Ezekiel 1:1–2:10
1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the ariver Chebar among the exiles, the bheavens were opened and I saw 1cvisions of God.
2 (On the fifth of the month 1in the afifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile,
3 the aword of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the bland of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there cthe hand of the Lord came upon him.)
4 As I looked, behold, a astorm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like bglowing metal in the midst of the fire.
5 Within it there were figures resembling afour living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human bform.
6 Each of them had afour faces and bfour wings.
7 Their legs were straight and 1their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like aburnished bronze.
8 Under their wings on their afour sides were human bhands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,
9 their wings touched one another; their faces did anot turn when they moved, each bwent straight forward.
10 As for the aform of their faces, each had the bface of a man; 1all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and 1all four had the face of an eagle.
11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and atwo covering their bodies.
12 And aeach went straight forward; bwherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.
13 1In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of afire, 2like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was 3flashing from the fire.
14 And the living beings aran to and fro like bolts of blightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one awheel on the earth beside the living beings, 1for each of the four of them.
16 The aappearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like 1sparkling bberyl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if 2one wheel were within another.
17 Whenever they 1moved, they 1moved in any of their four 2directions without aturning as they 1moved.
18 As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were afull of eyes round about.
19 aWhenever the living beings 1moved, the wheels 1moved with them. And whenever the living beings brose from the earth, the wheels rose also.
20 aWherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction1. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living 2beings was in the wheels.
21 aWhenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living 1beings was in the wheels.
22 Now aover the heads of the living 1beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of 2crystal, spread out over their heads.
23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had atwo wings covering its body on the one side and on the other.
24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the asound of abundant waters as they went, like the bvoice of 1the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the csound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
25 And there came a voice from above the aexpanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
26 Now aabove the expanse that was over their heads there was something bresembling a throne, like 1clapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a dman.
27 Then I 1noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something alike 2glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him.
28 As the appearance of the arainbow 1in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the bglory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I cfell on my face and heard a voice speaking.
1 Then He said to me, “Son of man, astand on your feet that I may speak with you!”
2 As He spoke to me the aSpirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.
3 Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have arebelled against Me; bthey and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.
4 “I am sending you to them who are 1astubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord 2God.’
5 “As for them, awhether they listen or 1not—for they are a rebellious house—they will bknow that a prophet has been among them.
6 “And you, son of man, aneither fear them nor fear their words, though bthistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.
7 “But you shall aspeak My words to them bwhether they listen or 1not, for they are rebellious.
8 “Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and aeat what I am giving you.”
9 Then I looked, and behold, a ahand was extended to me; and lo, a 1bscroll was in it.
10 When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and awoe.