekiel 8 11 Seventy leaders of Israel were standing there with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan in the middle. Each of them held an incense burner, so there was a thick cloud of incense above their heads.
Ezekiel 8 12 Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying, `The LORD doesn't see us; he has deserted our land!'"
Ezekiel 8 13 Then he added, "Come, and I will show you greater sins than these!"
Ezekiel 8 14 He brought me to the north gate of the LORD's Temple, and some women were sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.
Ezekiel 8 15 "Have you seen this?" he asked. "But I will show you even greater sins than these!"
Ezekiel 8 16 Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the LORD's Temple. At the entrance, between the foyer and the bronze altar, about twenty-five men were standing with their backs to the LORD's Temple. They were facing eastward, worshiping the sun!
Ezekiel 8 17 "Have you seen this, son of man?" he asked. "Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these terrible sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at me, and rousing my fury against them?
Ezekiel 8 18 Therefore, I will deal with them in fury. I will neither pity nor spare them. And though they scream for mercy, I will not listen."
Ezekiel 9 1 Then the LORD thundered, "Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!"
Ezekiel 9 2 Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a battle club in his hand. One of them was dressed in linen and carried a writer's case strapped to his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar.
Ezekiel 9 3 Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the LORD called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer's case.
Ezekiel 9 4 He said to him, "Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all those who weep and sigh because of the sins they see around them."
Ezekiel 9 5 Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity!
Ezekiel 9 6 Kill them all--old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin your task right here at the Temple." So they began by killing the seventy leaders.
Ezekiel 9 7 "Defile the Temple!" the LORD commanded. "Fill its courtyards with the bodies of those you kill! Go!" So they went throughout the city and did as they were told.
Ezekiel 9 8 While they were carrying out their orders, I was all alone. I fell face down in the dust and cried out, "O Sovereign LORD! Will your fury against Jerusalem wipe out everyone left in Israel?"
Ezekiel 9 9 Then he said to me, "The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, `The LORD doesn't see it! The LORD has forsaken the land!'
Ezekiel 9 10 So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done."
Ezekiel 9 11 Then the man in linen clothing, who carried the writer's case, reported back and said, "I have finished the work you gave me to do."
Ezekiel 10 1 As I looked, I saw what appeared to be a throne of blue sapphire above the crystal surface over the heads of the cherubim.
Ezekiel 10 2 Then the LORD spoke to the man in linen clothing and said, "Go in between the whirling wheels beneath the cherubim, and take a handful of glowing coals and scatter them over the city." He did this as I watched.
Ezekiel 10 3 The cherubim were standing at the south end of the Temple when the man went in, and the cloud of glory filled the inner courtyard.
Ezekiel 10 4 Then the glory of the LORD rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the Temple courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the LORD.
Ezekiel 10 5 The moving wings of the cherubim sounded like the voice of God Almighty and could be heard clearly in the outer courtyard.
Ezekiel 10 6 The LORD said to the man in linen clothing, "Go between the cherubim and take some burning coals from between the wheels." So the man went in and stood beside one of the wheels.
Ezekiel 10 7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand and took some live coals from the fire burning among them. He put the coals into the hands of the man in linen clothing, and the man took them and went out.
Ezekiel 10 8 (All the cherubim had what looked like human hands hidden beneath their wings.)
Ezekiel 10 9 Each of the four cherubim had a wheel beside him, and the wheels sparkled like chrysolite.
Ezekiel 10 10 All four wheels looked the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.
Ezekiel 10 11 The cherubim could move forward in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. They went straight in the direction in which their heads were turned, never turning aside.
Ezekiel 10 12 Both the cherubim and the wheels were covered with eyes. The cherubim had eyes all over their bodies, including their hands, their backs, and their wings.
Ezekiel 10 13 I heard someone refer to the wheels as "the whirling wheels."
Ezekiel 10 14 Each of the four cherubim had four faces--the first was the face of an ox, the second was a human face, the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.
