panse, which appeared like crystal, stretching out over their heads. And I heard the sound of their wings as the sound of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, the sound of tumult, like the sound of a multitude. And when they stood still they folded their wings..

Above the vaulted expanse, which was over their heads, was an appearance like sapphire, in the form of a throne. Seated on the throne was a form which resembled a man. From what seemed to be his loins, above and below, I saw what appeared like fire. And there was a bright light around him, like the bow which appears in a cloud on a rainy day. It was the visible likeness of the glory of Jehovah.

202. A PROPHET'S RESPONSIBILITY

When I saw the vision of Jehovah, I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking to me. And he said to me:

'Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you.' A spirit entered into me as he spoke and made me stand on my feet. Then I heard the one who addressed me, and he said to me,' 'Son of man, I send you to the Israelites who have rebelled against me. But do not be afraid either of them or of their words, though you are surrounded by briers and thorns and are living among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words nor dismayed at their looks; for they are a rebellious people.'

Then a spirit lifted me up and took me away and I went in great excitement, for the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me, and I came to the captives at Tel-Abib, who lived by the Chebar canal, and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.

At the end of seven days this message came to me from Jehovah: 'Son of man, I appoint you a watchman to the house of Israel. When you hear a message from my mouth, you shall give them the warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, "You shall surely die"; if you do not warn him, that he may turn from his wicked course so as to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his guilt; but I will hold you responsible for his death. If you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness nor from his evil course, he shall die guilty; but you are absolved of your responsibility. Again, when an upright man turns from his upright course and does wrong, and I bring about his downfall, he shall die. Because you have not given him warning he shall die in his sin, for his righteous deeds shall not be remembered; but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the man not to sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live, for he heeded the warning; and you have saved yourself.'

203. THE LAW OF INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

This message also came to me from Jehovah: 'What do you mean by using this proverb in the land of Israel:

The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

And the children's teeth are set on edge?

'As surely as I live,' said Jehovah, 'you must never again use this proverb in Israel. All souls are mine: the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine. Only the one who sins shall die.

'But if a man is upright and does what is just and honorable, if he does not join in the heathen feasts

upon the hilltops, nor worship the idols of the Israelites, nor defile his neighbor's wife, nor approach a woman in her impurity, nor wrong any one; if he restores to the debtor his pledge, takes nothing through robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and clothes the naked, does not demand interest on a loan nor exact usury, keeps his hand from doing wrong, renders just decisions between man and man, and follows my commands, he is upright; he shall live,' Jehovah declares.

"The one who sins shall die. A son shall not be responsible for his father's guilt, nor a father for his son's guilt. The integrity of the upright man shall be to his credit, and the guilt of the wicked to his discredit. If a wicked man repents of all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my laws and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the good deeds which he has done shall be forgotten; because he has done right he shall live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?' Jehovah declares. 'If he turns from his evil course, shall he not live?'

204.

SORROW CONSECRATED TO SERVICE

This message came to me from Jehovah: 'Son of man, I am about to take from you in an instant the object of your affection, yet you must not 'mourn nor weep nor shed tears. Sigh in silence, but make no public mourning for the dead. Put your turban on your head and your sandals on your feet, do not cover your beard, nor eat the food that one does when mourning.'

So I addressed the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died; and on the next day I did as I was commanded. Then the people said to me, 'Will

you not tell us why you act in this way?' I said to them, "This word of Jehovah came to me: "Say to the people of Israel, Jehovah declares: I am about to defile my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes, and your soul's desire. Your remaining sons and your daughters shall be killed by the sword. You shall then do as I have done; you shall not cover your beard nor eat the food that men eat when mourning; your turbans shall remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You shall not weep, but you will pine away because of your crimes, and you will moan among yourselves. Ezekiel shall be an example to you. When the calamity comes, you shall do as he has done. Then you shall know that I am Jehovah." "As for you, O son of man, on the day that I take from them their strength, the proud joy and delight of their eyes, their soul's desire, their sons and their daughters, a fugitive shall come to you to inform you. On that day you shall be free to speak to the fugitive; you shall speak and no longer be silent, and you shall be an example to them that they may know that I am Jehovah.'

205. JEHOVAH THE SHEPHERD OF HIS FLOCK

This word also came to me from Jehovah: 'Son of man, prophesy concerning the shepherds of Israel, and say to them, "The Lord Jehovah declares: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have fed only themselves. Should not shepherds feed the flock? You have eaten the fat and clothed yourselves with the wool, you have killed the beasts, but you have not fed my flock. You have not given strength to the weak, you have not healed the sick; you have neither bound up the crippled, nor brought back that which was driven away;

you have not sought the lost, but you have ruled them tyrannically and harshly. So my sheep have been scattered because there was no shepherd and have become food for wild beasts of every kind. My flock has wandered on every mountain and high hill, and my sheep have been scattered throughout the earth with none to search nor seek for them.

"But I myself will seek for my sheep and find them. As a shepherd searches for his flock on the day when his sheep are scattered so I will search for my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered in the day of clouds and darkness, and bring them into their own land. Then they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasturage on the hilltops of Israel. I myself will shepherd my sheep, and I will make them lie down," the Lord Jehovah declares. "I will seek the lost, I will bring back what was driven away, I will bind up the crippled, I will restore strength to the sick, and, overthrowing the strong, I will with justice shepherd my sheep.

"I will also place one shepherd over them, even my servant David, and he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, Jehovah, will be their God and my servant David prince among them; I, Jehovah, have spoken. I will send down showers of rain in its season, and there shall be showers of blessing. They too shall know that I am Jehovah their God, and that they, the nation Israel, are my people," Jehovah declares.'

206. A VISION OF NATIONAL REVIVAL

The power of Jehovah took possession of me, and he led me forth by his spirit and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then he had me pass around about them; and they were very