Ezekiel 1

VIN(i) 1 Now in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of the exile of king Jehoyachin, 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 came upon me. 4 I saw a storm coming from the north. There was an immense cloud with flashing lightning surrounded by a bright light. The center of the lightning looked like glowing metal. 5 And from its midst was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: a human form, 6 Each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight. Their feet were like those of calves and they glittered like polished copper. 8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched each other. The creatures went straight ahead and they did not turn as they moved. 10 Their faces looked like this: From the front, each creature had the face of a human. From the right side, each one had the face of a lion. From the left, each one had the face of a bull. And from the back, each one had the face of an eagle. 11 So were their faces; their wings were spread out upward; each had two touching one another and two covering their bodies. 12 Each one went straight forward: where the spirit would go, they went; they didn't turn when they went. 13 The living creatures looked like burning coals and torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures. The fire was bright and lightning came out of the fire. 14 The living creatures ran back and forth like lightning. 15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them, with its four faces. 16 And the appearance of the wheels was as the appearance of beryl: and the four had one likeness: and their work was as it were a wheel in a wheel. 17 When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without turning as they moved. 18 And their rims were high and awesome, and all four of their rims were full of eyes all around. 19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go the creatures went. The wheels rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When the creatures moved, the wheels moved. When the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. And when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose with them. This is because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22 Something like a dome was spread over the heads of the living creatures. It looked like dazzling crystal. 23 And under the firmament their wings were stretching out flapping, the other to the other; to each two covering their bodies. 24 When the creatures moved I heard the sound of their wings. The sound was like the noise of rushing water. It was like the thunder (voice) of the Almighty. It was like the commotion in an army camp. When the creatures stood still, they lowered their wings. 25 And there is a voice from the expanse over their heads when they stand and lower their wings. 26 Above the dome over their heads was something that looked like a throne made of sapphire. On the throne was a figure that looked like a human. 27 Then I saw what he looked like from the waist up. He looked like glowing copper with fire all around it. From the waist down he looked like fire. A bright light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a bow that is in the cloud on a rainy day, such was the radiance around it; thus was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And I saw, and I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.