Ezekiel 1

¹Now in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was amongst the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

²In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, ³the LORD’s word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Kasdim by the river Chebar; and the LORD’s hand was there on him.

⁴I looked, and behold, 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. ⁵Out of its centre came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man. ⁶Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings. ⁷Their feet were straight feet. The sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. ⁸They 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: ⁹Their wings were joined to one another. They didn’t turn when they went. Each one went straight forward.

¹⁰As 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. ¹¹Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies. ¹²Each one went straight forward. Where the spirit was to go, they went. They didn’t turn when they went. ¹³As 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 amongst the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire. ¹⁴The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

¹⁵Now 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. ¹⁶The 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. ¹⁷When they went, they went in their four directions. They didn’t turn when they went. ¹⁸As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims 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. ²⁰Wherever 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. ²¹When 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.

²²Over 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. ²³Under the expanse, their wings were straight, one towards the other. Each one had two which covered on this side, and each one had two which covered their bodies on that side. ²⁴When 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.

²⁵There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings. ²⁶Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above. ²⁷I 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. ²⁸As 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 the LORD’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.