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Chapter 1
It chanced in the thirtieth year
the fifth day of the fourth Month, that I was among the prisoners by
the river of Cobar: where the heavens were opened, and I saw a
vision of God. Now the fifth day of the month, made out the fifth
year of King Joacins captivity. At the same time came word of the
Lord unto Ezechiel the son of Buzi the priest, in the land of the
Caldees by the water of Cobar, where the hand of the Lord came him.
And I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the North
with a great cloud full of fire, which with his glistre lightening
all round about. And in the midest of the fire it was all clear, and
as it were the likeness of four beasts, which were fashioned like a
man: saving that every one had four faces and four wings.
Their legs were straight, But their feet were like bullocks
feet, and they glistered, as it had been fair scoured metal. Under
their wings upon all the four corners they had mens hands. Their
faces and wings were toward the four corners: yet were the wings so,
that one ever touched another. When they went, they turned them not
about: but each one went straight forward.
Upon the right side of these four, their faces were like the
faces of a man, and the face of a Lion: But upon the left side, they
had the face of an ox, and the face of an Eagle. Their faces also
and their wings were spread out above: so that two wings of one
touched ever two wings of another, and with the other they covered
the body. Every one when it went, it went straight forward. Where as
the spirit led them, *thither they went, and turned not about in
their going.
The fashion and the countenance of the beasts was like hot
coals of fire, even as though burning *cressettes had been among the
beasts: and the fire gave a gilister, and out of the fire their went
lighting. When the beasts went forward and backward, one would have
thought it had lighteninged. Now when I had well considered the
beasts, I saw a work of wheels upon the earth with four faces also
like the beasts.
The fashion and the work of the wheels was like the sea. The
four wheels were joined and made ( to look upon ) as it had been one
wheel in another. When the one went forward, they went all four, and
turned them not about in their going. They were large, great and
horrible to look upon. Their bodies were full of eyes round about
them all four. When the beasts went, the wheels went also with them:
And when the beasts lift themselves up from the earth, the wheels
were lift up also. Whither soever the spirit went, thither went they
also, and the wheels were lift up, and followed them: for the spirit
of life was in the wheels. When the beasts went forth, stood still,
or lift themselves up from the earth: then the wheels also went,
stood still, and were lift up, for the breath of life was in the
wheels.
Above over the heads of the beasts there was a firmament,
which was fashioned as it had been of the most pure Crystal, and
that was spread out above their heads: under the same firmament were
their wings layed abroad, one toward another, and two wings covered
the body of every beast. And when they went forth I heard the noise
of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as it had been the
voice of the great God., and the rushing together as it were of a
host of men. And when they stood still, they let down their wings.
Now when they stood still, and had let down their wings, it
thundered in the firmament that was above their heads. Above the
firmament that was over their heads, there was a fashion of a seat,
as it had been made of Sapphire. Upon the seat there sat one like a
man. I beheld him, and he was like a clear light, as it had been all
of fire within from his loins upward.
And beneath when I looked upon him under the loins, me thought
he was like a shining fire, that giveth light on every side. Yee the
shine and the glittereth lightening round about, was like a rainbow,
which in a rainy day appeareth in the clouds. Even so was the
similitude, wherein the glory of the Lord appeared. When I saw it, I
fell upon my face, and harkened unto the voice of him that spake.
*thither= to or toward that place or in that direction there,
distant/
*cressettes= A metal cup, often suspended on a pole, containing
burning oil or pitch and used as a torch.
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Chapter 2
And then said he unto me: Stand
up upon thy feet ( O thou son of man ) and I will talk with thee.
And as he was communing with me, the spirit came in to me, and set
me up upon my feet: so that I marked the thing, that he said unto
me.
And he said: Behold, thou son of man: I will send thee to the
children of Israel, to those runagates and obstinate people: for
they have taken part against me, and are run away from me: both they
and their forefathers unto this day.
Yee I will send thee unto a people that have rough *visages an
stiff stomachs: unto whom thou shalt say on this manner: This the
Lord God himself hath spoken, that whether they be obedient or no (
for it is a *froward household ) they may know yet that there hath
been a Prophet among them.
Therefore ( thou son of man ) fear them not, neither be afraid
of their words: for they shall rebel against thee, and despise thee.
Yee thou shalt dwell among scorpions: but fear not their words, be
not abashed at their looks, for it is a froward household.
See that thou speak my words unto them, whether they be
obedient or not, for they are obstinate. Therefore, thou son of man,
obey thou all things, that I say unto thee, and be thou not
stiffnecked, like as they are a stiffneck household. Open thy mouth
and eat that I give thee.
So as I was looking up, behold, there was sent unto me an
hand, wherein was a closed book: and the hand opened it before me,
and it was written within and without, full of careful mournings:
alas, and woe.
*visages=faces, expression, countenance *froward= stubborn, contrary
,obstinate
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Chapter 3
After this said he unto me: Thou
son of man, eat that, what forever it be: yee eat that closed book
and go thy way, and speak unto the children of Israel. So I opened
my mouth, and he gave me the book for to eat, said unto me: Thou son
of man, thy belly shall eat, and thy bowels shall be filled with the
book, that I give thee. Then did I eat the book, and it was in my
mouth sweeter than honey. And he said unto me: thou son of man, get
thee soon unto the house of Israel, and show them the words that I
command thee: For I send thee not to the people that hath a strange,
unknown, or hard speech, but unto the house of Israel, Not to many
nations, which have diverse speeches and hard languages, whose words
thou understand not. Nevertheless, if I sent thee to those people,
they would follow thee: But the house of Israel will not follow
thee, for they will follow me: yee all the house of Israel have
stiff foreheads, and hard hearts. Behold, therefore, I will make thy
face prevail against their faces, and harden thy forehead against
their foreheads: so that thy forehead shall be harder than an
Adamant or flint stone: that thou may fearest them the less, and be
less afraid of them, for they are a froward household.
He said moreover unto me: thou son of man, take diligent heed
with thy ears, to the words that I speak unto thee, fasten them in
thine heart: and go to the prisoners of thy people, speak unto them,
and say on this manner: Thus the Lord God hath spoken: whether ye
hear or hear not. With that the spirit took me up. And I heard the
noise of a great rushing and the removing of the most blessed glory
of the Lord out of his place.
I heard also the noise of the wings of the beasts, that rushed
one against the other, yee and the rattling of the wheels, that were
by them, which rushing and noise was very great.
Now when the spirit took me up, and carried me away, I went
with an heavy and sorrowful mind, but the hand of the Lord comforted
me right soon.
And so in the beginning of the month Abib, I came to the
prisoners, that dwell by the water of Cobar, and remained in that
place, where they were: And so continued I among them seven days,
being very sorry.
And when the seven days were expired, the Lord said unto
me:Thou son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of
Israel: therefore take good heed to the words, and give them warning
at my commandment.
If I say unto thee, concerning the ungodly man, that ( without
doubt ) he must die, and thou givest him not the warning, nor
speakest unto him, that he may turn from his evil way, and so to
live: Then shall the same ungodly man die in his own
unrighteousness: but his blood will I require of thine hand.
Nevertheless, if thou give warning unto the wicked, and he yet
forsake not his ungodliness: then shall he die in his own
wickedness, but thou hast discharged thy soul.
Now if a righteous man go from his righteousness, and do the
thing that is evil: I will lay a stumbling block before him, and he
shall die, because thou hast not given him warning: yee die shall he
in his own sin, so that the virtue, which he did before, shall not
be thought upon: but his blood will I require of thine hand.
Nevertheless, if thou exhorteth the righteous, that he sin
not, and so the righteous do not sin : then shall he live, because
he hath received thy warning, and thou hast discharged thy soul. And
there came the hand of the Lord upon me, and he said unto me: Stand
up, and go into the field, that I may there talk with thee.
So when I had risen up, and gone forth into the field: Behold,
the glory of the Lord stood there, like as I saw it afore, by the
waters of Cobar.
Then fell I down upon my face, and the spirit came in to me,
which set me up upon my feet, and said thus unto me: Go thy way, and
*sparre thyself in thine own house. Behold, ( O thou son of man )
there shall changes be brought for thee, to bring thee withal, so
that thou shalt not escape out of them. And I will make thy tongue
cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and not be
as a *chidet with them: for it is an abstinent household.
But when I speak unto thee, then open thy mouth, and say: Thus
sayeth the Lord God: who so heareth, let him hear: who so will not,
let him leave: for it is an abstinent household.
*sparre=the door shut tight; bolted *chidet=mildly reprimand
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Chapter 4
Thou son of man,
take thee a tile stone, and lay it before thee, and describe upon it
the city of Jerusalem, how it is besieged, how bulwarks and strong
ditches are graven on every side of it: describe also the tents, and
an host of men round about it.
Moreover, take an iron pan, and set it between thee and the
city, instead of an iron wall. Then set thy face toward it, besiege
it, and lay ordinance against it, to win it. This shall be a token
unto the house of Israel. But thou shall sleep upon thy left side,
and lay the sin of the house of Israel upon thee. Certain days
appointed, thou shalt sleep upon that side, and bear their sins.