Ezekiel 10 15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the same living beings I had seen beside the Kebar River.
Ezekiel 10 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved with them. When they rose into the air, the wheels stayed beside them, going with them as they flew.
Ezekiel 10 17 When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stopped, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
Ezekiel 10 18 Then the glory of the LORD moved from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim.
Ezekiel 10 19 And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the LORD's Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.
Ezekiel 10 20 These were the same living beings I had seen beneath the God of Israel when I was by the Kebar River. I knew they were cherubim,
Ezekiel 10 21 for each had four faces and four wings and what looked like human hands under their wings.
Ezekiel 10 22 Their faces, too, were just like the faces of the beings I had seen at the Kebar, and they traveled straight ahead, just as the others had.
Ezekiel 11 1 Then the Spirit lifted me and brought me over to the east gateway of the LORD's Temple, where I saw twenty-five prominent men of the city. Among them were Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders among the people.
Ezekiel 11 2 Then the Spirit said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who are responsible for the wicked counsel being given in this city.
Ezekiel 11 3 They say to the people, `Is it not a good time to build houses? Our city is like an iron pot. Inside it we will be like meat--safe from all harm. '
Ezekiel 11 4 Therefore, son of man, prophesy against them loudly and clearly."
Ezekiel 11 5 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me, and he told me to say, "This is what the LORD says to the people of Israel: Is that what you are saying? Yes, I know it is, for I know every thought that comes into your minds.
Ezekiel 11 6 You have murdered endlessly and filled your streets with the dead.
Ezekiel 11 7 "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: This city is an iron pot, but the victims of your injustice are the pieces of meat. And you are not safe, for I will soon drag you from the city.
Ezekiel 11 8 I will expose you to the war you so greatly fear, says the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 11 9 I will drive you out of Jerusalem and hand you over to foreigners who will carry out my judgments against you.
Ezekiel 11 10 You will be slaughtered all the way to the borders of Israel, and then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 11 11 No, this city will not be an iron pot for you, and you will not be the meat, safe inside. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel,
Ezekiel 11 12 and you will know that I am the LORD. For you have refused to obey me; instead, you have copied the sins of the nations around you."
Ezekiel 11 13 While I was still speaking, Pelatiah son of Benaiah suddenly died. Then I fell face down in the dust and cried out, "O Sovereign LORD, are you going to kill everyone in Israel?"
Ezekiel 11 14 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 11 15 "Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem are talking about their relatives in exile, saying, `They are far away from the LORD, so now he has given their land to us!'
Ezekiel 11 16 Therefore, give the exiles this message from the Sovereign LORD: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile.
Ezekiel 11 17 I, the Sovereign LORD, will gather you back from the nations where you are scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.
Ezekiel 11 18 "When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their detestable idol worship.
Ezekiel 11 19 And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts instead,
Ezekiel 11 20 so they will obey my laws and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.
Ezekiel 11 21 But as for those who long for idols, I will repay them fully for their sins, says the Sovereign LORD."
Ezekiel 11 22 Then the cherubim lifted their wings and rose into the air with their wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.
Ezekiel 11 23 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east.
Ezekiel 11 24 Afterward the Spirit of God carried me back again to Babylonia, to the Judeans in exile there. And so ended the vision of my visit to Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 11 25 And I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.
Ezekiel 12 1 Again a message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 12 2 "Son of man, you live among rebels who could see the truth if they wanted to, but they don't want to. They could hear me if they would listen, but they won't listen because they are rebellious.
Ezekiel 12 3 So now put on a demonstration to show them what it will be like to go off into exile. Pack whatever you can carry on your back and leave your home to go on a journey. Make your preparations in broad daylight so the people can see you, for perhaps they will even yet consider what this means, even though they are such rebels.
Ezekiel 12 4 Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then as they are watching, leave your house in the evening, just as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands.
Ezekiel 12 5 Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and carry your possessions out through it.
Ezekiel 12 6 As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face and don't look around. All of these actions will be a sign for the people of Israel."
