Ezekiel 1

The Vision of Four Figures

1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.2 (On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,3 the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the LORD came upon him.)

4 As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.5 Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.6 Each of them had four faces and four wings.7 Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf's hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze.8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.10 As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies.12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.13 In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.14 And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.

15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for each of the four of them.16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like sparkling beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if one wheel were within another.17 Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved.18 As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes round about.19 Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 20 Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.21 Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Vision of Divine Glory

22 Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads.23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other.24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.25 And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.

26 Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man.27 Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him.28 As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice 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.