Month: November 2019

Judgment on a Sinful Nation

¹² The Lord God said:

¹³ Ezekiel, son of man, suppose an entire nation sins against me, and I punish it by destroying the crops and letting its people and livestock starve to death. ¹⁴ Even if Noah, Daniel,^[a] and Job were living in that nation, their faithfulness would not save anyone but themselves.

¹⁵ Or suppose I punish a nation by sending wild animals to eat people and scare away every passerby, so that the land becomes a barren desert. ¹⁶ As surely as I live, I promise that even if these three men lived in that nation, their own children would not be spared. The three men would live, but the land would be an empty desert.

¹⁷ Or suppose I send an enemy to attack a sinful nation and kill its people and livestock. ¹⁸ If these three men were in that nation when I punished it, not even their children would be spared. Only the three men would live.

¹⁹ And suppose I am so angry that I send a deadly disease to wipe out the people and livestock of a sinful nation. ²⁰ Again, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living there, I, the Lord, promise that the children of these faithful men would also die. Only the three of them would be spared.

²¹ I am the Lord God, and I promise to punish Jerusalem severely. I will send war, starvation, wild animals, and deadly disease to slaughter its people and livestock. ²² And those who survive will be taken from their country and led here to Babylonia. Ezekiel, when you see how sinful they are, you will know why I did all these things to Jerusalem. ²³ You will be convinced that I, the Lord God, was right in doing what I did.

Jerusalem Is a Useless Vine

15 Some time later, the Lord said:

² Ezekiel, son of man, what happens to the wood of a grapevine after the grapes have been picked? It isn’t like other trees in the forest, ³ because the wood of a grapevine can’t be used to make anything, not even a small peg to hang things on. ⁴ It can only be used as firewood. But after its ends are burnt and its middle is charred, it can’t be used for anything. ⁵ The wood is useless before it is burned, and afterwards, it is completely worthless.

⁶ I, the Lord God, promise that just as the wood of a grapevine is burned as firewood, ⁷ I will punish the people of Jerusalem with fire. Some of them have escaped one destruction, but soon they will be completely burned. And when that happens, you, Ezekiel, will know that I am the Lord. ⁸ I will make their country an empty wasteland, because they have not been loyal to me. I, the Lord God, have spoken.

Jerusalem Is Unfaithful

16 The Lord said:

² Ezekiel, son of man, remind the people of Jerusalem of their disgusting sins ³ and tell them that I, the Lord God, am saying:

Jerusalem, you were born in the country where Canaanites lived. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.^{[b] 4} When you were born, no one cut you loose from your mother or washed your body. No one rubbed your skin with salt and olive oil,^[c] and wrapped you in warm blankets. ⁵ Not one person loved you enough to do any of these things, and no one even felt sorry for you. You were despised, thrown into a field, and forgotten.

⁶ I saw you lying there, rolling around in your own blood, and I couldn’t let you die. ⁷ I took care of you, like someone caring for a tender, young plant. You grew up to be a beautiful young woman with perfect breasts and long hair, but you were still naked.

⁸ When I saw you again, you were old enough to have sex. So I covered your naked body with my own robe.^[d] Then I solemnly promised that you would belong to me and that I, the Lord God, would take care of you.

⁹ I washed the blood off you and rubbed your skin with olive oil. ¹⁰ I gave you the finest clothes and the most expensive robes,^[e] as well as sandals made from the best leather. ¹¹ I gave you bracelets, a necklace, ¹² a ring for your nose, some earrings, and a beautiful crown. ¹³ Your jewelry was gold and silver, and your clothes were made of only the finest material and embroidered linen. Your bread was baked from fine flour, and you ate honey and olive oil. You were as beautiful as a queen, ¹⁴ and everyone on earth knew it. I, the Lord God, had helped you become a lovely young woman.

¹⁵ You learned that you were attractive enough to have any man you wanted, so you offered yourself to every passerby.^{[f] 16} You made shrines for yourself and decorated them with some of your clothes. That’s where you took your visitors to have sex with them. These things should never have happened!^{[g] 17} You made idols out of the gold and silver jewelry I gave you, then you sinned by worshiping those idols. ¹⁸ You dressed them in the clothes you got from me, and you offered them the olive oil and incense I gave you. ¹⁹ I supplied you with fine flour, olive oil, and honey, but you sacrificed it all as offerings to please those idols. I, the Lord God, watched this happen.

²⁰ But you did something even worse than that—you sacrificed your own children to those idols! ²¹ You slaughtered my children, so you could offer them as sacrifices. ²² You were so busy sinning and being a prostitute that you refused to think about the days when you were young and were rolling around naked in your own blood.

²³ Now I, the Lord God, say you are doomed! Not only did you do these evil things, ²⁴ but you also built places on every street corner ²⁵ where you disgraced yourself by having sex with anyone who walked by. And you did that more and more every day! ²⁶ To make me angry, you even offered yourself to Egyptians, who were always ready to sleep with you.

