1And it came to be in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, as I was among the exiles by the River Keḇar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of Elohim.

2On the fifth of the month, in the fifth year of Sovereign Yehoyaḵin’s exile,

3the word of יהוה came expressly to Yeḥezqĕl the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Keḇar. And the hand of יהוה came upon him there.

4And I looked and saw a whirlwind coming out of the north, a great cloud with fire flashing itself. And brightness was all around it, and out of its midst like glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire,

5and out of the midst of it came what looked like four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

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

7And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calves’ foot. And they sparkled like the appearance of polished bronze,

8and under their wings on their four sides were the hands of a man. And each of the four had faces and wings –

9their wings touched one another. They did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.

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

11Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward, two of each touched one another, and two covered their bodies.

12And each one went straight forward, going wherever the spirit was to go, and they did not turn when they went.

13And the likeness of the living creatures: their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of torches, moving back and forth among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning.

14And the living creatures ran back and forth, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15And I looked at the living creatures, and saw a wheel on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces.

16The appearance of the wheels and their works was like the appearance of beryl, and all four had the same form. The appearance of their works was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

17When they went, they went in any one of four directions, they did not turn aside when they went.

18And their rims were high and awesome, and their rims were covered with eyes, all around the four of them.

19And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. And when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

20Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, because there the spirit went. And the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

21When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood. And when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22And a likeness was over the heads of the living creatures, an expanse like the appearance of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads.

23And under the expanse their wings were straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body.

24And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army. And when they stood still, they let down their wings.

25And a voice came from above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they dropped their wings.

26And above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone. And on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man high above it.

27And from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw what looked like glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it. And from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw what looked like fire, and brightness all around.

28As the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the esteem of יהוה. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.