In the thirtieth year, as Ezekiel sits among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens open, and he sees a storm cloud with four living creatures and wheels within wheels. Above them is a throne with the appearance of a man, surrounded by brightness. This is the glory of the LORD.
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 .