a message from the LORD came directly to Buzi's son Ezekiel, the priest, by the Chebar River in the land of the Chaldeans. The hand of the LORD rested upon him there.

From under their wings there were human hands on their four sides.

Now, in the midst of the living beings there was something that appeared to glow like coals kindled by a fire, like torches that moved back and forth between the living beings. The fire was dazzling, and lightning flashed from the fire.

There was spread out over the heads of the living beings what looked like a canopy, in outward appearance resembling ice,

From above the canopy that was spread out over their heads, there appeared to be something reminiscent of a throne, resembling sapphire in form.

There was the likeness of the appearance of a human being seated on the likeness of the throne high above. I noticed that from what appeared to look like his waist upward there was something that looked like metal that glowed as if it were immersed in fire. Below this there was something resembling fire, with a radiant light surrounding him.

As I watched, all of a sudden there was a hand being stretched out in my direction! And there was a scroll

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he told me, "Get up! Go to the valley, and I'll speak with you there."

So I got up, went to the valley, and there was the glory of the LORD, standing there just like I had seen at the Chebar River. So I fell on my face.

Then you are to take a few strands, throw them in the fire, and incinerate them. A fire will proceed to the house of Israel from there."

""Your doom has come to you, you who live in the land. The time has arrived, and the day of confusion is near. There will be no shouts of joy on the mountains.

"When destruction comes, they'll seek peace, but there will be none to be found.

and I saw a likeness comparable to the appearance of a man. From his thighs downward there was the appearance of fire, and from his waist upward, there was the appearance of brightness that looked like brass.

All of a sudden, the glory of the God of Israel was there! It looked like what I had seen back in the valley.

Then the Spirit brought me to the entrance of the court. As I watched, all of a sudden, there was a hole in the wall!

So I entered, looked around, and there was every form of crawling thing, loathsome animals, and all kinds of idols from the house of Israel carved all around the wall.

Then he brought me to the inner court of the LORD's Temple. There, at the entrance to the LORD's Temple, between the porch and the altar, were 25 men, with their backs toward the LORD's Temple and facing the east, prostrating themselves to the sun.

All of a sudden, I noticed six men approaching from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north. Each of them held a destructive weapon in his hand. Among them there was one man, clothed in linen, who was equipped with a writing set at his side. They went in and presented themselves beside the bronze altar.

As I continued to watch, there on the expanse above the heads of the cherubim was a massive sapphire stone that resembled a throne in form and appearance.

There appeared to be human hands under the wings of the cherubim.

When they return from there and cast away all of their loathsome things and detestable practices,

But I'll throw my net over him. As a result, he'll be captured with my net, and with it I'll bring him to Babel, the land of the Chaldeans. He won't see it, though he'll die there.

"But I'll preserve a few people out of the violent death, famine, and pestilence, so they can recount their detestable practices among the nations when they'll go there. Then they'll know that I am the LORD."

There will no longer be worthless visions and flattering divinations in the midst of Israel's house.

because they've truly caused my people to stray saying, "Peace," but there's no peace.'"

The prophets of Israel prophesied about Jerusalem and saw visions of peace concerning her, yet there's no peace,'" declares the Lord GOD.

though these three men lived there, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they couldn't deliver their own sons and daughters. They would only save themselves.

But look! There will be a remnant who escapes, a few sons and daughters to be brought out. Look! They'll come out to you and you'll see how they've lived and what they've done, and you'll be comforted concerning the catastrophe that I brought on Jerusalem, including everything that I brought against her.

"""When I passed by you, I saw you kicking around, covered in your own blood. That's when I told you, "Live!' while you were wallowing in your blood. I commanded you to live, even as you lay there in your own blood.

"""All of a sudden, there was another eagle with gigantic wings and thick plumage. The vine stretched its roots hungrily toward him and spread its branches out to him in order to be watered on the terraces where it was planted.

I'll spread my net over him so that he'll be caught in my snare. I'll bring him to Babylon and carry out my sentence there because of his treachery toward me.

Fire had burned through its branches, consuming its shoots and fruits. No strong branches remain in it, and there is no scepter to rule!' "This is a lamentation, and it is to be used in mourning."

