Ezekiel 1

Modern

Literal

Ezekiel’s Vision by the River Kebar

¹In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.^a

¹And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, as I was in the midst of the captivity by the River Kebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

²On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—

²On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the captivity of king Jehoiachin—

³the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans^a by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.

³the word of YHWH came directly to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar; And there the hand of YHWH was upon him.

The Four Living Creatures

⁴I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,^a

⁴And I looked, and behold, a wind of a tempest was coming from the north, and a great cloud and fire taking hold of it, and a brightness to it all around, and in the midst of it was like the color of amber, from the midst of the fire.

⁵and within it was the form of four living creatures.

And this was their appearance: They had a human form,

⁵And in the midst of it was the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: The likeness of a man was unto them,

⁶but each had four faces and four wings.

⁶with four faces for each one, and four wings for each one unto them.

⁷Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.

⁷And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of the foot of a calf, and they sparkled like an eye of polished bronze.

⁸Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings,

⁸And the hands of a man were under their wings on four of their sides. And the faces and wings were unto the four of them,

⁹and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.

⁹joining each one to her sister; their wings did not turn in their going, each man went to straight ahead.

¹⁰The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.

¹⁰And the likeness of their faces, was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side was unto the four of them; and the face of an ox on the left side was unto the four of them, and the face of an eagle was unto the four of them.

¹¹Such were their faces.

Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.

¹¹And such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above each one; unto each one were two touching one, and two were covering their bodies.

¹²Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.

¹²And each one went toward straight ahead of its face; to the direction that there the spirit was to go, they would go, and they did not turn in their going.

¹³In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

¹³And the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like coals of fire burning, like the appearance of torches; it was going about among the living creatures, and brightness was unto the fire, and from the fire was going forth lightning.

¹⁴The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.

¹⁴And the living creatures were running and returning like the appearance of the lightning.

The Four Wheels

¹⁵When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.

¹⁵And I looked at the living creatures, and behold, a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one with his four faces.

¹⁶The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel.

¹⁶The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like an eye of beryl, and a single likeness unto four of them; and their appearance and of their workings was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

¹⁷As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.

¹⁷Upon their four sides, in their going they went, and they did not turn aside in their going.

¹⁸Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

¹⁸And unto their rims was height to them and fearsomeness to them, and their rims were full of eyes all around for the four of them.

¹⁹So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.

¹⁹And in the going of the living creatures, the wheels went beside them; and in the lifting up of the living creatures from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

²⁰Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

²⁰Upon which the spirit was to go, there they would go; there the spirit was to go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

²¹When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

²¹In their going they go, and in their standing they stand; and in their being lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

The Divine Glory

²²Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal.

²²And the likeness over the heads of the living creatures was the firmament, like an eye of awe-inspiring crystal, stretched out over their heads above.

²³And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body.

²³And under the firmament their wings were straight, each one toward its sister; for each one were two as a covering for them, and for each one were two covering for them their body.

²⁴When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty,^a like the tumult of an army.

When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

²⁴And I heard the voice of their wings, like the voice of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai, in their going—the voice of a tumult like the voice of an army—and in their standing, they would slacken their wings.

²⁵And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.

²⁵And there was a voice from over the firmament that was over their heads; in their standing they would slacken their wings.

²⁶Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.

²⁶And from above the firmament that was over their heads, in appearance like a stone of sapphire, was the likeness of a throne, and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness like the appearance of a man over it from above.

²⁷From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.

²⁷And I saw as an eye of amber, like the appearance of fire, a house for it all around, from the appearance of His loins and above; and from the appearance of His loins and downward, I saw as the appearance of fire and brightness to it all around.

²⁸The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.

²⁸As the appearance of a rainbow that comes to be in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness surrounding. It was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of YHWH. And I saw it, and I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice speaking.