1In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was among the captives by the river Chebar. The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
3the word of the LORD came clearly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar. And the hand of the LORD was upon him there.
4I looked, and a whirlwind came out of the north. There was a great cloud, and a fire folding in on itself, with a brightness all around it. Out of the middle of it, out of the middle of the fire, came something like the colour of amber.
5Out of the middle of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This is how they looked: they had the likeness of a man.
6Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
7Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. They sparkled like polished brass.
8They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had their faces and their wings.
9Their wings were joined to one another. They did not turn as they went; each one went straight forward.
10This is what their faces looked like. All four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side. All four had the face of an ox on the left side. All four also had the face of an eagle.
11So were their faces. Their wings were stretched upward. Two wings of each one were joined to one another, and two covered their bodies.
12Each one went straight forward. Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, and they did not turn as they went.
13As for the likeness of the living creatures, they looked like burning coals of fire, like the look of lamps. The fire moved up and down among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning came out of the fire.
14The living creatures ran and returned, like a flash of lightning.
15As I watched the living creatures, I saw one wheel on the ground beside the living creatures, with its four faces.
16The wheels and their work looked like the colour of beryl. All four looked the same. They looked and worked as if a wheel were inside a wheel.
17When they moved, they moved toward any of their four sides. They did not turn as they went.
18As for their rims, they were so high that they were frightening. And the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.
19When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up too.
20Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, for the spirit was to go there. And the wheels were lifted up beside them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21When those went, these went. When those stood still, these stood still. When those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22Over the heads of the living creature was the likeness of a dome, shining like awesome crystal, stretched out above their heads.
23Under the dome their wings were straight, one toward the other. Each one had two wings covering one side of its body, and two covering the other side.
24When they went, I heard the noise of their wings. It was like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, the sound of speech, like the noise of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
25And there was a voice from the dome that was over their heads, when they stood still and had let down their wings.
26Above the dome that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, which looked like a sapphire stone. And on the likeness of the throne was a likeness that looked like a man, high above it.
27I saw something like the colour of amber, like the look of fire all around inside it. From what looked like his waist upward, and from what looked like his waist downward, I saw what looked like fire, with brightness all around it.
28The brightness all around looked like the bow that is in the cloud on a rainy day. This was how the likeness of the glory of the LORD looked. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one who spoke.