Ezekiel 1
Ezekiel Sees the Lord’s Throne
1 On the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year, while I was living among the exiles by the Chebar River, the sky opened, and I saw visions from God.2 On the fifth day of the month, during the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiakin,
3 the Lord spoke his word to the priest Ezekiel, son of Buzi, in Babylon by the Chebar River. The power of the LORD came over Ezekiel.
4 As I looked, I saw a storm coming from the north. There was an immense cloud with flashing lightning surrounded by a bright light. The middle of the lightning looked like glowing metal.5 In the center of the cloud I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were shaped like humans,6 but each of them had four faces and four wings.7 Their legs were straight, their feet were like those of calves, and they glittered like polished bronze.8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings.
9 Their wings touched each other. The creatures went straight ahead, and they did not turn as they moved.
10 Their faces looked like this: From the front, each creature had the face of a human. From the right, each one had the face of a lion. From the left, each one had the face of a bull. And from the back, each one had the face of an eagle.11 That is what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out, pointing upward. Each creature had two wings with which they touched each other. The other two wings covered their bodies.12 Each of the creatures went straight ahead. They went wherever their spirit wanted to go, and they didn’t turn as they moved.13 The living creatures looked like burning coals and torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning came out of the fire.
14 The living creatures ran back and forth like lightning.
15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them.16 This is how the wheels looked and how they were made: They looked like beryl. All four wheels looked the same. They looked like a wheel within a wheel.17 Whenever they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without turning as they moved.
18 The rims of the wheels were large and frightening. They were covered with eyes.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them. When the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose.20 Wherever their spirit wanted to go, the creatures went. The wheels rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 So whenever the creatures moved, the wheels moved. Whenever the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. And whenever the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Something like a dome was spread over the heads of the living creatures. It looked like dazzling crystal.23 Under the dome, each creature had two wings that were stretched out straight, touching one another. Each creature had two wings that covered its body.
24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings. The sound was like the noise of rushing water, like the thunder of the Almighty, like the commotion in an army camp. When the creatures stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 A voice came from above the dome over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.26 Above the dome over their heads was something that looked like a throne made of sapphire. On the throne was a figure that looked like a human.27 Then I saw what he looked like from the waist up. He looked like glowing bronze with fire all around it. From the waist down, he looked like fire. A bright light surrounded him.
28 The brightness all around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds. It was like the Lord’s glory. When I saw it, I immediately bowed down, and I heard someone speaking.
Ezekiel 1
A Vision of God’s Glory
1 In the thirtieth year,s on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiless at the Kebar River,s the heavens openeds and I saw a divine vision.t2 (On the fifth day of the month – it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile –
3 the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiels the son of Buzi,t at the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians.t The handts of the Lord came on him there).
4 As I watched, I noticedt a windstorms coming from the north – an enormous cloud, with lightning flashing,t such that bright lightt rimmed it and came froms it like glowing ambert from the middle of a fire.5 In the fires were what looked liket four living beings.t In their appearance they had human form,s6 but each had four faces and four wings.7 Their legs were straight, but the soles of their feet were like calves’ feet. They gleameds like polished bronze.8 They had human handss under their wings on their four sides. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,
9 their wings touched each other; they did not turn as they moved, but went straight ahead.t
10 Their faces had this appearance: Each of the four had the face of a man, with the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left and also the face of an eagle.s11 Their wings were spread out above them; each had two wings touching the wings of one of the other beings on either side and two wings covering their bodies.12 Each moved straight aheadt – wherever the spiritt would go, they would go, without turning as they went.13 In the middles of the living beings was something likess burning coals of fires or like torches. It moved back and forth among the living beings. It was bright, and lightning was flashing out of the fire.
14 The living beings moved backward and forward as quickly as flashes of lightning.st
15 Then I looked,s and I saw one wheels on the groundt beside each of the four beings.16 The appearance of the wheels and their constructions was like gleaming jasper,t and all four wheels looked alike. Their structure was like a wheel within a wheel.t17 When they moved they would go in any of the four directions they faced without turning as they moved.
18 Their rims were high and awesome,s and the rims of all four wheels were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living beings moved, the wheels beside them moved; when the living beings rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up too.20 Wherever the spiritt would go, they would go,s and the wheels would rise up beside them because the spiritt of the living being was in the wheel.
21 When the living beings moved, the wheels moved, and when they stopped moving, the wheels stopped.st When they rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up from the ground; the wheels rose up beside them because the spirit of the living being was in the wheel.
22 Over the heads of the living beings was something like a platform,t glittering awesomely like ice,t stretched out over their heads.23 Under the platform their wings were stretched out, each toward the other. Each of the beings also had two wings coverings its body.
24 When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings – it was like the sound of rushing waters, or the voice of the Almighty,t or the tumultt of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 Then there was a voice from above the platform over their heads when they stood still.s26 Above the platform over their heads was something like a sapphire shaped like a throne. High above on the throne was a form that appeared to be a man.27 I saw an amber glowt like a fire enclosed all arounds from his waist up. From his waist down I saw something that looked like fire. There was a brilliant light around it,
28 like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds after the rain.s This was the appearance of the surrounding brilliant light; it looked like the glory of the Lord. When I sawt it, I threw myself face down, and I heard a voice speaking.