²⁷ So I punished you by letting those greedy Philistine enemies take over some of your territory. But even they were offended by your disgusting behavior.

²⁸ You couldn’t get enough sex, so you chased after Assyrians and slept with them. You still weren’t satisfied, ²⁹ so you went after Babylonians. But those merchants could not satisfy you either.

³⁰ I, the Lord God, say that you were so disgusting that you would have done anything to get what you wanted.^{[h] 31} You had sex on every street corner, and when you finished, you refused to accept money. That’s worse than being a prostitute! ³² You are nothing but an unfaithful wife who would rather have sex with strangers than with your own husband. ³³ Prostitutes accept money for having sex, but you bribe men from everywhere to have sex with you. ³⁴ You’re not like other prostitutes. Men don’t ask you for sex—you offer to pay them!

Jerusalem Must Be Punished

The Lord said:

³⁵ Jerusalem, you prostitute, listen to me. ³⁶ You chased after lovers, then took off your clothes and had sex. You even worshiped disgusting idols and sacrificed your own children as offerings to them. ³⁷ So I, the Lord God, will gather every one of your lovers, those you liked and those you hated. They will stand around you, and I will rip off your clothes and let all of those lovers stare at your nakedness. ³⁸ I will find you guilty of being an unfaithful wife and a murderer, and in my fierce anger I will sentence you to death! ³⁹ Then I will hand you over to your lovers, who will tear down the places where you had sex. They will take your clothes and jewelry, leaving you naked and empty-handed.

⁴⁰ Your lovers and an angry mob will stone you to death; they will cut your dead body into pieces ⁴¹ and burn down your houses. Other women will watch these terrible things happen to you. I promise to stop you from being a prostitute and paying your lovers for sex.

¹⁸ In this way a weak and useless command was put aside, ¹⁹ because the Law cannot make anything perfect. At the same time, we are given a much better hope, and it can bring us close to God.

^20-21 God himself made a promise when this priest was appointed. But he did not make a promise like this when the other priests were appointed. The promise he made is,

²² This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God. ²³ There have been a lot of other priests, and all of them have died. ²⁴ But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! ²⁵ He is forever able to save^[a] the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.

²⁶ Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven, ²⁷ and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn’t need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself. ²⁸ The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God’s promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever.

A Nation Asks for Forgiveness

Ezekiel Acts Out Israel’s Captivity

12 The Lord said:

⁷ I did everything the Lord had said. I packed a few things. Then as the sun was going down, and while everyone was watching, I dug a hole through one of the walls of my house. I pulled out my bag, then lifted it to my shoulders and left in the darkness.

⁸ The next morning, the Lord ⁹ reminded me that those rebellious people didn’t even ask what I was doing. ¹⁰ So he sent me back to tell them:

A Sign of Fear

¹⁷ The Lord said:

¹⁸ Ezekiel, son of man, shake with fear when you eat, and tremble when you drink. ¹⁹ Tell the people of Israel that I, the Lord, say that someday everyone in Jerusalem will shake when they eat and tremble when they drink. Their country will be destroyed and left empty, because they have been cruel and violent. ²⁰ Every town will lie in ruins, and the land will be a barren desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

The Words of the Lord Will Come True

²¹ The Lord said:

²² Ezekiel, son of man, you’ve heard people in Israel use the saying, “Time passes, and prophets are proved wrong.” ²³ Now tell the people that I, the Lord, am going to prove that saying wrong. No one will ever be able to use it again in Israel, because very soon everything I have said will come true! ²⁴ The people will hear no more useless warnings and false messages. ²⁵ I will give them my message, and what I say will certainly happen. Warn those rebels that the time has come for them to be punished. I, the Lord, make this promise.

^26-27 Ezekiel, the people of Israel are also saying that your visions and messages are only about things in the future. ²⁸ So tell them that my words will soon come true, just as I have warned. I, the Lord, have spoken.

Lying Prophets

13 The Lord said:

² Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the prophets of Israel who say they speak in my name, but who preach messages that come from their own imagination. Tell them it’s time to hear my message.

³ I, the Lord God, say those lying prophets are doomed! They don’t see visions—they make up their own messages! ⁴ Israel’s prophets are no better than jackals^[c] that hunt for food among the ruins of a city. ⁵ They don’t warn the people about coming trouble or tell them how dangerous it is to sin against me. ⁶ Those prophets lie by claiming they speak for me, but I have not even chosen them to be my prophets. And they still think their words will come true. ⁷ They say they’re preaching my messages, but they are full of lies—I did not speak to them!

⁸ So I am going to punish those lying prophets for deceiving the people of Israel with false messages. ⁹ I will turn against them and no longer let them belong to my people. They will not be allowed to call themselves Israelites or even to set foot in Israel. Then they will realize that I am the Lord God.

