Ezekiel 1
1 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 of Chebar, that the heavens were 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 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,
(On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
3 The word of Yhwh came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Yhwh was there 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 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
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 midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness 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 every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
but they each had four faces and four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four 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 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight 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 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four 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: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered 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 they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth 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 living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his 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 appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of 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 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature 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 those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature 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 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, 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, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down 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 voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon 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 saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
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 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 likeness of the glory of Yhwh. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice 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.