I brought them to the land that I had promised to give them. But whenever they saw any high hill and or any leafy tree, they slaughtered their sacrifices there and presented their offerings that provoked my anger. There they presented their pleasing aromas and poured out their drink offering.

I'll bring you into the wilderness of the nations. I'll judge you right there, face to face.

For on my holy mountain, on Israel's high mountains," declares the Lord GOD, "the whole of Israel's house all of it will serve me there in the land. I'll accept them there. And there I'll demand your offerings, the first fruits of your portions of all your sacred things.

Return it to its scabbard. "At the place where you were formed, in the land of your origin, there is where I'll judge you.

There's a conspiracy of prophets within her, and like a roaring lion tearing its prey, they've devoured people, and confiscated treasures, and taken precious things. They've added to the population of widows within her.

They committed sexual immorality in Egypt. They did this in their youth. There, their breasts were caressed. Their virgin breasts were fondled.

There is wickedness in your obscene conduct. Even though I've cleansed you, you uncleanness cannot be washed away. You cannot be cleansed again until my rage against you has subsided.'

There will be so many horses that the dust raised by them will cover you completely. The walls of your city will tremble from the noise of Nebuchadnezzar's cavalry, wagons, and chariots when they enter through the gates of your city, as men enter a city that has been breached.

I'll make sure that you go straight to the Pit, into the lowest part of the earth, where you'll be with people who lived in ancient times. You'll keep company there with the dead, who have gone into the Pit. As a result, your city won't be inhabited. Meanwhile, I will display my glory in the land of the living.

I'll restore the economy of Egypt and return them to the land of Pathros, from which they originated, and there they will remain an insignificant kingdom,

"This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images that come from Memphis. There will no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt, and I will terrify the land of Egypt.

"When I turn the land of Egypt into a desolation, and the land is emptied of everything that used to fill it, when I strike everyone who lives there, they will learn that I am the LORD.'

Assyria will be there, along with all of those who keep company with her, all of them killed violently.

"Elam will be there. Its hordes will surround Elam's grave. All of them have been killed. They died violently, and they have descended uncircumcised into the world below after having spread terror throughout the land of the living. They will bear the shame of those who descend to the Pit.

"Meshech and Tubal will be there, along with all of the hordes that surround her grave. Every one of them is uncircumcised, killed violently, because they spread terror throughout the land of the living.

"Edom will be there, along with its kings and princes who despite all their power have been killed violently. They, too, are lying dead, along with the uncircumcised; that is, with those who descend into the Pit.

"All of the princes from the North are there, along with the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame to join those who have been killed because of all the terror they caused by their military might. They lie dead, uncircumcised, with those who have been killed violently. They will bear their shame, along with those who descend into the Pit.

"As certainly as I'm alive and living, my sheep have truly become victims, food for all of the wild animals because there are no shepherds. My shepherds did not go searching for my flock. Instead, the shepherds fed themselves, and my flock they would not feed!'

""Then I'll install one shepherd for them my servant David and he will feed them, will be there for them, and will serve as their shepherd.

I'm going to make them and everything that surrounds my hill a blessing. I'll send down the rain! At the appropriate time there will be a rainstorm of blessing!

"Because you have claimed, "These two nations and these two lands are going to belong to me, and we will take possession of them, even though the LORD is there,'

He led me here and there throughout the valley, and I was amazed to see that the surface of the entire valley was covered with myriads of very dry bones!

So I prophesied, just as I had been ordered to do so. Immediately there was a noise and a rattling and then all of a sudden the bones came together by themselves! Each bone came together, all of them attached together!

"""My servant King David will be there for them, and one shepherd will be appointed for them. They will live according to my decrees, keep my regulations, and practice them.

"""Many days from now in the latter years you will be summoned to a land that has been restored from violence. You will be gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which formerly had been a continuous waste, but which will be populated with people who have been brought back from the nations. All of them will be living there securely.

Because of my zeal and burning anger, at that time there will be a massive earthquake throughout the land of Israel.

There I will strike your bow from your left hand and your arrows from your right, causing your fall.

You will collapse on the mountains of Israel, along with all of your soldiers and the nations that have accompanied you. There the raptors, vultures, and wild animals will feed on you.