¹⁰ Those prophets refuse to be honest. They tell my people there will be peace, even though there’s no peace to be found. They are like workers who think they can fix a shaky wall by covering it with paint. ¹¹ But when I send rainstorms, hailstones, and strong winds, the wall will surely collapse. ¹² People will then ask the workers why the paint didn’t hold it up.

¹³ That wall is the city of Jerusalem. And I, the Lord God, am so angry that I will send strong winds, rainstorms, and hailstones to destroy it. ¹⁴ The lying prophets have tried to cover up the evil in Jerusalem, but I will tear down the city, all the way to its foundations. And when it collapses, those prophets will be killed, and everyone will know that I have done these things.

¹⁵ The city of Jerusalem and its lying prophets will feel my fierce anger. Then I will announce that the city has fallen and that the lying prophets are dead, ¹⁶ because they promised my people peace, when there was no peace. I, the Lord God, have spoken.

Women Who Wear Magic Charms

The Lord said:

¹⁷ Ezekiel, son of man, now condemn the women of Israel who preach messages that come from their own imagination. ¹⁸ Tell them they’re doomed! They wear magic charms on their wrists and scarves on their heads, then trick others into believing they can predict the future.^[d] They won’t get away with telling those lies. ¹⁹ They charge my people a few handfuls of barley and a couple pieces of bread, and then give messages that are insulting to me. They use lies to sentence the innocent to death and to help the guilty go free. And my people believe them!

²⁰ I hate the magic charms they use to trick people into believing their lies. I will rip those charms from their wrists and set free the people they have trapped like birds.^{[e] 21} I will tear the scarves from their heads and rescue my people from their power once and for all. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.

²² They do things I would never do. They lie to good people and encourage them to do wrong, and they convince the wicked to keep sinning and ruin their lives. ²³ I will no longer let these women give false messages and use magic, and I will free my people from their control. Then they will know that I, the Lord, have done these things.

Ezekiel Encourages the People To Turn Back to the Lord

14 One day, some of Israel’s leaders came to me and asked for a message from the Lord. ² While they were there, the Lord said:

³ Ezekiel, son of man, these men have started worshiping idols, though they know it will cause them to sin even more. So I refuse to give them a message!

⁴ Tell the people of Israel that if they sin by worshiping idols and then go to a prophet to find out what I say, I will give them the answer their sins deserve. ⁵ When they hear my message, maybe they will see that they need to turn back to me and stop worshiping those idols.

⁶ Now, Ezekiel, tell everyone in Israel:

The Priestly Family of Melchizedek

7 Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings. ² Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had.

The meaning of the name Melchizedek is “King of Justice.” But since Salem means “peace,” he is also “King of Peace.” ³ We are not told that he had a father or mother or ancestors or beginning or end. He is like the Son of God and will be a priest forever.^[a]

⁴ Notice how great Melchizedek is! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies. ⁵ The Law teaches that even Abraham’s descendants must give a tenth of what they possess. And they are to give this to their own relatives, who are the descendants of Levi and are priests. ⁶ Although Melchizedek wasn’t a descendant of Levi, Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had. Then Melchizedek blessed Abraham, who had been given God’s promise. ⁷ Everyone agrees that a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.

⁸ Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive. ⁹ Levi’s descendants are now the ones who receive a tenth from people. We could even say that when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth, Levi also gave him a tenth. ¹⁰ This is because Levi was born later into the family of Abraham, who gave a tenth to Melchizedek.

¹¹ Even though the Law of Moses says that the priests must be descendants of Levi, those priests cannot make anyone perfect. So there needs to be a priest like Melchizedek, rather than one from the priestly family of Aaron.^{[b] 12} And when the rules for selecting a priest are changed, the Law must also be changed.

¹³ The person we are talking about is our Lord, who came from a tribe that had never had anyone to serve as a priest at the altar. ¹⁴ Everyone knows he came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said that priests would come from that tribe.

¹⁵ All of this becomes clearer, when someone who is like Melchizedek is appointed to be a priest. ¹⁶ That person wasn’t appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end. ¹⁷ The Scriptures say about him,

The Lord’s Glory Leaves the Temple

10 I saw the dome that was above the four winged creatures,^[a] and on it was the sapphire^[b] throne.^{[c] 2} The Lord said to the man in the linen robe, “Walk among the four wheels beside the creatures and pick up as many hot coals as you can carry. Then scatter them over the city of Jerusalem.” I watched him as he followed the Lord’s instructions.

³ The winged creatures were standing south of the temple when the man walked among them. A cloud filled the inner courtyard, ⁴ and the brightness of the Lord’s glory moved from above the creatures and stopped at the entrance of the temple. The entire temple was filled with his glory, and the courtyard was dazzling bright. ⁵ The sound of the creatures' wings was as loud as the voice of God All-Powerful and could even be heard in the outer courtyard.

⁶ The man in the robe was now standing beside a wheel. ⁷ One of the four creatures reached its hand into the fire among them and gave him some of the hot coals. The man took the coals and left.

