Chapter 1
1:1 Now it came to pass in the
thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, that I was
in the midst of the captivity by the River Chebar; and the heavens were opened,
and I saw visions of God.
2
On the fifth day of the month; this was the fifth year of the captivity of King
Jehoiachin.
3
And the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the
land of the Chaldeans, by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon
me.
4
And I looked, and behold, a sweeping wind came from the north, and a great cloud
on it, and there was brightness round
about it, and gleaming fire, and in the midst of it as it were the appearance of
amber in the midst of the fire, and brightness in it.
5
And in the midst as it were the likeness of four living creatures. And this was
their appearance: the likeness of a man was upon them.
6
And each one had four faces, and each
one had four wings.
7
And their legs were straight; and their feet were winged, and there were sparks, like gleaming brass, and their wings were light.
8
And the hand of a man was under their wings on their four sides.
9
And their faces turned not when they went; but each one went straight forward.
10
And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on
the right of the four; and the face of a calf on the left of the four; and the
face of an eagle to the four.
11
And the four had their wings spread out above; each one had
two joined to one another, and two covered their bodies.
12
And each one went straight forward: wherever the spirit was going they went, and
turned not back.
13
And in the midst of the living creatures there
was an appearance as of burning coals of fire, as an appearance of lamps
turning among the living creatures; and the brightness of fire, and out of the
fire came forth lightning.
14
15
And I looked, and behold, the four each
had one wheel on the ground near the living creatures.
16
And the appearance of the wheels was as the appearance of beryl: and the four
had one likeness; and their work was as it were a wheel in a wheel.
17
They went on their four sides; they turned not as they went;
18
neither did their backs turn. And they
were high. And I beheld them, and the backs of the four were full of eyes round
about.
19
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living
creatures lifted themselves off the earth, the wheels were lifted off.
20
Wherever the cloud happened to be, there was the spirit ready to go. The wheels
went and were lifted up with them; because the spirit of life was in the wheels.
21
When those went, the wheels went; and
when those stood, the wheels stood;
and when those lifted themselves off the earth, they were lifted off with them,
for the spirit of life was in the wheels.
22
And the likeness over the heads of the living creatures was as a firmament, as
the appearance of crystal, spread out over their wings above.
23
And their wings were spread out under the firmament, reaching one to the other;
two wings to each, covering their
bodies.
24
And I heard the sound of their wings when they went, as the sound of much water:
and when they stood, their wings were let down.
25
And lo! A voice from above the firmament
26
that was over their head, there was as the appearance of a sapphire stone, and
the likeness of a throne upon it. And upon the likeness of the throne was the
likeness as an appearance of a man above.
27
And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber from the appearance of the loins
and upwards, and from the appearance of the loins and under I saw an appearance
of fire, and the brightness thereof round about.
28 As the appearance of the rainbow when it is in the cloud in days of rain, so was the form of brightness round about.