Ezekiel 1
1 And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was in the midst of the exiles by the river Kebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw divine visions.
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, which was the fifth year of the exile of king Jehoyachin,
(On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
3 Came the word of the Lord expressly unto Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Kebar; and there came upon him there the inspiration of the Lord.
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 saw, and behold, a storm-wind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a flaming fire, and a brightness was on it round about; and out of the midst of it was like the glitter 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 And out of the midst thereof [I saw] 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 of them 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 glitter of burnished copper.
They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
8 And hands of man [were visible] from beneath their wings on their four sides: and their faces and their wings [were alike] on all these four.
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 the other: they turned not about in their going; they went every one in the direction of one of their faces.
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 likeness of their faces was the face of a man; and the face of a lion, on the right side for all four of them; and the face of an ox on the left side for all four of them; and the face of an eagle for all four of them.
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 spread out upward; every one had two 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 in the direction of one of his faces: whither the spirit was directed to go, they went; they turned not about in their going.
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 coals of fire, burning as with the appearance of torches; this [fire] it was which passed along between the living creatures: and a brightness was about the fire, 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 backward and forward like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
15 And I looked on the living creatures, and, behold, there was one wheel upon the earth close by the living creatures, by their four front 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 the color of a chrysolite; and all four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as though 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 Toward their four sides they went in their going: they turned not round in their going.
They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
18 As for their circumferences, they were so high that they excited fear: and their felloes were full of eyes round about on all these 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 near to them: and when the living creatures lifted themselves up from the earth, the wheels lifted themselves 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; [for] thither was [their] spirit to go: and the wheels lifted themselves up at the same time with them; for 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 those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those lifted themselves up from the earth, the wheels lifted themselves up at the same time with them; for 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 And the likeness of a vault was over the head of the living creatures, [shining] like the glitter of the purest 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 vault their wings were straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered them, and every one had two, which covered them, —[namely, ] 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 I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, when they went, the sound of [their] speech, as the noise of an army: when they stood still, 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 vault that was over their head: when they stood still, they 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 vault that was over their head was like the appearance of a sapphire-stone, the likeness of a throne: and upon the likeness of the throne was a 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 if it were the glitter of amber, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins upward; and from the appearance of his loins 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 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about: this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one that spoke.
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.
