Ezekiel

Prophecy · Old Testament · The prophet Ezekiel · 6th century BCE

The Book of Ezekiel records the visions and prophecies of the priest Ezekiel, who was exiled to Babylon in the early 6th century BCE. The text details the departure of God's glory from the corrupt Jerusalem temple, pronounces judgment on Israel and surrounding nations, and promises future spiritual restoration and a rebuilt temple.

48 chapters

• 1Ezekiel 1Ezekiel, exiled in Babylon, sees a dramatic vision of four living creatures, celestial wheels, and the glorious throne of God.
• 2Ezekiel 2God commissions Ezekiel to prophesy to rebellious Israel and commands him to eat a scroll inscribed with lamentations and woe.
• 3Ezekiel 3Ezekiel eats the scroll, is designated a watchman for Israel, and is restricted to silence until God opens his mouth.
• 4Ezekiel 4Ezekiel performs symbolic acts, including mapping a mock siege and lying bound on his side, to depict Jerusalem's coming judgment.
• 5Ezekiel 5Ezekiel shaves his head and divides the hair to symbolize the fiery destruction, sword, and exile facing Jerusalem's rebellious population.
• 6Ezekiel 6God commands Ezekiel to prophesy destruction against the mountains and idolatrous high places of Israel, promising a remnant will survive.
• 7Ezekiel 7Yahweh declares that the final day of judgment and doom has arrived for the land of Israel due to their abominations.
• 8Ezekiel 8In a vision, the Spirit transports Ezekiel to the Jerusalem temple, where he witnesses elders, women, and priests practicing idolatry.
• 9Ezekiel 9God commands heavenly executioners to slaughter Jerusalem's idolaters, sparing only those marked on their foreheads by a man in linen.
• 10Ezekiel 10Ezekiel sees God's glory depart from the temple threshold, accompanied by cherubim, while fiery coals are scattered over the city.
• 11Ezekiel 11Ezekiel pronounces judgment on Jerusalem's leaders, promises the exiles a new heart, and witnesses the departure of God's glory.
• 12Ezekiel 12Through symbolic actions of packing and trembling, Ezekiel portrays the imminent exile of Jerusalem's prince and citizens, refuting delayed prophecy proverbs.
• 13Ezekiel 13God denounces Israel's false prophets and prophetesses who deceive the people with empty visions of peace and practices of magic.
• 14Ezekiel 14God condemns idolatrous elders and declares that even the righteousness of Noah, Daniel, and Job cannot spare Jerusalem from inevitable judgment.
• 15Ezekiel 15God compares the inhabitants of Jerusalem to useless vine wood, fit only to be cast into the fire for fuel.
• 16Ezekiel 16God portrays Jerusalem as an abandoned infant whom He raised and wed, but who became unfaithful by worshipping idols and foreign nations.
• 17Ezekiel 17Through a parable of two eagles and a vine, God depicts Judah's rebellion against Babylon and promises future restoration.
• 18Ezekiel 18God refutes the proverb of inherited guilt, declaring that each individual is judged and held accountable solely for their own actions.
• 19Ezekiel 19Ezekiel sings a lamentation comparing Israel's exiled rulers to captured lion cubs and its ruined nation to a burned, transplanted vine.
• 20Ezekiel 20Replying to inquiring elders, God recounts Israel's long history of rebellion from Egypt to Canaan before promising future judgment and restoration.
• 21Ezekiel 21God proclaims His drawn sword of judgment against Jerusalem and Ammon, using the king of Babylon as His instrument of destruction.
• 22Ezekiel 22God details the extensive sins and bloodguilt of Jerusalem, likening the corrupt nation and its leaders to dross in a fiery furnace.
• 23Ezekiel 23Through the graphic allegory of two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah, God condemns Samaria and Jerusalem for their political alliances and spiritual idolatry.
• 24Ezekiel 24As Babylon's siege begins, God compares Jerusalem to a boiling pot, and Ezekiel's sudden bereavement serves as a sign of unmourned ruin.
• 25Ezekiel 25God pronounces judgments on neighboring nations, including Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia, for rejoicing over the downfall of Judah and Jerusalem.
• 26Ezekiel 26God pronounces judgment on the city of Tyre, predicting its complete destruction and plunder by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
• 27Ezekiel 27Ezekiel laments the fall of Tyre, metaphorically depicting the wealthy, maritime merchant city as a glorious ship shipwrecked in deep waters.
• 28Ezekiel 28God judges the prideful ruler of Tyre, laments the king's fall from paradise, and prophesies Sidon's defeat to secure Israel's peace.
• 29Ezekiel 29God pronounces judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt, promising to give Egypt to Babylon's king Nebuchadnezzar as compensation for besieging Tyre.
• 30Ezekiel 30Ezekiel foretells the utter desolation of Egypt, detail by detail, as Babylon's king shatters Pharaoh's power on the day of judgment.
• 31Ezekiel 31God compares Egypt to a proud, towering cedar tree that was cut down and cast into the underworld for its arrogance.
• 32Ezekiel 32Ezekiel delivers lamentations over Pharaoh's downfall, describing Egypt's descent into Sheol to join other fallen, uncircumcised nations.
• 33Ezekiel 33God renews Ezekiel's role as Israel's watchman, explains individual moral responsibility, and receives news of Jerusalem's fall.
• 34Ezekiel 34God condemns Israel's selfish shepherds, promising to personally shepherd His scattered flock and establish a covenant of peace under David.
• 35Ezekiel 35Ezekiel prophesies utter desolation against Mount Seir and Edom because of their persistent hostility toward Israel during their calamity.
• 36Ezekiel 36God promises to restore Israel's land, cleanse the people of their sins, and give them a new heart and spirit.
• 37Ezekiel 37Ezekiel witnesses the vision of dry bones restored to life and uses two sticks to symbolize the reunification of Israel's kingdoms.
• 38Ezekiel 38God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against Gog of Magog, predicting his invasion of Israel and subsequent destruction by divine judgment.
• 39Ezekiel 39The defeat of Gog is completed, leading to the massive burial of his army and the ultimate restoration of Israel.
• 40Ezekiel 40Ezekiel receives a detailed vision of a future temple complex, guided by a heavenly man who measures its various structures.
• 41Ezekiel 41The guide measures the temple's interior rooms, the most holy place, the side chambers, and describes their intricate wood carvings.
• 42Ezekiel 42Ezekiel views and measures the holy chambers reserved for the priests and measures the outer boundaries of the entire temple area.
• 43Ezekiel 43God's glory returns to the temple from the east, and Ezekiel receives measurements and consecration rituals for the new altar.
• 44Ezekiel 44The eastern gate remains closed, and God issues regulations regarding temple entry and the distinct duties of Levites and Zadokite priests.
• 45Ezekiel 45God outlines the division of the land, mandates honest weights, and establishes the prince's offerings for national feasts and holy days.
• 46Ezekiel 46Regulations define worship and offerings for the prince and people, daily sacrifices, inheritance rules, and locations for cooking offerings.
• 47Ezekiel 47A miraculous river flows from the temple to heal the region, and the outer boundaries for Israel's tribal inheritance are defined.
• 48Ezekiel 48The restored land is divided among the tribes, detailing the holy district, city portions, and its twelve named gates.