Eze 1 | ABEn | STEP | And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, the fifth of the month, and I was in the midst of the captivity by the river Chebar, and [ 3 were opened 1 the 2 heavens], and I beheld visions of God.

‏ Ezekiel 1

CHAPTER 1 Ezekiel's Vision of the Living Creatures

1 And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, the fifth of the month, and I was in the midst of the captivity by the river Chebar, and [³were opened ¹the ²heavens], and I beheld visions of God. 2 On the fifth of the month, this is the [²year ¹fifth] of the captivity of king Jehoiakim, 3 and [³came ¹the word ²of the lord] to Ezekiel, the son of Buzi the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and [³came ⁴upon ⁵me ¹the hand ²of the lord]. 4 And I beheld, and behold, a wind lifting up came from the north, and [²cloud ¹a great] with it, and brightness round about it, and fire flashing. And in the midst of it was as the vision of molten bronze in the midst of the fire, and brightness in it. 5 And in the midst was as a likeness of four living creatures. And this is their vision -- a likeness of a man was unto them. 6 And there were four faces to the one, and four wings to the one. 7 And their legs were straight; and [²feathered ¹their feet]; and there were sparks as flashing brass; and [²were light ¹their wings]. 8 And the hand of a man was beneath their wings, upon [²four ³parts ¹their]. And their faces and their wings, of the four, were being next to the other of the other. 9 And their wings were not turned in their proceeding; each [²opposite ³their face ¹went]. 10 And the likeness of their faces was as the face of a man, and a face of a lion from out of the right to the four; and the face of a calf from out of the left to the four; and the face of an eagle to the four. 11 And their wings were stretching out above; to the four each, two being yoked together to one another, and two covered up upon their body. 12 And each to the other [²in front ³of him ¹went]. Where ever [³was ¹the ²spirit] going, they went, and they did not turn. 13 And in the midst of the living creatures was a vision as of coals of fire burning, as the appearance of lamps twisting in the midst of the living creatures. And brightness was of the fire, and from out of the fire went forth as lightning.

The Wheels

14 And the living creatures were running and returning as the appearance of the lightning. 15 And I beheld, and behold, there was [²wheel ¹one] upon the earth being next to the living creatures, next to the four. 16 And the sight of the wheels and their action was as the sight of Tharsis stone. And there was [²likeness ¹one] to the four; and their work was as if it may be a wheel in a wheel. 17 Upon [²four ³parts ¹their] they went; they did not turn in their going, 18 and yet their backs and height was to them. And I beheld them, and their backs full of eyes, round about to the four. 19 And in the going, the living creatures went, the wheels being next to them. And in the lifting away [⁴the ⁵living creatures ⁶from ⁷the ⁸earth ³lifted away ¹the ²wheels]. 20 Where ever [³was ¹the ²cloud] there the spirit was to go; [³went ¹the ²living creatures], and the wheels also lifted away with them; because spirit of life was in the wheels. 21 In their going, the wheels went; and in their standing, the wheels stood; and in their lifting away from the earth, the wheels lifted away with them; for spirit of life was in the wheels. 22 And the likeness above the head of the living creatures was as a firmament, as the vision of ice being stretched out over their wings on top. 23 And under the firmament their wings were stretching out flapping, the other to the other; to each two covering their bodies. 24 And I heard the sound of their wings in their going, as the sound [²water ¹of much], as the sound of a worthy one in their going; a sound of the word as a sound of a camp; and in their standing [³rested ¹their wings].

The Vision of the Throne

25 And behold, a sound far above the firmament, 26 of the one being above their head, as a vision of stone of sapphire with a likeness of a throne upon it; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as a form of a man from above. 27 And I beheld as an appearance of molten bronze, as a vision of fire within it round about from the vision of the loin and up; and from the vision of the loin unto below I beheld as a vision as of fire, and its brightness round about. 28 As the vision of a bow whenever it might be in the cloud in a day of rain, thus was the position of the brightness round about. This is the vision of the likeness of the glory of the lord. And I beheld, and I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice speaking.