< 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.
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 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,
On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin,
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.
the word of Jehovah came to Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldaeans, by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there 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.
And I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came from the north, a great cloud, and a mass of fire; and a brightness was round about it, and in the midst of it the appearance of bright brass, in 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.
And in the midst of it were the forms of four living creatures. And this was their appearance. They had the form of a man.
6 And each one had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.
And every one had four faces, and every one 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.
And their feet were upright; and the sole of their feet was as the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like polished brass.
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:
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides, and all four had faces and wings.
9 their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; each one went straight forward.
Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not about when they went; they went every one 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.
As for the form of their faces, all four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side, and all four had the face of an ox on the left side, and all four had also 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.
Thus were their faces. And their wings were expanded upward; two wings of every one were joined, 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.
And they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went, and they turned not about 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.
And the appearance of the living creatures was as coals of fire, burning like torches; and the fire moved about among the living creatures, and shone forth brightly; and out of the fire came forth lightning.
14 The living creatures darted back and forth, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
And the living creatures ran backward and forward like 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.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, there stood a wheel upon the earth by each of the living creatures, with its four sides.
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.
The appearance of the wheels, and their work, was like that of a chrysolite, and all four had one form, and their appearance and their work was as if a wheel had been within a wheel.
17 When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.
When they went, they went upon their four sides, and they turned not about 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.
As for their felloes, they were high and terrible; and their felloes were full of eyes round about upon all four of them.
19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
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.
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, whithersoever the spirit was to go; and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for 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.
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 beside them; for 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.
And over the heads of the living creatures was the appearance of a firmament, like crystal, terrible, spread 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.
And under the firmament were their wings upright, the one toward the other; and every one had two, which covered his 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.
And I heard the sound of their wings, as the sound of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, when they went, —a sound like the noise of a host. And when they stood still, they let down their wings.
25 There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads.
And there was a voice from the firmament, that was over their heads; and they stood still, and let down their wings.
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.
And above the firmament over their heads was an appearance like a sapphire-stone, the form of a throne; and upon the form of the throne there was a form like that of a man 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.
And I saw what had the appearance of bright brass, what had the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins and upward. And from the appearance of his loins downward I saw what had the appearance of fire, and its brightness was round about 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.
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 glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one who spoke.

< Ezekiel 1 >