g-g Some Septuagint mss. read “And there is none to say.”
h Cf. note at 24.9 and 42.18.
i Cf. note at 18.16.
j-j Emendation yields “he can harry them [i.e., the sheep] out of it; and what champion could one place in charge of them?”
k So a few mss. Most mss. and editions read “In.”
l-l Emendation yields “How has the glorious city been deserted”; so Vulgate.
a Names of the city god of Babylon.
b-b Heb. “come ye.”
c-c So many mss., editions, and versions; other mss. and editions read “a warrior who bereaves.”
d-d Lit. “She has given her hand”; meaning of Heb. uncertain.
e Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
f-f Emendation yields “A sword against”; cf. vv. 35 ff.
g Horeb, play on hereb, “sword” in preceding verses.
h-h See note at 49.19.
a A cipher for Kasdim, “Chaldea.”
b Change of vocalization yields “winnowers.”
c Some Heb. mss. and ancient versions read “Let not” here and in next line.
d Lit. “widowed.”
e-e Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
f-f Lit. “At the sound of His making.”
g See note at 18.16.
h-h Emendation yields “With poison [so Syriac] will I set out their drink! And get them drunk till they fall unconscious” (so ancient versions).
i See note at 25.26.
j Emendation yields “at the instance of.”
k Cf. v. 58, last line.
a For this chapter cf. chap. 39 above and 2 Kings 24–25.
b-b Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
c I.e., Zedekiah’s.
d See note at 39.4.
e-e Lit. “he stood before.”
f Apparently after the deportation of 2 Kings 24.14; meaning of Heb. uncertain.
g-g Lit. “raised the head of.”
Ezekiel
1 In the thirtieth year,a on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. 2On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—3the word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, by the Chebar Canal, in the land of the Chaldeans. And the hand of the LORD came upon him there.
4I looked, and lo, a stormy wind came sweeping out of the north—a huge cloud and flashing fire, surrounded by a radiance; and in the center of it, in the center of the fire, a gleam as of amber. 5In the center of it were also the figures of four creatures. And this was their appearance:
They had the figures of human beings. 6However, each had four faces, and each of them had four wings; 7the legs of each were [fused into] a single rigid leg, and the feet of each were like a single calf’s hoof;b and their sparklec was like the luster of burnished bronze. 8They had human hands below their wings. The four of them had their faces and their wings on their four sides. 9Each one’s wings touched those of the other. They did not turn when they moved; each could move in the direction of any of its faces.
10Each of them had a human face [at the front]; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right; each of the four had the face of an ox on the left; and each of the four had the face of an eagle [at the back]. 11Such were their faces. As for their wings, they were separated: above, each had two touching those of the others, while the other two covered its body. 12And each could move in the direction of any of its faces; they went wherever the spirit impelled them to go, without turning when they moved.
13Such then was the appearance of the creatures. With them was something that looked like burning coals of fire. This fire, suggestive of torches, kept moving about among the creatures; the fire had a radiance, and lightning issued from the fire. 14d-Dashing to and fro [among] the creatures was something that looked like flares.-d
15As I gazed on the creatures, I saw one wheel on the ground next to each of the four-faced creatures. 16As for the appearance and structure of the wheels, they gleamed like beryl. All four had the same form; the appearance and structure of each was as of two wheels cutting through each other. 17And when they moved, each could move in the direction of any of its four quarters; they did not veer when they moved. 18Their rims were tall and frightening, for the rims of all four were covered all over with eyes. 19And when the creatures moved forward, the wheels moved at their sides; and when the creatures were borne above the earth, the wheels were borne too. 20Wherever the spirit impelled them to go, they went—wherever the spirit impelled them—and the wheels were borne alongside them; for the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels. 21When those moved, these moved; and when those stood still, these stood still; and when those were borne above the earth, the wheels were borne alongside them—for the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels.
22Above the heads of the creatures was a form: an expanse, with an awe-inspiring gleam as of crystal, was spread out above their heads. 23Under the expanse, each had one pair of wings extended toward those of the others; and each had another pair covering its body. 24When they moved, I could hear the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the sound of Shaddai,e a tumult like the din of an army. When they stood still, they would let their wings droop. 25d-From above the expanse over their heads came a sound.-d When they stood still, they would let their wings droop.
26Above the expanse over their heads was the semblance of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and on top, upon this semblance of a throne, there was the semblance of a human form. 27From what appeared as his loins up, I saw a gleam as of amber—d-what looked like a fire encased in a frame;-d and from what appeared as his loins down, I saw what looked like fire. There was a radiance all about him. 28Like the appearance of the bow which shines in the clouds on a day of rain, such was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. That was the appearance of the semblance of the Presence of the LORD. When I beheld it, I flung myself down on my face. And I heard the voice of someone speaking.
2 And He said to me, “O mortal, stand up on your feet that I may speak to you.” 2As He spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me upon my feet; and I heard what was being spoken to me. 3He said to me, “O mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, that nation of rebels, who have rebelled against Me.—They as well as their fathers have defied Me to this very day; 4for the sons are brazen of face and stubborn of heart. I send you to them, and you shall say to them: ‘Thus said the Lord GOD’—5whether they listen or not, for they are a rebellious breed—that they may know that there was a prophet among them.
6“And you, mortal, do not fear them and do not fear their words, though thistles and thorns a-press against-a you, and you sit upon scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words and do not be dismayed by them, though they are a rebellious breed; 7but speak My words to them, whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.
8“And you, mortal, heed what I say to you: Do not be rebellious like that rebellious breed. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” 9As I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me, holding a written scroll. 10He unrolled it before me, and it was inscribed on both the front and the back; on it were written lamentations, dirges, and woes.
3 He said to me, “Mortal, eat what is offered you; eat this scroll, and go speak to the House of Israel.” 2So I opened my mouth, and He gave me this scroll to eat, 3as He said to me, “Mortal, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll that I give you.” I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey to me.
4Then He said to me, “Mortal, go to the House of Israel and repeat My very words to them. 5For you are sent, not to a people of unintelligible speech and difficult language, but to the House of Israel—6not to the many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose talk you cannot understand. If I sent you to them, they would listen to you. 7But the House of Israel will refuse to listen to you, for they refuse to listen to Me; for the whole House of Israel are brazen of forehead and stubborn of heart. 8But I will make your face as hard as theirs, and your forehead as brazen as theirs. 9I will make your forehead like adamant, harder than flint. Do not fear them, and do not be dismayed by them, though they are a rebellious breed.”
10Then He said to me: “Mortal, listen with your ears and receive into your mind all the words that I speak to you. 11Go to your people, the exile community, and speak to them. Say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD—whether they listen or not.” 12Then a spirit carried me away, and behind me I heard a great roaring sound: a-“Blessed is the Presence of the LORD, in His place,”-a 13with the sound of the wings of the creatures beating against one another, and the
