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Zion's pitiful estate.

CHAP. IV, V.

The complaint to God. 56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it 57 Thou drewest near in the day that hath devoured the foundations thereof. I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. 58 O LORD, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. 59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.

12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

13 ¶ For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; 14 They have wandered as blind men 62 The lips of those that rose up against in the streets, they have polluted themme, and their device against me all the day. selves with blood, so that men could not 63 Behold their sitting down, and their touch their garments. rising up; I am their music.

15 They cried unto them, Depart ye;

64 ¶ Render unto them a recompence, it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: O LORD, according to the work of their when they fled away and wandered, they hands. said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.

65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.

66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD. CHAP. IV.

HOW is the gold become dim! how is

16 The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for the most fine gold changed! the our vain help: in our watching we have stones of the sanctuary are poured out in watched for a nation that could not save us. the top of every street. 18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot

2 The precious sons of Zion, compara- go in our streets: our end is near, our ble to fine gold, how are they esteemed as days are fulfilled; for our end is come. earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of 19 Our persecutors are swifter than the the potter! eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

3 Even the sea-monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their 4 The tongue of the sucking child pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: we shall live among the heathen. the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.

5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.

6 For the punishment of the iniquity of 22¶ The punishment of thine iniquity is the daughter of my people is greater than accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that no more carry thee away into captivity: was overthrown as in a moment, and no he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of hands stayed on her. Edom; he will discover thy sins. CHAP. V.

7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were

REMEMBER, O LORD, what is come more ruddy in body than rubies, their po- upon us: consider, and behold our lishing was of sapphire:

8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

reproach.

2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.

3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.

4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.

5 Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.

6 We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not; 11 The LORD hath accomplished his and we have borne their iniquities.

Ezekiel's vision of the cherubims, EZEKIEL.

and of the four wheels. 8 Servants have ruled over us: there is 15 The joy of our heart is ceased; our none that doth deliver us out of their dance is turned into mourning. hand. 9 We gat our bread with the peril of wo unto us, that we have sinned! our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

10 Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.

11 They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.

12 Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.

13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.

14 The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music.

NOW

16 The crown is fallen from our head:

17 For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.

18 Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it. 19 Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. 20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?

21 Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. 22 But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.

¶ The Book of The Prophet EZEKIEL.

CHAP. I.

12 And they went every one straightfor

OW it came to pass in the thirtieth ward; whither the spirit was to go, they year, in the fourth month, in the fifth went; and they turned not when they went. day of the month, as I was among the! 13 As for the likeness of the living creacaptives by the river of Chebar, that the tures, their appearance was like burning heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the 2 In the fifth day of the month, which was living creatures; and the fire was bright, the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 3 The word of the LORD came expressly 14 And the living creatures ran and reunto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, turned as the appearance of a flash of in the land of the Chaldeans by the river lightning. Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

15 ¶ Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by 4 ¶ And I looked, and behold, a whirl- the living creatures, with his four faces. wind came out of the north, a great cloud, 16 The appearance of the wheels and and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness their work was like unto the colour of a was about it, and out of the midst thereof beryl: and they four had one likeness: and as the colour of amber, out of the midst of their appearance and their work was as it the fire. were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 5 Also out of the midst thereof came 17 When they went, they went upon the likeness of four living creatures. And their four sides: and they turned not the when they went.

this was their appearance; they had likeness of a man.

6 And every one had four faces, every one had four wings.

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7 And their feet were straight feet; the sole of their feet was like the sole of calf's foot; and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

8 And they had the hands of a man 20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, under their wings on their four sides; and they went, thither was their spirit to go; they four had their faces and their wings. and the wheels were lifted up over against 9 Their wings were joined one to ano-them: for the spirit of the living creature ther; they turned not when they went; was in the wheels. they went every one straight forward.

10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

The commission of Ezekiel.

CHAP. II, III.

He eats the roll. 23 And under the firmament were their rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat wings straight, the one toward the other: that I give thee. every one had two, which covered on this

9 TAnd when I looked, behold, a hand was therein; side, and every one had two, which cover-was sent unto me; and lo, a roll of a book 10 And he spread it before me: and it ed on that side, their bodies. 24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great was written within and without: and there waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the was written therein lamentations, and voice of speech, as the noise of a host: mourning, and wo. when they stood, they let down their wings. 25 And there was a voice from the fir-MOR

mament that was over their heads, when

CHAP. III.

OREOVER he said unto me, Son of
man, eat that thou findest; eat this

they stood, and had let down their wings. roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. 26 And above the firmament that was

2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused

over their heads was the likeness of a me to eat that roll.
throne, as the appearance of a sapphire
the likeness of the throne
stone: and
was the likeness as the appearance of
man above upon it.

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3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey with this roll that I give thee. Then did for sweetness.

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4 T And he said unto me, Son of man, 27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and upward, and from the appearance of his speak with my words unto them. loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

5 For thou art not sent to a people of a
but to the house of Israel;
strange speech and of a hard language,

6 Not to many people of a strange 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was speech and of a hard language, whose the appearance of the brightness round words thou canst not understand. Surely, about. This was the appearance of the had I sent thee to them, they would have likeness of the glory of the LORD. And hearkened unto thee. when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

CHAP. II.

7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are

AND he said unto me, Son of man, stand impudent and hard-hearted.

thee.

upon thy feet, and I will speak unto

2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

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9 As an adamant, harder than flint have made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I 10 Moreover he said unto me, Son of send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgress-man, all my words that I shall speak unto ed against me, even unto this very day.

