Ezekiel 1
Legacy Standard Bible
The Vision of Four Living Creatures
1 Now it happened in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the (A)river Chebar among the exiles, that the (B)heavens were opened, and I saw [a](C)visions of God. 2 (On the fifth of the month [b]in the (D)fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, 3 the (E)word of [c]Yahweh came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the (F)land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there (G)the hand of Yahweh came upon him.)
4 Then I looked, and behold, a (H)storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light all around it, and in its midst something like the gleam of (I)glowing metal in the midst of the fire. 5 And within it there were figures with the likeness of (J)four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the (K)likeness of a man. 6 And each of them had (L)four faces and (M)four wings. 7 And their legs were straight, and [d]their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like the gleam of (N)burnished bronze. 8 And under their wings on their (O)four sides were (P)hands of a man. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did (Q)not turn as they went; each (R)went straight forward. 10 And as for the (S)likeness of their faces, each had the (T)face of a man; [e]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and [f]all four had the face of an eagle. 11 And such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and (U)two covering their bodies. 12 And (V)each went straight forward; (W)wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 [g]As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of (X)fire, [h]like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning was [i]flashing from the fire. 14 And the living creatures (Y)ran to and fro with the appearance of (Z)lightning.
15 Then I looked at the living creatures, and behold, there was one (AA)wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, [j]for each of the four of them. 16 The (AB)appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like the gleam of (AC)beryl, and all four of them had the same likeness, their appearance and workmanship being as if [k]one wheel were within another. 17 Whenever they went, they went in any of their four [l]directions without (AD)turning as they went. 18 And as for their rims, they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were (AE)full of eyes all around. 19 (AF)And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. And when the living creatures (AG)rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 20 (AH)Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction, [m]where the spirit was about to go. And the wheels rose alongside of them; for the spirit of the living [n]creatures was in the wheels. 21 (AI)Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living [o]creatures was in the wheels.
The Vision of the Glory of Yahweh
22 Now (AJ)over the heads of the living [p]creatures there was something with the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome gleam of [q]crystal, spread out over their heads above. 23 And underneath the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had (AK)two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. 24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the (AL)sound of many waters as they went, like the [r](AM)sound of [s]the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the (AN)sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. 25 And there came a sound from above the (AO)expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
26 Now (AP)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something in the (AQ)likeness of a throne, like (AR)sapphire stone in appearance; and upon the likeness of the throne, high up, was the likeness of one with the appearance of a (AS)man. 27 Then I saw from the appearance of His loins and upward something (AT)like the gleam of [t]glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something with the appearance of fire; and there was a radiance all around Him. 28 As the appearance of the (AU)rainbow [u]in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the (AV)glory of Yahweh. And I saw this, and I (AW)fell on my face and heard a sound of a voice speaking.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 1:1 Some ancient mss and versions a vision
- Ezekiel 1:2 Lit it was
- Ezekiel 1:3 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- Ezekiel 1:7 Lit the soles of their feet
- Ezekiel 1:10 Lit the four of them
- Ezekiel 1:10 Lit the four of them
- Ezekiel 1:13 Some ancient versions And in the midst of the living
- Ezekiel 1:13 Lit coming out
- Ezekiel 1:13 Lit coming out
- Ezekiel 1:15 Lit for his four faces
- Ezekiel 1:16 Lit the wheel in the midst of the wheel
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit sides
- Ezekiel 1:20 Some ancient versions omit the final clause
- Ezekiel 1:20 M.T. creature
- Ezekiel 1:21 M.T. being
- Ezekiel 1:22 As in some ancient mss and versions; M.T. creature
- Ezekiel 1:22 Or ice
- Ezekiel 1:24 Or voice
- Ezekiel 1:24 Heb Shaddai
- Ezekiel 1:27 Or electrum
- Ezekiel 1:28 Lit which occurs in
Ezekiel 1
King James Version
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, 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 the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding 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 a man.
6 And every one had four faces, and every one had 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 burnished brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not 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 lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature 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 over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
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