EZEKIEL


Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (C) 1978 by the New 
York Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

EZE 1:1  In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while 
I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I 
saw visions of God.

2  On the fifth of the month--it was the fifth year of the exile of King 
Jehoiachin--

3  the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the 
Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was 
upon him.

2:1  He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to 
you."

3:1  And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this 
scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel."

25  And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so 
that you cannot go out among the people.

26  I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you 
will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious 
house.

4:1  "Now, son of man, take a clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw 
the city of Jerusalem on it.

5:1  "Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor to 
shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the 
hair.

2  When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair 
with fire inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all 
around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them 
with drawn sword.

3  But take a few strands of hair and tuck them away in the folds of your 
garment.

4  Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them 
up. A fire will spread from there to the whole house of Israel.

6:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

7:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

8:1  In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was 
sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the 
hand of the Sovereign LORD came upon me there.

5  Then he said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked, 
and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of 
jealousy.

6  And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing--the 
utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that 
will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even 
more detestable."

9:1  Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, "Bring the guards of the 
city here, each with a weapon in his hand."

10  So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring 
down on their own heads what they have done."

10:1  I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of sapphire above the 
expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim.

11:1  Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house 
of the LORD that faces east. There at the entrance to the gate were twenty-
five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of 
Benaiah, leaders of the people.

22  Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and 
the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

12:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

3  "Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the 
daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. 
Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.

4  During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed 
for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those 
who go into exile.

5  While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out 
through it.

6  Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at 
dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you 
a sign to the house of Israel."

7  So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things 
packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. 
I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they 
watched.

13:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

14:1  Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.

15:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

16:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

17:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

2  "Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of Israel a 
parable.

3  Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: A great eagle with 
powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to 
Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar,

4  he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of 
merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.

5  "'He took some of the seed of your land and put it in fertile soil. He 
planted it like a willow by abundant water,

6  and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned 
toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and 
produced branches and put out leafy boughs.

7  "'But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full 
plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it 
was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.

8  It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would 
produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.'

9  "Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will it thrive? 
Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All 
its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to 
pull it up by the roots.

10  Even if it is transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not wither 
completely when the east wind strikes it--wither away in the plot where it 
grew?'"

18:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

19:1  "Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel

20:1  In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the 
elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of 
me.

21:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

6  "Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and 
bitter grief.

7  And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because 
of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; 
every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.' It 
is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD."

22:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

23:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

24:1  In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of 
the LORD came to me:

4  Put into it the pieces of meat, all the choice pieces--the leg and the 
shoulder. Fill it with the best of these bones;

16  "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight 
of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.

17  Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and 
your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat 
the customary food of mourners."

18  So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife 
died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.

19  Then the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have to 
do with us?"

20  So I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me:

21  Say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am 
about to desecrate my sanctuary--the stronghold in which you take pride, 
the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and 
daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.

22  And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of 
your face or eat the customary food of mourners.

23  You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. 
You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and 
groan among yourselves.

24  Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When 
this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'

25  "And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their 
joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their 
sons and daughters as well--

26  on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news.

27  At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and 
will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know 
that I am the LORD."

25:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

26:1  In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the 
LORD came to me:

27:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

28:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

29:1  In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of 
the LORD came to me:

30:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

31:1  In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word 
of the LORD came to me:

32:1  In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word 
of the LORD came to me:

33:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

22  Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the LORD was upon 
me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my 
mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.

31  My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen 
to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths 
they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.

32  Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with 
a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words 
but do not put them into practice.

34:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

35:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

36:1  "Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O 
mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

37:1  The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit 
of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

2  He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the 
floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.

3  He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign 
LORD, you alone know."

4  Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry 
bones, hear the word of the LORD!

5  This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath 
enter you, and you will come to life.

6  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you 
with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you 
will know that I am the LORD.'"

7  So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was 
a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

8  I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, 
but there was no breath in them.

9  Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and 
say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, 
O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'"

10  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came 
to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army.

11  Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of 
Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut 
off.'

12  Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD 
says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from 
them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

13  Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your 
graves and bring you up from them.

14  I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in 
your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have 
done it, declares the LORD.'"

38:1  The word of the LORD came to me:

39:1  "Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: 'This is what the 
Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and 
Tubal.

40:1  In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, 
on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the 
city--on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me and he took me 
there.

41:1  Then the man brought me to the outer sanctuary and measured the 
jambs; the width of the jambs was six cubits on each side.

42:1  Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to 
the rooms opposite the temple courtyard and opposite the outer wall on the 
north side.

43:1  Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,

44:1  Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the 
one facing east, and it was shut.

45:1  "'When you allot the land as an inheritance, you are to present to 
the LORD a portion of the land as a sacred district, 25,000 cubits long and 
20,000 cubits wide; the entire area will be holy.

46:1  "'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The gate of the inner court 
facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day 
and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened.

47:1  The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw 
water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east 
(for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south 
side of the temple, south of the altar.

2  He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the 
outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the 
south side.

3  As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured 
off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.

4  He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that 
was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water 
that was up to the waist.

5  He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could 
not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in--a 
river that no one could cross.

48:1  "These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern frontier, Dan 
will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road to Lebo Hamath; 
Hazar Enan and the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be part 
of its border from the east side to the west side.

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