Ezekiel 9-12; Psalms 33

The Slaughter of Idolaters

9Then the Lord thundered, “Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!”H7121H241H1419H6963H559H6486H5892H7126H376H4892H3627H3027

2Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer’s case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar.H8337H582H935H1870H5945H8179H6437H6828H376H4660H3627H3027H259H376H8432H3847H906H5608H7083H4975H935H5975H681H5178H4196

3Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case.H3519H430H3478H5927H3742H4670H1004H7121H376H3847H906H5608H7083H4975

4He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”H3068H559H5674H8432H5892H8432H3389H8427H8420H4696H582H584H602H8441H6213H8432

5Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity!H428H559H241H5674H310H5892H5221H5869H2347H2550

6Kill them all—old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin right here at the Temple.” So they began by killing the seventy leaders.H2026H4889H2205H970H1330H2945H802H5066H376H8420H2490H4720H2490H2205H582H6440H1004

7“Defile the Temple!” the Lord commanded. “Fill its courtyards with corpses. Go!” So they went and began killing throughout the city.H559H2930H1004H4390H2691H2491H3318H3318H5221H5892

8While they were out killing, I was all alone. I fell face down on the ground and cried out, “O Sovereign Lord! Will your fury against Jerusalem wipe out everyone left in Israel?”H5221H7604H5307H6440H2199H559H162H136H3069H7843H7611H3478H8210H2534H3389

9Then he said to me, “The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see it! The Lord has abandoned the land!’H559H5771H1004H3478H3063H3966H3966H1419H776H4390H1818H5892H4390H4297H559H3068H5800H776H3068H7200

10So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done.”H5869H2347H2550H5414H1870H7218

11Then the man in linen clothing, who carried the writer’s case, reported back and said, “I have done as you commanded.”H376H3847H906H7083H4975H7725H1697H559H6213H6680

The Lord’s Glory Leaves the Temple

10In my vision I saw what appeared to be a throne of blue lapis lazuli above the crystal surface over the heads of the cherubim.H7200H7549H7218H3742H7200H5601H68H4758H1823H3678

2Then the Lord spoke to the man in linen clothing and said, “Go between the whirling wheels beneath the cherubim, and take a handful of burning coals and scatter them over the city.” He did this as I watched.H559H376H3847H906H559H935H996H1534H3742H4390H2651H1513H784H996H3742H2236H5892H935H5869

3The cherubim were standing at the south end of the Temple when the man went in, and the cloud of glory filled the inner courtyard.H3742H5975H3225H1004H376H935H6051H4390H6442H2691

4Then the glory of the Lord rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the Lord.H3519H3068H7311H3742H4670H1004H1004H4390H6051H2691H4390H5051H3068H3519

5The moving wings of the cherubim sounded like the voice of God Almighty

and could be heard even in the outer courtyard.H6963H3742H3671H8085H2435H2691H6963H7706H410H1696

6The Lord said to the man in linen clothing, “Go between the cherubim and take some burning coals from between the wheels.” So the man went in and stood beside one of the wheels.H6680H376H3847H906H559H3947H784H1534H3742H935H5975H681H212

7Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand and took some live coals from the fire burning among them. He put the coals into the hands of the man in linen clothing, and the man took them and went out.H3742H7971H3027H3742H784H3742H5375H5414H2651H3847H906H3947H3318

8(All the cherubim had what looked like human hands under their wings.)H7200H3742H8403H120H3027H3671

9I looked, and each of the four cherubim had a wheel beside him, and the wheels sparkled like beryl.H7200H702H212H681H3742H259H212H681H259H3742H259H212H681H259H3742H4758H212H5869H8658H68

10All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.H4758H702H259H1823H212H8432H212

11The cherubim could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. They went straight in the direction they faced, never turning aside.H3212H3212H702H7253H5437H3212H4725H7218H6437H3212H310H5437H3212

12Both the cherubim and the wheels were covered with eyes. The cherubim had eyes all over their bodies, including their hands, their backs, and their wings.H1320H1354H3027H3671H212H4392H5869H5439H212H702

13I heard someone refer to the wheels as “the whirling wheels.”H212H7121H241H1534

14Each of the four cherubim had four faces: the first was the face of an ox

, the second was a human face, the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.H259H702H6440H259H6440H6440H3742H8145H6440H6440H120H7992H6440H738H7243H6440H5404

15Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the same living beings I had seen beside the Kebar River.H3742H7426H2416H7200H5104H3529

16When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved with them. When they lifted their wings to fly, the wheels stayed beside them.H3742H3212H212H3212H681H3742H5375H3671H7311H776H212H1992H5437H681

17When the cherubim stopped, the wheels stopped. When they flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.H5975H5975H7311H7426H7307H2416

18Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim.H3519H3068H3318H4670H1004H5975H3742

19And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.H3742H5375H3671H7426H776H5869H3318H212H5980H5975H6607H6931H8179H3068H1004H3519H430H3478H4605

20These were the same living beings I had seen beneath the God of Israel when I was by the Kebar River. I knew they were cherubim,H2416H7200H430H3478H5104H3529H3045H3742

21for each had four faces and four wings and what looked like human hands under their wings.H259H702H6440H259H259H702H3671H1823H3027H120H3671

22And their faces were just like the faces of the beings I had seen at the Kebar, and they traveled straight ahead, just as the others had.H1823H6440H1992H6440H7200H5104H3529H4758H3212H376H5676H6440

Judgment on Israel’s Leaders

11Then the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the east gateway of the Lord’s Temple, where I saw twenty-five prominent men of the city. Among them were Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders among the people.H7307H5375H935H6931H8179H3068H1004H6437H6921H6607H8179H2568H6242H376H8432H7200H2970H1121H5809H6410H1121H1141H8269H5971 2The Spirit said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are planning evil and giving wicked counsel in this city.H559H1121H120H582H2803H205H3289H7451H6098H5892 3They say to the people, ‘Is it not a good time to build houses? This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside it like meat in a pot

.’H559H7138H1129H1004H5518H1320 4Therefore, son of man, prophesy against them loudly and clearly.”H5012H5012H1121H120 5Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and he told me to say, “This is what the Lord says to the people of Israel: I know what you are saying, for I know every thought that comes into your minds.H7307H3068H5307H559H559H559H3068H559H1004H3478H3045H4609H7307 6You have murdered many in this city and filled its streets with the dead.H7235H2491H5892H4390H2351H2491 7“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: This city is an iron pot all right, but the pieces of meat are the victims of your injustice. As for you, I will soon drag you from this pot.H559H136H3069H2491H7760H8432H1320H5518H3318H8432 8I will bring on you the sword of war you so greatly fear, says the Sovereign Lord.H3372H2719H935H2719H5002H136H3069 9I will drive you out of Jerusalem and hand you over to foreigners, who will carry out my judgments against you.H3318H8432H5414H3027H2114H6213H8201 10You will be slaughtered all the way to the borders of Israel. I will execute judgment on you, and you will know that I am the Lord.H5307H2719H8199H1366H3478H3045H3068 11No, this city will not be an iron pot for you, and you will not be like meat safe inside it. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel,H5518H1320H8432H8199H1366H3478 12and you will know that I am the Lord. For you have refused to obey my decrees and regulations; instead, you have copied the standards of the nations around you.”H3045H3068H1980H2706H6213H4941H6213H4941H1471H5439 13While I was still prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah suddenly died. Then I fell face down on the ground and cried out, “O Sovereign Lord, are you going to kill everyone in Israel?”H5012H6410H1121H1141H4191H5307H6440H2199H1419H6963H559H162H136H3069H6213H3617H7611H3478

Hope for Exiled Israel

14Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 15“Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem are talking about you and your relatives and all the people of Israel who are in exile. They are saying, ‘Those people are far away from the Lord, so now he has given their land to us!’H1121H120H251H251H582H1353H1004H3478H3427H3389H559H7368H3068H776H5414H4181 16“Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile.H559H559H136H3069H7368H1471H6327H776H4592H4720H776H935 17I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.’H559H559H136H3069H6908H5971H622H776H6327H5414H127H3478 18“When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols.H935H5493H8251H8441 19And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart

,H5414H259H3820H5414H2319H7307H7130H5493H68H3820H1320H5414H3820H1320 20so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.H3212H2708H8104H4941H6213H5971H430 21But as for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”H3820H1980H3820H8251H8441H5414H1870H7218H5002H136H3069

The Lord’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

22Then the cherubim lifted their wings and rose into the air with their wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.H3742H5375H3671H212H5980H3519H430H3478H4605 23Then the glory of the Lord went up from the city and stopped above the mountain to the east.H3519H3068H5927H8432H5892H5975H2022H6924H5892 24Afterward the Spirit of God carried me back again to Babylonia

, to the people in exile there. And so ended the vision of my visit to Jerusalem.H7307H5375H935H4758H7307H430H3778H1473H4758H7200H5927 25And I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.H1696H1473H1697H3068H7200

Signs of the Coming Exile

12Again a message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 2“Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.H1121H120H3427H8432H4805H1004H5869H7200H7200H241H8085H8085H4805H1004 3“So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels.H1121H120H6213H3627H1473H1540H3119H5869H1540H4725H312H4725H5869H7200H4805H1004 4Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands.H3318H3627H3119H5869H3627H1473H3318H6153H5869H4161H1473 5Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it.H2864H7023H5869H3318 6As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel.”H5869H5375H3802H3318H5939H3680H6440H7200H776H5414H4159H1004H3478 7So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile. Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the night with my pack on my shoulder.H6213H6680H3318H3627H3119H3627H1473H6153H2864H7023H3027H3318H5939H5375H3802H5869 8The next morning this message came to me from the Lord:H1242H1697H3068H559 9“Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means.H1121H120H1004H3478H4805H1004H559H6213 10Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem

and for all the people of Israel.’H559H559H136H3069H4853H5387H3389H1004H3478H8432 11Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.H559H4159H6213H6213H1473H3212H7628 12“Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.H5387H8432H5375H3802H5939H3318H2864H7023H3318H3680H6440H3282H7200H776H5869 13Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians

, though he will never see it, and he will die there.H7568H6566H8610H4686H935H894H776H3778H7200H4191 14I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them.H2219H7307H5439H5828H102H7324H2719H310 15And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the Lord.H3045H3068H6327H1471H2219H776 16But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”H3498H4557H582H2719H7458H1698H5608H8441H1471H935H3045H3068 17Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 18“Son of man, tremble as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water.H1121H120H398H3899H7494H8354H4325H7269H1674 19Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says concerning those living in Israel and Jerusalem: They will eat their food with trembling and sip their water in despair, for their land will be stripped bare because of their violence.H559H5971H127H559H136H3069H3427H3389H776H3478H398H3899H1674H8354H4325H8078H776H3456H4393H2555H3427 20The cities will be destroyed and the farmland made desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”H5892H3427H2717H776H8077H3045H3068

A New Proverb for Israel

21Again a message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 22“Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’H1121H120H4912H127H3478H559H3117H748H2377H6 23Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’H559H559H136H3069H4912H7673H4911H3478H1696H3117H7126H1697H2377 24“There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel.H7723H2377H2509H4738H8432H1004H3478 25For I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”H3068H1696H1697H1696H6213H4900H3117H4805H1004H1696H1697H6213H5002H136H3069 26Then this message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 27“Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘He’s talking about the distant future. His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.’H1121H120H1004H3478H559H2377H2372H7227H3117H5012H6256H7350 28Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’”H559H559H136H3069H1697H4900H1697H1696H6213H5002H136H3069

33Let the godly sing for joy to the LORD; it is fitting for the pure to praise him.H7442H3068H6662H8416H5000H3477

2Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.H3034H3068H3658H2167H5035H6218

3Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.H7891H2319H7892H5059H3190H8643

4For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does.H1697H3068H3477H4639H530

5He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth.H157H6666H4941H776H4390H2617H3068

6The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.H1697H3068H8064H6213H6635H7307H6310

7He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.H3664H4325H3220H5067H5414H8415H214

8Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him.H776H3372H3068H3427H8398H1481

9For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.H559H6680H5975

10The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes.H3068H6331H6098H1471H6331H5106H4284H5971H5106

11But the LORD's plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.H6098H3068H5975H5769H4284H3820H1755H1755

12What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.H835H1471H430H3068H5971H977H5159

13The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race.H3068H5027H8064H7200H1121H120

14From his throne he observes all who live on the earth.H4349H3427H7688H3427H776

15He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.H3335H3820H3162H995H4639

16The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.H4428H3467H7230H2428H1368H5337H7230H3581

17Don't count on your warhorse to give you victory—for all its strength, it cannot save you.H5483H8267H8668H4422H7230H2428

18But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.H5869H3068H3373H3176H2617

19He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.H5337H5315H4194H2421H7458

20We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.H5315H2442H3068H5828H4043

21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.H3820H8055H982H6944H8034

22Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.H2617H3068H3176