Ezekiel 1

1 And it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

2 On the fifth of the month, the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity,

3 Coming the Word of Jehovah became known to Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, the priest in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar. And the hand of Jehovah was on him there.

4 And I looked, and behold, a windstorm came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire flashing itself, and a brightness to it all around, and out of its midst, like the color of polished bronze out of the middle of the fire.

5 Also out of its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was how they looked; they had the likeness of a man.

6 And four faces were to each, and four wings to each.

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 color of burnished copper.

8 And the hands of a man extended from under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings,

9 joining each one to the other by their wings. They did not turn in their going; each one went toward the front of their face.

10 And the likeness of their faces: the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side to the four of them; and the face of an ox on the left side to the four of them; and the face of an eagle to the four of them.

11 So their faces were. And their wings were stretched upward; to each, the two wings of each one were joined; and two wings covered their bodies.

12 And each went toward the front of their faces. To where the spirit was to go, there they went; they did not turn in their going.

13 And the likeness of the living creatures: they looked like burning coals of fire; like the appearance of torches. It was continually circling among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

14 And the living creatures kept running and returning, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15 And as I looked at the living creatures, behold, one wheel was on the earth by the living creatures, with its four faces.

16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was the color of beryl, and the four of them had one likeness. And their appearance and their workmanship was like a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

17 When they went, they went on their four sides; and they did not turn when they went.

18 And their rims: they were even high; they were even awesome. And their rims were full of eyes all around the four of them.

19 And in the going of the living creatures, the wheels went beside them; and in the lifting up of the living creatures from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

20 Wherever the spirit was to go, there they went; there the spirit was to go, and the wheels were lifted up along with them. For the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

21 In their going, these went; and in their standing still, these stood still. And in their lifting up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up along with them. For the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

22 And there was a likeness over the heads of the living creature; an expanse, like the color of awesome crystal stretched out over their heads from above.

23 And under the expanse their wings were straight, the one toward the other. Each one had two wings covering on this side, and to each two covering on that side of their bodies.

24 And I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, in their going was the sound of tumult, like the sound of an army. In their standing still, they let down their wings.

25 And there was a voice from the expanse which was over their heads, in their standing still, and they let down their wings.

26 And from above the expanse that was over their heads was a likeness like a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne. And on the likeness of the throne was a likeness looking like a man on it from above.

27 And I saw Him looking like the color of polished bronze, looking like fire all around within it. From the likeness of His loins even upward, and from the likeness of His loins even downward, I saw Him, looking like fire, and it had brightness all around.

28 As the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain looks, so the brightness all around looked. This was how the likeness of the glory of Jehovah looked. And I saw. And I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.