Ezekiel 1

Revised Geneva Translation

1 It happened at that time, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month (as I was among the captives by the river Chebar) that the heavens were opened; and I saw visions of God.

² On the fifth day of the month (which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity),

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, where the Hand of the LORD was upon him.

⁴ And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the North, a great cloud and a fire wrapped about it. And a brightness surrounded it. And in the midst of it, in the midst of the fire, the likeness of amber came out.

⁵ Also out of its midst came the likeness of four beasts. And this was their form: they had the appearance of a man.

⁶ And each one had four faces. And each one had four wings.

⁷ And their feet were straight feet. And the sole of their feet was like the soles of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like the appearance of bright bronze.

⁸ And the hands of a man came out from under their wings, in the four parts of them. And those four had their faces and their wings.

⁹ They were joined, by their wings, to one another. When they went forth, they did not return. Each one went straight forward.

¹⁰ And the likeness of their faces was as the face of a man. And those four had the face of a lion on the right side. And those four had the face of a bull on the left side. Those four also had the face of an eagle.

¹¹ Thus were their faces. But their wings were spread out above. Two of each one were joined to each other and two covered their bodies.

¹² And each one went straight forward. They went wherever their spirit led them. They did not return when they went forth.

¹³ As for the likeness of the beasts, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps running among the beasts. And the fire had a brightness. And the fire went out of the lightning.

¹⁴ And the beasts ran and returned, like lightning.

¹⁵ Now, as I beheld the beasts, behold, a wheel appeared upon the earth by the beasts, having four faces.

¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like chrysolite. And those four had one form, and their appearance and their workings as a wheel inside another wheel.

¹⁷ When they moved, they moved in one of four directions. They did not turn when they moved.

¹⁸ As for their rims, they were so high that they were terrifying to behold. And their rims were full of eyes, around all four of them.

¹⁹ And when the beasts moved, the wheels went with them. And when the beasts were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

²⁰ Wherever their spirit led them, they went, and there the spirit of the wheels led them; and the wheels were lifted up with them. For the spirit of the beasts was in the wheels.

²¹ When the beasts moved, they moved. And when they stood still, they stood still. And when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up with them. For the spirit of the beasts was in the wheels.

²² And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the beasts was wonderful, like crystal, spread out over their heads.

²³ And under the firmament their wings were straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered them, and each one had two which covered their bodies.

²⁴ And when they went forth, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the Voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁵ And when they stood and had let down their wings, there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads.

²⁶ And above the firmament that was over their heads, was the appearance of a throne, like a Sapphire stone. And upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man above upon it.

²⁷ And I saw the likeness of amber, and the likeness of fire, all around and within it, from his loins upward, as well as from his loins downward. I saw a likeness of fire and brightness all around it.

²⁸ As the likeness of the rainbow that is in the clouds on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the light all around.

²⁹ This was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face. And I heard the Voice of One Who spoke.