INTRODUCTION

1 ^1–3I am the priest, Ezekiel son of Buzzi. I was in exile* by the Kebar Canal in Babylonia when the skies opened up and I saw visions* of God. This was on the fifth day of the fourth month (July) of the thirtieth year.* During King Jehoiachin’s fifth year in exile,* on the fifth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel. The Lord’s power came on him at that place.

The Chariot of the Lord—God’s Throne

⁴I (Ezekiel) saw a big storm coming from the north. It was a big cloud with a strong wind, and there was fire flashing from it. Light was shining out all around it. It looked like hot metal* glowing in a fire. ⁵Inside the cloud, there were four animals that looked like people. ⁶But each animal had four faces and four wings. ⁷Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like cow’s feet. And they sparkled like polished brass. ⁸Under their wings were human arms. There were four animals. Each animal had four faces and four wings. ⁹The wings touched each other. The animals did not turn when they moved. They went in the direction they were looking. ¹⁰Each animal had four faces. {In the front} they each had a man’s face. On the right side there was a lion’s face. On the left side there was a bull’s face. And on the back there was an eagle’s face. ¹¹The wings of the animals were spread out over them. With two of the wings each animal reached out to touch the animals near it and with the other two wings it covered its body. ¹²Each animal went in the direction it was looking. They went wherever the wind* caused them to go. But they did not turn when they moved. ¹³That is what the animals looked like. Inside the area between the animals, there was something that looked like burning coals of fire. This fire was like small torches that kept moving around among the animals. The fire glowed brightly and lightning flashed from it! ¹⁴The animals ran back and forth—fast like lightning!* ^15–16I was looking at the animals when I noticed four wheels that touched the ground. There was one wheel at each animal. All of the wheels looked the same. The wheels looked like they were made from a clear, yellow jewel. They looked like there was a wheel inside a wheel. ¹⁷{The wheels} could {turn to} move in any direction. {But the animals} did not turn when they moved.* ¹⁸The rims of the wheels were tall and frightening! There were eyes all over the rims of all four wheels. ¹⁹The wheels always moved with the animals. If the animals went up into the air, the wheels went with them. ²⁰They went wherever the wind wanted them to go, and the wheels went with them. Why? Because the wind (power) of the animal was in the wheels. ²¹So if the animals moved, the wheels moved. If the animals stopped, the wheels stopped. If the wheels went into the air, the animals went with them. Why? Because the wind* was in the wheels. ²²There was an amazing thing over the heads of animals. It was like a bowl* turned upside down. And the bowl was clear like crystal! ²³Under this bowl, each animal had wings reaching out to the animals next to it. Two wings spread out one way and two wings spread out in the other way, covering its body. ²⁴Then I heard the wings. Every time the animals moved, their wings made a very loud noise. They were loud like a lot of water rushing by. They were loud like {God} All-Powerful. They were loud like an army or a crowd of people. And when the animals stopped moving, they put their wings down {by their side}. ²⁵The animals stopped moving and lowered their wings. And there was another loud sound. That sound came from above the bowl over their heads. ²⁶There was something that looked like a throne on top of that bowl. It was blue like sapphire. And there was something that looked like a man sitting on that throne! ²⁷I looked at him from his waist up. He looked like hot metal.* It looked like fire all around him! And I looked at him from his waist down. It looked like fire with a glow that was shining all around him. ²⁸The light shining around him was like a rainbow in a cloud. It was the Glory of the Lord. As soon as I saw that, I fell to the ground. I bowed with my face to the ground. And then I heard a voice speaking to me.

exile Being forced to live in a foreign country. King Nebuchadnezzar forced many Jewish people to leave Judah and live in foreign countries. vision(s) Something like a dream that God used to speak to people. thirtieth year We are not sure what year this is. It might be Ezekiel’s age and it is probably the same as the fifth year of exile, that is, the summer of 593 B.C. It might be that Ezekiel is beginning his book with the last vision he saw of God, and it was the same as the first vision he saw. hot metal We are not sure of the meaning of this Hebrew word. It might mean, “melted copper” or “amber.” wind Or, “Spirit.” The animals … lightning! Or, “And there was something like lighting shooting back and forth among the animals.” The wheels … moved. Or, “The wheels could move in any four directions, but they did not turn when they moved.” bowl This Hebrew word is the same word used in Gen. 1:6–7 to describe the dome of the sky.

2 The voice said, “Son of man,* stand up and I will speak with you.” ²Then a wind came and lifted me up on my feet. And I listened to the person (God) that spoke to me. ³He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to speak to the family of Israel. Those people turned against me many times. And their ancestors turned against me. They have sinned against me many times—and they are still sinning against me today. ⁴I am sending you to speak to those people. But they are very stubborn. They are very hard headed. But you must speak to those people. You must say, ‘The Lord our Master says these things.’ ⁵But those people won’t listen to you. They won’t stop sinning against me. Why? Because they are a very rebellious people—they always turn against me! But you must say those things so they will know that there is a prophet* living among them. ⁶“Son of man,* don’t be afraid of those people. Don’t be afraid of the things they say. It is true, they will turn against you and try to hurt you. They will be like thorns. You will think you are living with scorpions.* But don’t be afraid of the things they say. They are a rebellious people. But don’t be afraid of them. ⁷You must tell them the things I say. I know they won’t listen to you. And they won’t stop sinning against me! Why? Because they are a rebellious people. ⁸“Son of man,* you must listen to the things I say to you. Don’t turn against me like those rebellious people. Open your mouth and {accept the words I give you and then speak those words to the people}. Eat these words.” ⁹Then I (Ezekiel) saw an arm reach out towards me. It was holding a scroll* with words written on it. ¹⁰I rolled the scroll open and there were words written on the front and on the back. There were all kinds of sad songs, sad stories, and warnings.

Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person,” or “a human being.” But here this is a title for the man, Ezekiel. prophet A person called by God to be a special servant. God used dreams and visions to show them things to teach to the people. scorpions Insects with stingers in their tails that cause pain. scroll A long roll of leather or papyrus (paper) used for writing books, letters, and legal documents.

3 {God} said to me, “Son of man,* eat what you see. Eat this scroll,* and then go tell these things to the family of Israel.” ²So I opened my mouth and he put the scroll into my mouth. ³Then {God} said, “Son of man, I am giving you this scroll. Swallow it! Let that scroll fill your body.” So I ate the scroll.* It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. ⁴Then {God} said to me, “Son of man,* go to the family of Israel. Speak my words to them. ⁵I am not sending you to some foreigners you can’t understand. You don’t have to learn another language. I am sending you to the family of Israel! ⁶I am not sending you to many different countries where people speak languages you can’t understand. If you went to those people and spoke to them, they would listen to you. But you won’t have to learn those hard languages. ⁷No! I am sending you to the family of Israel. Only, these people have hard heads—they are very stubborn! And the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you. They don’t want to listen to me! ⁸But I will make you just as stubborn as they are. Your head will be just as hard as theirs! ⁹A diamond is harder than flint rock. In the same way, your head will be harder than theirs. You will be more stubborn, so you won’t be afraid of those people. You won’t be afraid of those people that always turn against me.” ¹⁰Then {God} said to me, “Son of man,* you must listen to every word I say to you. And you must remember those words. ¹¹Then go to all of your people that are in exile.* Go to them and say, ‘The Lord our Master says these things.’ They won’t listen and they won’t stop sinning, {but you must tell them these things}.” ¹²Then the wind* lifted me up and I heard a voice behind me. It was very loud, like thunder. {It said,} “Blessed is the Glory of the Lord!” ¹³Then the wings of the animals began moving. The wings made a very loud noise as they touched each other. And the wheels in front of them began making a loud noise—it was loud like thunder. ¹⁴The wind* lifted me and took me away. I left that place. I was very sad and upset in my spirit.* But I felt Lord’s power in me! ¹⁵I went to the people of Israel that were forced to live in Tel Aviv* by the Kebar Canal. I sat there among them for seven days, shocked and silent. ¹⁶After seven days, the word of the Lord came to me. He said, ¹⁷“Son of man,* I am making you a watchman* for Israel. I will tell you about bad things that will happen to them. And you must warn Israel about those things. ¹⁸If I say, ‘This bad man will die!’ Then you must warn him! You must tell him to change his life and stop doing bad things. If you don’t warn that person, then he will die. He will die because he sinned. But I will also make you responsible for his death! Why? Because you did not go to him and save his life. ¹⁹“Maybe you will warn a person and tell him to change his life and stop doing bad things. If that person refuses to listen to you, then that person will die. He will die because he sinned. But you warned him, so you saved your own life. ²⁰“Or maybe a good man will stop being good. I might put something in front of him that causes him to fall (sin). He will start to do bad things, so he will die. He will die because he is sinning and you did not warn him. I will make you responsible for his death. And people won’t remember all the good things he did. ²¹“But if you warn the good person and tell him to stop sinning, and he stops sinning, then he won’t die. Why? Because you warned him and he listened. In this way, you saved your own life.” ²²The Lord’s power came to me. He said to me, “Get up and go to the valley.* I will speak to you in that place.” ²³So I got up and went out to the valley. The Glory of the Lord* was there—just like I had seen it by the Kebar Canal. So I bowed with my face to the ground. ²⁴But a wind* came and lifted me up on my feet. He said to me, “Go home and lock yourself in your house. ²⁵Son of man,* people will come with ropes and tie you up. They won’t let you go out among the people. ²⁶I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth—you won’t be able to talk. So those people won’t have any person to teach them that they are doing wrong. Why? Because those people are always turning against me. ²⁷But I will talk to you. And then I will allow you to speak. But you must say to them, ‘The Lord our Master says these things.’ If a person wants to listen, then fine. If a person doesn’t want to listen, then fine. But those people always turn against me.

Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person,” or “a human being.” But here this is a title for the man, Ezekiel. scrolls A long roll of leather or papyrus (paper) used for writing books, letters, and legal documents. exile Being forced to live in a foreign country. King Nebuchadnezzar forced many Jewish people to leave Judah and live in foreign countries. wind Or, “Spirit.” spirit Or, “wind.” Tel Aviv This was a place outside of Israel. We are not sure where it is exactly. The name means “Spring Hill.” watchman A guard that stood on the city wall and looked for enemy soldiers. If he saw trouble coming, he would warn the people in the city. the valley Possibly Jezreel Valley which is often called simply, “The Valley.” This is a fertile area in Israel where many battles were fought. Glory of the Lord One of the forms God used when he appeared to people. This was like a bright shining light.