Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision

1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exilesa by the Kebar River,b the heavens were openedc and I saw visionsd of God.

2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachine—3 the word of the Lord came to Ezekielf the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians.a There the hand of the Lord was on him.g

4 I looked, and I saw a windstormh coming out of the northi—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,j 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures.k In appearance their form was human,l 6 but each of them had four facesm and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.n 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands.o All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.p

10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.q 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wingsr spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.s 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coalst of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightningu flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.v

15 As I looked at the living creatures,w I saw a wheelx on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz,y and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change directionz as the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyesa all around.