The divine throne room

6 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne, the edges of his robe filling the temple. ² Winged creatures were stationed around him. Each had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew about. ³ They shouted to each other, saying:

⁴ The doorframe shook at the sound of their shouting, and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵ I said, “Mourn for me; I’m ruined! I’m a man with unclean lips, and I live among a people with unclean lips. Yet I’ve seen the king, the Lord of heavenly forces!”

⁶ Then one of the winged creatures flew to me, holding a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. ⁷ He touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips. Your guilt has departed, and your sin is removed.”

⁸ Then I heard the Lord’s voice saying, “Whom should I send, and who will go for us?”

I said, “I’m here; send me.”

⁹ God said, “Go and say to this people:

¹¹ I said, “How long, Lord?”

And God said, “Until cities lie ruined with no one living in them, until there are houses without people and the land is left devastated.” ¹² The Lord will send the people far away, and the land will be completely abandoned. ¹³ Even if one-tenth remain there, they will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, which when it is cut down leaves a stump. Its stump is a holy seed.