Today's Reading

¹Then I looked, and saw, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

²He spoke to the man clothed in linen, and said, "Go in between the whirling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill both your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city." He went in as I watched.

³Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

⁴The glory of the Lord mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory.

⁵The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.

⁶It came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim," that he went in, and stood beside a wheel.

⁷The cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took of it, and put it into the hands of him who was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.

⁸There appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings.

⁹I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like a beryl stone.

¹⁰As for their appearance, the four of them had one likeness, like a wheel within a wheel.

¹¹When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it; they didn't turn as they went.

¹²Their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes all around, even the wheels that the four of them had.

¹³As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, "the whirling wheels."

¹⁴Every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third face the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

¹⁵The cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.

¹⁶When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also didn't turn from beside them.

¹⁷When they stood, these stood; and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

¹⁸The glory of the Lord went forth from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.

¹⁹The cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth, and the wheels beside them: and they stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

²⁰These were the living creatures that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim.

²¹Every one had four faces, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.

²²As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward.

¹Moreover the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the Lord's house, which looks eastward: and see, at the door of the gate twenty-five men; and I saw in their midst Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

²He said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;

³who say, 'The time is not near to build houses: this is the caldron, and we are the meat.'

⁴Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man."

⁵The Spirit of the Lord fell on me, and he said to me, "Speak, Thus says the Lord: 'Thus you have said, house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.

⁶You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.'

⁷Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this is the caldron; but you shall be brought out of its midst.

⁸You have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword on you,' says the Lord God.

⁹'I will bring you forth out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

¹⁰You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord.

¹¹This shall not be your caldron, neither shall you be the meat in its midst; I will judge you in the border of Israel;

¹²and you shall know that I am the Lord: for you have not walked in my statutes, neither have you executed my ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you.'"

¹³It happened, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, "Ah Lord God! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?"

¹⁴The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

¹⁵"Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'Go far away from the Lord. This land has been given to us for a possession.'

¹⁶Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come."'

¹⁷Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."

¹⁸They shall come there, and they shall take away all the detestable things of it and all its abominations from there.

¹⁹I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;

²⁰that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

²¹But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,' says the Lord God."

²²Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

²³The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood on the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

²⁴The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

²⁵Then I spoke to them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shown me.

¹The word of the Lord also came to me, saying,

²"Son of man, you dwell in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and do not see, who have ears to hear, and do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

³Therefore, you son of man, prepare your stuff for moving, and move by day in their sight; and you shall move from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

⁴You shall bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving; and you shall go forth yourself at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile.

⁵Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your stuff out that way.

⁶In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you do not see the land: for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel."

⁷I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for removing, and in the even I dug through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight.

⁸In the morning came the word of the Lord to me, saying,

⁹"Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What are you doing?'

¹⁰Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.'

¹¹Say, 'I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity.'

¹²"The prince who is among them shall bear on his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, because he shall not see the land with his eyes.

¹³My net also will I spread on him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

¹⁴I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

¹⁵They shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.

¹⁶But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord."

¹⁷Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

¹⁸"Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness;

¹⁹and tell the people of the land, 'Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and all that is therein, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein.

²⁰The cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.'"

²¹The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

²²"Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?'

²³Tell them therefore, 'Thus says the Lord God: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel'; but tell them, 'The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.

²⁴For there shall be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

²⁵For I am the Lord; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed; it shall be no more deferred: for in your days, rebellious house, will I speak the word, and will perform it,' says the Lord God."

²⁶Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

²⁷"Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, 'The vision that he sees is for many day to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.'

²⁸Therefore tell them, 'Thus says the Lord God: None of my words shall be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, says the Lord God.'"

¹For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

²to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace;

³without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.

⁴Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best spoils.

⁵They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the Law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham,

⁶but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.

⁷But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.

⁸Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.

⁹We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,

¹⁰for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.

¹¹Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

¹²For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law.

¹³For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.

¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

¹⁵This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest,

¹⁶who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

¹⁷for it is testified, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."

¹⁸For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness

¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

²⁰Inasmuch as he was not made priest without the taking of an oath

²¹(for they indeed have been made priests without an oath), but he with an oath by him that says of him, "The Lord swore and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'"

²²By so much, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

²³Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death.

²⁴But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable.

²⁵Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.

²⁶For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

²⁷who does not need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.

²⁸For the Law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the Law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.

¹These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

²It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

³As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and material comes out for the refiner;

⁵Take away the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or claim a place among great men;

⁷for it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.

⁸Do not be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?

⁹Debate your case with your neighbor, and do not betray the confidence of another;

¹⁰lest one who hears it put you to shame, and your bad reputation never depart.

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.

¹³As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴As clouds and wind without rain, so is he who boasts of gifts deceptively.

¹⁵By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.

¹⁶Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you eat too much, and vomit it.

¹⁷Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he be weary of you, and hate you.

¹⁸A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

¹⁹Confidence in someone unfaithful in time of trouble is like a bad tooth, or a lame foot.

²⁰As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:

²²for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

²³The north wind brings forth rain: so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.

²⁴It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman.

²⁵Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

²⁶Like a muddied spring, and a polluted well, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey; nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

²⁸Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man whose spirit is without restraint.