Nevertheless, I will appoint thee a time ( to put out their sins )
and the number of the days: Three hundred and ninety days must thou
bear the wickedness of the house of Israel. When thou hast fulfilled
these days lie again, and sleep upon thy right side forty days, and
bear the sins of the house of Judah.
A day for a year, a day ( I say ) for a year will I ever lay
upon thee. Therefore set now thy face against that besieged
Jerusalem, and discover thine arm, that thou may prophesy against
it.
Behold, I will lay chains upon thee, that thou shalt not turn
thee from me one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of
thy siege.
Wherefore, take unto thee wheat, barley, beans, growell seed,
and Millium and fitches: and put these together in a vessel, and
make thee loaves of bread thereof, according to the number of the
days that thou must lie upon thy side: that thou mayest have bread
to eat, for three hundred and ninety days.
And the meat that thou eatest, shall have a certain weight
appointed: namely twenty shekels every day. This appointed meat thou
shall eat daily, from the beginning to the end.
Thou shalt drink also a certain measure of water: Namely, the
sixth part of an Hin shalt thou drink daily from the beginning to
the end. Barley cakes shalt thou eat, yet shalt thou first strike
them over with mans dung, that they may see it. And with that said
the Lord: Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled
bread in the midest of the Gentiles, among whom I will scatter them.
Then said I: Oh Lord God. Behold, my soul was yet never
stained: for from my youth up to this hour. I did never eat of a
dead carcass, or that which was slain of wild beasts, neither came
there ever any unclean flesh in my mouth.
Where unto he answered me, and said: Well then, I will grant
thee to take cows dung, for the dung of a man, and to strike the
bread over with all, before them.
And he said unto me: Behold thou son of man, I will minish all
the provision of bread in Jerusalem., so that they shall weigh their
bread, and eat it with scarceness. But as for water, they shall have
a very little measure thereof, to drink. And when they have no more
bread or water, one shall be destroyed with another, and famish away
for their wickedness.
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Chapter 5
O Thou son of man, take thee
then a sharp knife, namely, a razor. Take thee, and shave the hair
of thy head and beard: Then take the scales and weight, and divide
the hair asunder. And burn the third part thereof in the fire in the
midest of the city, and cut the other third part in pieces with a
knife. As for the third part that remaineth cast it in the wind, and
then show the bare knife.
Yet afterward take a little of the same, and bread it in thy
coat lap. Then take a *curtesy of it, and cast it in the midest of
the fire: and burn it in the fire. Out of the same fire there shall
go a flame, upon the whole house of Israel. Moreover, thus said the
Lord God: This same is Jerusalem. I set her in the midest of the
Heathen and nations: that are round about her, but she hath despised
my judgements more than the Gentiles themselves, and broken my
commandments more than the nations, that lie round about her: For
they have cast out mine ordinances, and not walked in my laws.
Therefore, thus sayeth the Lord God: For so much as ye with your
wickedness far exceed the Heathen, that dwell round about you: ( For
ye have not walked in my laws, neither have ye kept mine ordinances
) Therefore thus sayeth the Lord God.
I will also come upon thee, for in the midest of thee will I
sit in judgement, in the sight of the Heathen, and will handle thee
of such a fashion, as I never did before, and as I never will do
from that time forth, and that because of all thine abominations.
For in the fathers shall be slain to eat their own sons, and that
from their own fathers. Such a court will I keep in thee, and the
whole remnant will scatter in to all the winds.
Wherefore as truly as I live ( sayeth the Lord God ) seeing
thou hast defiled my Sanctuary, with all manner of abominations and
with all thy shameful offenses: For this cause I will also destroy
thee. Mine eye shall not over see thee, neither will i spare thee.
One third part within thee, shall die of the pestilence and
hunger: Another third part shall be slain down round about thee,
with the sword: The other third part that remaineth, will I scatter
abroad toward the four winds, and draw out the sword after them.
Thus I will perform my indignation and set my wrath against them,
and ease myself. So that when I have fulfilled mine anger against
them, they shall know that I am the Lord, which with a fervent
jealously hath spoken it. Moreover I will thee waste and abhorred,
before all the Heathen that dwell about thee, and in the sight of
all them, that go by thee: so that when I punish thee in my wrath,
in mine anger, and with the plague of my hot displeasure: thou shalt
be a very abomination, shame a gasing and wondering flock, among the
Heathen, that lie about thee. Even I the Lord have spoken it, and it
shall come to pass, when I shoot among them the perilous darts of
hunger, which shall be but death: Yee therefore shall I shoot them,
because I will destroy you. I will increase hunger, and minish all
the provision of bread among you.
