1 And it was in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, and I was in the midst of*Or "among" the exiles*Hebrew "exile" by the Kebar River.*Literally "river of Kebar" The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of the king Jehoiachin— 3 the word of Yahweh came*Literally "was" clearly*Or "certainly" to Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans at the Kebar River,*Literally "river of Kebar" and the hand of Yahweh was on him there.

4 And I looked,*Or "saw" and look! A storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire flashing back and forth, and brightness around and within it,*Literally "for it" and from its midst*Or "middle" it was like the outward appearance of amber stone from the midst*Or "middle" of the fire. 5 And from its midst*Or "middle" was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: a human form,*Literally "this their appearance the likeness of a human to them"6 and each had four faces,*Literally "and four faces to each" and each of them had four wings.*Literally "and four wings to each for them"7 And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of the foot of a calf, and they were sparkling like the outward appearance of polished bronze. 8 And under their wings were human hands*Literally "hand his a man" on their four sides. And their faces and their wings for the four of them were as follows: 9 their wings were touching one another;*Literally "their wings were touching each her sister" each of them went straight forward,*Literally "they did not turn at their going" without turning right or left.*Literally "each toward the side of his face they went"10 The likeness of their faces was the face of a human in front, and the face of a lion on the right of each of them,*Literally "of the four of them" and the face of an ox on the left of each of them,*Literally "of the four of them" and the face of an eagle for each of them.*Literally "of the four of them"11 So were their faces; their wings were spread out upward;*Literally "from to above" each had two touching one another and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward;*Literally "toward the side of his face they went" wherever the spirit went*Literally "towards which it was there the spirit" they went, and they did not turn as they went.*Literally "they did not turn at their going"13 As for*Or "And" the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. It*That is, the fire was moving to and fro between the living creatures, and the fire was very bright*Literally "brightness was for the fire" and lightning was going out from the fire. 14 And the living creatures were speeding to and fro*Literally "sped forth and returned" like the appearance of lightning.

15 And I saw the living creatures, and look! A wheel was on the earth*Or "ground" beside each of the living creatures that had four faces.*Literally "the living creatures for the four of his/its faces." The LXX has "for the four of them."16 The appearance of the wheels and their construction was like the appearance of beryl,*Or "chrysolite," or "topaz"; this stone is difficult to identify exactly and they all looked alike,*Literally "likeness was one for the four of them" and their appearance and their construction was like a wheel within a wheel.*Literally "as that it was a wheel in the midst of a wheel"17 When they moved, they went toward their four sides; they did not veer at all as they went.*Literally "turn away when they went"18 And their rims were high and awesome,*Literally "height was for them and awesomeness was for them" and all four of*Literally "of the four of them" their rims were full of eyes all around. 19 And at the going of the living creatures, the wheels next to them also went, and when the creatures were lifted from the ground*Literally "and at the lifting up of the creatures from the earth" the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever*Literally "Toward which" the spirit went they would go there, and the wheels rose, for the spirit of the living creatures*Hebrew "creature" was in the wheels. 21 At their*That is, the living creatures going, they*That is, the wheels go, and at their standing, they stood, and at their being lifted up from on the earth,*Or "ground" the wheels rose,*Or "were lifted up" for the spirit of the living creatures*Hebrew "creature" was in the wheels.

22 Now*Or "And" the likeness above the heads of the living creatures was an expanse like the outward appearance of awesome*Literally "terrible" ice*Literally "frozen water" spread out above their heads upward.*Literally "from to upward"23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight one toward the other;*Literally "each towards its sister" each had two wings covering them, and each had two wings covering their bodies. 24 And I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai,*Often translated "Almighty" and when they moved*Literally "at their going" there was a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stood still*Literally "at their standing" they lowered their wings. 25 And there was*Or "it was" a sound from above the expanse that was above their heads, and when they stood*Literally "at their standing" they lowered their wings. 26 And from above the expanse that was above their heads there was the likeness of a throne, looking like a sapphire,*Literally "the appearance of a stone of sapphire" and above the likeness of the throne was a likeness similar to*Or "like" the appearance of a human on it, but above it.*Literally "from to above"27 And I saw something like the outward appearance of amber, something like the appearance of fire, with a covering around it, from the likeness of his loins and upward.*Literally "to above" And from the likeness of his loins and downward*Literally "to down" I saw something like the appearance of fire, and it was radiant all around.*Literally "brightness was for it around"28 Like the appearance*Or "likeness" of a bow that is in the cloud on a rainy day,*Literally "the day of the rain" such was the radiance*Or "brightness" around it; thus was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw, and I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.