Ezekiel 1
1 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.
And it comes to pass, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], on the fifth of the month, and I [am] in the midst of the expulsion by the river Chebar, the heavens have been opened, and I see visions of God.
2 (On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
In the fifth of the month—it is the fifth year of the expulsion of King Jehoiachin—
3 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.)
the word of YHWH has certainly been to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar, and there is on him there a hand of YHWH.
4 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
And I look, and behold, a turbulent wind is coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire catching itself, and brightness to it all around, and out of its midst as the color of electrum, out of the midst of the fire.
5 and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
And out of its midst [is] a likeness of four living creatures, and this [is] their appearance; a likeness of man [is] to them,
6 but they each had four faces and four wings.
and each had four faces and each of them had four wings,
7 They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
and their feet [are] straight feet, and the sole of their feet [is] as a sole of a calf’s foot, and they are sparkling as the color of bright bronze;
8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
and on their four sides [each had] hands of man under their wings; and [each] of the four had their faces and their wings;
9 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.
their wings [are] joining to one another, they do not turn around in their going, they each go straight forward.
10 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.
As for the likeness of their faces, [each had] the face of a man, and toward the right the four had the face of a lion, and on the left the four had the face of an ox, and the four had the face of an eagle.
11 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.
And their faces and their wings dividing from above, of each [are] two joining together, and two are covering their bodies.
12 Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
And they each go straight forward, to where the Spirit is to go, they go, they do not turn around in their going.
13 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.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearances [are] as coals of fire—burning as the appearance of lamps; it is going up and down between the living creatures, and brightness [is] to the fire, and lightning is going forth out of the fire.
14 The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
And the living creatures are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash.
15 As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
And I see the living creatures, and behold, one wheel [is] in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces.
16 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.
The appearance of the wheels and their works [is] as the color of beryl, and the four of them had one likeness, and their appearances and their works [are] as it were the wheel in the midst of the wheel.
17 They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
On their four sides, in their going they go, they do not turn around in their going.
18 The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
As for their rings, they are both high and fearful, and their rings, of the four of them, [are] full of eyes around them.
19 As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
And in the going of the living creatures, the wheels go beside them, and in the living creatures being lifted up from off the earth, the wheels are lifted up.
20 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.
To where the Spirit is to go, they go, there the Spirit [is] to go, and the wheels are lifted up alongside them, for a living spirit [is] in the wheels.
21 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.
In their going, they go; and in their standing, they stand; and in their being lifted up from off the earth, the wheels are lifted up alongside them; for a living spirit [is] in the wheels.
22 Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
And over the heads of the living creatures—a likeness of an expanse, as the color of the fearful ice, stretched out over their heads from above.
23 Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.
And under the expanse their wings [are] straight, one toward [its] sister; two [wings] of each are covering them, and two [wings] of each are covering their bodies.
24 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.
And I hear the noise of their wings, as the noise of many waters, as the noise of the Mighty One, in their going—the noise of tumult, as the noise of a camp, in their standing they let their wings fall.
25 A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
And there is a voice from above the expanse, that [is] above their head: in their standing they let their wings fall.
26 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.
And above the expanse that [is] over their head, as an appearance of a sapphire stone, [is] the likeness of a throne, and on the likeness of the throne a likeness, as the appearance of man on it from above.
27 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.
And I see as the color of electrum, as the appearance of fire all around within it, from the appearance of His loins and upward; and from the appearance of His loins and downward, I have seen as the appearance of fire, and brightness [is] all around Him.
28 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.
As the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so [is] the appearance of the brightness all around.
