Ezekiel, 1

1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I [was] among the captives by the river of Chebar, [that] the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

1. On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year when I was with the exiles by the river Kebar, the heavens opened and I had visions from Yahweh.

2. In the fifth [day] of the month, which [was] the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

2. On the fifth of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiakin)

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 there upon him.

3. the word of Yahweh came to Ezekiel, son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans by the banks of the Kebar. There the hand of Yahweh was upon me.

4. And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness [was] about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

4. I looked: a windstorm came from the north bringing a great cloud. A fiery light inside it lit up all around it, while at the center there was something like a glowing metal.

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

5. In the center were what appeared to be four creatures with the same form;

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

6. but each had four faces and four wings.

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 colour of burnished brass.

7. Their legs were straight and their feet were like those of a calf, shining like polished bronze.

8. And [they had] the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

8. Under their wings (on their four sides) they had human hands. The wings of one

9. Their wings [were] joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

9. touched those of the other. Their faces did not turn as they advanced, because they were able to go forward in any of the four directions of their faces.

10. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

10. I saw they had human faces; but each one also had the face of a lion on the right, and on the left the face of an ox, and all four had the face of an eagle.

11. Thus [were] their faces: and their wings [were] stretched upward; two [wings] of every one [were] joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

11. Their wings were spread upwards. Each had two wings meeting those of its neighbor and two covering its body; having four faces they could advance in any of the four directions.

12. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; [and] they turned not when they went.

12. Wherever the spirit would go, they went without turning as they advanced.

13. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance [was] like burning coals of fire, [and] like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

13. Between these creatures could be seen glowing coals like torches moving between them. The fire blazed and flashed from thunderbolts.

14. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

14. The creatures ran to and fro like thunderbolts.

15. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

15. While I looked at the creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them,

16. The appearance of the wheels and their work [was] like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work [was] as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

16. glittering as if made of chrysolite. The four wheels had the same shape: indeed each was double - two wheels placed crosswise,

17. When they went, they went upon their four sides: [and] they turned not when they went.

17. so they could follow any of the four directions without turning as they went.

18. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings [were] full of eyes round about them four.

18. Their rims were lofty and looked terrifying, and the four of them were covered with eyes all the way round.

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

19. When the creatures moved forward the wheels moved along beside them and when the creatures rose from the ground the wheels rose, too.

20. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither [was their] spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.

20. Wherever the spirit was to go, there the creatures went and the wheels went with them for the spirit of the creatures was also in the wheels.

21. When those went, [these] went; and when those stood, [these] stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.

21. When the creatures moved forward they did, too, stopping when they stopped, rising above the ground when they did, for the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels.

22. And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature [was] as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

22. Over the heads of the creatures was a kind of platform; it looked like crystal.

23. And under the firmament [were] their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

23. Under the platform their wings were straight, one parallel to the other. (Each creature had two that covered its body).

24. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

24. I heard the noise of their wings when they moved, similar to the roar of many waters, similar to the voice of the Most High, the noise of a multitude or of a camp. When they were not moving they lowered their wings.

25. And there was a voice from the firmament that [was] over their heads, when they stood, [and] had let down their wings.

25. I heard a noise above the platform over their heads.

26. And above the firmament that [was] over their heads [was] the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne [was] the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

26. Above it was a throne resembling a sapphire and high on this throne was a figure similar to that of a man. Then I saw a light as of glowing bronze as if fire enveloped him

27. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

27. from his waist upwards. And from his waist downwards it was as if fire gave radiance around him.

28. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so [was] the appearance of the brightness round about. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

28. The surrounding light was like a rainbow in the clouds after a day of rain. This vision was the likeness of Yahweh's Glory. On seeing it I fell on my face and then I heard a voice speaking.