4 For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

thee receive in thy heart, and hear with thine ears.

11 And go, get thee to them of the capspeak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith tivity, unto the children of thy people, and the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

12 Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.

6 T And thou, son of man, be not afraid 13 I heard also the noise of the wings of of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not the living creatures that touched one anoafraid of their words, nor be dismayed at ther, and the noise of the wheels over 14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took their looks,though they be a rebellious house. against them, and a noise of a great rushing, 7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether me away, and I went in bitterness, in the LORD was strong upon me. they will forbear: for they are most re-heat of my spirit; but the hand of the 15 Then I came to them of the capbellious. 8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that tivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river

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The rule of prophecy.

EZEKIEL.

The type of a siege. of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and set the camp also against it, and set batremained there astonished among them tering rams against it round about. seven days. 3 Moreover take thou unto thee an iron

16 And it came to pass at the end of pan, and set it for a wall of iron between seven days, that the word of the LORD thee and the city: and set thy face against came unto me, saying, it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

4 Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the 5 For I have laid upon thee the years same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; of their iniquity, according to the number but his blood will I require at thy hand. of the days, three hundred and ninety 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of he turn not from his wickedness, nor from the house of Israel.

his wicked way, he shall die in his iniqui- 6 And when thou hast accomplished ty; but thou hast delivered thy soul. them, lie again on thy right side, and thou

20 Again, When a righteous man doth shalt bear the iniquity of the house of turn from his righteousness, and commit Judah forty days: I have appointed thee iniquity, and lay a stumbling-block each day for a year.

before him, he shall die: because thou 7 Therefore thou shalt set thy face hast not given him warning, he shall die toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine in his sin, and his righteousness which he arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prohath done shall not be remembered; but phesy against it. his blood will I require at thy hand.

21 Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

22 And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

8 And behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.

9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side; three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.

10 And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.

23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face. 24 Then the spirit entered into me, and 11 Thou shalt drink also water by measet me upon my feet, and spake with me, sure, the sixth part of a hin: from time and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within to time shalt thou drink.

thy house.

12 And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, 25 But thou, O son of man, behold, and thou shalt bake it with dung that they shall put bands upon thee, and shall cometh out of man, in their sight. bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go 13 And the LORD said, Even thus shall out among them: the children of Israel eat their defiled 26 And I will make thy tongue cleave bread among the Gentiles, whither I will to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt drive them."

be dumb, and shalt not be to them a re- 14 Then said I, Ah Lord God ! behold, prover: for they are a rebellious house. my soul hath not been polluted: for from

27 But when I speak with thee, I will my youth up even till now have I not open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that torn in pieces; neither came there abomiheareth, let him hear; and he that for-nable flesh into my mouth. beareth, let him forbear: for they are a 15 Then he said unto me, Lo, I have rebellious house. given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith. 16 Moreover he said unto me, Son of tile, and lay it before thee, and pour-man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by 2 And lay siege against it, and build a weight, and with care; and they shall drink fort against it, and cast a mount against it; water by measure, and with astonishment:

CHAP. IV.

THOU also, son of man, take thee a

tray upon it the city, even Jerusalem;

Under the type of hair is shewed CHAP. V, VI.

17 That they may want bread and wa-| ter, and be astonished one with another, and consume away for their iniquity. CHAP. V.

AND thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.

the judgment of Jerusalem.

13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.

14 Moreover, I will make thee waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that

2 Thou shalt burn with fire a third part pass by. in the midst of the city, when the days of 15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, the siege are fulfilled and thou shalt take an instruction and an astonishment unto a third part, and smite about it with a the nations that are round about thee, knife and a third part thou shalt scatter when I shall execute judgments in thee in in the wind; and I will draw out a sword anger, and in fury, and in furious rebukes. after them. the LORD have spoken it.

3 Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.

4 Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.

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16 When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

5 Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is 17 So will I send upon you famine and Jerusalem; I have set it in the midst of evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; the nations and countries that are round and pestilence and blood shall pass through about her. thee; and I will bring the sword upon 6 And she hath changed my judgments thee. I the LORD have spoken it. into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.

CHAP. VI.

ND the word of the LORD came unto

me, saying,

2 Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,

7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the na- 3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear tions that are round about you, and have the word of the Lord GOD: Thus saith the not walked in my statutes, neither have Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the kept my judgments, neither have done hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Beaccording to the judgments of the nations hold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon that are round about you; you, and I will destroy your high places. 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GoD; 4 And your altars shall be desolate, and Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and your images shall be broken: and I will will execute judgments in the midst of thee cast down your slain men before your idols. in the sight of the nations. 5 And I will lay the dead carcasses of

9 And I will do in thee that which I have the children of Israel before their idols; not done, and whereunto I will not do any and I will scatter your bones round about more the like, because of all thine abomi- your altars.

nations.

And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

6 In all your dwelling-places the cities 10 Therefore the fathers shall eat the shall be laid waste, and the high places sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall be desolate; that your altars may be shall eat their fathers; and I will execute laid waste and made desolate, and your judgments in thee, and the whole remnant idols may be broken and cease, and your of thee will I scatter into all the winds. images may be cut down, and your works 11 Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord may be abolished. GOD; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity. 12 A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they 9 And they that escape of you shall rebe consumed in the midst of thee and a member me among the nations whither third part shall fall by the sword round they shall be carried captives, because I about thee; and I will scatter a third part am broken with their whorish heart, which into all the winds, and I will draw out a hath departed from me, and with their sword after them. eyes which go a whoring after their idols:

8 ¶ Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.

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