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.
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 (On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year of the captivity 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 Jehovah came to Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldaeans, by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him.
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 looked, and behold, a stormy wind came from the north, a great cloud, and a mass of fire; and a brightness was round about it, and in the midst of it the appearance of bright brass, in 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 in the midst of it were the forms of four living creatures. And this was their appearance. They had the form of a man.
6 but they each had four faces and four wings.
And every one had four faces, and every one 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 were upright; and the sole of their feet was as the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like polished brass.
8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides, and all four had faces and 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 were joined one to another; they turned not about when they went; they went every one 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 form of their faces, all four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side, and all four had the face of an ox on the left side, and all four had also 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.
Thus were their faces. And their wings were expanded upward; two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies.
12 Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
And they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went, and they turned not about when they went.
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.
And the appearance of the living creatures was as coals of fire, burning like torches; and the fire moved about among the living creatures, and shone forth brightly; and out of the fire came forth lightning.
14 The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
And the living creatures ran backward and forward like a flash of lightning.
15 As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, there stood a wheel upon the earth by each of the living creatures, with its four sides.
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 work, was like that of a chrysolite, and all four had one form, and their appearance and their work was as if a wheel had been within a wheel.
17 They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
When they went, they went upon their four sides, and they turned not about when they went.
18 The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
As for their felloes, they were high and terrible; and their felloes were full of eyes round about upon all four of them.
19 As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were 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.
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, whithersoever the spirit was to go; and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creatures was 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.
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creatures was 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 was the appearance of a firmament, like crystal, terrible, spread out over their heads 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 firmament were their wings upright, the one toward the other; and every one had two, which covered his body.
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 heard the sound of their wings, as the sound of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, when they went, —a sound like the noise of a host. And when they stood still, they let down their wings.
25 A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
And there was a voice from the firmament, that was over their heads; and they stood still, and let down their wings.
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 firmament over their heads was an appearance like a sapphire-stone, the form of a throne; and upon the form of the throne there was a form like that of a man 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 saw what had the appearance of bright brass, what had the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins and upward. And from the appearance of his loins downward I saw what had the appearance of fire, and its brightness was round about 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 the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one who spoke.