⁸ I noticed again that each of the four winged creatures had what looked like human hands under their wings, ⁹ and I saw the four wheels near the creatures. These wheels were shining like chrysolite.^{[d] 10} Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel that cut through the middle of it,^{[e] 11} so that they could move in any direction without turning. The wheels moved together whenever the creatures moved. ¹² I also noticed that the wheels and the creatures' bodies, including their backs, their hands, and their wings, were covered with eyes. ¹³ And I heard a voice calling these “the wheels that spin.”

¹⁴ Each of the winged creatures had four faces: the face of a bull,^[f] the face of a human, the face of a lion, and the face of an eagle. ^15-17 These were the same creatures I had seen near the Chebar River. They controlled when and where the wheels moved—the wheels went wherever the creatures went and stopped whenever they stopped. Even when the creatures flew in the air, the wheels stayed beside them.

¹⁸ Then I watched the brightness of the Lord’s glory move from the entrance of the temple and stop above the winged creatures. ¹⁹ They spread their wings and flew into the air with the wheels at their side. They stopped at the east gate of the temple, and the Lord’s glory was above them.

²⁰ I knew for sure that these were the same creatures I had seen beneath the Lord’s glory near the Chebar River. ^21-22 They had four wings with hands beneath them, and they had the same four faces as those near the River. Each creature moved straight ahead without turning.

Ezekiel Condemns Jerusalem’s Wicked Leaders

11 The Lord’s Spirit^[g] lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the temple, where I saw twenty-five men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. ² The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, these men are making evil plans and giving dangerous advice to the people of Jerusalem. ³ They say things like, ‘Let’s build more houses.^[h] This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.’^{[i] 4} So, Ezekiel, condemn them!”

⁵ The Lord’s Spirit took control of me and told me to tell these leaders:

¹³ Before I finished speaking, Pelatiah dropped dead. I bowed down and cried out, “Please, Lord God, don’t kill everyone left in Israel.”

A Promise of Hope

¹⁴ The Lord replied:

¹⁵ Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in Jerusalem claim that you and the other Israelites who were taken to Babylonia are too far away to worship me. They also claim that the land of Israel now belongs only to them. ¹⁶ But here is what I want you to tell the Israelites in Babylonia:

The Lord’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

²² After the Lord had finished speaking, the winged creatures spread their wings and flew into the air, and the wheels were beside them. The brightness of the Lord’s glory above them ²³ left Jerusalem and stopped at a hill east of the city.

²⁴ Then in my vision, the Lord’s Spirit^[k] lifted me up and carried me back to the other exiles in Babylonia. The vision faded away, ²⁵ and I told them everything the Lord had shown me.

6 We must try to become mature and start thinking about more than just the basic things we were taught about Christ. We shouldn’t need to keep talking about why we ought to turn from deeds that bring death and why we ought to have faith in God. ² And we shouldn’t need to keep teaching about baptisms^[a] or about the laying on of hands^[b] or about people being raised from death and the future judgment. ³ Let’s grow up, if God is willing.

^4-6 But what about people who turn away after they have already seen the light and have received the gift from heaven and have shared in the Holy Spirit? What about those who turn away after they have received the good message of God and the powers of the future world? There is no way to bring them back. What they are doing is the same as nailing the Son of God to a cross and insulting him in public!

⁷ A field is useful to farmers, if there is enough rain to make good crops grow. In fact, God will bless that field. ⁸ But land that produces only thornbushes is worthless. It is likely to fall under God’s curse, and in the end it will be set on fire.

⁹ My friends, we are talking this way. But we are sure that you are doing those really good things that people do when they are being saved. ¹⁰ God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won’t forget the love you have shown his people. ¹¹ We wish that each of you would always be eager to show how strong and lasting your hope really is. ¹² Then you would never be lazy. You would be following the example of those who had faith and were patient until God kept his promise to them.

God’s Promise Is Sure

¹³ No one is greater than God. So he made a promise in his own name when he said to Abraham, ¹⁴ “I, the Lord, will bless you with many descendants!” ¹⁵ Then after Abraham had been very patient, he was given what God had promised. ¹⁶ When anyone wants to settle an argument, they make a vow by using the name of someone or something greater than themselves. ¹⁷ So when God wanted to prove for certain that his promise to his people could not be broken, he made a vow. ¹⁸ God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed.

We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. ¹⁹ This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain^[c] and into the most holy place. ²⁰ Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek.^[d]

Don’t Brag about Tomorrow

Disaster Is Near

7 The Lord God said:

² Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel that I am saying:

Israel Is Surrounded

The Lord said to the people of Israel:

¹⁵ War, disease, and starvation are everywhere! People who live in the countryside will be killed in battle, and those who live in towns will die from starvation or deadly diseases. ¹⁶ Anyone who survives will escape into the hills, like doves who leave the valleys to find safety.

