Ezekiel / The Vision of God's Glory and the Living Creatures

The Vision of God's Glory and the Living Creatures

Ezekiel 1:1-28

Chapter 1

¹ It was in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month. And I was in the midst of the exile by the river Chebar. The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. ² On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin. ³ The word of the LORD came 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. ⁴ And I saw, and behold, a wind of storm coming from the north, a great cloud and fire flashing, and brightness all around it, and from its midst like the eye of electrum, from the midst of the fire. ⁵ And from its midst, the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: the likeness of a man for each. ⁶ And they each had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of a calf's feet, gleaming like the eye of burnished bronze. ⁸ And the hands of a man under their wings, on their four sides. And their faces and their wings were to their four sides. ⁹ A woman is joined to her sister; they will not turn their wings in their going. Each man will go to the opposite of his face. ¹⁰ The likeness of their faces: a face of man and a face of lion on the right of the four of them, a face of ox on the left of the four of them, and a face of eagle on the four of them. ¹¹ Their faces and their wings were separated above; two wings of each joined together, each one, and two covering their bodies. ¹² And each went toward the side of its faces; toward whichever side the Spirit was to go, they went; they did not turn as they went. ¹³ The likeness of the living beings—their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. It walks back and forth between the living beings, and the brightness of the fire, and from the fire goes out lightning. ¹⁴ The living creatures ran back and forth like the appearance of a lightning flash. ¹⁵ I saw the living creatures, and behold, a single wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, facing its four directions. ¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels and their work was like the eye of Tarshish, and there was a likeness of one for the four of them. And their appearance and their work was like a wheel within a wheel. ¹⁷ On their four sides, in their going they go; they do not turn in their going. ¹⁸ Their backs and their height—and they have eyes all around, and their backs are full of eyes all around to the four of them. ¹⁹ And when the living creatures went, the wheels would go beside them, and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels would be lifted. ²⁰ Wherever the spirit wants to go, they go there; the spirit goes there, and the wheels are lifted up alongside them, for the spirit of the living being is in the wheels. ²¹ In their going they go, and in their standing they stand, and in their being lifted up from the earth the wheels are lifted up alongside them, for the spirit of the life is in the wheels. ²² And over the heads of the living creatures was a likeness of an expanse—like the eye of the fearsome ice, stretched out over their heads from above. ²³ And under the expanse their wings were straight, one to another; each had two covering them, and each had two covering their bodies. ²⁴ I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of Shaddai. When they walked, the sound of the ruling one was like the sound of a camp. When they stood, their wings let go. ²⁵ And there was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood still, they let their wings droop. ²⁶ And from above to the expanse that was over their heads, like the appearance of a sapphire stone, a likeness of a throne. And over the likeness of the throne, a likeness like the appearance of a man upon it from above. ²⁷ I saw as the eye of electrum, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around; from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward, I saw like the appearance of fire, and brightness to it all around. ²⁸ Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on a day of rain, so is the appearance of the radiance all around. This is the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And I saw it and fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.