The Apocryphon of Ezekiel, also called 2 Ezekiel, was likely composed in the 1st century BC or 1st century AD, with later Christian interpolations. It is quoted in a number of early works. Fragment 1 comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls and was quoted in the letter of Bar-Naba and the Revelation of Peter. Fragment 2 is identified from a quotation of the Apocryphon found in 1 Clement chapter 8. Fragment 3 was identified with Ezekiel by Tertullian. Fragment 4 was attributed to Jesus by Justin Martyr, and sourced from the Apocryphon by other early writers. Fragment 5 is found in the writings of Clement of Alexandria, among others. Fragment 6 was attributed to Ezekiel by Epiphanius but is dissimilar to the other fragments.
These are the words of Ezekiel. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, Behold, the day of the destruction of the nations is coming; . . . Egypt, and there will be anguish in Put, and a sword in Egypt . . . will shake, Cush and Put, and the mighty ones of Arabia, also some of the children of the covenant, and Arabia will fall at the gates of Egypt. And . . . will perish . . . by the sword of Egypt . . . will be devastated . . . you will not die . . . For I am the Lord, who redeems My people, giving the covenant to them.” And I said, “O Lord, I have seen many from Israel who have loved Your Name and walked in the ways of righteousness. So, when will these things come to pass? And how will they be rewarded for their piety?” And the Lord said to me, “I will make it manifest . . . the sons of Israel to see, and they will know that I am the Lord.” And He said, “Son of man, prophesy over these bones, and speak to the bone, and let them be joined bone to its bone, and joint to its joint.” And it was so. And He said a second time, “Prophesy, and let sinews come on them and let skin cover them.” And it was so. And He said, “Again, prophesy to the four winds of the heavens, and let them blow on the slain.” And it was so. And a great multitude of men came to life. And they blessed the Lord of Hosts who had given life to them. And I said, “O Lord, when will these things be completed?” And the Lord said to me, “. . . and after many days, a piece of wood falls down and rises again [[and when blood drips from a tree]].” . . . and . . . Lord. And all the people arose and stood on their feet to give thanks . . . and to praise the Lord of Hosts. And I also spoke with them . . . And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, say to them . . . in their graves they will lie until . . . from your tombs and from the earth . . . that the yoke of Egypt . . . land, and they will know that I am the Lord.” And He said to me, “Look, son of man, at the land of Israel.” And I said, “I have seen, O Lord, and behold it is a wasteland. When will You gather them together?” And the Lord said, “A son of Belial is planning to oppress My people, but I will not permit him. His dominion will not persist; and from the impure, no seed will survive, nor will new wine come from the caper bush, nor will a hornet make honey . . . and I will slay the wicked in Memphis. But I will bring My sons out of Memphis, and I will turn toward their remnant. As they will say, There was peace and quiet, they will say, The land will be as it was in the days of . . . old. Therefore, I will arouse wrath on them from the four winds of the heavens . . . like a devouring fire as . . . and he will show no mercy on the poor, but he will bring them to Babel.” And Babel is but a cup in the hand of the Lord, in her time He will cast her away . . . in Babel and it will be . . . a dwelling place for demons . . . desolation and . . . will pasture . . . to Babel . . . instead of my grief make my soul rejoice. And the days will hasten quickly until men say, “Are not the days hastening so that the sons of Israel might take possession?” And the Lord said to me, “I will not turn your face away, Ezekiel. Behold, I am cutting short the days and the years . . . a few, just [as] you said to Me . . . For the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things. . . . And My people will be . . . with a cheerful heart and with a willing soul . . . and hide a little while . . . and from the breaches . . .” . . . the vision which Ezekiel saw . . . the brightness of the chariot, and the four living creatures, a living creature . . . and as they moved they did not turn back. Every living creature moved on two wheels, and its two legs . . . on . . . in one there was breath. And their faces were one beside the other. And the appearance of the faces: one of a lion, one of an eagle, one of a calf, and one of a man. And the hand of a man was joined to the backs of the living creatures and attached to their wings . . . and the wheels . . . wheel joined to wheel when they moved, and from both sides of the wheels were streams of fire, and in the midst of the coals were living creatures like flaming coals . . . and the wheels, the living creatures and the wheels. Now there was . . . over their heads an expanse, like an awesome gleam of crystal. And a voice came from above the expanse . . .
Convert, house of Israel, from your lawless ways. I say to you—My people—even if the list of your sins stretches from Heaven to earth, and if they are as black as they can be, and you turn to Me, and with all of your heart say, “Father,” I will forgive you, and look on you as holy.
Look at the cow, she has calved, and yet she is pregnant . . .
In this manner, our Lord Jesus Christ also said, “It is what I have seen you doing that I will judge you for.”
“And I will bind up the lame persons, and I will heal the sick, and I will bring back the wandering. And I will feed them on My holy mountain, and I will be their Shepherd, and I will be closer to them than a garment is to their skin. They will call Me, and I will say, Behold, here I am. And if they cross, they will not slip,” says the Lord.
[[1 A certain king had everyone in his kingdom drafted, and had no civilians with an exception of two: one lame and one blind, and each one lived by himself in his own home. 2 And when the king was preparing a wedding feast for his own son, he invited everyone in his kingdom, but he despised the two civilians, the lame man and the blind man. 3 And they were indignant within themselves and resolved to carry out a plot against the king. Now the king had a garden. 4 And the blind man addressed the lame man from a distance, saying, “How much would our crumb of bread have been among the crowds who were invited to the celebration? So come on, let us retaliate [against] him for what he did to us!” “How?” asked the other. 5 And [the blind man] said, “Let us go into his garden, and there, ruin the other things in the garden.” But [the lame man] said, “But how can I, for I am lame and unable to crawl?” 6 And the blind man said, “Am I able to do anything myself, since I am unable to see where I am going? But let us use trickery.” 7 Plucking the nearby grass and braiding a rope, [the lame man] threw [it] to the blind man, and said, “Grab [it], and come here to me by rope.” 8 And he did as he had urged. When he neared, [the lame man] said, “Come here. You be [my] feet and carry me, and I will be your eyes, guiding you from on top to the right and to the left.” 9 So by doing this, they went down into the garden. And whether they did any damage or not, nevertheless their footprints were visible in the garden. 10 Now when the celebrants dispersed from the wedding feast, going down into the garden, they were surprised to find the footprints in the garden. 11 So they reported these things to the king, saying, “Everyone in your kingdom is a soldier and no one is a civilian. So why are there civilian footprints in the garden?” 12 And [the king] was astounded. So he summoned the lame man and the blind man. 13 And he asked the blind man, “Did you not come down into the garden?” But [the blind man] replied, “Who—me, lord? You see my handicap, you know that I cannot see where I walk.” 14 Then approaching the lame man, [the king] also asked him, “Did you come down into my garden?” 15 And answering, he said, “O lord, do you wish to embitter my soul over my handicap?” 16 And finally the judgment was delayed. What then did the righteous judge do? 17 Realizing in what manner the two had joined together, he put the lame man on the blind man and examined them both under the lash. 18 And they were unable to deny [it]. They each convicted the other. 19 The lame man, on the one hand, said to the blind man, “Did you not pick me up and carry me?” 20 And the blind man said to the lame man, “Did you yourself not become my eyes?”]]