All of you will moan^[e] because of your sins. ¹⁷ Your hands will tremble, and your knees will go limp. ¹⁸ You will put on sackcloth^[f] to show your sorrow, but terror will overpower you. Shame will be written all over your faces, and you will shave your heads in despair. ¹⁹ Your silver and gold will be thrown into the streets like garbage, because those are the two things that led you into sin, and now they cannot save you from my anger. They are not even worth enough to buy food. ²⁰ You took great pride in using your beautiful jewelry to make disgusting idols of foreign gods. So I will make your jewelry worthless.

²¹ Wicked foreigners will rob and disgrace you. ²² They will break into my temple^[g] and leave it unfit as a place to worship me, but I will look away and let it happen.

²³ Your whole country is in confusion!^[h] Murder and violence are everywhere in Israel, ²⁴ so I will tell the most wicked nations to come and take over your homes. They will put an end to the pride you have in your strong army, and they will make your places of worship unfit to use. ²⁵ You will be terrified and will desperately look for peace—but there will be no peace. ²⁶ One tragedy will follow another, and you’ll hear only bad news. People will beg prophets to give them a message from me. Priests will stop teaching my Law, and wise leaders won’t be able to give advice. ²⁷ Even your king and his officials will lose hope and cry in despair. Your hands will tremble with fear.

I will punish you for your sins and treat you the same way you have treated others. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel Sees the Terrible Sins of Jerusalem

8 Six years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the leaders of Judah were meeting with me in my house. On the fifth day of the sixth month,^[i] the Lord God suddenly took control of me, ² and I saw something in the shape of a human.^[j] This figure was like fire from the waist down, and it was bright as polished metal from the waist up. ³ It reached out what seemed to be a hand and grabbed my hair. Then in my vision the Lord’s Spirit lifted me into the sky and carried me to Jerusalem.

The Spirit took me to the north gate of the temple’s inner courtyard, where there was an idol that disgusted the Lord and made him furious. ⁴ Then I saw the brightness of the glory of the God of Israel, just as I had seen it near the Chebar River.

⁵ God said to me, “Ezekiel, son of man, look north.” And when I did, I saw that disgusting idol by the altar near the gate.

⁶ God then said, “Do you see the terrible sins of the people of Israel? Their sins are making my holy temple unfit as a place to worship me. Yet you will see even worse things than this.”

⁷ Next, I was taken to the entrance of the courtyard, where I saw a hole in the wall.

⁸ God said, “Make this hole bigger.” And when I did, I realized it was a doorway. ⁹ “Go in,” God said, “and see what horrible and evil things the people are doing.”

¹⁰ Inside, I saw that the walls were covered with pictures of reptiles and disgusting, unclean animals,^[k] as well as with idols that the Israelites were worshiping. ¹¹ Seventy Israelite leaders were standing there, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each of these leaders was holding an incense burner, and the smell of incense filled the room.

¹² God said, “Ezekiel, do you see what horrible things Israel’s leaders are doing in secret? They have filled their rooms with idols. And they say I can’t see them, because they think I have already deserted Israel. ¹³ But I will show you something even worse than this.”

¹⁴ He took me to the north gate of the temple, where I saw women mourning for the god Tammuz.^{[l] 15} God asked me, “Can you believe what these women are doing? But now I want to show you something worse.”

¹⁶ I was then led into the temple’s inner courtyard, where I saw about twenty-five men standing near the entrance, between the porch and the altar. Their backs were to the Lord’s temple, and they were bowing down to the rising sun.

¹⁷ God said, “Ezekiel, it’s bad enough that the people of Judah are doing these disgusting things. But they have also spread violence and injustice everywhere in Israel and have made me very angry. They have disgraced and insulted me in the worst possible way.^{[m] 18} So in my fierce anger, I will punish them without mercy and refuse to help them when they cry out to me.”

The Lord Gives the Command To Punish Jerusalem

9 After that, I heard the Lord shout, “Come to Jerusalem, you men chosen to destroy the city. And bring your weapons!”

² I saw six men come through the north gate of the temple, each one holding a deadly weapon. A seventh man dressed in a linen robe was with them, and he was carrying things to write with. The men went into the temple and stood by the bronze altar.

³ The brightness of God’s glory then left its place above the statues of the winged creatures^[n] inside the temple and moved to the entrance. The Lord said to the man in the linen robe, ⁴ “Walk through the city of Jerusalem and mark the forehead of anyone who is truly upset and sad about the disgusting things that are being done here.”

^5-6 He turned to the other six men and said, “Follow him and put to death everyone who doesn’t have a mark on their forehead. Show no mercy or pity! Kill men and women, parents and children. Begin here at my temple and be sure not to harm those who are marked.”

The men immediately killed the leaders who were standing there.

⁷ Then the Lord said, “Pollute the temple by piling the dead bodies in the courtyards. Now get busy!” They left and started killing the people of Jerusalem.