Plagues and misery will I send you, yee and wild beasts also
to destroy you. Pestilence and blood shed will come upon you, and
the sword will I bring over you.
Even I, the Lord, have said it.
*curtesy= a generous part
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Chapter 6
And the word of
the Lord came unto me, saying: thou son of man, turn thy face to the
mountains of Israel, that thou may prophesy unto them, and say: Hear
the word of the Lord God, O ye mountains of Israel: Thus hath the
Lord God spoken to the mountains, hills, rivers, valleys and dales.
Behold, I will bring a sword over you, and destroy your high
places. I will cast down your alters, and break down your temples.
Your slain men will I leave before your gods. and the dead carcasses
of the children of Israel will I cast before their images, your
bones will I destroy round about your altars, and dwelling places.
The cities shall be desolate, the hill chapels laid waste:
your alters destroyed, and broken: your goods cast down, and taken
away, your temples laid even with the ground, your own works clean
rooted out.
Your slain men shall lie among you, that ye may learn to know,
how that I am the Lord. Those that among you have escaped the sword,
I will leave among the Gentiles, for I will scatter you among the
nations. And they that escape from you, shall think upon me among
the Heathen, where they shall be in captivity.
As for that whorish and unfaithful heart of theirs, wherewith
they run away from me, I will break it: yee and put out those eyes
of theirs, that committed fornication with their Idols.
Then shall they be ashamed, and displeased with themselves,
for the wickedness and abominations, which they have done: and shall
learn to know, how that it is not in vain, that I the Lord speak, to
bring such misery upon them.
The Lord said moreover unto me: Smite thy hands together, and
stamp with thy feet, and say: Woe worth all the abominations and
wickednesses of the house of Israel, for because of them, they shall
perish with the sword, with hunger and with pestilence. Who so is
far off, shall die of the pestilence: he that is near at hand, shall
perish with the sword: and the other that are besieged, shall die of
hunger.
Thus will I satisfy my wrothful displeasure upon them. And so
shall ye learn to know, that I am the Lord, when your slain men lie
among your goddes, and about your alters: upon all high hills and
tops of mountains, among all green trees, among all thick oaks: even
in the places, where they did sacrifice to all their Idols. I will
stretch my hand out upon them, and will make the land waste: So that
it shall lie desolate and void, from the wilderness of Deblathah
forth, through all their habitations: to learn them to know, that I
am the Lord.
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Chapter 7
The word of the
Lord came unto me on this manner: Thee I call, O thou son of man.
Thus sayeth the Lord God unto the land of Israel: The end cometh,
yee verily the end cometh upon all the four corners of the earth.
But now shall the end come upon thee: For I will send my wrath
upon thee, and will punish thee: according to thy ways, and reward
thee after all thy abominations. Mine eye shall not over see thee,
neither will I spare thee: but reward thee according to thy ways,
and declare thy abominations. Then shall ye know, that I am the
Lord.
Thus sayeth the Lord God: Behold, one misery and plague shall
come after another: the end is here. The end ( I say ) that waiteth
for thee, is come already, the hour is come against thee, that
dwellest in the land.
The time is at hand, the day of sedition is hard by, and no
glad tidings upon the mountains. Therefore, I will shortly pour out
my sore displeasure over thee, and fulfill my wrath upon thee, I
will judge thee after thy ways, and recompense the all thy
abominations.
Mine eye shall not over see thee, neither will I spare thee:
but reward thee after thy ways, and show thy abominations, to learn
you for to know, how that I am the Lord that smiteth. Behold, the
day is here, the day is come, the hour is run out, the rod
flurisheth, willfulness waxes green, malicious violence is grown up,
and the ungodly waxen to a staff. Yet shall there no complaint be
made for them, nor for the trouble that shall come of these things.
The time cometh, the day draweth nye: Who so buyeth let him
not rejoice: he that selleth, let him be not sorry: for why? Trouble
shall come in the midest of all rest: so that the seller shall not
come again to the buyer, for neither of them both shall live. For
the vision shall come so greatly over all, that it shall not be
hindered: No man also with his wickedness shall be able to save his
own life. The trumpets shall ye blow, and make you all ready, but no
man shall go to the battle, for I am wroth with all the whole
multitude.
The sword shall be without, pestilence and hunger shall be
within: so that who so is in the field, shall be slain with the
sword: and he that is in the city, shall perish with hunger and
pestilence.
