1 N ow in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

On 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.

2 I n the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,

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

3 Y ahweh’s word came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and Yahweh’s hand was there on him.

the 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.)

4 I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of the middle of it as it were glowing metal, out of the middle of the fire.

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,

5 O ut of its center came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

and in the fire was what looked like four living beings. They looked like men,

6 E veryone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.

but each of them had four faces and four wings.

7 T heir feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.

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

8 T hey 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:

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

9 t heir wings were joined to one another; they didn’t turn when they went; each one went straight forward.

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

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

As 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.

11 S uch were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.

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

12 E ach one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn’t turn when they went.

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

13 A s for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire.

Between 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.

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

And the living beings ran this way and that, like lightning.

15 N ow as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.

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

16 T he appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and the four of them had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.

The 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.

17 W hen they went, they went in their four directions: they didn’t turn when they went.

When they moved, they went in one of their four ways, without turning as they went.

18 A s for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.

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

19 W hen 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.

When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And when the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also.

20 W herever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Whatever 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.

21 W hen those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

When 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.

22 O ver the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched out over their heads above.

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

23 U nder the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies.

Under 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.

24 W hen they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.

When 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.

25 T here was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.

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

26 A bove the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.

Above 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.

27 I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.

Then 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.

28 A s the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.

This 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.