Ezekiel 1
World English Bible
1 Now in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.[a]
2 In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3 Yahweh’s[b] word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and Yahweh’s hand was there on him.
4 I looked, and behold,[c] a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of the middle of it as it were glowing metal, out of the middle of the fire. 5 Out of its center came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man. 6 Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings. 7 Their feet were straight feet. The sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. The four of them had their faces and their wings like this: 9 Their wings were joined to one another. They didn’t turn when they went. Each one went straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them had the face of an ox on the left side. The four of them also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies. 12 Each one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went. They didn’t turn when they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. The fire went up and down among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire. 14 The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl. The four of them had one likeness. Their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in their four directions. They didn’t turn when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went. The spirit was to go there. The wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood. When those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like an awesome crystal to look at, stretched out over their heads above. 23 Under the expanse, their wings were straight, one toward the other. Each one had two which covered on this side, and each one had two which covered their bodies on that side. 24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.
25 There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings. 26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire[d] stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above. 27 I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.
This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
Footnotes
Ezekiel 1
Lexham English Bible
Date of Vision of Living Creatures and Glory of the Throne of Yahweh
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[a] the exiles[b] by the Kebar River.[c] 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[d] clearly[e] to Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans at the Kebar River,[f] and the hand of Yahweh was on him there.
4 And I looked,[g] 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,[h] and from its midst[i] it was like the outward appearance of amber stone from the midst[j] of the fire. 5 And from its midst[k] was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: a human form,[l] 6 and each had four faces,[m] and each of them had four wings.[n] 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[o] 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;[p] each of them went straight forward,[q] without turning right or left.[r] 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,[s] and the face of an ox on the left of each of them,[t] and the face of an eagle for each of them.[u] 11 So were their faces; their wings were spread out upward;[v] each had two touching one another and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward;[w] wherever the spirit went[x] they went, and they did not turn as they went.[y] 13 As for[z] the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. It[aa] was moving to and fro between the living creatures, and the fire was very bright[ab] and lightning was going out from the fire. 14 And the living creatures were speeding to and fro[ac] like the appearance of lightning.
15 And I saw the living creatures, and look! A wheel was on the earth[ad] beside each of the living creatures that had four faces.[ae] 16 The appearance of the wheels and their construction was like the appearance of beryl,[af] and they all looked alike,[ag] and their appearance and their construction was like a wheel within a wheel.[ah] 17 When they moved, they went toward their four sides; they did not veer at all as they went.[ai] 18 And their rims were high and awesome,[aj] and all four of[ak] 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[al] the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever[am] the spirit went they would go there, and the wheels rose, for the spirit of the living creatures[an] was in the wheels. 21 At their[ao] going, they[ap] go, and at their standing, they stood, and at their being lifted up from on the earth,[aq] the wheels rose,[ar] for the spirit of the living creatures[as] was in the wheels.
22 Now[at] the likeness above the heads of the living creatures was an expanse like the outward appearance of awesome[au] ice[av] spread out above their heads upward.[aw] 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight one toward the other;[ax] 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,[ay] and when they moved[az] there was a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stood still[ba] they lowered their wings. 25 And there was[bb] a sound from above the expanse that was above their heads, and when they stood[bc] 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,[bd] and above the likeness of the throne was a likeness similar to[be] the appearance of a human on it, but above it.[bf] 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.[bg] And from the likeness of his loins and downward[bh] I saw something like the appearance of fire, and it was radiant all around.[bi] 28 Like the appearance[bj] of a bow that is in the cloud on a rainy day,[bk] such was the radiance[bl] 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.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 1:1 Or “among”
- Ezekiel 1:1 Hebrew “exile”
- Ezekiel 1:1 Literally “river of Kebar”
- Ezekiel 1:3 Literally “was”
- Ezekiel 1:3 Or “certainly”
- Ezekiel 1:3 Literally “river of Kebar”
- Ezekiel 1:4 Or “saw”
- Ezekiel 1:4 Literally “for it”
- Ezekiel 1:4 Or “middle”
- Ezekiel 1:4 Or “middle”
- Ezekiel 1:5 Or “middle”
- Ezekiel 1:5 Literally “this their appearance the likeness of a human to them”
- Ezekiel 1:6 Literally “and four faces to each”
- Ezekiel 1:6 Literally “and four wings to each for them”
- Ezekiel 1:8 Literally “hand his a man”
- Ezekiel 1:9 Literally “their wings were touching each her sister”
- Ezekiel 1:9 Literally “they did not turn at their going”
- Ezekiel 1:9 Literally “each toward the side of his face they went”
- Ezekiel 1:10 Literally “of the four of them”
- Ezekiel 1:10 Literally “of the four of them”
- Ezekiel 1:10 Literally “of the four of them”
- Ezekiel 1:11 Literally “from to above”
- Ezekiel 1:12 Literally “toward the side of his face they went”
- Ezekiel 1:12 Literally “towards which it was there the spirit”
- Ezekiel 1:12 Literally “they did not turn at their going”
- Ezekiel 1:13 Or “And”
- Ezekiel 1:13 That is, the fire
- Ezekiel 1:13 Literally “brightness was for the fire”
- Ezekiel 1:14 Literally “sped forth and returned”
- Ezekiel 1:15 Or “ground”
- Ezekiel 1:15 Literally “the living creatures for the four of his/its faces.” The LXX has “for the four of them.”
- Ezekiel 1:16 Or “chrysolite,” or “topaz”; this stone is difficult to identify exactly
- Ezekiel 1:16 Literally “likeness was one for the four of them”
- Ezekiel 1:16 Literally “as that it was a wheel in the midst of a wheel”
- Ezekiel 1:17 Literally “turn away when they went”
- Ezekiel 1:18 Literally “height was for them and awesomeness was for them”
- Ezekiel 1:18 Literally “of the four of them”
- Ezekiel 1:19 Literally “and at the lifting up of the creatures from the earth”
- Ezekiel 1:20 Literally “Toward which”
- Ezekiel 1:20 Hebrew “creature”
- Ezekiel 1:21 That is, the living creatures
- Ezekiel 1:21 That is, the wheels
- Ezekiel 1:21 Or “ground”
- Ezekiel 1:21 Or “were lifted up”
- Ezekiel 1:21 Hebrew “creature”
- Ezekiel 1:22 Or “And”
- Ezekiel 1:22 Literally “terrible”
- Ezekiel 1:22 Literally “frozen water”
- Ezekiel 1:22 Literally “from to upward”
- Ezekiel 1:23 Literally “each towards its sister”
- Ezekiel 1:24 Often translated “Almighty”
- Ezekiel 1:24 Literally “at their going”
- Ezekiel 1:24 Literally “at their standing”
- Ezekiel 1:25 Or “it was”
- Ezekiel 1:25 Literally “at their standing”
- Ezekiel 1:26 Literally “the appearance of a stone of sapphire”
- Ezekiel 1:26 Or “like”
- Ezekiel 1:26 Literally “from to above”
- Ezekiel 1:27 Literally “to above”
- Ezekiel 1:27 Literally “to down”
- Ezekiel 1:27 Literally “brightness was for it around”
- Ezekiel 1:28 Or “likeness”
- Ezekiel 1:28 Literally “the day of the rain”
- Ezekiel 1:28 Or “brightness”
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