Ezekiel 1
1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I was with the other exiles by the River Kebar. The heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—
(On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
3 the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
a message from Lord was given to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of Babylonia by the River Kebar. There Lord's power came over him.)
4 I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,
I looked up and saw a windstorm racing in from the north, a tremendous cloud with fire flashing like lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The middle of the fire looked like glowing metal
5 and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,
and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
6 but each had four faces and four wings.
but they each had four faces and four wings.
7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.
They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings,
They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
9 and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.
and each of their wings touched the wings of the one next to it. As they moved they didn't turn—they all moved straight in one direction.
10 The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.
This what their faces looked like. They had a human face to the front, a lion's face to the right, a bull's face to the left, and lastly an eagle's face.
11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
These were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. They all had two wings that touched the wings of the one beside it, as well as two wings that covered its body.
12 Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.
Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
13 In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
These beings looked like bright burning coals or torches. Blazing fire moved to and fro between the beings, and lightning flashed out from the fire.
14 The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.
The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
15 When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
16 The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel.
The wheels looked like they were made of topaz, and all four wheels were the same. In the middle of each wheel was what looked like another wheel set crossways.
17 As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.
They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
19 So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
20 Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
They would go wherever the Spirit went. The wheels would lift up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
21 When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
When the beings moved, the wheels moved; when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they flew up from the ground, the wheels flew up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal.
Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
23 And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body.
Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.
24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
When the beings moved, I heard the sound their wings made. It was like the roar of a thundering waterfall, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army on the march. Whenever they stopped, they folded their wings.
25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.
A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
26 Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.
Above the expanse over their heads I saw what looked like a throne made of lapis lazuli. Sitting on the throne high above was a being who looked like a man.
27 From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.
From what seemed to be his waist upwards, he looked like glowing metal with fire inside and everywhere around. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, I saw what looked like fire. He was surrounded by very bright light.
28 The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.
The bright light surrounding him was like a rainbow shining through the clouds on a rainy day. This was what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell facedown on the ground, and then I heard someone speaking to me.