Ezekiel 12 7 So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile. Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the darkness with my pack on my shoulder.
Ezekiel 12 8 The next morning this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 12 9 "Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means.
Ezekiel 12 10 Say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: These actions contain a message for Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel.'
Ezekiel 12 11 Then explain that your actions are a demonstration of what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven from their homes and sent away into exile.
Ezekiel 12 12 "Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will never see his homeland again.
Ezekiel 12 13 Then I will spread out my net and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.
Ezekiel 12 14 I will scatter his servants and guards to the four winds and send the sword after them.
Ezekiel 12 15 And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 12 16 But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess to their captors about how wicked they have been. Then they will know that I am the LORD!"
Ezekiel 12 17 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 12 18 "Son of man, tremble as you eat your food. Drink your water with fear, as if it were your last.
Ezekiel 12 19 Give the people this message from the Sovereign LORD concerning those living in Israel and Jerusalem: They will eat their food with trembling and sip their tiny portions of water in utter despair, because their land will be stripped bare on account of their violence.
Ezekiel 12 20 The cities will be destroyed and the farmland deserted. Then you will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel 12 21 Again a message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 12 22 "Son of man, what is that proverb they quote in Israel: `Time passes, making a liar of every prophet'?
Ezekiel 12 23 Give the people this message from the Sovereign LORD: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it. Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: `The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!'
Ezekiel 12 24 "Then you will see what becomes of all the false visions and misleading predictions about peace in Israel.
Ezekiel 12 25 For I am the LORD! What I threaten always happens. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel! I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime, says the Sovereign LORD."
Ezekiel 12 26 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 12 27 "Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, `His visions won't come true for a long, long time.'
Ezekiel 12 28 Therefore, give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened! I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"
Ezekiel 13 1 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 13 2 "Son of man, speak against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Tell them to listen to the word of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 3 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Destruction is certain for the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!
Ezekiel 13 4 "O people of Israel, these prophets of yours are like jackals digging around in the ruins.
Ezekiel 13 5 They have done nothing to strengthen the breaks in the walls around the nation. They have not helped it to stand firm in battle on the day of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 6 Instead, they have lied and said, `My message is from the LORD,' even though the LORD never sent them. And yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies!
Ezekiel 13 7 Can your visions be anything but false if you claim, `This message is from the LORD,' when I have not even spoken to you?
Ezekiel 13 8 "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because what you say is false and your visions are a lie, I will stand against you, says the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 13 9 I will raise my fist against all the lying prophets, and they will be banished from the community of Israel. I will blot their names from Israel's record books, and they will never again see their own land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD!
Ezekiel 13 10 "These evil prophets deceive my people by saying, `All is peaceful!' when there is no peace at all! It's as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to hold it together by covering it with whitewash!
Ezekiel 13 11 Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down.
Ezekiel 13 12 And when the wall falls, the people will cry out, `Where is the whitewash you applied?'
Ezekiel 13 13 "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will sweep away your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of anger, and with hailstones of fury.
Ezekiel 13 14 I will break down your wall right to the foundation, and when it falls, it will crush you. Then you will know that I am the LORD!
Ezekiel 13 15 At last my anger against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: `The wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone.
Ezekiel 13 16 They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!'
Ezekiel 13 17 "Now, son of man, also speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations.
Ezekiel 13 18 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Destruction is certain for you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, both young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils. Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves?
Ezekiel 13 19 You turn my people away from me for a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.
Ezekiel 13 20 "And so the Sovereign LORD says: I am against all your magic charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds. I will tear them from your arms, setting my people free like birds set free from a cage.
Ezekiel 13 21 I will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp. They will no longer be your victims. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 22 You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, when I didn't want them to suffer grief. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins.
Ezekiel 13 23 But you will no longer talk of seeing visions that you never saw, nor will you practice your magic. For I will rescue my people from your grasp. Then you will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel 14 1 Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were there,
Ezekiel 14 2 this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 14 3 "Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that lead them into sin. Why should I let them ask me anything?
