1 And I looked and saw above the expanse, above the heads of the cherubim, the likeness of a throne of sapphire. 2And the Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

3 Now when the man went in, the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple, and a cloud filled the inner court. 4Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and stood over the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord. 5The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

6 When the Lord commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from within the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand and took some of the fire that was among them. And he put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who received it and went out. 8(The cherubim appeared to have the form of human hands under their wings.)

9 Then I looked and saw four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub. And the wheels gleamed like a beryl stone. 10As for their appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel. 11When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. For wherever the head faced, the cherubim would go in that direction, without turning as they moved.

12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, hands, and wings, were full of eyes all around, as were their four wheels. 13I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.”

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

15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the River Kebar. 16When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and even when they spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not veer away from their side. 17When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

18 Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple and stood above the cherubim. 19As I watched, the cherubim lifted their wings and rose up from the ground, with the wheels beside them as they went. And they stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord, with the glory of the God of Israel above them.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the River Kebar, and I knew that they were cherubim. 21Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings. 22Their faces looked like the faces I had seen by the River Kebar. Each creature went straight ahead.

1 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people. 2And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked counsel in this city. 3They are saying, ‘Is not the time near to build houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat.’ 4Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man!”

5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me and told me to declare that this is what the Lord says: “That is what you are thinking, O house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your minds. 6You have multiplied those you killed in this city and filled its streets with the dead.

7 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: The slain you have laid within this city are the meat, and the city is the pot; but I will remove you from it. 8You fear the sword, so I will bring the sword against you, declares the Lord GOD. 9I will bring you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners, and I will execute judgments against you. 10You will fall by the sword, and I will judge you even to the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

11 The city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat within it. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel. 12Then you will know that I am the Lord. For you have neither followed My statutes nor practiced My ordinances, but you have conformed to the ordinances of the nations around you.”

13 Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”

14 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15“Son of man, your brothers — your relatives, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel — are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’

16 Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD 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 for them in the countries to which they have gone.’

17 Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.’

18 When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, 20so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for those whose hearts pursue detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23And the glory of the Lord rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city.

24 And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me, 25I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.

1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And this we will do, if God permits.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age — 6and then have fallen away — to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.

7 For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God. 8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case— things that accompany salvation. 10For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.

11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

13 When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself, 14saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.” 15And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, obtained the promise.

16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument. 17So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. 18Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.