17As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.18Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

19So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.20Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.21When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

The Divine Glory

22Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal.23And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body.24When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

25And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.26Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.27From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.28The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.

Ezekiel’s Call

1“Son of man,” He said to me, “stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.”2And as He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me.

3“Son of man,” He said to me, “I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me. To this very day they and their fathers have rebelled against Me.4They are obstinate and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’5And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.6But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns surround you, and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their presence, though they are a rebellious house.7But speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious.8And you, son of man, listen to what I tell you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

9Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me, and in it was a scroll,10which He unrolled before me. And written on the front and back of it were words of lamentation, mourning, and woe.

Ezekiel Eats the Scroll

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

2So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll.

3“Son of man,” He said to me, “eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you.” So I ate, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4Then He said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak My words to them.5For you are not being sent to a people of unfamiliar speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel—6not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.7But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.8Behold, I will make your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.9I will make your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or dismayed at their presence, even though they are a rebellious house.”

10“Son of man,” He added, “listen carefully to all the words I speak to you, and take them to heart.11Go to your people, the exiles; speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”

12Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me: ‘Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His dwelling place!’13It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, a great rumbling sound.14So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.15I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who dwelt by the River Kebar. And for seven days I sat where they sat and remained there among them, overwhelmed.

A Watchman for Israel

16At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying,17“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.18If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood.19But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.

20Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood.21But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

22And there the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.”

23So I got up and went out to the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD was present there, like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar, and I fell facedown.

24Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet. He spoke with me and said, “Go, shut yourself inside your house.25And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes, and you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people.26I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house.27But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.

A Sign of Jerusalem’s Siege

1“Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem.2Then lay siege against it: Construct a siege wall, build a ramp to it, set up camps against it, and place battering rams around it on all sides.3Then take an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city. Turn your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

4Then lie down on your left side and place the iniquity of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their iniquity for the number of days you lie on your side.5For I have assigned to you 390 days, according to the number of years of their iniquity. So you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.