As I looked, behold, a (A)high wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like (B)gleaming [a]metal in the midst of the fire. And within it there were figures resembling (C)four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human (D)form. Each of them had (E)four faces and (F)four wings. Their legs were straight and [b]their feet were like a calf’s [c]hoof, and they sparkled like (G)polished bronze. Under their wings on their (H)four sides were human (I)hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, their wings touched one another; their faces did (J)not turn when they moved, each (K)went straight forward. 10 As for the (L)form of their faces, each had a human (M)face; [d]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and [e]all four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and (N)two covering their bodies. 12 And (O)each went straight forward; (P)wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 [f]In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of (Q)fire, [g]like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was [h]flashing from the fire. 14 And the living beings (R)ran back and forth like bolts of (S)lightning.

15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one (T)wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for [i]each of the four of them. 16 The (U)appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like [j]sparkling (V)topaz, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if [k]one wheel were within another. 17 Whenever they [l]moved, they [m]moved in any of their four [n]directions without (W)turning as they [o]moved. 18 As for their rims, they were high and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were [p](X)covered with eyes all around. 19 (Y)Whenever the living beings [q]moved, the wheels [r]moved with them. And whenever the living beings (Z)rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 20 (AA)Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction[s]. And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living [t]beings was in the wheels. 21 (AB)Whenever those went, they went; and whenever those stopped, they stopped. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living [u]beings was in the wheels.

Vision of Divine Glory

22 Now (AC)over the heads of the living [v]beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads. 23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had (AD)two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. 24 And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the (AE)sound of abundant waters as they went, like the (AF)voice of [w]the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the (AG)sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 1:4 Heb uncertain; Gr indicates a gold and silver alloy
  2. Ezekiel 1:7 Lit the sole of their feet
  3. Ezekiel 1:7 Lit sole of a foot
  4. Ezekiel 1:10 Lit the four of them
  5. Ezekiel 1:10 Lit the four of them
  6. Ezekiel 1:13 As in some ancient versions; MT And the likeness of the living beings
  7. Ezekiel 1:13 Lit like the appearance of
  8. Ezekiel 1:13 Lit going out
  9. Ezekiel 1:15 Lit his four faces
  10. Ezekiel 1:16 Or the look of topaz
  11. Ezekiel 1:16 Lit the wheel in the midst of the wheel
  12. Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
  13. Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
  14. Ezekiel 1:17 Lit sides
  15. Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
  16. Ezekiel 1:18 Lit full of
  17. Ezekiel 1:19 Lit went
  18. Ezekiel 1:19 Lit went
  19. Ezekiel 1:20 MT adds the spirit to go
  20. Ezekiel 1:20 MT being
  21. Ezekiel 1:21 MT being
  22. Ezekiel 1:22 As in some mss and ancient versions; MT being
  23. Ezekiel 1:24 Heb Shaddai

Then I looked, and behold, (A)a whirlwind was coming (B)out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. (C)Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And (D)this was their appearance: they had (E)the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. Their [a]legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled (F)like the color of burnished bronze. (G)The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight (H)forward.

10 As for (I)the likeness of their faces, each (J)had the face of a man; each of the four had (K)the face of a lion on the right side, (L)each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, (M)and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and (N)two covered their bodies. 12 And (O)each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.

13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, (P)like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, (Q)in appearance like a flash of lightning.

15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, (R)a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. 16 (S)The appearance of the wheels and their workings was (T)like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were (U)full of eyes, all around the four of them. 19 (V)When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, (W)for the spirit of the [b]living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the [c]living creatures was in the wheels.

22 (X)The likeness of the [d]firmament above the heads of the [e]living creatures was like the color of an awesome (Y)crystal, stretched out (Z)over their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. 24 (AA)When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, (AB)like the noise of many waters, like (AC)the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 1:7 Lit. feet
  2. Ezekiel 1:20 Lit. living creature; LXX, Vg. spirit of life; Tg. creatures
  3. Ezekiel 1:21 See note at v. 20
  4. Ezekiel 1:22 Or expanse
  5. Ezekiel 1:22 So with LXX, Tg., Vg.; MT living creature