1 When I was thirty years old, on July 5th as I was living with the other captives by the Kevar Canal, the skies opened and I saw visions from God.[ref]

2 That was the fifth year since King Yoyakin (Jehoiachin) had been taken captive.[ref] 3 Yahweh’s message came to me, the priest Yehezkel (son of Buzi) in the land of the Chaldeans (often known better as Babylonians) by the Kevar Canal, and Yahweh revealed his strength to me there. 4 Then I looked, and there was a windstorm coming from the north—a huge cloud with lightning flashing inside it and brilliant light inside it and surrounding it, and fire inside the cloud made it appear as an amber colour. 5 In the middle was what seemed to be four living creatures resembling humans,[ref] 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, but they had hooves like calves that gleamed like polished bronze. 8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. For each of the four of them, 9 their wings were touching the wings of the next creature, and they didn’t turn as they went—rather each one went straight forward.

10 Their faces at the front were like a man’s face, then they each had a lion’s face on the right, a calf’s face on the left, and the fourth was an eagle’s face.[ref] 11 Their faces were like that, and their wings were spread out above, so that each creature had a pair of wings that touched another creature’s wing, and also a pair that covered their bodies. 12 Each went straight forward, so that wherever the spirit directed them to go, they went without turning.

13 The living creatures resembled burning coals or torches. Bright fire also moved around among the creatures, and there were flashes of lightning.[ref] 14 The living creatures moved rapidly swiftly back and forth, and they looked a bit like lightning.

15 Then I looked more closely and then I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of the living creatures with its four faces.[ref] 16 Each of the wheels was the same, and they all shone like chrysolite. Each wheel seemed to have one wheel inside the other wheel. 17 When they moved, they didn’t have to turn to change direction. 18 The rims of the wheels were awesomely tall, and all four of them were full of eyes around the rim.[ref] 19 Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the living creatures went upwards, the wheels also went up. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels went up beside them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21 Whenever the creatures moved, the wheels also moved, and when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. When the creatures went upwards, the wheels went up beside them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

22 Above the living creatures was something like an awesome crystal dome stretched out over their heads.[ref] 23 Beneath the dome, each of the creatures’ wings stretched out straight and touched another creature’s wings. Each one also had a pair to cover his own body with. 24 Then I heard the sound of their wings which was like the noise of a lot of water. When they moved, it was ike the voice of the powerful one—like the sound of a rainstorm or an army. Whenever they stood still, they lowered their wings.[ref] 25 A voice came from under the dome that was above their heads, whenever they stopped and lowered their wings.

26 Above the dome over their heads was what looked like a sapphire stone that had been made into a throne, and on the thing like a throne was a something that appeared to be a man.[ref] 27 I saw a figure that appeared to have glowing metal with fire in it from his hips upwards, and looking downwards from his hips, I saw the appearance of fire and brightness all around.[ref] 28 The bright light surrounding the throne was like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day—tt was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s splendour. When I saw it, I quickly knelt down and bowed my head to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking.

2 He said to me, “Humanity’s child, stand up and then I’ll speak to you.” 2 Then as he spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and stood me up, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 He told me, “Humanity’s child, I’m sending you to Yisra’el’s people—two rebellious nations that have rebelled against me. Both they and their ancestors have been sinning against me right until this moment. 4 Their descendants are very stubborn and hard headed. I’m sending you to them, and you’ll tell them that this is what the master Yahweh is saying to them. 5 They might listen or might not. They’re a rebellious bunch, but they’ll at least know that a prophet has been among them.

6 And you, humanity’s child, don’t be afraid of them or their words. Don’t be afraid, even though you’re with briers and thorns and although you live with scorpions. Don’t fear their words or be dismayed by their faces, since they’re a rebellious bunch. 7 Pass my messages onto them, whether they listen or not, because they’re quite rebellious. 8 But you, humanity’s child, listen to what I am telling you. Don’t become rebellious like that rebellious bunch. Open your mouth and eat what I’m about to give to you.” 9 Then I looked and saw a hand extended out to me and it was holding a scroll with writing on it.[ref] 10 He spread it out in front of me—it had been written on both the front and the back, the contents were full of messages about grief, mourning, and sad endings.

3 He said to me, “Humanity’s child, what you’ve found, eat. Eat this scroll, then go speak to the Israeli people.”[ref] 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

3 He told me, “Humanity’s child, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll that I’ve given you.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey.

4 Then he told me, “Humanity’s child, go to the house of Israel and pass my messages on to them 5 because you aren’t being sent to a people who speak a strange or difficult language, but to the Israeli people—6 not to many peoples who speak strange or difficult languages whose words you wouldn’t be able to understand. I’m sure that if it was them that I sent you to, they would have listened to you. 7 But the Israeli people won’t be willing to listen to you, because they’re not willing to listen to me. So all the Israeli people are hard-headed and hard-hearted. 8 Listen, I’ll enable you to be as stubborn and tough as they are. 9 I’ll make you hard like a diamond—harder than flint Don’t be scared by them or discouraged by the looks they give you, because they’re rebellious people.”

