Day 311 of 730

¹Remember, Lord, what has come on us. Look, and see our disgrace.

²Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.

³We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are like widows.

⁴We have to pay for a drink of water; our wood is sold to us.

⁵Our pursuers are on our necks; we are weary, and have no rest.

⁶We have submitted to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, to get enough bread.

⁷Our fathers sinned, and are no more; we have borne their iniquities.

⁸Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.

⁹We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.

¹⁰Our skin is hot like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.

¹¹They raped the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.

¹²Princes were hanged by their hands; elders were shown no respect.

¹³The young men grind at the mill; the boys stagger under loads of wood.

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

¹⁵The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing is turned into mourning.

¹⁶The crown is fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!

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

¹⁸For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate; the foxes walk on it.

¹⁹You, Lord, abide forever; your throne is from generation to generation.

²⁰Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?

²¹Restore us to you, Lord, and we shall be restored; renew our days as in former times,

²²unless you have completely rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.

¹Now it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

²In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

³the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there on him.

⁴I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of its midst as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.

⁵Out of its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

⁶Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.

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

⁸They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings thus:

⁹their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; each one went straight forward.

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

¹¹Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.

¹²Each one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went.

¹³As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

¹⁴The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

¹⁵Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.

¹⁶The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and the four of them had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.

¹⁷When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.

¹⁸As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.

¹⁹When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

²⁰Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

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

²²Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched forth over their heads above.

²³Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies.

²⁴When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁵There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁶Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.

²⁷I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.

²⁸As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.

¹In the Lord, I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain!"

²For, behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

³If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

⁴The Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men.

⁵The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked and him who loves violence his soul hates.

⁶On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

⁷For the Lord is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright shall see his face.

¹The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

²to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

³to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

⁴to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:

⁵that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

⁶to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸My son, listen to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching:

⁹for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us, Let's lie in wait for blood; let's lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

¹²let's swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

¹³We'll find all valuable wealth. We'll fill our houses with spoil.

¹⁴You shall cast your lot among us. We'll all have one purse."

¹⁵My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

¹⁶for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

¹⁸but these lie in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

²⁰Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

²¹She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

²²"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

²³Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

²⁴Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

²⁵but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you.

²⁸Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

²⁹because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

³⁰They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

³¹Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

³²For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm."