Ezekiel 1
1 It came to passe in the thirtieth yere in the fourth moneth, and in the fift day of the moneth (as I was among the captiues by the riuer Chebar) that the heauens were opened and I sawe 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 In the fift day of the moneth (which was the fift yere of King Ioiachins captiuitie)
(On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
3 The word of the Lord came vnto Ezekiel the Priest, the sonne of Buzi, in the lande of the Caldeans, by the riuer Chebar, where the hande of the Lord was vpon 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 And I looked, and beholde, a whirlewinde came out of the North, a great cloude and a fire wrapped about it, and a brightnesse was about it, and in the middes thereof, to wit, in the middes of the fire came out as the likenesse of 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 Also out of the middes therof came the likenesse of foure beastes, and this was their forme: they had the appearance of a man.
and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
6 And euery one had foure faces, and euery one had foure wings.
but they each had four faces and four wings.
7 And their feete were streight feete, and the sole of their feete was like the sole of a calues foote, and they sparkled like the appearance of bright brasse.
They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
8 And the handes of a man came out from vnder their wings in the foure parts of them, and they foure had their faces, and their wings.
They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
9 They where ioyned by their wings one to another, and when they went forth, they returned not, but euery one went streight forward.
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 And the similitude of their faces was as the face of a man: and they foure had the face of a lyon on the right side, and they foure had the face of a bullocke on the left side: they foure also had 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 Thus were their faces: but their wings were spred out aboue: two wings of euery one were ioined one to another, and two couered their bodies.
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 And euery one went streight forward: they went whither their spirit led them, and they returned not when they went forth.
Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
13 The similitude also of the beasts, and their appearance was like burning coles of fire, and like the appearance of lampes: for the fire ran among the beastes, and the fire gaue a glister, and out of the fire there went lightning.
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 And the beastes ranne, and returned like vnto lightning.
The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
15 Nowe as I behelde the beastes, beholde, a wheele appeared vpon the earth by the beastes, hauing foure 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 facion of the wheeles and their worke was like vnto a chrysolite: and they foure had one forme, and their facion, and their worke was as one wheele in another wheele.
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 Whe they went, they went vpon their foure sides, and they returned not when they went.
They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
18 They had also rings, and height, and were fearefull to beholde, and their rings were full of eyes, round about them foure.
The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
19 And when the beastes went, the wheeles went with them: and when the beasts were lift vp from the earth, the wheeles were lift vp.
As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
20 Whither the spirit led them, they went, and thither did the spirite of the wheeles leade them, and the wheeles were lifted vp besides them: for the spirit of the beastes was in the wheeles.
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 beastes went, they went, and when they stoode, they stoode, and when they were lifted vp from the earth, the wheeles were lifted vp besides them: for the spirite of the beastes was in the wheeles.
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 And the similitude of the firmament vpon the heads of the beasts was wonderfull, like vnto chrystall, spred ouer their heads aboue.
Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
23 And vnder the firmament were their wings streight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which couered the, and euery one had two, which couered their bodies.
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 And when they went foorth, I heard the noyse of their wings, like the noyse of great waters, and as the voyce of the Almightie, euen the voyce of speach, as the noyse of an host: and when they stood, they let downe 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 was a voyce from the firmament, that was ouer their heads, when they stoode, and had let downe their wings.
A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
26 And aboue the firmament that was ouer their heads, was the facion of a throne like vnto a saphir stone, and vpon the similitude of the throne was by appearance, as the similitude of a man aboue vpon it.
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 And I sawe as the appearance of amber, and as the similitude of fire round about within it to looke to, euen from his loynes vpwarde: and to looke to, euen from his loynes downewarde, I sawe as a likenesse of fire, and brightnesse round about it.
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 As the likenesse of the bowe, that is in the cloude in the day of raine, so was the appearance of the light round about. This was the appearance of the similitude of the glorie of the Lord: and when I sawe it, I fell vpon my face, and I heard a voyce of one that spake.
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.