Ezekiel 14 4 Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: I, the LORD, will punish the people of Israel who set up idols in their hearts so they fall into sin and then come to a prophet asking for help.
Ezekiel 14 5 I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.
Ezekiel 14 6 "Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your loathsome practices.
Ezekiel 14 7 I, the LORD, will punish all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who reject me and set up idols in their hearts so they fall into sin, and who then come to a prophet asking for my advice.
Ezekiel 14 8 I will turn against such people and make a terrible example of them, destroying them. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 14 9 And if a prophet is deceived and gives a message anyway, it is because I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet. I will stand against such prophets and cut them off from the community of Israel.
Ezekiel 14 10 False prophets and hypocrites--evil people who claim to want my advice--will all be punished for their sins.
Ezekiel 14 11 In this way, the people of Israel will learn not to stray from me, polluting themselves with sin. They will be my people, and I will be their God, says the Sovereign LORD."
Ezekiel 14 12 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 14 13 "Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals alike.
Ezekiel 14 14 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, declares the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 14 15 "Or suppose I were to send an invasion of dangerous wild animals to devastate the land and kill the people.
Ezekiel 14 16 Even if these three men were there, the Sovereign LORD swears that it would do no good--it wouldn't save the people from destruction. Those three alone would be saved, but the land would be devastated.
Ezekiel 14 17 "Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I told enemy armies to come and destroy everything.
Ezekiel 14 18 Even if these three men were in the land, the Sovereign LORD swears that they could not save the people. They alone would be saved.
Ezekiel 14 19 "Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic of disease into the land, and the plague killed people and animals alike.
Ezekiel 14 20 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living there, the Sovereign LORD swears that they could not save the people. They alone would be saved by their righteousness.
Ezekiel 14 21 "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: How terrible it will be when all four of these fearsome punishments fall upon Jerusalem--war, famine, beasts, and plague--destroying all her people and animals.
Ezekiel 14 22 Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 14 23 When you meet them and see their behavior, you will agree that these things are not being done to Israel without cause, says the Sovereign LORD."
Ezekiel 15 1 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 15 2 "Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree?
Ezekiel 15 3 Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans?
Ezekiel 15 4 No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly.
Ezekiel 15 5 Vine branches are useless both before and after being put into the fire!
Ezekiel 15 6 "And this is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have set them aside to be burned!
Ezekiel 15 7 And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When this happens, you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 15 8 And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me, says the Sovereign LORD."
Ezekiel 16 1 Then another message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 16 2 "Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her loathsome sins.
Ezekiel 16 3 Give her this message from the Sovereign LORD: You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite!
Ezekiel 16 4 When you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was left uncut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and dressed in warm clothing.
Ezekiel 16 5 No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were dumped in a field and left to die, unwanted.
Ezekiel 16 6 "But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, `Live!'
Ezekiel 16 7 And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your hair grew, though you were still naked.
Ezekiel 16 8 And when I passed by and saw you again, you were old enough to be married. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.
Ezekiel 16 9 "Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin.
Ezekiel 16 10 I gave you expensive clothing of linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine leather.
Ezekiel 16 11 I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, and beautiful necklaces,
Ezekiel 16 12 a ring for your nose and earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head.
Ezekiel 16 13 And so you were made beautiful with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods--fine flour, honey, and olive oil--and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were!
Ezekiel 16 14 Your fame soon spread throughout the world on account of your beauty, because the splendor I bestowed on you perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 16 15 "But you thought you could get along without me, so you trusted instead in your fame and beauty. You gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking!
Ezekiel 16 16 You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you carried out your acts of prostitution. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen?
Ezekiel 16 17 You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them, which is adultery against me.
Ezekiel 16 18 You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to cover your idols. Then you used my oil and incense to worship them.
Ezekiel 16 19 Imagine it! You set before them as a lovely sacrifice the fine flour and oil and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 16 20 "Then you took your sons and daughters--the children you had borne to me--and sacrificed them to your gods. Was it not enough that you should be a prostitute?
