Ezekiel in Babylon

1 ^(A)In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by ^(B)the Chebar canal, ^(C)the heavens were opened, and I saw ^(D)visions of God.^{[a] 2} On the fifth day of the month (it was ^(E)the fifth year of ^(F)the exile of King Jehoiachin), ³ the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel ^(G)the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by ^(H)the Chebar canal, and ^(I)the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

The Glory of the Lord

⁴ As I looked, behold, ^(J)a stormy wind came ^(K)out of the north, and a great cloud, with ^(L)brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, ^(M)as it were gleaming metal.^{[b] 5} And from the midst of it came the likeness of ^(N)four living creatures. ^(O)And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, ^6 (P)but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled ^(Q)like burnished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings ^(R)on their four sides ^(S)they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: ⁹ their wings touched one another. ^(T)Each one of them went straight forward, ^(U)without turning as they went.

^15 (A)Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.^{[a] 16 (B)}As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like ^(C)the gleaming of beryl. ^(D)And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. ^17 (E)When they went, they went ^(F)in any of their four directions^{[b] (G)}without turning as they went. ¹⁸ And their rims were tall and awesome, ^(H)and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.

²⁵ And there came a voice from above ^(A)the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

²⁶ And above the expanse over their heads there was ^(B)the likeness of a throne, ^(C)in appearance ^(D)like sapphire;^[a] and seated above the likeness of a throne was ^(E)a likeness with a human appearance. ²⁷ And ^(F)upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were ^(G)gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and ^(H)there was brightness around him.^{[b] 28} Like the appearance of ^(I)the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of ^(J)the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, ^(K)I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Ezekiel's Call

2 And he said to me, ^(L)“Son of man,^{[c] (M)}stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” ² And as he spoke to me, ^(N)the Spirit entered into me and ^(O)set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to ^(P)nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. ^(Q)They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. ⁴ The descendants also are ^(R)impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ⁵ And ^(S)whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are ^(T)a rebellious house) ^(U)they will know that a prophet has been among them.