10 He also told me, “Humanity’s child, listen very carefully to what I say, and keep thinking about it. 11 Then go to any of your people who were brought here as captives, and tell them, ‘This is what the master Yahweh says,’ whether they’ll listen or not.”

12 Then the spirit lifted me up, and I heard rumbling like a large earthquake behind me. (Blessed be Yahweh’s honour in his place.) 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels that were with them, and the sound of a large earthquake. 14 Then the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went with bitterness in my spirit’s rage, because Yahweh’s hand was pressing down firmly on me. 15 Then I went to the captives at Tel-Abib who lived along the Kebar Canal, and I stayed among them there for seven days, overwhelmed in amazement.

16 After those seven days were over, Yahweh gave me this message:[fn] 17 “Humanity’s child, I’ve made you a guard over the Israeli people, so listen to this message of mine and give them my warning. 18 When I tell the wicked, ‘You’ll certainly die’ and you don’t warn them about that or give them a warning about their evil deeds so they might live—the wicked will die for their sin, but I’ll hold you responsible for their death. 19 But if you do warn the wicked, and they don’t turn from their wickedness or from their wicked deeds, then they’ll die for their sin, but you will have saved your own life.

20 If a godly person turns from their righteousness and acts unjustly, and I set a stumbling block in front of that person, they will die. Because you did not warn them, they’ll die in their sin, and I won’t consider the righteous deeds that they performed, but I’ll hold you responsible for their death. 21 But if you warn the godly person to stop sinning so that they no longer sin, that person will surely live since they were warned; and you will have saved your own life.”

22 Then Yahweh’s hand was on me there, and he told me, “Get ready and go out into the plain, and I’ll speak with you there.”

23 I got up and went out into the plain where Yahweh’s glory was staying, like the glory that I had seen beside the Kebar Canal, so I fell to my knees and bowed low to the ground. 24 Then the spirit entered me and stood me up on my feet, and spoke with me, telling me: Go and shut yourself up in your house. 25 Humanity’s child, people will tie you up with ropes so that you’ll be unable to go outside. 26 Then I’ll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, so you’ll become mute, and although they’re rebellious people, you won’t be able to tell them off. 27 But when I speak to you, I’ll open your mouth so you’ll be able to tell them, ‘This is what the master Yahweh says.’ The ones who will hear will hear but the ones who won’t listen will not listen, because they’re a rebellious people.

4 But you, humanity’s child, get yourself a brick and place it in front of you and carve Yerushalem City on it. 2 Then lay siege against it, and build forts against it. Build an assault ramp up against it and make camps around it. Place battering rams all around it. 3 After that, get yourself an iron pan and use it as an iron wall between yourself and your representation of the city and keep looking in that direction, because it will be under siege and you’re to put the siege against it. That will be a sign to the Israeli people.

4 Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the house of Israel on it; you will carry their sin for the number of the days that you lie down against the house of Israel. 5 I myself am assigning to you one day to represent each year of their punishment: 390 days lying on your left side. In that way, you’ll carry the Israeli people’s sin. 6 When that period is over, then lie down a second time on your right side, because you’ll carry the sin of Yehudah’s people for forty days. I am assigning one day to you for each year.

7 Keep looking towards Yerushalem that’s under siege, and with your arm bared like a warrior, prophesy against it. 8 Listen, I’ll have you tied with ropes so you won’t be able to turn from one side to the other until the days representing the years of your siege are over.

9 Take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt for yourself, and put them into a single container and make bread for yourself according to the number of the days that you’ll lie upon your side—yes, you’ll eat it for 390 days. 10 You’ll measure 250g by weight to eat each day, and you’ll eat it during the day at set times. 11 Then you’ll measure out half a litre of water to drink each day, and you’ll drink it at set times. 12 You’ll cook and eat that bread as barley cakes, but burn sun-dried human excrement to bake it over while they’re watching.

13 Yahweh says that that means that the bread that the Israeli people will eat there among the other nations that I’ll banish them to will be ceremonially unclean. 14 But I protested, “Oh no, master Yahweh. I’ve never broken our dietary laws. I’ve never eaten either anything that died or anything killed by animals since I was young until now, and foul meat has never entered my mouth.”

15 So Yahweh answered me, “Listen, I’ll give you cow manure instead of human excrement so you can bake your bread over that.”

16 Then he told me, “Humanity’s child, listen. I’m breaking the cycle of food supply in Yerushalem, and they’ll eat bread while rationing it in anxiety, and drink water while rationing it in trembling. 17 because they’ll lack both food and water, and everyone will be appalled by the actions of their neighbours and they’ll waste away because they disobeyed God.

