1 It was the 30th year. [ a ] God spoke to me on the fifth day of the fourth month. [ b ] I was among the prisoners from Judah at the side of the Kebar river. [ c ] At that time the skies opened and I saw visions from God.
2 King Jehoiachin of Judah had been a prisoner in Babylon for five years. On the fifth day of the month, 3 the Lord spoke to Ezekiel, the priest. [ d ] He was the son of Buzi. He was standing beside the River Kebar in Babylon. While Ezekiel was there, the Lord came to him with power.
4 As I looked, I saw a great storm that was coming from the north. It was a large cloud, with bright lightning. Light shone all around the cloud. It was like a fire that had bright metal in the centre of it. 5 I could see something like four living things in the middle of the fire. Each of them had the shape of a human. 6 But each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight. Their feet were like the feet of young cows. They shone like bright bronze. 8 They had human hands under their wings on the four sides. Each of these four living things had faces and wings that were like this: 9 Their wings touched each other. All the living things moved forward together. They did not turn as they moved.
10 This is what their faces looked like: Each of the living things had four faces. There was a human face at the front. There was a lion's face on the right side. There was a bull's face on the left side. Each of them also had the face of an eagle. 11 Their wings waved up above them. Two wings of each living thing touched the wings of the living things on each side of them. Each living thing covered its body with its other two wings. 12 The living things each moved forward, in the direction that the spirit wanted them to go. They did not turn as they moved.
13 In the middle of the living things was a fire. It looked like coals that were burning, or like bright flames. The fire moved around among the living things. It shone brightly, with lightning coming out from it. 14 The living things moved around very quickly, as fast as lightning.
15 I continued to look at the four living things. Each of them had a wheel on the ground at its side. [ e ] 16 The four wheels all looked the same. They shone like bright jewels. The wheels were made like this: Each wheel had another wheel that went across the middle of it. 17 They moved forward in the same direction that the living things moved. They did not turn in any other direction. 18 The wheels had high edges. Eyes completely covered the edges of all the wheels.
19 When the living things moved, the wheels moved with them. If the living beings rose up from the ground, the wheels rose with them. 20 The living things went wherever the spirit wanted them to go. The wheels would also go with them. That was because the spirit of the living things was in each wheel. 21 When the living things moved, the wheels also moved. When the living things stopped, the wheels stopped moving too. When the living things rose up from the ground, the wheels went up at their side. That happened because the spirit of the living things was in each wheel.
22 I saw something over the heads of the living things. It looked like a high roof that shone brightly like ice. 23 The living things all stood under the roof. Each of them stood with its wings held out towards the living things on each side of it. They covered their bodies with their other two wings. 24 When they moved, I could hear the sound of their wings. They made a noise like lots of water that pours along a river. It was also like the voice of the Almighty God, or the noise of a great army. When the living things stopped moving, they put their wings down at their sides.
25 While they stood with their wings down at their sides, I heard a voice. It came from above the roof over their heads. 26 Above the roof, there was something that looked like a throne. It was made of a blue jewel called sapphire. On the throne, high above, I saw something that looked like the shape of a man. 27 The top part of his body shone like a fire with bright metal in the centre of it. The lower part of his body looked like flames of fire. All around the human shape, there was a very bright light. 28 It shone with the colours of a rainbow in the clouds when there is rain. This bright light showed the glory of the Lord , who was there.
When I saw this, I bent down low with my face on the ground. I heard a voice that was speaking to me.
1 I am the priest, Ezekiel son of Buzi. I was in exile by the Kebar Canal in Babylonia when the skies opened up, and I saw visions of God. This was on the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year. [ a ] (This was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile. The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel. The power of the Lord came over him at that place.)
4 I was watching a big storm come in from the north. It was a big cloud with a strong wind, and there was fire flashing from it. Light was shining out all around it. It looked like hot metal [ b ] glowing in a fire. 5 Inside the cloud, there were four living beings that looked like people. 6 But each one of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like calves’ feet, and they sparkled like polished brass. 8 Under their wings were human arms. There were four living beings. Each living being had four faces and four wings. 9 The wings touched each other. The living beings did not turn when they moved. They went in the direction they were looking.
10 Each living being had four faces. In the front they each had a man’s face. There was a lion’s face on the right side and a bull’s face on the left side. There was an eagle’s face on the back. 11 Their wings were spread out over them. With two of the wings each living being reached out to touch the one near it, and with the other two wings it covered its body. 12 Each living being went in the direction it was looking. They went wherever the spirit [ c ] caused them to go, but they did not turn when they moved. 13 That is what the living beings looked like.
Inside the area between the living beings, there was something that looked like burning coals of fire. This fire was like small torches that kept moving around among the living beings. The fire glowed brightly and lightning flashed from it. 14 The living beings ran back and forth—as fast as lightning. [ d ]
15-16 I was looking at the living beings when I noticed four wheels that touched the ground. There was one wheel by each living being. All the wheels looked the same. The wheels looked as if they were made from a clear, yellow jewel. They looked like there was a wheel inside a wheel. 17 They could turn to move in any direction. But the living beings did not turn when they moved. [ e ]
18 The rims of the wheels were tall and frightening. There were eyes all over the rims of all four wheels.
19 The wheels always moved with the living beings. If the living beings went up into the air, the wheels went with them. 20 They went wherever the spirit wanted them to go, and the wheels went with them, because the power that moved the living being was in the wheels. 21 So if the living beings moved, the wheels moved. If the living beings stopped, the wheels stopped. If the wheels went into the air, the living beings went with them, because the spirit was in the wheels.
