Bible in a Year · Day 258 of 365
Today’s reading: Ezekiel 10–13 (4 chapters)
Read the passage below, or open your own Bible and follow along. The text here is the World English Bible, a public-domain translation, printed in full so the day’s reading is all on one page.
About Ezekiel
Ezekiel was a priest taken to Babylon, and his book is full of visions that are hard to picture and hard to forget. He sees the glory of God by a river, then watches that glory leave the temple, and later watches it return. He acts out the siege, lies on his side for weeks, and shaves his head as signs for a people who will not listen. The book also holds the valley of dry bones and the promise of a new heart of flesh. Much of it is dated, which gives the reader a timeline through the exile.
What to watch for. Watch the movement of God's glory, out of the temple and back again, and notice how the promise of a new heart in chapter 36 answers the diagnosis of chapter 36. Read the dry bones as a promise to people who think they are finished.
Ezekiel 10
1Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2He spoke to the man clothed in linen, and said, “Go in between the whirling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill both your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” He went in as I watched. 3Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. 4Yahweh’s glory mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Yahweh’s glory. 5The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
6It came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” that he went in, and stood beside a wheel. 7The cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it, and put it into the hands of him who was clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8There appeared in the cherubim the form of a man’s hand under their wings. 9I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like a beryl stone. 10As for their appearance, the four of them had one likeness, like a wheel within a wheel.
11When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn’t turn as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it; they didn’t turn as they went. 12Their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes all around, even the wheels that the four of them had. 13As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “the whirling wheels”. 14Every one them had four faces. The first face was the face of the cherub. The second face was the face of a man. The third face was the face of a lion. The fourth was the face of an eagle. 15The cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.
16When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also didn’t turn from beside them. 17When they stood, these stood; and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. 18Yahweh’s glory went out from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. 19The cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went out, and the wheels beside them: and they stood at the door of the east gate of Yahweh’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 20This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim.
21Every one had four faces, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward.
Ezekiel 11
1Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of Yahweh’s house, which looks eastward: and see, at the door of the gate twenty-five men; and I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. 2He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city; 3who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ 4Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man.” 5Yahweh’s Spirit fell on me, and he said to me, “Speak, ‘Yahweh says: “Thus you have said, house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.
6You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain. 7“‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Your slain whom you have laid in the middle of it, they are the meat, and this is the cauldron; but you will be brought out of the middle of it. 8You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,” says the Lord Yahweh. 9“I will bring you out of the middle of it, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. 10You will fall by the sword. I will judge you in the border of Israel; and you will know that I am Yahweh.
11This will not be your cauldron, neither will you be the meat in the middle of it. I will judge you in the border of Israel. 12You will know that I am Yahweh, for you have not walked in my statutes, neither have you executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you.”’” 13When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord Yahweh! will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?” 14Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 15“Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from Yahweh. This land has been given to us for a possession.’”
16“Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.”’ 17“Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” 18“‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; 20that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
21But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord Yahweh.” 22Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23Yahweh’s glory went up from the middle of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city. 24The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25Then I spoke to them of the captivity all the things that Yahweh had shown me.
Ezekiel 12
1Yahweh’s word also came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, you dwell in the middle of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house. 3“Therefore, you son of man, prepare your stuff for moving, and move by day in their sight. You shall move from your place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house. 4You shall bring out your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving; and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as when men go out into exile. 5Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your stuff out that way.
6In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land, for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.” 7I did so as I was commanded. I brought out my stuff by day, as stuff for moving, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought it out in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight. 8In the morning, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 9“Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10“Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.”’
11“Say, ‘I am your sign. As I have done, so will it be done to them. They will go into exile, into captivity. 12“‘The prince who is among them will bear on his shoulder in the dark, and will go out. They will dig through the wall to carry out that way. He will cover his face, because he will not see the land with his eyes. 13I will also spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there. 14I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands. I will draw out the sword after them. 15“‘They shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.
16But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come; and they will know that I am Yahweh.’” 17Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 18“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness. 19Tell the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: “They will eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and all that is therein, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein. 20The cities that are inhabited will be laid waste, and the land will be a desolation; then you will know that I am Yahweh.”’”
21Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 22“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?’ 23Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel;”’ but tell them, ‘“The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. 24For there will be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. 25For I am Yahweh. I will speak, and the word that I speak will be performed. It will be no more deferred; for in your days, rebellious house, I will speak the word, and will perform it,” says the Lord Yahweh.’”
26Again Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 27“Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many day to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.’ 28“Therefore tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “None of my words shall be deferred any more, but the word which I speak will be performed,” says the Lord Yahweh.’”
Ezekiel 13
1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear Yahweh’s word: 3Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places. 5You have not gone up into the gaps, neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of Yahweh.
6They have seen falsehood and lying divination, who say, ‘Yahweh says;’ but Yahweh has not sent them. They have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed. 7Haven’t you seen a false vision, and haven’t you spoken a lying divination, in that you say, ‘Yahweh says;’ but I have not spoken?” 8“‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Because you have spoken falsehood and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you,” says the Lord Yahweh. 9“My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who divine lies. They will not be in the council of my people, neither will they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither will they enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord Yahweh” 10“‘Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, “Peace;” and there is no peace. When one builds up a wall, behold, they plaster it with whitewash.
11Tell those who plaster it with whitewash that it will fall. There will be an overflowing shower; and you, great hailstones, will fall. A stormy wind will tear it. 12Behold, when the wall has fallen, won’t it be said to you, “Where is the plaster with which you have plastered it?” 13“‘Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: “I will even tear it with a stormy wind in my wrath. There shall be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it. 14So will I break down the wall that you have plastered with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered. It will fall, and you will be consumed in the middle of it. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. 15Thus will I accomplish my wrath on the wall, and on those who have plastered it with whitewash; and I will tell you, ‘The wall is no more, neither those who plastered it;
16to wit, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace,’” says the Lord Yahweh.’” 17You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them, 18and say, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Woe to the women who sew pillows on all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves? 19You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to kill the souls who should not die, and to save the souls alive who should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies.’ 20“Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Behold, I am against your pillows, with which you hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms. I will let the souls go, even the souls whom you hunt to make them fly.
21I will also tear your kerchiefs, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they will be no more in your hand to be hunted. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. 22Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive. 23Therefore you shall no more see false visions, nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.’”
Next · Day 259: Ezekiel 14–16 →
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public-domain translation. Day numbering follows the calendar year; you can start at Day 1 on any date.
