1Now, in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the captives by the Chebar River, the heavens opened, and I saw visions from God.
2This was the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year that King Jehoiachin had been in captivity.
3The word of Yahweh came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar River. There, the power of Yahweh came upon him.
4I looked, and I saw a stormy wind coming from the north. There was a great cloud with flashing lightning and a bright light all around it. In the middle of the fire, it looked like glowing metal.
5Out of its center came something that looked like four living creatures. This is how they appeared: they looked like humans.
6Each one had four faces and four wings.
7Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf. They sparkled like polished bronze.
8Under their wings, on their four sides, they had human hands. All four of them had their faces and wings arranged like this:
9Their wings were joined to one another. They didn't turn when they moved; each one went straight forward.
10As for the appearance of their faces, each had the face of a human in front. On the right side, all four had the face of a lion. On the left side, all four had the face of an ox. And all four also had the face of an eagle.
11These were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. Two wings of each creature touched the wings of another, and two wings covered their bodies.
12Each one went straight forward. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and they did not turn when they moved.
13Regarding the appearance of the living creatures, they looked like burning coals of fire, like flaming torches. Fire moved up and down among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning shot out from the fire.
14The living creatures moved rapidly back and forth, like flashes of lightning.
15As I watched the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures.
16The wheels and their construction looked like beryl. All four wheels looked the same, and their appearance and construction were like a wheel within a wheel.
17When they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning.
18Their rims were tall and awe-inspiring, and all four were full of eyes all around.
19When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved alongside them; and when the living creatures lifted off the ground, the wheels also lifted off.
20Wherever the spirit directed them to go, they went. The wheels lifted simultaneously because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved; when those stood still, these stood still; and when those lifted off the ground, the wheels lifted with them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22Above the heads of the living creatures was something like an expanse, shining like dazzling crystal, stretched out over their heads.
23Under this expanse, their wings were straight, one toward the other. Each creature had two wings that covered one side of their bodies and two wings that covered the other side.
24When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the noise of mighty waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of commotion like the noise of an army. When they stopped, they lowered their wings.
25There was a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stopped, they lowered their wings.
26Above the expanse, over their heads, was something that looked like a throne, appearing like a sapphire gem. And on this throne-like object was a figure that looked like a man seated on it.
27From what appeared to be his waist upward, I saw something like glowing metal, like fire all around him. And from what appeared to be his waist downward, I saw something like fire, and brilliant light surrounded him.
28The surrounding brightness looked like the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.