Ezekiel 1
1 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.
[I am] Ezekiel, a priest, the son of Buzi. When I was 30 years [old], I [living] among [Israeli] people who had been (exiled from/forced to leave) [and had come to Babylon]. I was living along the Kebar River/ [south of Babylon]. Almost five years after King Jehoiachin had been (exiled/forced to leave Judah), on the fifth day of the fourth [of that year, it was as though] the sky was opened and I saw visions from God. On that day,
2 In the fifth of the month—it is the fifth year of the expulsion of King Jehoiachin—
3 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.
God gave me [in visions here] in Babylonia, and I felt the power [MTY] of Yahweh on me.
4 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.
[In one of the visions, I saw a] windstorm coming from the north. There was a huge cloud, and lightning was flashing continually, and a brilliant light surrounded the cloud. In the center of where the lightning was flashing there was something that resembled glowing bronze.
5 And out of its midst [is] a likeness of four living creatures, and this [is] their appearance; a likeness of man [is] to them,
In the center of the storm I saw what resembled four living creatures. They resembled humans,
6 and each had four faces and each of them had four wings,
but each of them had four faces and four wings [DOU].
7 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;
Their legs were straight. Their feet resembled the hooves of calves, and the creatures shone like polished bronze.
8 and on their four sides [each had] hands of man under their wings; and [each] of the four had their faces and their wings;
On their four sides under their wings there were hands like humans have.
9 their wings [are] joining to one another, they do not turn around in their going, they each go straight forward.
As the four [stood there, they formed a circle/square], with their wings touching each other. They did not turn when they were moving; they went straight ahead.
10 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.
[of the creatures had four faces]. The face that was in front [of each one was a face that] resembled a human face. The face on the right side resembled a lion’s face. The face on the left side resembled an ox’s face. The face in back resembled an eagle’s face.
11 And their faces and their wings dividing from above, of each [are] two joining together, and two are covering their bodies.
Two of each creature’s wings were lifted up and touched the wings of the creatures that were on each side. The other two wings were folded against the creature’s body.
12 And they each go straight forward, to where the Spirit is to go, they go, they do not turn around in their going.
The creatures went straight ahead in whatever direction the [that controlled/guided them] wanted them to go, without changing directions while they were moving.
13 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.
[four] creatures resembled burning coals or torches. A blazing fire moved back and forth among the creatures, and lighting flashed from among them.
14 And the living creatures are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash.
The creatures moved back and [extremely rapidly], like [SIM] flashes of lightning.
15 And I see the living creatures, and behold, one wheel [is] in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces.
While I looked at the four living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them.
16 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.
Each of the wheels was the same, and they all shone like [SIM] (chrysolite/a valuable green stone). Each seemed to have one wheel inside another wheel.
17 On their four sides, in their going they go, they do not turn around in their going.
Whenever they moved, they would go straight in one of the four directions that they faced; they did not [in another direction] while they moved.
18 As for their rings, they are both high and fearful, and their rings, of the four of them, [are] full of eyes around them.
The rims of the wheels were covered with eyes.
19 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.
Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them. [So] whenever the creatures rose from the ground, the [also] rose up.
20 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.
Wherever the [that controlled the creatures] wanted the creatures to go, they went, and the wheels went with them, because the [that controlled/guided them] was in the wheels [DOU].
21 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.
Whenever the creatures moved, the wheels moved. Whenever the creatures [still], the wheels stopped. Whenever the creatures rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up with them.
22 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.
Above the heads of the creatures there was something that resembled a dome. It shone like ice (OR, crystal) shines, and it was awesome.
23 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.
Under the dome, the creatures stretched out their wings. Each one had two wings; [each wing] stretched towards the creature [was next to] it, and two wings that were against the creature’s body.
24 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.
Whenever the creatures moved, their wings made a sound that resembled the roar made by a rushing stream. It also sounded like the voice of Almighty God, and like [SIM] the noise of a huge army marching. Whenever the creatures stood [on the ground], they lowered their wings.
25 And there is a voice from above the expanse, that [is] above their head: in their standing they let their wings fall.
While they [on the ground] with their wings lowered, there was a voice from the dome that was over their heads.
26 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.
Above the dome was something that resembled [huge] [that was made of a huge] (sapphire/valuable blue stone). Sitting on the throne was someone that resembled a human.
27 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.
I saw that above his waist his body resembled metal that was glowing as though it [a very hot] fire inside it. And I saw that below his waist there was a very brilliant light that surrounded him.
28 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.
[shone] like [SIM] a rainbow shines in the clouds on a rainy day. That was the brilliant light that represented the presence of Yahweh. When I saw it, I prostrated myself on the ground, and I heard him speak.
