1 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 In the fifth [day] of the month, which [was] the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

3 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 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 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 And each one had four faces, and four wings.

7 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 And the living creatures ran and turned as the appearance of lightnings.

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

16 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 When they went, they went upon their four sides: [and] they did not return when they went.

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

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

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

24 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 And there was heard a voice from the heaven that [was] over their heads, when they stood, [and] had let down their wings.

26 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 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 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.: