| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. | 1In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. |
| 2On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, | 2On the fifth day of the month--it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile-- |
| 3the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him there. | 3the word of the LORD came directly to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar Canal. The LORD's hand was on him there. |
| 4Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. | 4I looked, and there was a whirlwind coming from the north, a huge cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire, there was a gleam like amber. |
| 5Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. | 5The likeness of four living creatures came from it, and this was their appearance: They looked something like a human, |
| 6Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. | 6but each of them had four faces and four wings. |
| 7Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. | 7Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, sparkling like the gleam of polished bronze. |
| 8The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. | 8They had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. |
| 9Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward. | 9Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead. |
| 10As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, 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. | 10Their faces looked something like the face of a human, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle. |
| 11Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. | 11That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body. |
| 12And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went. | 12Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, they went without turning as they moved. |
| 13As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. | 13The likeness of the living creatures was like the appearance of blazing coals of fire or like torches. Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it. |
| 14And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning. | 14The creatures were darting back and forth like flashes of lightning. |
| 15Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. | 15When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures. |
| 16The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. | 16The appearance of the wheels and their craftsmanship was like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their appearance and craftsmanship was like a wheel within a wheel. |
| 17When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. | 17When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. |
| 18As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. | 18Their rims were tall and awe-inspiring. Each of their four rims were full of eyes all around. |
| 19When 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. | 19When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. |
| 20Wherever the spirit wanted 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. | 20Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside 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. | 21When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. |
| 22The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. | 22Over the heads of the living creatures the likeness of an expanse was spread out. It gleamed like awe-inspiring crystal, |
| 23And under the firmament their wings spread out 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. | 23and under the expanse their wings extended one toward another. They each also had two wings covering their bodies. |
| 24When 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. | 24When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of a huge torrent, like the voice of the Almighty, and a sound of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stopped, they lowered their wings. |
| 25A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings. | 25A voice came from above the expanse over their heads; when they stopped, they lowered their wings. |
| 26And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. | 26Something like a throne with the appearance of lapis lazuli was above the expanse over their heads. On the throne, high above, was someone who looked like a human. |
| 27Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. | 27From what seemed to be his waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire enclosing it all around. From what seemed to be his waist down, I also saw what looked like fire. There was a brilliant light all around him. |
| 28Like 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 glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking. | 28The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the LORD's glory. When I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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