1 Now
it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth
day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar,
that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 In
the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's
captivity, 3 The
word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi,
in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the
LORD was there upon him. 4 And
I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud,
and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of
the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also
out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And
this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 6 And
every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7 And
their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the
sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished
brass. 8 And
they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and
they four had their faces and their wings. 9 Their
wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they
went every one straight forward. 10 As
for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and
the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an
ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus
were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of
every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And
they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they
went; and they turned not when they went. 13 As
for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning
coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among
the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went
forth lightning. 14 And
the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of
lightning. 15 Now
as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the
living creatures, with his four faces.
16
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of
a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their
work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17 When
they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they
went. 18 As
for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings
were full of eyes round about them four. 19 And
when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living
creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Whithersoever
the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the
wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature
was in the wheels. 21 When
those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those
were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them:
for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 22 And
the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was
as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads
above. 23 And
under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other:
every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which
covered on that side, their bodies. 24 And
when they went, 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 host: when they stood, they let down their wings. 25 And
there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they
stood, and had let down their wings. 26 And
above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne,
as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne
was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And
I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within
it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance
of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and
it had brightness round about. 28 As
the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was
the appearance of the brightness round about. 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 a voice of one that spake.