HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1105
EZEKIEL 11
page 735
The LORD’s Glory Leaves the Temple
In my vision I saw what appeared to be
a throne of blue lapis lazuli above the
crystal surface over the heads of the cherubim.
2 Then the Lord spoke to the man in linen clothing and said, “Go between the whirling wheels
beneath the cherubim, and take a handful of
burning coals and scatter them over the city.”
He did this as I watched.
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.
4 Then the glory of the Lord rose up from above
the cherubim and went over to the entrance
of the Temple. The Temple was filled with
this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed
brightly with the glory of the Lord. 5 The moving
wings of the cherubim sounded like the voice of
God Almighty* and could be heard even in the
outer courtyard.
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. 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. 8 (All the cherubim had what looked like human hands under
their wings.)
9 I looked, and each of the four cherubim had
a wheel beside him, and the wheels sparkled
like beryl. 10 All four wheels looked alike and
were made the same; each wheel had a second
wheel turning crosswise within it. 11 The cherubim could move in any of the four directions
they faced, without turning as they moved. They
went straight in the direction they faced, never
turning aside. 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. 13 I heard
someone refer to the wheels as “the whirling
wheels.” 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.
15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These
were the same living beings I had seen beside
the Kebar River. 16 When the cherubim moved,
the wheels moved with them. When they
lifted their wings to fly, the wheels stayed beside them. 17 When the cherubim stopped, the
wheels stopped. When they flew upward, the
wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
18 Then the glory of the Lord moved out from
10
10:5 Hebrew El-Shaddai. 10:14 Hebrew the face of a cherub;
compare 1:10. 11:3 Hebrew This city is the pot, and we are
the meat.
the entrance of the Temple and hovered above
the cherubim. 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.
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,
21 for each had four faces and four wings and
what looked like human hands under their
wings. 22 And their faces were just like the faces
of the beings I had seen at the Kebar, and they
traveled straight ahead, just as the others had.
Judgment on Israel’s Leaders
Then the Spirit lifted me and brought me
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.
2 The Spirit said to me, “Son of man, these
are the men who are planning evil and giving
wicked counsel in this city. 3 They say to the
people, ‘Is it not a good time to build houses?
This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside
it like meat in a pot.*’ 4 Therefore, son of man,
prophesy against them loudly and clearly.”
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: I know what you are
saying, for I know every thought that comes into
your minds. 6 You have murdered many in this
city and filled its streets with the dead.
7 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord
says: This city is an iron pot all right, but the
pieces of meat are the victims of your injustice.
As for you, I will soon drag you from this pot.
8 I will bring on you the sword of war you so
greatly fear, says the Sovereign Lord. 9 I will
drive you out of Jerusalem and hand you over
to foreigners, who will carry out my judgments
against you. 10 You will be slaughtered all the
way to the borders of Israel. I will execute judgment on you, and you will know that I am the
Lord. 11 No, this city will not be an iron pot for
you, and you will not be like meat safe inside
it. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel,
12 and you will know that I am the Lord. For you
have refused to obey my decrees and regulations; instead, you have copied the standards
of the nations around you.”
13 While I was still prophesying, Pelatiah son
of Benaiah suddenly died. Then I fell face down
on the ground and cried out, “O Sovereign
Lord, are you going to kill everyone in Israel?”
11
Hope for Exiled Israel
14 Then this message came to me from the Lord:
15 “Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem
are talking about you and your relatives and