"When all of this happens, I'm going to set aside a grave site for Gog in Israel's Traveler's Valley, near the approach to the Dead Sea. She will block off everyone who tries to bypass it. There they will bury Gog, and rename the area "Valley of Gog's Gang'.

They'll also name the city that is there "Hamonah,' as they purify the land."

At the beginning of year 25 of our captivity, on the tenth day of the fourteenth year after the destruction of Jerusalem on that very day the LORD grabbed me in his hand and took me there.

God brought me in a series of visions to the land of Israel and placed me on top of a very high mountain, where to the south there was something that looked like the outline of a city.

That's where he took me. All of a sudden, there was a man whose appearance resembled glowing bronze! He had a measuring reed and line in his hand as he stood in the city gate.

Then he led me toward the south, where there was a gate with side pillar and porch measurements identical to the others.

There was a chamber with a doorway by the side pillars next to the gate where they prepare the burnt offerings.

In the porch leading in front of the gate there were two tables on either side for slaughtering burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings,

and on the outer side, approaching the northern gateway, there were two tables, as well as two tables on the opposite side of the porch in front of the gate.

In that way, there were four tables on each side in front of the gate, for a total of eight tables for use in slaughtering the offerings.

There were four tables carved from stone for the burnt offering, each one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits wide, and one cubit high, on which the instruments are laid for slaughtering burnt offerings and sacrifices.

From outside leading into the inner gate there were chambers for the choir. One was beside the north gate facing the south, and another was at the south gate facing the north.

The outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits thick, and there was an empty space between the Temple's side chambers

There were carved cherubim and palm trees, alternating with a palm tree between a cherub, and each cherub had two faces,

Opposite the 20 cubits wide inner court, and opposite the paved area that comprised the outer court, there were three stories of galleries that faced each other.

In front of the chambers there was an inner walkway ten cubits wide and 100 cubits wide, the openings to which were on the north.

There were chambers built into the thick part of the wall of the court facing the east; that is, facing the separate area toward the front of the building,

The Regent Prince will be seated there, as Regent Prince, and will dine in the LORD's presence, entering through the portico of the gate and exiting through it also."

Furthermore, each New Moon there is to be a young bull presented without defect, six male lambs, and a ram without defect.

Then he brought me out to the exterior courtyard and led me across to each of the four corners of the courtyard. There in each corner was an enclosed area set aside,

After this, he brought me back to the doorway to the Temple. To my amazement, there was water flowing out toward the east from beneath the threshold of the Temple! (The Temple faced eastward.) The water flowed down from beneath the right side of the Temple, that is, from the south-facing side where the altar was located.

As we were coming back, I was amazed to see that there were many, many trees lining both banks of the river.

He told me, "This river flows toward the eastern territories all the way down into the Arabah, and from there its water flows toward the Dead Sea, where the sea water turns fresh.

It will support all kinds of living creatures that will thrive abundantly wherever the river flows. There will be a great many fish, because this water will flow there and turn the salt water fresh. As a result, everything will live wherever the river flows.

A day will come when fishermen will line its banks from En-gedi to En-eglaim there will be plenty of room to spread out nets. There will be all sorts of species of fish, as abundant as the fish that live in the Mediterranean Sea. There will be lots of them!

"You are to determine the southern extremity running from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then from there proceeding to the Wadi, and then to the Mediterranean Sea. This is to be the southern perimeter.

Furthermore, you are to provide the foreigner's inheritance there in the tribe within which he remains," declares the Lord GOD.

Adjacent to the border of Gad to the south and extending toward the south, the border is to proceed from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then to the Wadi of Egypt, and from there to the Mediterranean Sea.

On the east side, 4,500 units by measurement, there are to be three gates: one named the Joseph Gate, one named the Benjamin Gate, and one named the Dan Gate.

On the south side, 4,500 units by measurement, there are to be three gates: one named the Simeon Gate, one named the Issachar Gate, and one named the Zebulun Gate.

On the west side, 4,500 units by measurement, there are to be three gates: one named the Gad Gate, one named the Asher Gate, and one named the Naphtali Gate.

A perimeter is to measure 18,000 units, and the name of the city from that time on is to be: "THE LORD IS THERE.'"