Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord and he heard a voice saying:
"I am choosing you to speak my message to the people.

Whether the people listen to you or not,
you must keep on proclaiming my message.

You are to be a sentry to the House of Israel,
a lookout who warns them of danger coming."

Lord, please help people listen to your message and obey it

Ezekiel used many images to describe the fall of Jerusalem.
But the people and their leaders would not believe him.

God used Ezekiel to say to the exiles:

"I will bring you back to your homeland of Israel.
I will give you a new heart and a new spirit.

Then you will keep my commandments.
Then you will know that I am the Lord."

Grant to us, O Lord, a  heart renewed

Ezekiel spoke God's message for the false prophets:

"You have misled my people.
You have not bothered to protect my people".

Ezekiel also called on the people to stop their idolatry.
He reminded them how to follow the Lord:

- A good person is law-abiding and honest.
- A good person oppresses no one, never steals
- a good person gives food and clothing to the poor.

"God takes no delight in the death of a sinner.
God hopes the sinner will renounce wickedness and live."

Lord, please help me to avoid evil.....and do more good

"Since my people have forgotten me and followed false ways,
therefore they will be scattered around the world.

But eventually my people and peoples of all nations
will learn that I alone am their Creator, their God.

Lord, please help all peoples know and love you

God told Ezekiel to say this to Israel's leaders:

"Punishment is coming for you shepherds who have fed yourselves
but not looked after the sheep.

You have failed to make the weak sheep strong,
or to care for the sick ones.

You have failed to bring back stray sheep
or look for lost sheep.

On the contrary, you have been cruel to the sheep
and treated them badly.

Therefore I will look after my flock myself.
I will rescue them from where they have been scattered.

I will look for the lost one, bring back the stray,
bandage the injured, and make the weak strong.

I will also judge the sheep themselves.
I will judge the fat sheep which have bullied the weak sheep.

I will raise up a special shepherd
and put him in charge of all my sheep."

Lord, please help all leaders care for their people,
like Jesus the Good Shepherd

God said he would bring back Israel's exiles to their homeland.
He would give them a new start in life,
like a skeleton coming back to life.

God said the people would re-build the Temple in Jerusalem,
and religious practice would once again flourish.

The people would once again remember God.
The people would once again be blessed by the Lord.

Lord, please help nations which have forgotten you
to come back to you