Ezekiel 16 21 Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols?
Ezekiel 16 22 In all your years of adultery and loathsome sin, you have not once thought of the days long ago when you lay naked in a field, kicking about in your own blood.
Ezekiel 16 23 "Your destruction is certain, says the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness,
Ezekiel 16 24 you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square.
Ezekiel 16 25 On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution.
Ezekiel 16 26 Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, fanning the flames of my anger with your increasing promiscuity.
Ezekiel 16 27 That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct!
Ezekiel 16 28 You have prostituted yourselves with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied.
Ezekiel 16 29 You added to your lovers by embracing that great merchant land of Babylonia--but you still weren't satisfied!
Ezekiel 16 30 "What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign LORD, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute.
Ezekiel 16 31 You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. You have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment for your love!
Ezekiel 16 32 Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband.
Ezekiel 16 33 Prostitutes charge for their services--but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come to you.
Ezekiel 16 34 So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. No one pays you; instead, you pay them!
Ezekiel 16 35 "Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the LORD!
Ezekiel 16 36 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you have exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods,
Ezekiel 16 37 this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies--these lovers of yours with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated--and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you.
Ezekiel 16 38 I will punish you for your murder and adultery. I will cover you with blood in my jealous fury.
Ezekiel 16 39 Then I will give you to your lovers--these many nations--and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you completely naked and ashamed.
Ezekiel 16 40 They will band together in a mob to stone you and run you through with swords.
Ezekiel 16 41 They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will see to it that you stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers.
Ezekiel 16 42 "Then at last my fury against you will be spent, and my jealous anger will subside. I will be calm and will not be angry with you anymore.
Ezekiel 16 43 But first, because you have not remembered your youth but have angered me by doing all these evil things, I will fully repay you for all of your sins, says the Sovereign LORD. For to all your disgusting sins, you have added these lewd acts.
Ezekiel 16 44 Everyone who makes up proverbs will say of you, `Like mother, like daughter.'
Ezekiel 16 45 For your mother loathed her husband and her children, and so do you. And you are exactly like your sisters, for they despised their husbands and their children. Truly your mother must have been a Hittite and your father an Amorite.
Ezekiel 16 46 "Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters in the north. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters in the south.
Ezekiel 16 47 But you have not merely sinned as they did--no, that was nothing to you. In a very short time you far surpassed them!
Ezekiel 16 48 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters.
Ezekiel 16 49 Sodom's sins were pride, laziness, and gluttony, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.
Ezekiel 16 50 She was proud and did loathsome things, so I wiped her out, as you have seen.
Ezekiel 16 51 "Even Samaria did not commit half your sins. You have done far more loathsome things than your sisters ever did. They seem righteous compared to you!
Ezekiel 16 52 You should be deeply ashamed because your sins are so terrible. In comparison, you make your sisters seem innocent!
Ezekiel 16 53 "But someday I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and Samaria, and I will restore you, too.
Ezekiel 16 54 Then you will be truly ashamed of everything you have done, for your sins make them feel good in comparison.
Ezekiel 16 55 Yes, your sisters, Sodom and Samaria, and all their people will be restored, and at that time you also will be restored.
Ezekiel 16 56 In your proud days you held Sodom in contempt.
Ezekiel 16 57 But now your greater wickedness has been exposed to all the world, and you are the one who is scorned--by Edom and all her neighbors and by Philistia.
Ezekiel 16 58 This is your punishment for all your disgusting sins, says the LORD.
Ezekiel 16 59 "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will give you what you deserve, for you have taken your solemn vows lightly by breaking your covenant.
Ezekiel 16 60 Yet I will keep the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.
Ezekiel 16 61 Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant.
Ezekiel 16 62 And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 16 63 You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silence and shame when I forgive you of all that you have done, says the Sovereign LORD."
Ezekiel 17 1 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 17 2 "Son of man, tell this story to the people of Israel.
