Then behold, the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case reported, saying, “I have done just as You have commanded me.”
Then I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them.
And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And he entered in my sight.
Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court.
Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.
Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
It came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he entered and stood beside a wheel.
Then the cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some and put it into the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.
Then I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a Tarshish stone.
As for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel.
When they moved, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went; but they followed in the direction which they faced, without turning as they went.
Their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them.
The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels.
And each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Then the cherubim rose up. They are the living beings that I saw by the river Chebar.
Now when the cherubim moved, the wheels would go beside them; also when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels would not turn from beside them.
When the cherubim stood still, the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, the wheels would rise with them, for the spirit of the living beings was in them.
Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.
When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD’S house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.
These are the living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim.
Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands.
As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went straight ahead.
Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD’S house which faced eastward. And behold, there were twenty-five men at the entrance of the gate, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.
He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give evil advice in this city,
who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the pot and we are the flesh.’
Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said to me, “Say, ‘Thus says the LORD, “So you think, house of Israel, for I know your thoughts.
Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, “Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of the city are the flesh and this city is the pot; but I will bring you out of it.
You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you,” the Lord GOD declares.
“And I will bring you out of the midst of the city and deliver you into the hands of strangers and execute judgments against you.
You will fall by the sword. I will judge you to the border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD.
This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be flesh in the midst of it, but I will judge you to the border of Israel.
Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.”’”
Now it came about as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the LORD; this land has been given us as a possession.’
Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.”’
Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’
And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord GOD.
Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.
The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.
And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen left me.
Then I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me.
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.
Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and go out through it.
Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel.”
I did so, as I had been commanded. By day I brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.
In the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
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