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 Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw 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 On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year of the captivity of King Jehoiachin,
3 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.
God gave me [in visions here] in Babylonia, and I felt the power [MTY] of Yahweh on me.
4 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.
[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 in the midst of it were the forms of four living creatures. And this was their appearance. They had the form of a man.
In the center of the storm I saw what resembled four living creatures. They resembled humans,
6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
but each of them had four faces and four wings [DOU].
7 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.
Their legs were straight. Their feet resembled the hooves of calves, and the creatures shone like polished bronze.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides, and all four had faces and wings.
On their four sides under their wings there were hands like humans have.
9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not about when they went; they went every one 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 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.
[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 Thus were their faces. And their wings were expanded upward; two wings of every one were joined, and two covered 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 went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went, and they turned not about when they went.
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 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.
[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 ran backward and forward like a flash of lightning.
The creatures moved back and [extremely rapidly], like [SIM] flashes of lightning.
15 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.
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 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.
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 When they went, they went upon their four sides, and they turned not about when they went.
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 felloes, they were high and terrible; and their felloes were full of eyes round about upon all four of them.
The rims of the wheels were covered with eyes.
19 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.
Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them. [So] whenever the creatures rose from the ground, the [also] rose up.
20 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.
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 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.
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 was the appearance of a firmament, like crystal, terrible, spread out over their heads 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 firmament were their wings upright, the one toward the other; and every one had two, which covered his body.
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 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.
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 was a voice from the firmament, that was over their heads; and they stood still, and let down their wings.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
[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.