Ezekiel 17 3 Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: A great eagle with broad wings full of many-colored feathers came to Lebanon. He took hold of the highest branch of a cedar tree
Ezekiel 17 4 and plucked off its topmost shoot. Then he carried it away to a city filled with merchants, where he planted it.
Ezekiel 17 5 "Then he planted one of its seedlings in fertile ground beside a broad river, where it would grow as quickly as a willow tree.
Ezekiel 17 6 It took root there and grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned up toward the eagle, and its roots grew down beneath it. It soon produced strong branches and luxuriant leaves.
Ezekiel 17 7 But then another great eagle with broad wings and full plumage came along. So the vine sent its roots and branches out toward him for water.
Ezekiel 17 8 The vine did this even though it was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit.
Ezekiel 17 9 "So now the Sovereign LORD asks: Should I let this vine grow and prosper? No! I will pull it out, roots and all! I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it out easily enough--it won't take a strong arm or a large army to do it.
Ezekiel 17 10 Then when the vine is transplanted, will it thrive? No, it will wither away completely when the east wind blows against it. It will die in the same good soil where it had grown so well."
Ezekiel 17 11 Then this message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 17 12 "Say to these rebels of Israel: Don't you understand the meaning of this riddle of the eagles? I will tell you, says the Sovereign LORD. The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took away her king and princes, and brought them to Babylon.
Ezekiel 17 13 He made a treaty with a member of the royal family and made him take an oath of loyalty. He also exiled Israel's most influential leaders,
Ezekiel 17 14 so Israel would not become strong again and revolt. Only by keeping her treaty with Babylon could Israel maintain her national identity.
Ezekiel 17 15 "Nevertheless, this man of Israel's royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?
Ezekiel 17 16 No! For as surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, the king of Israel will die in Babylon, the land of the king who put him in power and whose treaty he despised and broke.
Ezekiel 17 17 Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys the lives of many.
Ezekiel 17 18 For the king of Israel broke his treaty after swearing to obey; therefore, he will not escape.
Ezekiel 17 19 "So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, I will punish him for breaking my covenant and despising the solemn oath he made in my name.
Ezekiel 17 20 I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and deal with him there for this treason against me.
Ezekiel 17 21 And all the best warriors of Israel will be killed in battle, and those remaining in the city will be scattered to the four winds. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken these words.
Ezekiel 17 22 "And the Sovereign LORD says: I will take a tender shoot from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain.
Ezekiel 17 23 It will become a noble cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter beneath its branches.
Ezekiel 17 24 And all the trees will know that it is I, the LORD, who cuts down the tall tree and helps the short tree to grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives new life to the dead tree. I, the LORD, have spoken! I will do what I have said."
Ezekiel 18 1 Then another message came to me from the LORD:
Ezekiel 18 2 "Why do you quote this proverb in the land of Israel: `The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste'?
Ezekiel 18 3 As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, you will not say this proverb anymore in Israel.
Ezekiel 18 4 For all people are mine to judge--both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins will be the one who dies.
Ezekiel 18 5 "Suppose a certain man is just and does what is lawful and right,
Ezekiel 18 6 and he has not feasted in the mountains before Israel's idols or worshiped them. And suppose he does not commit adultery or have intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period.
Ezekiel 18 7 Suppose he is a merciful creditor, not keeping the items given in pledge by poor debtors, and does not rob the poor but instead gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for people in need.
Ezekiel 18 8 And suppose he grants loans without interest, stays away from injustice, is honest and fair when judging others,
Ezekiel 18 9 and faithfully obeys my laws and regulations. Anyone who does these things is just and will surely live, says the Sovereign LORD.
Ezekiel 18 10 "But suppose that man has a son who grows up to be a robber or murderer and refuses to do what is right.
