The Daily Audio Bible

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne^(A) of lapis lazuli^(B) above the vault^(C) that was over the heads of the cherubim.^{(D) 2} The Lord said to the man clothed in linen,^(E) “Go in among the wheels^(F) beneath the cherubim. Fill^(G) your hands with burning coals^(H) from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

³ Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord^(I) rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. ⁵ The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice^(J) of God Almighty^[a] when he speaks.^(K)

⁶ When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels,^(L) from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire^(M) that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)^(N)

⁹ I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz.^{(O) 10} As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. ¹¹ As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about^[b] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. ¹² Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes,^(P) as were their four wheels.^{(Q) 13} I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” ¹⁴ Each of the cherubim^(R) had four faces:^(S) One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion,^(T) and the fourth the face of an eagle.^(U)

¹⁵ Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures^(V) I had seen by the Kebar River.^{(W) 16} When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. ¹⁷ When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.^(X)

¹⁸ Then the glory^(Y) of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.^{(Z) 19} While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.^(AA) They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory^(AB) of the God of Israel was above them.

²⁰ These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River,^(AC) and I realized that they were cherubim. ²¹ Each had four faces^(AD) and four wings,^(AE) and under their wings was what looked like human hands. ²² Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River.^(AF) Each one went straight ahead.

God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem

11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah^(AG) son of Benaiah, leaders^(AH) of the people.^{(AI) 2} The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil^(AJ) and giving wicked advice in this city.^{(AK) 3} They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,^(AL) and we are the meat in it.’^{(AM) 4} Therefore prophesy^(AN) against them; prophesy, son of man.”

⁵ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.^{(AO) 6} You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.^(AP)

⁷ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot,^(AQ) but I will drive you out of it.^{(AR) 8} You fear the sword,^(AS) and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(AT) 9} I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands^(AU) of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.^{(AV) 10} You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.^(AW) Then you will know that I am the Lord. ¹¹ This city will not be a pot^(AX) for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. ¹² And you will know that I am the Lord,^(AY) for you have not followed my decrees^(AZ) or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.^(BA)”

¹³ Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah^(BB) son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?^(BC)”

The Promise of Israel’s Return

¹⁴ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁵ “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.’^(BD)

¹⁶ “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary^(BE) for them in the countries where they have gone.’

¹⁷ “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’^(BF)

¹⁸ “They will return to it and remove all its vile images^(BG) and detestable idols.^{(BH) 19} I will give them an undivided heart^(BI) and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone^(BJ) and give them a heart of flesh.^{(BK) 20} Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.^(BL) They will be my people,^(BM) and I will be their God.^{(BN) 21} But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols,^(BO) I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(BP)”

²² Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory^(BQ) of the God of Israel was above them.^{(BR) 23} The glory^(BS) of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain^(BT) east of it. ²⁴ The Spirit^(BU) lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia^[c] in the vision^(BV) given by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me, ²⁵ and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.^(BW)

6 Therefore let us move beyond^(A) the elementary teachings^(B) about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,^[a](C) and of faith in God, ² instruction about cleansing rites,^[b](D) the laying on of hands,^(E) the resurrection of the dead,^(F) and eternal judgment. ³ And God permitting,^(G) we will do so.

⁴ It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,^(H) who have tasted the heavenly gift,^(I) who have shared in the Holy Spirit,^{(J) 5} who have tasted the goodness^(K) of the word of God^(L) and the powers of the coming age ⁶ and who have fallen^[c] away, to be brought back to repentance.^(M) To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God^(N) all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. ⁷ Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.^(O) In the end it will be burned.

⁹ Even though we speak like this, dear friends,^(P) we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.^{(Q) 11} We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope^(R) for may be fully realized. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate^(S) those who through faith and patience^(T) inherit what has been promised.^(U)

The Certainty of God’s Promise

¹³ When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,^{(V) 14} saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”^{[d](W) 15} And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.^(X)

¹⁶ People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.^{(Y) 17} Because God wanted to make the unchanging^(Z) nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,^(AA) he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,^(AB) we who have fled to take hold of the hope^(AC) set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,^{(AD) 20} where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.^(AE) He has become a high priest^(AF) forever, in the order of Melchizedek.^(AG)