1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was by the river Chebar among those who had been made prisoners, that the heavens were made open and I saw visions of God.2 On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year after King Jehoiachin had been made a prisoner,3 The word of the Lord came to me, Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on me there.4 And, looking, I saw a storm-wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with flames of fire coming after one another, and a bright light shining round about it and in the heart of it was something coloured like electrum.5 And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man.6 And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.7 And their feet were straight feet; and the under sides of their feet were like the feet of oxen; and they were shining like polished brass.8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings; the four of them had faces on their four sides.9 They went without turning, every one went straight forward.10 As for the form 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, and the four of them had the face of an eagle.11 And their wings were separate at the top; two of the wings of every one were joined one to another, and two were covering their bodies.12 Every one of them went straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go they went; they went on without turning.13 And between the living beings it was like burning coals of fire, as if flames were going one after the other between the living beings; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went thunder-flames.14 And the living beings went out and came back as quickly as a thunder-flame.15 Now while I was looking at the four living beings, I saw one wheel on the earth, by the side of the living beings, for the four of them.16 The form of the wheels and their work was like a beryl; the four of them had the same form and design, and they were like a wheel inside a wheel.17 The four of them went straight forward without turning to one side.18 And I saw that they had edges, and their edges, even of the four, were full of eyes round about.19 And when the living beings went on, the wheels went by their side; and when the living beings were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.20 Wherever the spirit was to go they went; and the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.21 When these went on, the others went; and when these came to rest, the others came to rest; and when these were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.22 And over the heads of the living beings there was the form of an arch, looking like ice, stretched out over their heads on high.23 Under the arch their wings were straight, one stretched out to another: every one had two wings covering their bodies on this side and two covering their bodies on that side.24 And when they went, the sound of their wings was like the sound of great waters to my ears, like the voice of the Ruler of all, a sound like the rushing of an army: when they came to rest they let down their wings.25 And there was a voice from the top of the arch which was over their heads: when they came to rest they let down their wings.26 And on the top of the arch which was over their heads was the form of a king's seat, like a sapphire stone; and on the form of the seat was the form of a man seated on it on high.27 And I saw it coloured like electrum, with the look of fire in it and round it, going up from what seemed to be the middle of his body; and going down from what seemed to be the middle of his body I saw what was like fire, and there was a bright light shining round him.28 Like the bow in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the light shining round him. And this is what the glory of the Lord was like. And when I saw it I went down on my face, and the voice of one talking came to my ears.

1 Et factum est in trigesimo anno, in quarto, in quinta mensis, cum essem in medio captivorum juxta fluvium Chobar, aperti sunt cli, et vidi visiones Dei. 2 In quinta mensis, ipse est annus quintus transmigrationis regis Joachim, 3 factum est verbum Domini ad Ezechielem filium Buzi sacerdotem, in terra Chaldorum, secus flumen Chobar : et facta est super eum ibi manus Domini. 4 Et vidi, et ecce ventus turbinis veniebat ab aquilone, et nubes magna, et ignis involvens, et splendor in circuitu ejus : et de medio ejus, quasi species electri, id est, de medio ignis : 5 et in medio ejus similitudo quatuor animalium. Et hic aspectus eorum, similitudo hominis in eis. 6 Quatuor facies uni, et quatuor penn uni. 7 Pedes eorum, pedes recti, et planta pedis eorum quasi planta pedis vituli : et scintill quasi aspectus ris candentis. 8 Et manus hominis sub pennis eorum, in quatuor partibus : et facies et pennas per quatuor partes habebant. 9 Junctque erant penn eorum alterius ad alterum : non revertebantur cum incederent, sed unumquodque ante faciem suam gradiebatur. 10 Similitudo autem vultus eorum, facies hominis et facies leonis a dextris ipsorum quatuor, facies autem bovis a sinistris ipsorum quatuor, et facies aquil desuper ipsorum quatuor. 11 Facies eorum et penn eorum extent desuper : du penn singulorum jungebantur, et du tegebant corpora eorum.12 Et unumquodque eorum coram facie sua ambulabat : ubi erat impetus spiritus, illuc gradiebantur, nec revertebantur cum ambularent. 13 Et similitudo animalium, aspectus eorum quasi carbonum ignis ardentium, et quasi aspectus lampadarum : hc erat visio discurrens in medio animalium, splendor ignis, et de igne fulgur egrediens. 14 Et animalia ibant et revertebantur, in similitudinem fulguris coruscantis. 15 Cumque aspicerem animalia, apparuit rota una super terram juxta animalia, habens quatuor facies. 16 Et aspectus rotarum et opus earum quasi visio maris : et una similitudo ipsarum quatuor : et aspectus earum et opera quasi sit rota in medio rot. 17 Per quatuor partes earum euntes ibant, et non revertebantur cum ambularent. 18 Statura quoque erat rotis, et altitudo, et horribilis aspectus : et totum corpus oculis plenum in circuitu ipsarum quatuor. 19 Cumque ambularent animalia, ambulabant pariter et rot juxta ea : et cum elevarentur animalia de terra, elevabantur simul et rot. 20 Quocumque ibat spiritus, illuc, eunte spiritu, et rot pariter elevabantur sequentes eum : spiritus enim vit erat in rotis. 21 Cum euntibus ibant, et cum stantibus stabant : et cum elevatis a terra, pariter elevabantur et rot sequentes ea, quia spiritus vit erat in rotis.22 Et similitudo super capita animalium firmamenti, quasi aspectus crystalli horribilis, et extenti super capita eorum desuper. 23 Sub firmamento autem penn eorum rect alterius ad alterum : unumquodque duabus alis velabat corpus suum, et alterum similiter velabatur. 24 Et audiebam sonum alarum, quasi sonum aquarum multarum, quasi sonum sublimis Dei : cum ambularent, quasi sonus erat multitudinis ut sonus castrorum : cumque starent, demittebantur penn eorum. 25 Nam cum fieret vox super firmamentum quod erat super caput eorum, stabant, et submittebant alas suas. 26 Et super firmamentum quod erat imminens capiti eorum, quasi aspectus lapidis sapphiri similitudo throni : et super similitudinem throni similitudo quasi aspectus hominis desuper. 27 Et vidi quasi speciem electri, velut aspectum ignis, intrinsecus ejus per circuitum : a lumbis ejus et desuper, et a lumbis ejus usque deorsum, vidi quasi speciem ignis splendentis in circuitu, 28 velut aspectum arcus cum fuerit in nube in die pluvi. Hic erat aspectus splendoris per gyrum.