Ezekiel 1:4-24
New American Standard Bible
4 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. 5 And within it there were figures resembling (C)four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human (D)form. 6 Each of them had (E)four faces and (F)four wings. 7 Their legs were straight and [b]their feet were like a calf’s [c]hoof, and they sparkled like (G)polished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their (H)four sides were human (I)hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 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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- Ezekiel 1:4 Heb uncertain; Gr indicates a gold and silver alloy
- Ezekiel 1:7 Lit the sole of their feet
- Ezekiel 1:7 Lit sole of a foot
- Ezekiel 1:10 Lit the four of them
- Ezekiel 1:10 Lit the four of them
- Ezekiel 1:13 As in some ancient versions; MT And the likeness of the living beings
- Ezekiel 1:13 Lit like the appearance of
- Ezekiel 1:13 Lit going out
- Ezekiel 1:15 Lit his four faces
- Ezekiel 1:16 Or the look of topaz
- Ezekiel 1:16 Lit the wheel in the midst of the wheel
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit sides
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:18 Lit full of
- Ezekiel 1:19 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:19 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:20 MT adds the spirit to go
- Ezekiel 1:20 MT being
- Ezekiel 1:21 MT being
- Ezekiel 1:22 As in some mss and ancient versions; MT being
- Ezekiel 1:24 Heb Shaddai
Ezekiel 1:4-24
Revised Standard Version
4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming bronze. 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the form of men, 6 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 like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another; they went every one straight forward, without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in front;[a] the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle at the back.[b] 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 In the midst of[c] the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.[d] 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of a chrysolite; and the four had the same likeness, their construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions[e] without turning as they went. 18 The four wheels had rims and they had spokes;[f] and their rims were full of eyes round about. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, shining like crystal,[g] spread out above their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another; and each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of a host; when they stood still, they let down their wings.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 1:10 Cn: Heb lacks in front
- Ezekiel 1:10 Cn: Heb lacks at the back
- Ezekiel 1:13 Gk Old Latin: Heb And the likeness of
- Ezekiel 1:15 Heb of their faces
- Ezekiel 1:17 Heb on their four sides
- Ezekiel 1:18 Cn: Heb uncertain
- Ezekiel 1:22 Gk: Heb awesome crystal
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Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.