Ezekiel 1:1-25 ▼

1 And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, as I was in the midst of the captivity by the River Kebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the captivity of king Jehoiachin—

3 the word of YHWH came directly to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar; And there the hand of YHWH was upon him.

4 And I looked, and behold, a wind of a tempest was coming from the north, and a great cloud and fire taking hold of it, and a brightness to it all around, and in the midst of it was like the color of amber, from the midst of the fire.

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

6 with four faces for each one, and four wings for each one unto them.

7 And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of the foot of a calf, and they sparkled like an eye of polished bronze.

8 And the hands of a man were under their wings on four of their sides. And the faces and wings were unto the four of them,

9 joining each one to her sister; their wings did not turn in their going, each man went to straight ahead.

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

11 And such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above each one; unto each one were two touching one, and two were covering their bodies.

12 And each one went toward straight ahead of its face; to the direction that there the spirit was to go, they would go, and they did not turn in their going.

13 And the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like coals of fire burning, like the appearance of torches; it was going about among the living creatures, and brightness was unto the fire, and from the fire was going forth lightning.

14 And the living creatures were running and returning like the appearance of the lightning.

15 And I looked at the living creatures, and behold, a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one with his four faces.

16 The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like an eye of beryl, and a single likeness unto four of them; and their appearance and of their workings was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

17 Upon their four sides, in their going they went, and they did not turn aside in their going.

18 And unto their rims was height to them and fearsomeness to them, and their rims were full of eyes all around for 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 Upon which the spirit was to go, there they would go; there the spirit was to go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

21 In their going they go, and in their standing they stand; and in their being lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22 And the likeness over the heads of the living creatures was the firmament, like an eye of awe-inspiring crystal, stretched out over their heads above.

23 And under the firmament their wings were straight, each one toward its sister; for each one were two as a covering for them, and for each one were two covering for them their body.

24 And I heard the voice of their wings, like the voice of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai, in their going—the voice of a tumult like the voice of an army—and in their standing, they would slacken their wings.

25 And there was a voice from over the firmament that was over their heads; in their standing they would slacken their wings.