22 There was an amazing thing over the heads of the living beings. It was like a bowl [ f ] turned upside down, and the bowl was clear like crystal. 23 Under this bowl, each living being had wings reaching out to the one next to it. Two wings spread out one way and two wings spread out the other way, covering its body.
24 Then I heard the wings. Every time the living beings moved, their wings made a very loud noise like a lot of water rushing by. They were loud like the Lord All-Powerful. They were as loud as an army or a crowd of people. When the living beings stopped moving, they put their wings down by their side.
25 The living beings stopped moving and lowered their wings. Then there was another loud sound that came from above the bowl over their heads. 26 There was something that looked like a throne on top of the bowl. It was blue like sapphire. There was also something that looked like a man sitting on the throne. 27 I looked at him from his waist up. He looked like hot metal with fire all around him. I looked at him from his waist down. It looked like fire with a glow that was shining all around him. 28 The light shining around him was like a rainbow in a cloud. It was the Glory of the Lord . As soon as I saw that, I fell to the ground. I bowed with my face to the ground, and then I heard a voice speaking to me.
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 of 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 the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5 Also 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 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 the colour of 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.
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 four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; 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; and they turned not when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it 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 by the living creatures, with his four faces.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by 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 their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against 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 over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, 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, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had 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 the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
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 the Lord . And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the ( A ) river Chebar among the exiles, the ( B ) heavens were opened and I saw [ a ] ( C ) visions of God. 2 (On the fifth of the month [ b ] in the ( D ) fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, 3 the ( E ) word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the ( F ) land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there ( G ) the hand of the Lord came upon him.)
4 As I looked, behold, a ( H ) high wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like ( I ) gleaming [ c ] metal in the midst of the fire. 5 And within it there were figures resembling ( J ) four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human ( K ) form. 6 Each of them had ( L ) four faces and ( M ) four wings. 7 Their legs were straight and [ d ] their feet were like a calf’s [ e ] hoof, and they sparkled like ( N ) polished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their ( O ) four sides were human ( P ) hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did ( Q ) not turn when they moved, each ( R ) went straight forward. 10 As for the ( S ) form of their faces, each had a human ( T ) face; [ f ] all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and [ g ] 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 ( U ) two covering their bodies. 12 And ( V ) each went straight forward; ( W ) wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 [ h ] In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of ( X ) fire, [ i ] like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was [ j ] flashing from the fire. 14 And the living beings ( Y ) ran back and forth like bolts of ( Z ) lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one ( AA ) wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for [ k ] each of the four of them. 16 The ( AB ) appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like [ l ] sparkling ( AC ) topaz, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if [ m ] one wheel were within another. 17 Whenever they [ n ] moved, they [ o ] moved in any of their four [ p ] directions without ( AD ) turning as they [ q ] moved. 18 As for their rims, they were high and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were [ r ] ( AE ) covered with eyes all around. 19 ( AF ) Whenever the living beings [ s ] moved, the wheels [ t ] moved with them. And whenever the living beings ( AG ) rose from the earth, the wheels rose also . 20 ( AH ) Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction [ u ] . And the wheels rose just as they did ; for the spirit of the living [ v ] beings was in the wheels. 21 ( AI ) Whenever those went, they went; and whenever those stopped, they stopped. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose just as they did ; for the spirit of the living [ w ] beings was in the wheels.
22 Now ( AJ ) over the heads of the living [ x ] 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 ( AK ) two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. 24 And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the ( AL ) sound of abundant waters as they went, like the ( AM ) voice of [ y ] the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the ( AN ) sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings. 25 And a voice came from above the ( AO ) expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.
26 Now ( AP ) above the expanse that was over their heads there was something ( AQ ) resembling a throne, like [ z ] ( AR ) lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a ( AS ) man. 27 Then I [ aa ] noticed from the appearance of His waist and upward something ( AT ) like gleaming [ ab ] metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. 28 Like the appearance of the ( AU ) rainbow [ ac ] in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the ( AV ) glory of the Lord . And when I saw it , I ( AW ) fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.
1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles ( A ) by the Kebar River, ( B ) the heavens were opened ( C ) and I saw visions ( D ) of God.
2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin ( E ) — 3 the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel ( F ) the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. [ a ] There the hand of the Lord was on him. ( G )
4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm ( H ) coming out of the north ( I ) —an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, ( J ) 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. ( K ) In appearance their form was human, ( L ) 6 but each of them had four faces ( M ) and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. ( N ) 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. ( O ) All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. ( P )
10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, 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. ( Q ) 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings ( R ) spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. ( S ) 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals ( T ) of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning ( U ) flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning. ( V )
15 As I looked at the living creatures, ( W ) I saw a wheel ( X ) on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, ( Y ) and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction ( Z ) as the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes ( AA ) all around.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, ( AB ) and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 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. ( AC )
22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, ( AD ) sparkling like crystal, and awesome. 23 Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. 24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing ( AE ) waters, like the voice ( AF ) of the Almighty, [ b ] like the tumult of an army. ( AG ) When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne ( AH ) of lapis lazuli, ( AI ) and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. ( AJ ) 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. ( AK ) 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow ( AL ) in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. ( AM )
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory ( AN ) of the Lord . When I saw it, I fell facedown, ( AO ) and I heard the voice of one speaking.
