Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision

1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles^(A) by the Kebar River,^(B) the heavens were opened^(C) and I saw visions^(D) of God.

⁴ I looked, and I saw a windstorm^(A) coming out of the north^(B)—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,^{(C) 5} and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures.^(D) In appearance their form was human,^{(E) 6} but each of them had four faces^(F) and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.^{(G) 8} Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands.^(H) All four of them had faces and wings, ⁹ and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.^(I)

¹⁰ Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.^{(J) 11} Such were their faces. They each had two wings^(K) spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body.

²² Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault,^(A) sparkling like crystal, and awesome. ²³ Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing^(B) waters, like the voice^(C) of the Almighty,^[a] like the tumult of an army.^(D) When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

²⁵ Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. ²⁶ Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne^(E) of lapis lazuli,^(F) and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.^{(G) 27} I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.^{(H) 28} Like the appearance of a rainbow^(I) in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.^(J)

This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory^(K) of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown,^(L) and I heard the voice of one speaking.