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.2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,3 the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him.4 And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire infolding itself, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst thereof as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.5 And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.6 And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.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 burnished brass.8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings thus:9 their wings were joined one to another; they turned not 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 they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.11 And their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.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 up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces thereof.16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto a beryl: and they four had one 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 turned not when they went.18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.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.20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.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 creature was in the wheels.22 And over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, like the terrible crystal to look upon, stretched forth over their heads above.23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies.24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.25 And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above.27 And I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about 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 likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

EZEKIEL 1

Ezekiel Sees the [Lord]'s Glory

1-3  t I am Ezekiel—a priest and the son of Buzi.t
Five years after King Jehoiachin of Judah had been led away as a prisoner to Babylonia, I was living near the Chebar River among those who had been taken there with him. Then on the fifth day of the fourth montht of the thirtieth year, t the heavens suddenly opened. The [Lord] placed his hand upon met and showed me some visions.
4 I saw a windstorm blowing in from the north. Lightning flashed from a huge cloud and lit up the whole sky with a dazzling brightness. The fiery center of the cloud was as shiny as polished metal, 5 t and in that center I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were somewhat like humans, 6 except that each one had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, but their feet looked like the hoofs of calves and sparkled like bronze. 8 Under each of their wings, these creatures had a human hand.

9 The four creatures were standing back to back with the tips of their wings touching. They moved together in every direction, without turning their bodies.
10  t Each creature had the face of a human in front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left, and the face of an eagle in back.

11 Two wingst of each creature were spread out and touched the wings of the creatures on either side. The other two wings of each creature were folded against its body.
12 The four living creatures went wherever the Spirit led them, and they moved together without turning their bodies, because each creature faced straight ahead. 13 t The creatures were glowing like hot coals, and I saw something like a flaming torch moving back and forth among them. Lightning flashed from the torch every time its flame blazed up.t

14 The creatures themselves moved as quickly as sparks jumping from a fire.t
15  t I then noticed that on the ground beside each of the four living creatures was a wheel, t 16 shining like chrysolite.t Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel that cut through the middle of it, t 17 so that they could move in any direction without turning. 18 t The rims of the wheels were large and frightening, and they had eyes all the way around them.t

19-21 The creatures controlled when and where the wheels moved—the wheels went wherever the four creatures went and stopped whenever they stopped. Even when the creatures flew in the air, the wheels were beside them.
22-23  t Above the living creatures, I saw something that was sparkling like ice, and it reminded me of a dome. Each creature had two of its wings stretched out toward the creatures on either side, with the other two wings folded against its body.

24 t Whenever the creatures flew, their wings roared like an ocean or a large army or even the voice of God All-Powerful. And whenever the creatures stopped, they folded their wings against their bodies.
25 When the creatures stopped flapping their wings, I heard a sound coming from above the dome. 26 t I then saw what looked like a throne made of sapphire, t and sitting on the throne was a figure in the shape of a human. 27 t From the waist up, it was glowing like metal in a hot furnace, and from the waist down it looked like the flames of a fire. The figure was surrounded by a bright light,

28 as colorful as a rainbow that appears after a storm.
I realized I was seeing the brightness of the [Lord]'s glory! So I bowed with my face to the ground, and just then I heard a voice speaking to me.