It chanced, in the thirtieth year, the fifth day of the fourth Month, that I was among the prisoners by the river of Chebar: where the heavens opened, and I saw a vision of God.

Now the fifth day of the Month made out the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity.

Their legs were straight; But their feet were like bullock's feet, and they glistered, as it had been fair scoured metal.

Under their wings upon all the four corners they had men's hands. Their faces and their 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.

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 two they covered their body.

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.

Yea the shine and glister that lightened 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 hearkened unto the voice of him that spake.

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.

Yea, I will send thee unto a people that have rough visages and stiff stomachs: unto whom thou shalt say on this manner, 'This the LORD God himself hath spoken,'

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 not thou stiffnecked, like as they are a stiffnecked household. Open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee."

So as I was looking up, behold, there was sent unto me a hand, wherein was a closed book:

So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the book for to eat,

so that thy forehead shall be harder than an Adamant or flint stone: that thou mayest fear them the less, and be less afraid of them, for they are a froward household."

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.'"

And so in the beginning of the Month Abib, I came to the prisoners that dwelt by the water of Chebar and remained in that place, where they were: And so continued I among them seven days, being very sorry.

If I say unto thee, concerning the ungodly man, that without doubt he must die: and thou givest him not 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.

"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 - Yea, 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 exhortest 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."

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 Chebar. Then fell I down upon my face,

Behold, O thou son of man, there shall chains be brought for thee, to bind thee withal, so that thou shalt not escape out of them.

And I will make thy tongue cleave so to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and not be as a chider with them: for it is an obstinate household.

But when I speak unto thee, then open thy mouth, and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: whoso heareth, let him hear; who so will not, let him leave.' For it is an obstinate household."

When thou hast fulfilled these days, lie down 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.

Barley cakes shalt thou eat, yet shalt thou first strike them over with man's dung, that they may see it."

Whereunto he answered me, and said, "Well then, I will grant thee to take cow's dung, for the dung of a man, and to strike the bread over withal, 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.

Thus will I 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 jealousy have spoken it.

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 gasping and wondering stock among the Heathen that lie about thee. Even I, the LORD, have spoken it: and it shall come to pass.

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.

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.

And so shall ye learn to know that I am the LORD, when your slain men lie among your gods, and about your altars; 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 mine hand out upon them, and will make the land waste: So that it shall lie desolate and void from the wilderness of Diblath forth, through all their habitations: to learn them for to know, that I am the LORD.'"

The end is here: The end, I say, that waiteth for thee is come already.

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 sword shall be without; pestilence and hunger within: so that whoso is in the field shall be slain with the sword; and he that is in the city shall perish with hunger and pestilence.

And as I looked up, I saw as it were a likeness of fire from his loins downward, and from his loins upward it shined marvelous clear.

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 commit in this place? Which ought not to be done in my sanctuary: But turn thee about, and thou shalt see yet greater abominations."

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 which one round about the wall.

Then said he unto me, "Thou son of man, hast 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 LORD's house, toward the north. And behold, there sat women mourning for Tammuz.

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 LORD's house. And behold, at the port of the LORD's house, betwixt the fore 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 sun.

Therefore will I also do something in my wrathful displeasure: so that mine eye shall not oversee them, neither will I spare them. Yea, and though they cry in mine ears with loud voice, yet will I not hear them."

Then came there six men out of the street of the upper port toward the north, and every man a weapon in his hand to the slaughter. There was one amongst them, that had on him a linen raiment, and a writer's inkhorn by his side. These went in, and stood beside the brazen altar:

for the glory of God was gone away from the Cherub, and was come down to the threshold of the house. And he called the man that had the linen raiment upon him, and the writer's inkhorn by his side,

kill and destroy both old man and young, maidens, children and wives. But as for those, that have the mark upon them: see that ye touch them not. And begin at my Sanctuary." Then they began at the elders, which were in the temple,

for he had said unto them, "When ye have defiled the temple, and filled the court with the slain, then go your way forth." So they went out, and slew down through the city.

Then said he unto me, "The wickedness of the house of Israel and Judah is very great: so that the land is full of blood, and the city full of unfaithfulness. For they say, 'Tush, the LORD regardeth not the earth, he seeth us not.'

And behold, the man that had the linen raiment upon him, and the writer's inkhorn by his side, told all the matter how it happened, and said, "LORD, as thou hast commanded me, so have I done."

Then said he that sat therein, to him that had the linen raiment upon him, "Creep in between the wheels that are under the Cherubims, and take thine hand full of hot coals out from between the Cherubims, and cast them over the city. And he crept in, that I might see."

But the glory of the LORD removed from the Cherubims, and came upon the threshold of the house: so that the temple was full of clouds, and the court was full of the shine of the LORD's glory.

And under the wings of the Cherubims, there appeared the likeness of a man's hand.

I saw also four wheels beside the Cherubims, so that by every Cherub there stood a wheel. And the wheels were, to look upon, after the fashion of the precious stone of Tharsis,

When they went forth, they went all four together, not turning about in their going. But where the first went, thither went they after also, so that they turned not about in their going.

Every one of them had four faces: so that the one face was the face of a Cherub, the second of a man, the third of a lion, the fourth of an Eagle,

and they were lifted up above. This is the beast, that I saw at the water of Chebar.

And the Cherubims flickered with their wings, and lift themselves up from the earth: so that I saw when they went, and the wheels with them. And they stood at the east side of the port that is in the house of the LORD. So the glory of the LORD was upon them.

This is the beast that I saw under the God of Israel, by the water of Chebar. And I perceived, that it was the Cherubims.

Every one had four faces, and every one four wings, and under their wings, as it were men's hands.

Now the figure of their faces was even as I had seen them, by the water of Chebar, and so was the countenance of them: Every one in his going went straight forward.

Moreover, the spirit of the LORD lift me up, and brought me unto the east port of the LORD's house. And behold, there were twenty five men under the door: among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, the rulers of the people.

Ye have drawn out the sword, even so will I also bring a sword over you, sayeth the LORD God.

And so the word of the LORD came to me on this manner:

"Thou son of man: thy brethren, thy kinsfolk, and the whole house of Judah which dwell at Jerusalem, say, 'They be gone far from the LORD, but the land is given us in possession.'

But look, whose hearts are disposed to follow their abominations and wicked livings: those men's deeds will I bring upon their own heads, sayeth the LORD God.'"

So the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mount of the city toward the east.

So I spake unto the prisoners, all the words of the LORD, which he had showed me.

"Thou son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a froward household: which have eyes to see, and yet see not; ears have they to hear, and yet hear they not. For they are an obstinate household.

Therefore, O thou son of man, make thy gear ready to flit, and go forth by fair daylight, that they may see. Yea, even in their sight shalt thou go from thy place to another place: if peradventure they will consider that they be an unobedient household.

Thy gear that thou hast made ready to flit withal, shalt thou bear out by fair daylight, that they may see: and thou thyself shalt go forth also at even in their sight, as a man doth when he goeth forth to flight.

Dig through the wall, that they may see: and bear through it the same thing that thou tookest up in their sight.

As for thyself, thou shalt go forth in the dark. Hide thy face that thou see not the earth, for I have made thee a show-token unto the house of Israel."

Now as the Lord commanded me, so I did: the gear that I had made ready, brought I out by day. At even I brake down a hole through the wall with my hand: and when it was dark, I took the gear upon my shoulders and bare them out in their sight.

"Thou son of man, if Israel, that froward household, ask thee and say, 'What doest thou there?'

Tell them I am your show-token: like as I have done, so shall it happen unto you. Flit shall ye also, and go into captivity.

The chiefest that is among you, shall lade his shoulders in the dark, and get him away. He shall break down the wall, to carry stuff therethrough: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

My line will I spread out upon him, and catch him in my net, and carry him to Babylon, in the land of the Chaldeans: which he shall not see, and yet shall he die there.

So when I have scattered them among the Heathen, and strawed them in the lands, they shall know that I am the LORD.

"Thou son of man, what manner of byword is that, which ye use in the land of Israel? Saying, 'Tush, seeing that the days are so slack in coming, all the visions are of none effect.'

Tell them therefore, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: I will make that byword to cease, so that it shall no more be commonly used in Israel.' But say this unto them, 'The days are at hand, that everything which hath been prophesied, shall be fulfilled.

"Behold, thou son of man: The house of Israel say in this manner, 'Tush, as for the vision that he hath seen, it will be many a day or it come to pass: It is far off yet, the thing that he prophesieth.'

Therefore say unto them, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: All my words shall no more be slack. Look what I speak, that same shall come to pass, sayeth the LORD.'"

"Thou son of man, speak prophecy against those prophets that preach in Israel: and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, 'Hear ye the word of the LORD.

Thus sayeth the LORD God: Woe be unto those foolish prophets that follow their own spirit, and speak where they see nothing.

Vain things they see, and tell lies to maintain their preachings withal. 'The LORD,' say they, 'hath spoken it' - when in very deed the LORD hath not sent them.

Vain visions have ye seen, and spoken false prophesies, when ye say, 'The LORD hath spoken it,' whereas I never said it.

So shall the wall come down. Shall it not then be said unto you, 'Where is now the mortar, that ye daubed it withal?'

Therefore, thus sayeth the LORD God: I will break out in my wrathful displeasure with a stormy wind, so that in mine anger there shall come a mighty shower of rain and hailstones in my wrath, to destroy withal.

As for the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, I will break it down: make it even with the ground, so the foundation thereof shall remove, and it shall fall. Yea, and ye yourselves shall perish in the midst thereof: to learn you for to know, that I am the LORD.

Thus will I perform my wrath upon this wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and then will I say unto you: The wall is gone, and the daubers are away.

and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Woe be unto you, that sew pillows under all armholes, and bolsters under the heads both of young and old, to catch souls withal. For when ye have gotten the souls of my people in your captivity, ye promise them life,

Your bolsters also will I tear in pieces, and deliver my people out of your hand: so that they shall come no more in your hands to be spoiled, and ye shall know, that I am the LORD.

Seeing that with your lies ye discomfort the heart of the righteous, whom I have not discomforted: Again, forsomuch as ye courage the hand of the wicked, so that he may not turn from his wicked way, and live:

Therefore speak unto them, and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD God: Every man of the house of Israel that beareth his Idols in his heart, purposing to stumble in his own wickedness, and cometh to a prophet, to enquire anything at me by him: unto that man will I the LORD myself give answer, according to the multitude of his idols:

If I bring noisome beasts into the land to waste it up, and it be so desolate that no man may go therein for beasts;

Or if I bring a sword into the land, and charge it to go through the land, so that I slay down man and beast in it,