⁸ I was then alone, so I bowed down and cried out to the Lord, “Why are you doing this? Are you so angry at the people of Jerusalem that everyone must die?”

⁹ The Lord answered, “The people of Israel and Judah have done horrible things. Their country is filled with murderers, and Jerusalem itself is filled with violence. They think that I have deserted them, and that I can’t see what they are doing. ¹⁰ And so I will not have pity on them or forgive them. They will be punished for what they have done.”

¹¹ Just then, the man in the linen robe returned and said, “I have done what you commanded.”

5 Every high priest is appointed to help others by offering gifts and sacrifices to God because of their sins. ² A high priest has weaknesses of his own, and he feels sorry for foolish and sinful people. ³ That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of others. ⁴ But no one can have the honor of being a high priest simply by wanting to be one. Only God can choose a priest, and God is the one who chose Aaron.

⁵ That is how it was with Christ. He became a high priest, but not just because he wanted the honor of being one. It was God who told him,

⁶ In another place, God says,

⁷ God had the power to save Jesus from death. And while Jesus was on earth, he begged God with loud crying and tears to save him. He truly worshiped God, and God listened to his prayers. ⁸ Jesus is God’s own Son, but still he had to suffer before he could learn what it really means to obey God. ⁹ Suffering made Jesus perfect, and now he can save forever all who obey him. ¹⁰ This is because God chose him to be a high priest like Melchizedek.

Warning against Turning Away

¹¹ Much more could be said about this subject. But it is hard to explain, and all of you are slow to understand. ¹² By now you should have been teachers, but once again you need to be taught the simplest things about what God has said. You need milk instead of solid food. ¹³ People who live on milk are like babies who don’t really know what is right. ¹⁴ Solid food is for mature people who have been trained to know right from wrong.

The Lord Can Be Trusted

¹⁶ At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹⁷ “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.^{(A) 18} When I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to tell him to turn from his wicked way to save his life, that same evil man will die in his sin, but you will be responsible for his blood. ¹⁹ However, if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he will die in his sin; but you have ^[a]freed yourself [from responsibility]. ²⁰ Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness (right standing with God) and sins, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered; but you will be responsible for his blood. ²¹ However, if you have warned the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning; also you have ^[b]freed yourself [from responsibility].”

²² The hand of the Lord was on me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out to the plain, and I will speak to you.” ²³ So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory and brilliance of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the River Chebar, and I fell face downward. ²⁴ Then the Spirit entered me and made me stand on my feet; He spoke and said to me, “Go, shut yourself up in your house. ²⁵ As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them. ²⁶ And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you cannot talk and you cannot be a man who rebukes the people, for they are a rebellious house. ²⁷ But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses [to hear], let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

Siege of Jerusalem Predicted

4 “Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you and inscribe on it [a diagram of] the city of Jerusalem. ² Then lay siege against it, build a siege wall, raise a ramp against it; set up [enemy] camps and place battering rams all around it. ³ Further, take an iron plate and place it as an iron wall between you and the city, and set your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This is a sign to the house of Israel.

⁴ “Then lie down on your left side (toward the north) to bear [symbolically] the wickedness and punishment of the ^[c]house of Israel. You shall bear their wickedness and punishment for the number of days that you lie on your side. ⁵ For I have assigned you the years of their wickedness and punishment, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days [representing three hundred and ninety years]; in this way you shall bear [symbolically] the wickedness and punishment of the house of Israel. ⁶ When you have completed these [days for Israel], lie down again, but on your right side (toward the south), and you shall bear the wickedness and punishment of the ^[d]house of Judah forty days. I have assigned you one day for each year. ⁷ Then you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared and prophesy against it. ⁸ Now behold, I will put ropes on you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege.

Defiled Bread

⁹ “But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them into one vessel and make them into bread for yourself. You shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days. ¹⁰ The food you eat each day shall be [measured] by weight, ^[e]twenty shekels, to be eaten daily at a set time. ¹¹ You shall drink water by measure also, ^[f]the sixth part of a hin; you shall drink daily at a set time. ¹² You shall eat your food as barley cakes, having baked it in their sight over human dung.” ¹³ Then the Lord said, “Thus the children of Israel will eat their bread unclean and defiled among the nations where I will banish them.”^{(B) 14} But I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold (hear me), I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died on its own or was torn by beasts, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth.”^{(C) 15} Then He said to me, “See, I will let you use cow’s dung instead of human dung over which you shall prepare your food.” ¹⁶ Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold (listen carefully), I am going to break the staff of bread [that supports life] in Jerusalem; and they shall eat bread [rationed] by weight and [eat it] with anxiety and fear, and drink water by measure and [drink it] in horror [of the impending starvation],^{(D) 17} because bread and water will be scarce; and they will look at one another in dismay and waste away [in punishment] for their wickedness.

