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 it came to pass at thirty years, 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.

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

In the fifth day of the month, which was 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 unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the LORD came 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,

¶ And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, and a great cloud, and a fire enfolding 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.

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

Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of man.

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

And each one had four faces, and four wings.

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

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 highly burnished brass.

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 their faces and their wings on all four sides.

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

With their wings they joined one to another; they did not return when they went; they went each one straight in the direction they were facing.

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.

And the likeness of their faces was human faces; and lion faces, on the right side; and they four had ox faces on the left side; likewise they four had eagle faces.

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.

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

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 each one straight forward in the direction they were facing: wherever the Spirit directed them to go, they went; and they did not return 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.

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire and like the appearance of lit torches; the fire went up and down among the living creatures and the brightness of the fire; 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 ran and turned as the appearance of lightnings.

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 beheld the living creatures, behold a wheel upon the earth with its four rims by the living creatures.

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.

The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a stone of Tarsis or beryl; and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their workmanship was as it were a wheel in the middle of 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 upon their four sides: and they did not return when they went.

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

And their ribs were high and dreadful, and full of eyes round about them in all four.

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 with 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 wished to go, they went; wherever the spirit directed them, the wheels also rose up after them: for the spirit of the living creatures 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 after them: for the spirit of the living creatures 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.

And over the heads of each living creature there appeared a heaven like a marvellous crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

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 heaven their wings were straight, one toward the other: each one had two, and another two which covered their bodies.

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 noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, as the voice of the Almighty, when they went; the voice of the word, as the voice of an army. 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 heard a voice from the heaven that was over their heads, when they stood, and had 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 heaven that was over their heads was the figure of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the figure of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man seated upon it.

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.

And I saw something that looked like the colour of amber, that appeared to have fire round about within it, which could be seen from his loins upward; and from his loins downward, I saw what looked like fire, and it had brightness round about

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.

that looked like the bow of heaven that is in the clouds in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And I saw it and fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.