1 O n the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year, while I was by the Chebar River with the Jews who had been taken away from their land, the heavens were opened and I saw God in a special way.

Now in thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was in the midst of captivity beside the river Chebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

2 ( On the fifth day of the month in the fifth year that King Jehoiachin had been living in a strange land,

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

3 t he Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the religious leader, son of Buzi, in the land of the Babylonians by the Chebar River. There the hand of the Lord came upon him.)

The 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 there upon him.

4 I looked and saw a wind storm coming from the north. There was a big cloud with lightning coming from it and with a bright light around it. Inside the fire was something like shining brass,

As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud with a fire enveloping it and flashing continually; a brightness was about it and out of the midst of it there seemed to glow amber metal, out of the midst of the fire.

5 a nd in the fire was what looked like four living beings. They looked like men,

And out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man,

6 b ut each of them had four faces and four wings.

But each one had four faces and each one had four wings.

7 T heir legs were straight, and their feet were like those of a calf. They shined like bright brass.

And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot, and they sparkled like burnished bronze.

8 U nder their wings on their four sides were hands like a man’s. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. And the four of them had their faces and their wings thus:

9 t heir wings touched one another. Their faces did not turn when they moved. Each one moved straight ahead.

Their wings touched one another; they turned not when they went but went every one straight forward.

10 A s for what their faces looked like, each of the four had the face of a man, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left side, and the face of an eagle.

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

11 S uch were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Each had two wings touching the wings of another, and two covering their bodies.

Such were their faces. And their wings were stretched out upward; two wings of each one were touching the wing of the creatures on either side of it, and two wings of each creature covered its body.

12 A nd each one went straight ahead. Every place where the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.

And they went every one straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, and they turned not when they went.

13 B etween the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like fire lamps moving from side to side among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was coming out of the fire.

In the midst of the living creatures there was what looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright and out of the fire went forth lightning.

14 A nd the living beings ran this way and that, like lightning.

And the living creatures darted back and forth like a flash of lightning.

15 A s I looked at the living beings, I saw one wheel on the earth beside each of the living beings with its four faces.

Now as I was still looking at the living creatures, I saw one wheel upon the ground beside each of the living creatures with its four faces.

16 T he way the wheels were made, they looked like shining chrysolite stone. All four of them looked the same. They were made to look as if one wheel were within another.

As to the appearance of the wheels and their construction: in appearance they gleamed like chrysolite; and the four were formed alike, and their construction work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.

17 W hen they moved, they went in one of their four ways, without turning as they went.

When they went, they went in one of their four directions without turning.

18 T he wheels were so high that they caused fear. And all four of them were full of eyes all around.

As for their rims, they were so high that they were dreadful, and the four had their rims full of eyes round about.

19 W hen the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And when the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also.

And 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.

20 W hatever way the spirit would go, they would go that way. And the wheels rose close beside them, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Wherever the spirit went, the creatures went and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit or life of the living creature was in the wheels.

21 W hen the living beings moved, they moved. When the beings stood still, they stood still. And when the beings rose up from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them. For the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

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 high beside them, for the spirit or life of the living creature was in the wheels.

22 O ver the heads of the living beings there was something that looked like the sky. It shined like crystal and spread over their heads.

Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, looking like the terrible and awesome crystal or ice stretched across the expanse of sky over their heads.

23 U nder this covering their wings were spread out straight, one toward the other. Each one also had two wings covering their bodies on one side and on the other.

And under the firmament their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. Every living creature had two wings which covered its body on this side and two which covered it on that side.

24 W hen they went, I heard the sound of their wings. They sounded like many waters, like the voice of the All-powerful. They sounded like the noise of an army camp. Whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, the sound of tumult like the noise of a host. When they stood, they let down their wings.

25 A voice came from above the large covering over their heads. Whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads; when they stood, they let down their wings.

26 A bove the large covering that was over their heads there was something that looked like a throne, and looked like it was made of sapphire. Sitting on the throne was what looked like a man.

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone, and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with the appearance of a Man.

27 T hen I saw that there was something like shining brass from the center of his body and up to his head. It looked like fire all around within it. And from the center of his body and down to his feet I saw something like fire. There was a bright light shining all around Him.

From what had the appearance of His waist upward, I saw a lustre as it were glowing metal with the appearance of fire enclosed round about within it; and from the appearance of His waist downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about Him.

28 T his light shining around Him looked like the rainbow in the clouds on a day of rain. This was what the shining-greatness of the Lord looked like. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on 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 speaking.