5 Then you, humanity’s child, take a sharp sword as a barber’s razor for yourself, and use it to shave your head and beard, then get some scales so you can weigh your hair and divide it equally into three piles. 2 Burn a third of it in the middle of the city when the days of the siege are completed, and take the second pile of hair and hit it with the sword all around the city. Then scatter the final third to the wind, and I’ll draw out a sword to chase after the people. 3 But take a few hairs from them and tie them into the folds of your robe. 4 Then take a bit more of the hair and throw it into the middle of the fire to be burnt up—from there a fire will spread out to all the Israeli people.”

5 My master Yahweh says, “That brick model is Yerushalem where I’ve placed her in the middle of the nations, and where I have surrounded her with other countries. 6 But due to her wickedness, she’s rejected my decrees more than other nations have, and avoided my regulations more than the countries that surround her. Her people have rejected my judgements and haven’t followed my regulations.” 7 Therefore my master` Yahweh says this, “Because you are more troublesome than the nations that surround you, and haven’t followed my statutes or acted according to my regulations, or even acted according to the decrees of the nations that surround you,” 8 therefore my master Yahweh says this, “Listen, I myself will work against you. I’ll execute judgements in the middle of you for the other nations to see. 9 Because of your detestable actions, I’ll do things to you that I’ve never done before, and which I’ll never do again: 10 Fathers will eat the children among you, and sons will eat their fathers, since I’ll execute judgement on you and scatter all of you who’re left in every direction.[ref]

11 This is my master Yahweh’s declaration: As I live, it’s certainly because you’ve defiled my sanctuary with all your hateful things and with all the disgusting things you’ve done, that I myself will reduce you in number—I won’t have pity on you, and I won’t spare you. 12 A third of you will die by plague, plus they’ll be consumed by a famine that affects you. A third will fall by the sword surrounding you. Then I’ll scatter a third in every direction, and draw out a sword to chase after them as well.

13 Then my rage will be over, and I’ll relax my fury at them. I’ll be satisfied, and they’ll know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my rage and I’ve completed my furious punishment of them. 14 I’ll make you into a city of ruins so that those from other nations will mock you as they pass by. 15 So Yerushalem will become something for other people to condemn and to mock—a warning and a horror to the nations that surround you. I’ll execute judgments against you in rage and fury, and with an angry rebuke. I, Yahweh have declared that. 16 I’ll send out harsh arrows of famine against you that will become the means with which I will destroy you, because I’ll make the famine more severe and destroy your food supply. 17 I’ll send a famine and disasters against you so you’ll be childless. Plague and bloodshed will pass through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, Yahweh, have declared that.[ref]

6 Yahweh message came to me, saying: 2 “Humanity’s child, look towards Yisra’el’s mountains and prophesy to them. 3 Say, ‘Mountains of Yisra’el, listen to this message from the master Yahweh. My master Yahweh says this to the mountains and to the hills, to the streambeds, and to the valleys: Listen, I’m bringing a sword against you all, and I’ll destroy your hilltop shrines. 4 Then your altars will become desolate and your pillars will be destroyed, and I’ll throw your dead down in front of their idols. 5 I’ll lay the dead bodies of Yisra’el’s people right there in front of their idols, and scatter your bones around your altars. 6 Everywhere you all live, cities will be turned to rubble and the hilltop shrines ruined, so that your altars will be broken down and left idle. Then they’ll be broken and disappear, your pillars will be cut down and everything you all have built will be wiped away. 7 The dead will fall down right there among you all and you’ll know that I am Yahweh.

8 But I’ll preserve a remnant among you, and there’ll be some who escape the sword among the nations, when you’re scattered throughout the countries. 9 Then those who escape will think about me among the nations where they’ll be held captive. They’ll remember that I was grieved by their promiscuous heart that turned away from me, and by their eyes that lusted after their idols. Then the loathing for the wickedness that they’ve committed with all their disgusting activites will show on their faces 10 and they’ll know that I am Yahweh. It was for a reason that I said I’d bring this evil onto them.

11 My master Yahweh says this: Clap your hands and stamp your feet. Say, ‘Oh dear,’ because of all the disgustly evil things done by the Israeli people, because now they’ll fall by sword, famine, and plague. 12 Those who are far from Yerushalem will die by plague, and those who are near will fall by the sword. Those who remain and survive will die by famine. That’s the way that I’ll put my fury against them into action. 13 Then you’ll know that I am Yahweh, when their dead lie among their idols, around their altars, on every high hill—on all the mountain peaks, and under every flourishing tree and thick oak—the places where they burned incense to all their idols. 14 I’ll strike the land with my hand and make it bare and deserted from the wilderness to Diblah, throughout all the places where they live. Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh.”