Ezekiel 18 11 And suppose that son does all the evil things his father would never do--worships idols on the mountains, commits adultery,
Ezekiel 18 12 oppresses the poor and helpless, steals from debtors by refusing to let them redeem what they have given in pledge, worships idols and takes part in loathsome practices,
Ezekiel 18 13 and lends money at interest. Should such a sinful person live? No! He must die and must take full blame.
Ezekiel 18 14 "But suppose that sinful son, in turn, has a son who sees his father's wickedness but decides against that kind of life.
Ezekiel 18 15 Suppose this son refuses to worship idols on the mountains, does not commit adultery,
Ezekiel 18 16 and does not exploit the poor, but instead is fair to debtors and does not rob them. And suppose this son feeds the hungry, provides clothes for the needy,
Ezekiel 18 17 helps the poor, does not lend money at interest, and obeys all my regulations and laws. Such a person will not die because of his father's sins; he will surely live.
Ezekiel 18 18 But the father will die for the many sins he committed--for being cruel and robbing close relatives, doing what was clearly wrong among his people.
Ezekiel 18 19 " `What?' you ask. `Doesn't the child pay for the parent's sins?' No! For if the child does what is right and keeps my laws, that child will surely live.
Ezekiel 18 20 The one who sins is the one who dies. The child will not be punished for the parent's sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child's sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own goodness, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.
Ezekiel 18 21 But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my laws and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die.
Ezekiel 18 22 All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.
Ezekiel 18 23 "Do you think, asks the Sovereign LORD, that I like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.
Ezekiel 18 24 However, if righteous people turn to sinful ways and start acting like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their previous goodness will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.
Ezekiel 18 25 "Yet you say, `The Lord isn't being just!' Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one who is unjust, or is it you?
Ezekiel 18 26 When righteous people turn from being good and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds.
Ezekiel 18 27 And if wicked people turn away from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives.
Ezekiel 18 28 They will live, because after thinking it over, they decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die.
Ezekiel 18 29 And yet the people of Israel keep saying, `The Lord is unjust!' O people of Israel, it is you who are unjust, not I.
Ezekiel 18 30 "Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn from your sins! Don't let them destroy you!
Ezekiel 18 31 Put all your rebellion behind you, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel?
Ezekiel 18 32 I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live!
Ezekiel 19 1 "Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel:
Ezekiel 19 2 `What is your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among the young lions and reared her cubs.
Ezekiel 19 3 She raised one of her cubs to become a strong young lion. He learned to catch and devour prey, and he became a man-eater.
Ezekiel 19 4 Then the nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him away in chains to the land of Egypt.
Ezekiel 19 5 `When the mother lion saw that all her hopes for him were gone, she took another of her cubs and taught him to be a strong lion.
Ezekiel 19 6 He prowled among the other lions and became a leader among them. He learned to catch and devour prey, and he, too, became a man-eater.
Ezekiel 19 7 He demolished fortresses in nearby nations and destroyed their towns and cities. Their farms were desolated, and their crops were destroyed. Everyone in the land trembled in fear when they heard him roar.
Ezekiel 19 8 Then the armies of the nations attacked him, surrounding him from every direction. They spread out their nets for him and captured him in their pit.
Ezekiel 19 9 With hooks, they dragged him into a cage and brought him before the king of Babylon. They held him in captivity, so his voice could never again be heard on the mountains of Israel.
Ezekiel 19 10 `Your mother was like a vine planted by the water's edge. It had lush, green foliage because of the abundant water.
Ezekiel 19 11 Its branches became very strong, strong enough to be a ruler's scepter. It soon became very tall, towering above all the others. It stood out because of its height and because of its many lush branches.
Ezekiel 19 12 But the vine was uprooted in fury and thrown down to the ground. The desert wind dried up its fruit and tore off its branches. Its stem was destroyed by fire.
Ezekiel 19 13 Now the vine is growing in the wilderness, where the ground is hard and dry.
Ezekiel 19 14 A fire has come from its branches and devoured its fruit. None of the remaining limbs is strong enough to be a ruler's scepter.' This is a funeral song, and it is now time for the funeral."
Home