Ezekiel 1

¹And it happened that, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives beside the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God.

²On the fifth of the month, the same is the fifth year of the transmigration of king Joachin,

³the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, a priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, next to the river Chebar. And the hand of the Lord was over him there.

⁴And I saw, and behold, a whirlwind arrived from the north. And a great cloud, wrapped in fire and brightness, was all around it. And from its midst, that is, from the midst of the fire, there was something with the appearance of amber.

⁵And in its midst, there was the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: the likeness of a man was in them.

⁶Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.

⁷Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of the foot of a calf, and they sparkled with the appearance of glowing brass.

⁸And they had the hands of a man under their wings on the four sides. And they had faces with the wings on the four sides.

⁹And their wings were joined to one another. They did not turn as they went. Instead, each one advanced before his face.

¹⁰But as for the likeness of their face, there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right of each of the four, then the face of an ox on the left of each of the four, and the face of an eagle above each of the four.

¹¹Their faces and their wings were extended above: two wings of each one were joined together, and two covered their bodies.

¹²And each one of them advanced before his face. Wherever the impetus of the spirit was to go, there they went. And they did not turn as they advanced.

¹³And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision dashing in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, with lightning going forth from the fire.

¹⁴And the living creatures went and returned like flashes of lightning.

¹⁵And as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared above the earth, next to the living creatures, one wheel having four faces.

¹⁶And the appearance of the wheels and their work was like the appearance of the sea. And each of the four were similar to one another. And their appearance and work was like a wheel in the center of a wheel.

¹⁷Going forth, they went by means of their four parts. And they did not turn as they went.

¹⁸Also, the size and height and appearance of the wheels was dreadful. And the entire body was full of eyes all around each of the four.

¹⁹And when the living creatures advanced, the wheels advanced together with them. And when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels, too, were lifted up at the same time.

²⁰Wherever the spirit went, as the spirit was going forth to that place, the wheels, too, were lifted up together, so as to follow them. For the spirit of life was in the wheels.

²¹When going forth, they went forth, and when standing still, they stood still. And when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels, too, were lifted up together, so as to follow them. For the spirit of life was in the wheels.

²²And above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of a firmament: similar to crystal, but dreadful to behold, and extending over their heads from above.

²³And their wings were straight under the firmament, one toward the other. One of them was covered by two wings on his body, and the other was covered similarly.

²⁴And I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the sublime God. When they walked, it was like the sound of a multitude, like the sound of an army. And when they stood still, their wings were let down.

²⁵For when a voice came from above the firmament, which was over their heads, they stood still, and they put down their wings.

²⁶And above the firmament, which was suspended over their heads, there was the likeness of a throne, with the appearance of the sapphire stone. And over the likeness of the throne, there was a likeness with the appearance of a man above it.

²⁷And I saw something with the appearance of amber, with the likeness of fire within it and all around it. And from his waist and upward, and from his waist downward, I saw something with the appearance of fire shining all around.

²⁸There was the appearance of the rainbow, as when it is in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the splendor on every side.

Ezekiel 1

¹Now 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.

²In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,

³The 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.

⁴And 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.

⁵Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

⁶And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

⁷And 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.

⁸And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

⁹Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

¹⁰As 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.

¹¹Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

¹²And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

¹³As 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.

¹⁴And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

¹⁵Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

¹⁶The 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.

¹⁷When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.

¹⁸As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

¹⁹And 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.

²⁰Whithersoever 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.

²¹When 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.

²²And 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.

²³And 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.

²⁴And 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.

²⁵And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.

²⁶And 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.

²⁷And 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.

²⁸As 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.