Old Testament

The Book of Ezekiel

The Book of Ezekiel is the thirty-first of the 46 books of the Old Testament: 48 chapters and 1,272 verses. The Douay-Rheims calls it Ezechiel.

Start reading: Ezekiel 1

About Ezekiel · Prophetic visions

Ezekiel was a priest deported to Babylon before Jerusalem fell, and his book records the strangest visions in the prophets: the throne-chariot of God, the departure of God's glory from the temple, the valley of dry bones brought to life. He wrote for fellow exiles in two registers — demolishing false hope before the city fell, then building real hope after. His promises of a new heart and a new spirit, and of God himself shepherding his flock, feed directly into the Gospels.

Ezekiel in Bless
Testament	Old Testament — book 31 of 46, 31 of 73 in the Bible
Canon	Protocanonical (in every Christian canon)
Chapters	48
Verses	1,272, as Bless numbers them
In the Douay-Rheims	Ezechiel
Latin	Clementine Vulgate, every chapter
Bp. Challoner	Summaries of all 48 chapters · 92 notes
Catechism	18 paragraphs cite it

Chapter by chapter

All 48 chapters, in brief.

Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text.

Ezekiel 1
28 verses
The time of Ezechiel's prophecy: he sees a glorious vision.
Ezekiel 2
9 verses
The prophet receives his commission.
Ezekiel 3
27 verses
The prophet eats the book, and receives further instructions: the office of a watchman.
Ezekiel 4
17 verses
A prophetic description of the siege of Jerusalem, and the famine that shall reign there.
Ezekiel 5
17 verses
The judgments of God upon the Jews are foreshewn under the type of the prophet's hair.
Ezekiel 6
14 verses
The punishment of Israel for their idolatry: a remnant shall be saved.
Ezekiel 7
27 verses
The final desolation of Israel: from which few shall escape.
Ezekiel 8
18 verses
The prophet sees in a vision the abominations committed in Jerusalem; which determine the Lord to spare them no longer.
Ezekiel 9
11 verses
All are ordered to be destroyed that are not marked in their foreheads. God will not be entreated for them.
Ezekiel 10
22 verses
Fire is taken from the midst of the wheels under the cherubims, and scattered over the city. A description of the cherubims.
Ezekiel 11
25 verses
A prophecy against the presumptuous assurance of the great ones. A remnant shall be saved, and receive a new spirit, and a new heart.
Ezekiel 12
28 verses
The prophet forsheweth, by signs, the captivity of Sedecias, and the desolation of the people: all which shall quickly come to pass.
Ezekiel 13
23 verses
God declares against false prophets and prophetesses, that deceive the people with lies.
Ezekiel 14
23 verses
God suffers the wicked to be deceived in punishment of their wickedness. The evils that shall come upon them for their sins: for which they shall not be delivered by the prayers of Noe, Daniel, and Job. But a remnant shall be preserved.
Ezekiel 15
8 verses
As a vine cut down is fit for nothing but the fire; so it shall be with Jerusalem, for her sins.
Ezekiel 16
63 verses
Under the figure of an unfaithful wife, God upbraids Jerusalem with her ingratitude and manifold disloyalties: but promiseth mercy by a new covenant.
Ezekiel 17
24 verses
The parable of the two eagles and the vine. A promise of the cedar of Christ and his church.
Ezekiel 18
32 verses
One man shall not bear the sins of another, but every one his own; if a wicked man truly repent, he shall be saved; and if a just man leave his justice, he shall perish.
Ezekiel 19
14 verses
The parable of the young lions, and of the vineyard that is wasted.
Ezekiel 20
49 verses
God refuses to answer the ancients of Israel inquiring by the prophet: but by him setteth his benefits before their eyes, and their heinous sins: threatening yet greater punishments: but still mixed with mercy.
Ezekiel 21
32 verses
The destruction of Jerusalem by the sword is further described: the ruin also of the Ammonites is forshewn. And finally Babylon, the destroyer of others, shall be destroyed.
Ezekiel 22
31 verses
The general corruption of the inhabitants of Jerusalem: for which God will consume them as dross in his furnace.
Ezekiel 23
49 verses
Under the names of the two harlots, Oolla and Ooliba, are described the manifold disloyalties of Samaria and Jerusalem, with the punishment of them both.
Ezekiel 24
27 verses
Under the parable of a boiling pot is shewn the utter destruction of Jerusalem: for which the Jews at Babylon shall not dare to mourn.
Ezekiel 25
17 verses
A prophecy against the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines, for their malice against the Israelites.
Ezekiel 26
21 verses
A prophecy of the destruction of the famous city of Tyre by Nabuchodonosor.
Ezekiel 27
36 verses
A description of the glory and riches of Tyre: and of her irrecoverable fall.
Ezekiel 28
26 verses
The king of Tyre, who affected to be like to God, shall fall under the like sentence with Lucifer. The judgment of Sidon. The restoration of Israel.
Ezekiel 29
21 verses
The king of Egypt shall be overthrown, and his kingdom wasted: it shall be given to Nabuchodonosor for his service against Tyre.
Ezekiel 30
26 verses
The desolation of Egypt and her helpers: all her cities shall be wasted.
Ezekiel 31
18 verses
The Assyrian empire fell for their pride: the Egyptian shall fall in like manner.
Ezekiel 32
32 verses
The prophet's lamentation for the king of Egypt.
Ezekiel 33
33 verses
The duty of the watchman appointed by God: the justice of God's ways: his judgments upon the Jews.
Ezekiel 34
31 verses
Evil pastors are reproved. Christ the true pastor shall come, and gather together his flock from all parts of the earth, and preserve it for ever.
Ezekiel 35
15 verses
The judgment of mount Seir, for their hatred of Israel.
Ezekiel 36
38 verses
The restoration of Israel, not for their merits, but by God's special grace. Christ's baptism.
Ezekiel 37
28 verses
A vision of the resurrection of dry bones, foreshewing the deliverance of the people from their captivity. Juda and Israel shall be all one kingdom under Christ. God's everlasting covenant with the church.
Ezekiel 38
23 verses
Gog shall persecute the church in the latter days. He shall be overthrown.
Ezekiel 39
29 verses
God's judgments upon Gog. God's people were punished for their sins: but shall be favoured with everlasting kindness.
Ezekiel 40
49 verses
The prophet sees in a vision the rebuilding of the temple: the dimensions of several parts thereof.
Ezekiel 41
26 verses
A description of the temple, and of all the parts of it.
Ezekiel 42
20 verses
A description of the courts, chambers, and other places belonging to the temple.
Ezekiel 43
27 verses
The glory of God returns to the new temple. The Israelites shall no more profane God's name by idolatry: the prophet is commanded to shew them the dimensions, and form of the temple, and of the altar, with the sacrifices to be offered thereon.
Ezekiel 44
31 verses
The east gate of the sanctuary shall be always shut. The uncircumcised shall not enter into the sanctuary: nor the Levites that have served idols: but the sons of Sadoc shall do the priestly functions, who stood firm in the worst of times.
Ezekiel 45
25 verses
Portions of land for the sanctuary, for the city, and for the prince. Ordinances for the prince.
Ezekiel 46
24 verses
Other ordinances for the prince and for the sacrifices.
Ezekiel 47
23 verses
The vision of the holy waters issuing out from under the temple: the borders of the land to be divided among the twelve tribes.
Ezekiel 48
35 verses
The portions of the twelve tribes, of the sanctuary, of the city, and of the prince. The dimensions and gates of the city.

Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries

Coming up

Read at Mass.

From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, Ezekiel is read at the principal Mass on 12 days in the US calendar. The next 8 readings:

Date	Celebration	Reading	Citation
Mon, Nov 9, 2026	Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome	First Reading	Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
Sun, Nov 22, 2026	The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe	First Reading	Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
Sat, Feb 13, 2027	Saturday after Ash Wednesday	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 33:11
Fri, Feb 19, 2027	Friday of the First Week of Lent	First Reading	Ezekiel 18:21-28
Fri, Feb 19, 2027	Friday of the First Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 18:31
Tue, Feb 23, 2027	Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 18:31
Tue, Mar 9, 2027	Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent	First Reading	Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12
Mon, Mar 15, 2027	Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 33:11
Sat, Mar 20, 2027	Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 18:31
Sat, Mar 20, 2027	Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent	First Reading	Ezekiel 37:21-28
Sat, Mar 27, 2027	Holy Saturday — the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter	Seventh Reading	Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28
Sun, Jun 13, 2027 computed	Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Ezekiel 17:22-24
Sun, Jul 4, 2027 computed	Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time	First Reading	Ezekiel 2:2-5
Sat, Oct 23, 2027 computed	Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time	Alleluia	Ezekiel 33:11
Tue, Nov 9, 2027 computed	Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome	First Reading	Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
Sat, Mar 4, 2028 computed	Saturday after Ash Wednesday	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 33:11
Fri, Mar 10, 2028 computed	Friday of the First Week of Lent	First Reading	Ezekiel 18:21-28
Fri, Mar 10, 2028 computed	Friday of the First Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 18:31
Tue, Mar 14, 2028 computed	Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 18:31
Tue, Mar 28, 2028 computed	Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent	First Reading	Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12
Mon, Apr 3, 2028 computed	Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 33:11
Sat, Apr 8, 2028 computed	Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent	Verse before the Gospel	Ezekiel 18:31
Sat, Apr 8, 2028 computed	Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent	First Reading	Ezekiel 37:21-28
Sat, Apr 15, 2028 computed	Holy Saturday — the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter	Seventh Reading	Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.