Jerusalem’s Desolation Foretold

5 “And you [Ezekiel], son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor and shave your head and your beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair [into three parts]. ² You shall burn one third with fire in the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take one third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and one third you shall scatter to the wind; and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. ³ Also take some of them and bind them in the edges of your robes. ⁴ Again take some hair and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.

⁵ “Thus says the Lord God, ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the center of the nations, and countries are around her. ⁶ And she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the [pagan] nations and against My statutes more than the countries that are around her; for Israel has rejected My ordinances and has not walked in My statutes.’^{(E) 7} Therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Because you have more turmoil than the nations which surround you and have not walked in My statutes, nor kept My ordinances, nor observed the ordinances of the nations which surround you,’^{(F) 8} therefore, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I, I Myself, am against you, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. ⁹ And because of all your abominations, I will do among you that which I have not done, and the like of which I will not do again.^{(G) 10} Therefore, fathers will eat their sons among you, and sons will eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on you and I will scatter to all the winds the remnant of you.^{(H) 11} So, as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you and withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare [you]. ¹² One third of you will die of virulent disease or be consumed by famine among you; one third will fall by the sword around you; and one third I will scatter to all the winds, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

¹³ ‘Thus My anger will come to an end and I will satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be appeased; then they will know [without any doubt] that I the Lord have spoken in My zeal when I have spent My wrath on them.^{(I) 14} Moreover, I will make you a desolation and a disgrace among the nations which surround you and in the sight of all who pass by.^{(J) 15} So it will be a disgrace, a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the [pagan] nations who surround you when I execute judgments against you in anger and in wrath and in raging reprimands—I, the Lord, have spoken.^{(K) 16} When I send against them the deadly arrows of hunger which were for the destruction of those whom I will send to destroy you, then I will increase the famine upon you and break your staff of bread. ¹⁷ Further, I will send against you hunger and wild beasts, and they will bereave you of children; virulent disease and bloodshed also will pass through you, and I will bring the sword on you. I, the Lord, have spoken.’”

Idolatrous Worship Denounced

6 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ² “Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them, ³ and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places [of idolatrous worship], ⁴ and your altars will become deserted and your pillars for sun-worship will be smashed in pieces; and I will throw down your slain in front of your idols [that cannot bring them back to life].^{(L) 5} I will also lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel in front of their [Canaanite] idols; and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. ⁶ Everywhere you live, the cities will become waste and the high places will become deserted, so that your altars may bear their guilt and become deserted, your idols may be broken and destroyed, your incense altars [for sun-worship] may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out. ⁷ The slain will fall among you, then you shall know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.

⁸ “Yet I will leave some of you alive [a remnant], for you will have some who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered throughout the countries. ⁹ Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be exiled, how I have been broken by their lewdness and their adulterous hearts which have turned away from Me, and by their eyes which lust after their idols; and they will loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed, for all their repulsive acts. ¹⁰ Then they will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would bring this disaster [as punishment] on them.”’

¹¹ “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Strike with your fist, stamp with your foot and say, “Alas, because of all the evil atrocities of the house of Israel, which will fall by sword, by famine, and by virulent disease! ¹² He who is far away will die of the virulent disease, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus I will spend My wrath on them. ¹³ Then you will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every leafy tree and under every oak with thick branches, the places where they offered sweet incense and a soothing aroma to all their idols. ¹⁴ And I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land a more desolate waste than the wilderness toward Diblah [the Moabite city], throughout all the places where they live; and they will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.”’”

The Believer’s Rest

4 Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late. ² For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard. ³ For we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation, and assured of His power], just as He has said,

[this He said] although His works were ^[a]completed from the foundation of the world [waiting for all who would believe].^(A)

⁴ For somewhere [in Scripture] He has said this about the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;^{(B) 5} and again in this, “They shall not enter My rest.”^{(C) 6} Therefore, since the promise remains for some to enter His rest, and those who formerly had the good news preached to them failed to [grasp it and did not] enter because of [their unbelief evidenced by] disobedience, ⁷ He again sets a definite day, [a new] “Today,” [providing another opportunity to enter that rest by] saying through David after so long a time, just as has been said before [in the words already quoted],

⁸ [This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak about another day [of opportunity] after that. ⁹ So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own.^{(E) 11} Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness]. ¹² For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged ^[b]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the ^[c]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.

¹⁴ Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior]. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. ¹⁶ Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

The Vision of Four Figures

1 Now it came about [when I was] in my ^[a]thirtieth year [of life], on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles beside the River Chebar [in Babylonia], the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. ² (On the fifth of the month, which was in the fifth year of ^[b]King Jehoiachin’s captivity,^{(A) 3} the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the ^[c]Chaldeans by the River ^[d]Chebar; and the hand of the Lord came upon him there.)^(B)

⁴ As I looked, I saw a stormy wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with fire flashing continually from it; and a brightness was around it, and in its core [there was] something like glowing [amber-colored] metal in the midst of the fire. ⁵ Within it there were figures resembling ^[e]four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. ⁶ Each one had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight and the soles of their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled and gleamed like shiny bronze. ⁸ Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, ⁹ their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. ¹⁰ Regarding the ^[f]form and appearance of their faces: they [each] had the face of a man [in front], and each had the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox on the left side; all four also had the face of an eagle [at the back of their heads].^{(C) 11} Such were their faces. Their wings were stretched out upward; two [wings] of each one were touching another [the wings of the beings on either side of it], and [the remaining] two [wings of each being] were covering their bodies. ¹² And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. ¹³ Among the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. ¹⁴ And the living beings moved rapidly back and forth like flashes of lightning.

