platforma of the House. He called to the man clothed in linen with the writing case at his waist; 4and the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who moan and groan because of all the abomina-tions that are committed in it.” 5To the others He said in my hearing, “Follow him through the city and strike; show no pity or compassion. 6Kill off graybeard, youth and maiden, women and children; but do not touch any person who bears the mark. Begin here at My Sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the House. 7And He said to them, “Defile the House and fill the courts with the slain. Then go forth.” So they went forth and began to kill in the city. 8When they were out killing, and I remained alone, I flung myself on my face and cried out, “Ah, Lord GOD! Are you going to annihilate all that is left of Israel, pouring out Your fury upon Jerusalem?” 9He answered me, “The iniquity of the Houses of Judah and Israel is very very great, the land is full of crime and the city is full of corruption. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.’ 10I, in turn, will show no pity or compassion; I will give them their deserts.” 11And then the man clothed in linen with the writing case at his waist brought back word, saying, “I have done as You commanded me.”

10 I looked, and on the expanse over the heads of the cherubs, there was something like a sapphire stone; an appearance resembling a throne could be seen over them. 2He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Step inside the wheelwork, under the cherubs, and fill your hands with glowing coals from among the cherubs, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I looked on. 3Now the cherubs were standing on the south side of the House when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4But when the Presence of the LORD moved from the cherubs to the platforma of the House, the House was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the radiance of the Presence of the LORD. 5The sound of the cherubs’ wings could be heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of El Shaddaib when He speaks.

6When He commanded the man dressed in linen: “Take fire from among the cherubs within the wheelwork,” he went in and stood beside a wheel. 7And a cherub stretched out his hand among the cherubs to the fire that was among the cherubs; he took some and put it into the hands of him who was clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8The cherubs ap-peared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

9I could see that there were four wheels beside the cherubs, one wheel beside each of the cherubs; as for the appearance of the wheels, they gleamed like the beryl stone. 10In appearance, the four had the same form, as if there were two wheels cutting through each other. 11And when they moved, each could move in the direction of any of its four quarters; they did not veer as they moved. The [cherubs] moved in the direction in which one of the heads faced, without turning as they moved. 12Their entire bodies—backs, hands, and wings—and the wheels, the wheels of the four of them, were covered all over with eyes. 13It was these wheels that I had heard called “the wheelwork.”c 14Each one had four faces: One was a cherub’s face, the second a human face, the third a lion’s face, and the fourth an eagle’s face.

15The cherubs ascended; those were the creatures that I had seen by the Chebar Canal. 16Whenever the cherubs went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubs lifted their wings to ascend from the earth, the wheels did not roll away from their side. 17When those stood still, these stood still; and when those ascended, these ascended with them, for the spirit of the creature was in them.

18Then the Presence of the LORD left the platforma of the House and stopped above the cherubs. 19And I saw the cherubs lift their wings and rise from the earth, with the wheels beside them as they departed; and theyd stopped at the entrance of the eastern gate of the House of the LORD, with the Presence of the God of Israel above them. 20They were the same creatures that I had seen below the God of Israel at the Chebar Canal; so now I knew that they were cherubs.e 21Each one had four faces and each had four wings, with the form of human hands under the wings. 22As for the form of their faces, they were the very faces that I had seen by the Chebar Canal—their appearance and f-their features-f—and each could move in the direction of any of its faces.

11 Then a spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the House of the LORD, which faces eastward; and there, at the entrance of the gate, were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2[The LORD] said to me, “O mortal, these are the men who plan iniquity and plot wickedness in this city, 3who say: ‘There is no need now to build houses; this [city] is the pot, and we are the meat.’a 4I adjure you, prophesy against them; prophesy, O mortal!”

5Thereupon the spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said to me, “Speak: Thus said the LORD: Such are your thoughts, O House of Israel; I know what comes into your mind. 6Many have you slain in this city; you have filled its streets with corpses. 7Assuredly, thus says the Lord GOD: The corpses that you have piled up in it are the meat for which it is the pot; but you shall be taken out of it. 8You feared the sword, and the sword I will bring upon you—declares the Lord GOD. 9I will take you out of it and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and I will execute judgments upon you. 10You shall fall by the sword; I will punish you at the border of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD. 11This [city] shall not be a pot for you, nor you the meat in it; I will punish you at the border of Israel. 12Then you shall know that I am the LORD, whose laws you did not follow and whose rules you did not obey, acting instead according to the rules of the nations around you.”

13Now, as I prophesied, Pelatiah son of Benaiah dropped dead. I threw myself upon my face and cried out aloud, “Ah, Lord GOD! You are wiping out the remnant of Israel!”

14Then the word of the LORD came to me: 15“O mortal, [I will save] your brothers, your brothers, the men of your kindred,b all of that very House of Israel to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem say, ‘Keep far from the LORD; the land has been given as a heritage to us.’ 16Say then: Thus said the Lord GOD: I have indeed removed them far among the nations and have scattered them among the countries, and I have become to them a diminished sanctity in the countries whither they have gone. 17Yet say: Thus said the Lord GOD: I will gather youb from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the Land of Israel. 18And they shall return there, and do away with all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19I will give them one heart and put a new spirit in them;c I will remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, 20that they may follow My laws and faithfully observe My rules. Then they shall be My people and I will be their God. 21But as for them whose heart is set upon their detestable things and their abominations, I will repay them for their con-duct—declares the Lord GOD.”

22Then the cherubs, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings, while the Presence of the God of Israel rested above them. 23The Presence of the LORD ascended from the midst of the city and stood on the hill east of the city. 24A spirit carried me away and brought me in a vision by the spirit of God to the exile community in Chaldea. Then the vision that I had seen left me, 25and I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me.

12 The word of the LORD came to me: 2O mortal, you dwell among the rebellious breed. They have eyes to see but see not, ears to hear but hear not; for they are a rebellious breed. 3Therefore, mortal, get yourself gear for exile, and go into exile by day before their eyes. Go into exile from your home to another place before their very eyes; perhaps they will take note, even though they are a rebellious breed. 4Carry out your gear as gear for exile by day before their very eyes; and go out again in the evening before their eyes, as one who goes out into exile. 5Before their eyes, break