Ezekiel 1

1. And 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.

2. On the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,

3. The 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 upon him there.

4. And I looked, and behold, a windstorm came out of the north, a great cloud, with fire flashing forth continually—and a brightness all around, coming out of its midst, like the color of sparkling amber out of the midst of the fire.

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

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

7. And their legs were straight; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.

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

9. Their wings were joined one to the other. They did not turn in their going; each one went straight forward.

10. And the likeness of their faces was this: the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side of the four of them; and the face of a bull on the left side of the four of them; and the face of an eagle toward the rear of the four of them.

11. Thus were their faces. And their wings were stretched upward; two wings of each one were joined to another; and two wings of each covered their bodies.

12. And each went straight forward. To where the spirit was to go, there they went without turning as they moved.

13. And the likeness of the living creatures was this: 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 back and forth, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15. And as I looked at the living creatures, behold, one wheel was on the earth beside 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 the same likeness. And their appearance and their workmanship was like a wheel inside of a wheel.

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

18. And their rims looked like this: they were high, they were even awesome. And their rims were full of eyes all around the four of them.

19. And when the living creatures moved the wheels moved with them; and when the living creatures were lifted from the earth, the wheels were lifted up with them.

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

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

22. And there was a likeness over the heads of the living creatures—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 each had two wings 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, as they went their sound was like the sound of tumult, as 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, when they stood still, and they let down their wings.

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

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

28. As the rainbow appears that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of His brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And I saw. And I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.