¹⁵ Now as I looked at the living beings, I saw one wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for each of the four of them. ¹⁶ Regarding the appearance of the wheels and their construction: they gleamed like chrysolite (beryl, olivine); and the four were made alike. Their appearance and construction were a wheel [set at a right angle] within a wheel. ¹⁷ Whenever they moved, they went in any [one] of their four directions without turning as they moved. ¹⁸ Regarding their rims: they were so high that they were awesome and dreadful, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes all around. ¹⁹ Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them; and when the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. ²⁰ Wherever the spirit went, the beings went in that direction. And the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit or life of the living beings was in the wheels. ²¹ Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those came to a stop, these came to a stop; and whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Vision of Divine Glory

²² Now stretched over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, looking like the terrible and awesome shimmer of icy crystal. ²³ Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. Every living being had two wings which covered its body on one side and on the other side. ²⁴ As they moved, I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of great [rushing] waters, like the voice of ^[g]the Almighty, the sound of tumult like the noise of an army camp. Whenever they came to a stop, they lowered their wings. ²⁵ And there was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stopped, they lowered their wings.

²⁶ Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, it appeared like [it was made of] sapphire or lapis lazuli; and [seated] on that which looked like a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man.^{(D) 27} Now upward, from that which appeared to be His waist, I saw something like glowing metal that looked like it was filled with fire all around it; and downward, from that which appeared to be His waist, I saw something like fire; and there was a brightness and a remarkable radiance [like a halo] around Him. ²⁸ As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory and brilliance of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell face downward and I heard a voice of One speaking.^(E)

The Prophet’s Call

2 Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you.” ² Then as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. ³ And He said to me, “I am sending you, son of man, to the children of Israel, to a rebellious people [in both the north and the south] that have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have sinned and revolted against Me to this very day. ⁴ I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord ^[h]God.’ ⁵ As for them, whether they listen or refuse [to listen]—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know and be fully aware of the fact that there has been a prophet among them. ⁶ And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words; though briars and thorns are all around you and you sit among scorpions, neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. ⁷ But you shall speak My words to them whether they will listen or refuse [to listen], for they are [most] rebellious.

⁸ “As for you, son of man, listen to what I say to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” ⁹ Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out toward me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. ¹⁰ And He spread it before me, and it was written on the front and on the back, and written on it were [words of] lamentation (funeral songs) and mourning and woe.

Ezekiel’s Commission

3 He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find [in this book]; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. ³ He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

⁴ Then He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. ⁵ For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, ⁶ not to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you and pay attention to My message; ⁷ yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you and obey you, since they are not willing to listen to Me and obey Me, for the entire house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate. ⁸ Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. ⁹ I have made your forehead like emery (diamond), harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.”^{(F) 10} Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and hear with your ears (listen closely). ¹¹ Go to the [Jewish] exiles [in Babylon], to the children of your people, and speak to them, whether they listen or not, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’”

¹² Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rushing sound behind me, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place [above the expanse].” ¹³ And then I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings as they touched one another and [I heard] the sound of the wheels beside them, a great rushing sound. ¹⁴ So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went embittered [by the sins of Israel] in the rage of my spirit; and the hand of the Lord was strong on me. ¹⁵ Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the River Chebar at Tel Abib. I sat there for seven days [in the place] where they were living, overwhelmed with astonishment [by my vision and the work before me].

Jesus Our High Priest

3 Therefore, ^[a]holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider the Apostle and High Priest whom we confessed [as ours when we accepted Him as Savior], namely, ^[b]Jesus; ² He was faithful to Him who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.^{(A) 3} Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater glory and honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. ⁵ Now Moses was faithful in [the administration of] all God’s house, [but only] as a ministering servant, [his ministry serving] as a testimony of the things which were to be spoken afterward [the revelation to come in Christ];^{(B) 6} but Christ is faithful as a Son over His [Father’s] house. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

⁷ Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

The Peril of Unbelief

¹² Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving ^[d]heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God. ¹³ But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today” [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication]. ¹⁴ For we [believers] have become partakers of Christ [sharing in all that the Messiah has for us], if only we hold firm our newborn confidence [which originally led us to Him] until the end, ¹⁵ while it is said,

¹⁶ For who were they who heard and yet provoked Him [with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? ¹⁷ And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]? ¹⁹ So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God.^(E)

The Lord’s Care over All His Works.