1:1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
1:2 On the fifth of the month–it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin–
1:3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him.
1:4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north–an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,
1:5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man,
1:6 but each of them had four faces and four wings.
1:7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.
1:8 Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings,
1:9 and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
1:10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.
1:11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
1:12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
1:13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
1:14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
1:15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
1:16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.
1:17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went.
1:18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
1:19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
1:20 Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
1:21 When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
1:22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome.
1:23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body.
1:24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
1:25 Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings.
1:26 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.
1:27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.
1:28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
1:1 Now in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, while I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
1:2 On the fifth of the month (it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity)
1:3 The word of Jehovah came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was upon him there.
1:4 And I looked, and there came a storm wind from the north, a great cloud and a fire flashing incessantly; and there was a brightness around it, and from the midst of it there was something like the sight of electrum, from the midst of the fire.
1:5 And from the midst of it there came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man.
1:6 And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
1:7 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 sight of burnished bronze.
1:8 And the hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides. And the four of them had their faces and their wings thus:
1:9 Their wings were joined one to another; they did not turn as they went; each went straight forward.
1:10 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, and the four of them had the face of an eagle.
1:11 And thus their faces were. And their wings were spread out upward; two wings of each were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
1:12 And each went straight forward; wherever the Spirit was to go, they went; they did not turn as they went.
1:13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches; the fire went to and fro among the living creatures, and the fire was bright; and out of the fire went forth lightning.
1:14 And the living creatures ran to and fro like the appearance of a lightning bolt.
1:15 And as I watched the living creatures, I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of their four faces.
1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship were like the sight of beryl. And the four of them had one likeness; that is, their appearance and their workmanship were as it were a wheel within a wheel.
1:17 Whenever they went, they went in their four directions; they did not turn as they went.
1:18 As for their rims, they were high and they were awesome; and the rims of the four of them were full of eyes all around.
1:19 And whenever the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and whenever the living creatures were lifted up above the earth, the wheels were lifted up also.
1:20 Wherever the Spirit was to go, they went ? wherever the Spirit was to go. And the wheels were lifted up alongside them, for the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
1:21 Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still; and whenever those were lifted up above the earth, the wheels were lifted up alongside them; for the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
1:22 And over the heads of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the sight of awesome crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
1:23 And under the expanse one pair of their wings went straight out, one toward the other; each had another pair covering their bodies on this side and on that side.
1:24 And I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, as they went; it was the sound of a tumult, like the sound of an army. Whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
1:25 And there was a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood still, they dropped their wings.
1:26 And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man, above it.
1:27 Then I saw something like the sight of electrum, like the appearance of fire encased all around, from the appearance of His loins and upward; and from the appearance of His loins and downward, I saw something like the appearance of fire. And there was brightness all around Him.
1:28 Like the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud on a day of rain, such was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and I heard the voice of someone speaking.