< Ezekiel 1 >
1 Now it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth 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 In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
3 the word of YHWH came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of YHWH came upon him.
4 I looked, and look, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of its midst as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.
5 Out of its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
6 And each one had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.
7 Their legs were straight, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.
8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings thus:
9 their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; each one went straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side; and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side; the four of them also had the face of an eagle.
11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.
12 Each one went straight forward: where the spirit would go, they went; they didn't turn when they went.
13 And in the midst of the living creatures was an appearance of burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. The fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14 The living creatures darted back and forth, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I saw the living creatures, look, there was a wheel on the ground beside each living creature with its four faces.
16 And the appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and the four of them had the same likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.
17 When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.
18 As for their rims, they were high and awesome; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
20 They went in whichever direction the spirit would go, and the wheels rose alongside them because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 When those [the living creatures] moved, these [the wheels] moved; and when those [the living creatures] stood still, and when those [the living creatures] rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 And over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, like glittering ice, it was awesome to look upon, stretched out over their heads above.
23 Under the expanse their wings were straight, the one toward the other. And each one had two which covered its body.
24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of Shaddai, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25 There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads.
26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.
27 I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.
28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of YHWH. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.
