Eze 1 | LSB | STEP | Now it happened in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

‏ Ezekiel 1

The Vision of Four Living Creatures

1 Now it happened in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, that the heavens were opened, and I saw ^{▼▼Some ancient mss and versions a vision}visions of God. 2 (On the fifth of the month ^{▼▼Lit it was}in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, 3 the word of ^{▼▼The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15}Yahweh came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of Yahweh came upon him.)

4 Then I looked, and behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light all around it, and in its midst something like the gleam of glowing metal in the midst of the fire. 5 And within it there were figures with the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 And each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 And their legs were straight, and ^{▼▼Lit the soles of their feet}their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like the gleam of burnished bronze. 8 And under their wings on their four sides were hands of a man. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn as they went; each went straight forward. 10 And as for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; ^{▼▼Lit the four of them}all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and ^{▼▼Lit the four of them}all four had the face of an eagle. 11 And such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 ^{▼▼Some ancient versions And in the midst of the living}As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, ^{▼▼Lit coming out}like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning was ^{▼▼Lit coming out}flashing from the fire. 14 And the living creatures ran to and fro with the appearance of lightning.

15 Then I looked at the living creatures, and behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, ^{▼▼Lit for his four faces}for each of the four of them. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like the gleam of beryl, and all four of them had the same likeness, their appearance and workmanship being as if ^{▼▼Lit the wheel in the midst of the wheel}one wheel were within another. 17 Whenever they went, they went in any of their four ^{▼▼Lit sides}directions without turning as they went. 18 And as for their rims, they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes all around. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. And when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 20 Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction, ^{▼▼Some ancient versions omit the final clause}where the spirit was about to go. And the wheels rose alongside of them; for the spirit of the living ^{▼▼M.T. creature}creatures was in the wheels. 21 Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living ^{▼▼M.T. being}creatures was in the wheels.

The Vision of the Glory of Yahweh

22 Now over the heads of the living ^{▼▼As in some ancient mss and versions; M.T. creature}creatures there was something with the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome gleam of ^{▼▼Or ice}crystal, spread out over their heads above. 23 And underneath the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. 24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters as they went, like the ^{▼▼Or voice}sound of ^{▼▼Heb Shaddai}the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. 25 And there came a sound from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.

26 Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something in the likeness of a throne, like sapphire stone in appearance; and upon the likeness of the throne, high up, was the likeness of one with the appearance of a man. 27 Then I saw from the appearance of His loins and upward something like the gleam of ^{▼▼Or electrum}glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something with the appearance of fire; and there was a radiance all around Him. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow ^{▼▼Lit which occurs in}in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw this, and I fell on my face and heard a sound of a voice speaking.