Ezekiel

1It was the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month. I was living far from home with other people from Judah, beside the Kebar River. Then the heavens opened, and God showed me things in a vision.

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

NoteSoldiers from Babylon had taken Ezekiel's people away from their land. They had to live far from home, beside the Kebar River. A vision is like a dream that God gives someone who is awake.

2It was the fifth day of that month. It was also the fifth year since King Jehoiachin was taken away from his own land.

In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,

NoteJehoiachin was a young king in Jerusalem. Soldiers took him away to Babylon. After that, people counted the years from that sad day.

3God's message came straight to Ezekiel, a priest who helped people worship God. He was the son of Buzi. He was in the land of the Chaldeans, beside the Kebar River. There God's hand rested on him with power.

The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

NoteThe King James calls Ezekiel a priest. A priest helped people worship God and bring him gifts. The Chaldeans were the people who lived in Babylon. "God's hand" does not mean a real hand. It means God's power was on him.

4I looked, and a strong wind came out of the north. It brought a huge cloud with fire flashing inside it. Bright light shone all around it. In the middle of the fire was a warm golden glow.

And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

5In the middle of the fire I saw four living creatures. They looked something like people.

Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

NoteEzekiel keeps saying things looked "like" other things. What he saw was very hard to put into words.

6But each one had four faces. And each one had four wings.

And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

7Their legs were straight. Their feet were shaped like a calf's hoof. They shone like polished metal.

And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

NoteA calf is a young cow. Its foot is one hard piece called a hoof.

8Under their wings, on all four sides, they had hands like a person's hands. All four had faces and wings.

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

9Their wings touched each other. They did not turn when they moved. Each one went straight ahead.

Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

10Each one had a face like a person's face. On the right was a lion's face. On the left was an ox's face. Each one also had an eagle's face.

As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

NoteAn ox is a big, strong cow that pulls heavy loads. An eagle is a very large bird with wide wings.

11That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread up high. Two wings touched the wings of the creature beside them. Two wings covered their bodies.

Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

12Each one moved straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went. They did not turn as they moved.

And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

NoteHere "the spirit" means God's own power, moving the creatures along.

13The living creatures looked like hot, glowing coals. They also looked like burning torches. The fire moved back and forth among them. It was very bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

NoteA torch is a stick with fire burning at the top. People carried them for light at night.

14The creatures darted back and forth. They moved as fast as a flash of lightning.

And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel. It was one wheel on the ground beside the living creatures with their four faces.

Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

16The wheels shone like a shiny green stone. All four wheels looked the same. Each one looked like a wheel inside another wheel.

The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

NoteOne wheel stood inside another, crossing it. That way it could roll any direction without turning first.

17When they moved, they could go any of the four ways. They did not have to turn first.

When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.

18The rims of the wheels were tall, and they filled me with wonder. All four rims were covered with eyes all around.

As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

NoteA rim is the round outside edge of a wheel. The King James says the rims were "dreadful." That old word meant amazing, and a little scary too.

19When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the creatures rose off the ground, the wheels rose too.

And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

20Wherever the spirit went, they went. The wheels rose right beside them. This was because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

21When the creatures moved, the wheels moved. When the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. When the creatures rose off the ground, the wheels rose beside them. This was because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

22Above the heads of the living creatures was something spread out like a wide dome. It sparkled like clear ice, and it filled me with wonder.

And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

NoteThe King James word here is "firmament." It means the sky, spread out overhead like a wide roof. A dome is a roof shaped like a bowl turned upside down.

23Under the dome, their wings reached out toward each other. Each creature also had two wings covering its body.

And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

24When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings. It was like rushing water, like the voice of God, like a whole army. When they stood still, they let their wings hang down.

And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

NoteAn army is a huge crowd of soldiers. Thousands of marching feet make a deep, rumbling sound.

25A voice came from above the dome over their heads. It came while they stood still with their wings hanging down.

And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.

26Above the dome over their heads was something like a throne, a king's chair. It looked like a deep blue stone. High on that throne sat a figure shaped like a person.

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

27From the waist up, the figure had a warm golden glow, with fire shining inside it. From the waist down, it looked like fire. Bright light shone all around.

And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

28The bright light looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. This was how the glory of the LORD looked. When I saw it, I fell down with my face to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking.

As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

NoteIn the King James, LORD in big letters stands for God's own name. "Glory" means the bright shining that shows God is right there. Falling face down on the ground was how people showed great respect.

15Then God's message came to me again.

Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

16"Son of man, listen. I am going to take away the one your eyes love most. She will die suddenly. But you must not cry out. You must not weep. Do not let your tears fall.

Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

Note"The one your eyes love most" means Ezekiel's wife. God is telling him she will die soon.

17Groan quietly. Do not act sad the way people do when someone dies. Keep your cloth head-wrap on. Keep your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lips. Do not eat the food that friends bring to sad families."

Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.

NoteWhen someone died, people showed their sadness in ways everyone could see. They took off their head-wrap and their sandals. They covered the bottom of their face with cloth. Friends and neighbors brought food to the family. God told Ezekiel not to do any of these things. That would look very strange, and people would ask why.

18So I talked to the people in the morning. That evening my wife died. The next morning I did what God told me.

So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

19The people asked me, "Will you tell us what all this means for us?"

And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

20So I answered them, "God's message came to me. He said:

Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

21Tell the people of Israel that the Lord GOD says this. I am going to spoil my holy house, the temple, and make it unclean. You are proud of it. Your eyes love it. Your hearts hold on to it. And the sons and daughters you left behind will be killed in the fighting.

Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.

NoteThe temple was God's special house in Jerusalem. It was the finest building the people had. "The sons and daughters you left behind" means family still in the city. Ezekiel's listeners had already been carried off to Babylon. To "spoil" the temple here means to treat God's holy house like a plain, common place. The old word for this is "profane."

22Then you will do what I have done. You will not cover your lips. You will not eat the food friends bring to sad families.

And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

23Your head-wraps will stay on your heads. Your sandals will stay on your feet. You will not cry out or weep. You will grow weak inside because of your sins. You will groan to each other.

And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.

Note"Grow weak inside" means sadness so deep that a person stops eating well. The King James says they will "pine away".

24So Ezekiel is a sign to you. You will do everything he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.

Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

NoteA sign here is something acted out, not something written. Ezekiel's own life was the message people watched.

25And you, son of man, listen. A day is coming when I take away their safe strong place. I will take their pride and joy. I will take what their eyes love. I will take what their hearts hold on to. I will take their sons and daughters too.

Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,

26On that day, someone who got away will come to you. He will tell you the news himself.

That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?

NoteJerusalem was far away. News traveled with people who walked, and that took months.

27On that day you will be able to talk to the man who escaped. You will speak, and you will not be silent anymore. You will be a sign to them. They will know that I am the LORD."

In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

NoteFor a long time Ezekiel could not talk freely with people. He only opened his mouth to say what God gave him. God is telling him that time will end.