And such as escape and flee from among them, shall be upon the
hills, like as the doves in the field: every one shall be afraid,
because of his own wickedness.
All hands shall be let down, and all knees shall be weak as
the water: they shall gird themselves with sack cloth, fear shall
fall upon them. Their faces shall be confounded, and their heads
bald: their silver shall lie in the streets, and their gold shall be
despised. Yee their silver and gold may not deliver them, in the day
of the fearful wrath of the Lord.
They shall not satisfy their hungry souls, neither fill their
empty bellies therewith: For it has become their own decay through
their wickedness: because they made thereof not only costly Jewels
for their pomp and pride, but also abominable images and Idols. For
this cause will I make them to be abhorred. Moreover, I will give it
into the hands of strangers to be spoiled: and to the wicked for to
be robbed, and they shall destroy it. My face will I turn from them,
my treasury shall be defiled: for the thieves shall go into it, and
suspend it. I will make clean riddance, for the land is whole
defiled with unrighteous judgement of innocent blood, and the city
is full of abominations. Wherefore, I will bring the most cruel
tyrants from among the Heathen, to take their houses in possession.
I will make the pomp of the proud to cease, and they shall be taken
in their Sanctuary. When this trouble cometh, they shall seek peace,
but they shall have none. One mischief and sorrow shall follow
another, and one rumor shall come after another: Then shall they
seek visions in vain at their Prophets. The law shall be gone from
the priests, and wisdom from the elders. The King shall mourn, the
Princes shall be clothed in heaviness, and the hands of the people
in the land shall tremble with fear. I will do unto them after their
own ways, and according to their own judgements will I judge them:
to learn them for to know, that I am the Lord.
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Chapter 8
It happened that
in the sixth year, the fifth day of the sixth month, I sat in my
house, and the Lords of the counsel of Judah with me: and the hand
of the Lord God even fell there upon me. And as I looked up, I saw
as it were a likeness of fire from his loins upward it flashed
marvelous clear. This similitude stretched out an hand, and took me
by the hairy locks of my head, and the spirit lifted me up between
heaven and earth: And God in a vision to Jerusalem, into the entry
of the inner port that layeth toward the north: there stood an
image, with whom he that hath all things in his power, was very
wroth.
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was in the same
place: even as I had seen it afore in the field. And he said unto
me: Thou son of man, O lift up thine eyes, and look toward the
north. Then I lift up mine eyes toward the north., and behold:
before the port northward, there was an alter made unto the image of
provocation in the very entering in. And he said furthermore unto
me: Thou son of man, seest thou what these do? Seest thou the great
abominations that the house of Israel comites in this place? which
ought not to be done in my sanctuary: But turn thee about, and thou
shalt see yet greater abominations. And with that brought he me to
the court gate: and when I looked, behold, there was an hole in the
wall. Then said he unto me: Thou son of man, dig through the wall.
And when I digged through the wall, behold there was a door. And he
said unto me: Go thy way in, and look what wicked abominations they
do there. So I went in, and saw: and behold, there were all manner
of images of worms and beasts, all Idols and abominations of the
house of Israel painted every one round about the wall. There stood
also before the images. Seventy of the Lords of the counsel of the
house of Israel: and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of
Saphan: And every one of them had a censor in his hand, and out of
the incense, there went a smoke, as it had been a cloud. Then said
he unto me: Thou son of man, has thou seen what the Senators of the
house of Israel do secretly, everyone in his chamber: For they say,
Tush, the Lord seeth us not, the Lord regardeth not the world. And
he said unto me: Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see the great
abominations that they do. And with that he brought me to the door
of the port of the Lords house, toward the north. And behold, there
fat women mourning for Thamus. Then said he unto me: hast thou seen
this, thou son of man? Turn ye about, and thou shalt see yet greater
abominations. And so he brought me into the inward court of the
Lords house: And behold at the port of the Lords house, between the
for entry and the altar, there were five and twenty men, that turned
their backs on the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the
east, and these worshiped the son.
And he said unto me: hast thou seen this thou son of man?
Thinketh the house of Israel , that it is but a trifle, to do these
abominations here? Should they fill the land full of wickedness, and
undertake to provoke me unto anger: Yee and purposely to cast up
their noses upon me? Therefore will I also do something in my
wrothfull displeasure, so that mine eye shall not over see them,
neither will I spare them. Yee and though they cry in mine ears with
loud voice, yet will I not hear them. |
Chapters
1-8 |
9-16
| 17-22 |
23-28
| 29-35 |
36-41
| 42-end
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