Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel’s Vision of Living Creatures

1 It was the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month of our captivity. I was by the Kebar River among the people who had been carried away as captives. The sky opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 It was the fifth day of the month of the fifth year that King Jehoiachin had been a prisoner.

3 The Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel son of Buzi in the land of the Babylonians by the Kebar River. There he felt the power of the Lord.
4 When I looked, I saw a stormy wind coming from the north. There was a great cloud with a bright light around it and fire flashing out of it. Something that looked like glowing metal was in the center of the fire.5 Inside the cloud was what looked like four living creatures, who were shaped like humans,6 but each of them had four faces and four wings.7 Their legs were straight. Their feet were like a calf’s hoofs and sparkled like polished bronze.8 The living creatures had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings,

9 and their wings touched each other. The living creatures did not turn when they moved, but each went straight ahead.
10 Their faces looked like this: Each living creature had a human face and the face of a lion on the right side and the face of an ox on the left side. And each one also had the face of an eagle.11 That was what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out above. Each had two wings that touched one of the other living creatures and two wings that covered its body.12 Each went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would also go, without turning.13 The living creatures looked like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire went back and forth among the living creatures. It was bright, and lightning flashed from it.

14 The living creatures ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground by each of the living creatures with its four faces.16 The wheels and the way they were made were like this: They looked like sparkling chrysolite. All four of them looked the same, like one wheel crossways inside another wheel.17 When they moved, they went in any one of the four directions, without turning as they went.

18 The rims of the wheels were high and frightening and were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the ground, the wheels also were lifted up.20 Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would go. And the wheels were lifted up beside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

21 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved. When the living creatures stopped, the wheels stopped. And when the living creatures were lifted from the ground, the wheels were lifted beside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Now, over the heads of the living creatures was something like a dome that sparkled like ice and was frightening.23 And under the dome the wings of the living creatures were stretched out straight toward one another. Each living creature also had two wings covering its body.

24 I heard the sound of their wings, like the roaring sound of the sea, as they moved. It was like the voice of God Almighty, a roaring sound like a noisy army. When the living creatures stopped, they lowered their wings.
25 A voice came from above the dome over the heads of the living creatures. When the living creatures stopped, they lowered their wings.26 Now above the dome there was something that looked like a throne. It looked like a sapphire gem. And on the throne was a shape like a human.27 Then I noticed that from the waist up the shape looked like glowing metal with fire inside. From the waist down it looked like fire, and a bright light was all around.28 The surrounding glow looked like the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. It seemed to look like the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I bowed facedown on the ground 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.