Ezekiel

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.

1In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, I was among the exiles by the Kebar River. The heavens opened, and I saw visions from God.

NoteThe Kebar was a large canal in Babylon. Ezekiel and other Jews had been carried there as prisoners after their country was conquered. "The heavens opened" means the sky itself seemed to split apart so he could see.

2In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,

2It was the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year after King Jehoiachin was taken away as a prisoner.

3The 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.

3The word of the LORD came straight to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Kebar River. The LORD's hand was on him there.

Note"The hand of the LORD was upon him" is a way of saying God's power took hold of him so he could see and hear this vision.

4And 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.

4I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming from the north. It was a huge cloud with fire flashing inside it and bright light all around. In the middle of the fire was a glow like glowing metal.

NoteThe KJV says "amber," which meant a bright, glowing metal, not the yellow tree resin we call amber today.

5Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

5Inside that glow were shapes like four living creatures. They looked something like people.

6And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

6But each one had four faces and four wings.

7And 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.

7Their legs were straight. Their feet were shaped like a calf's hoof, and they shone like polished bronze.

8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

8Under their wings, on all four sides, they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings.

9Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

9Their wings touched one another. They did not turn as they moved. Each one went straight ahead.

10As 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.

10Their faces looked like this: each had a human face in front, a lion's face on the right, an ox's face on the left, and an eagle's face as well.

11Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

11That is how their faces were. Their wings were spread upward. Two wings touched the wings of the creature beside them, and two wings covered their bodies.

12And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

12Each creature moved straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went, and they did not turn as they moved.

13As 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.

13Among the living creatures was something that looked like burning coals or torches. Fire moved back and forth between them. It was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

14And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

14The creatures darted back and forth, quick as flashes of lightning.

15Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

15As I watched the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each one, next to its four faces.

16The 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.

16The wheels shone like beryl, a pale green gem, and all four looked the same. Each seemed to be a wheel inside another wheel.

17When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.

17When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning.

18As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

18The rims of the wheels were high, and looking at them made you afraid. All four rims were covered with eyes all the way around.

NoteThe KJV word "dreadful" here does not mean bad or awful. It means the wheels were so high and strange that seeing them filled Ezekiel with fear and wonder.

19And 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.

19When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the creatures rose off the ground, the wheels rose too.

20Whithersoever 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.

20Wherever the spirit went, the creatures went, and the wheels rose beside them. This was because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

21When 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.

21When the creatures moved, the wheels moved. When the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. When the creatures rose off the ground, the wheels rose beside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22And 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.

22Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was something like a wide, shining surface. It gleamed like crystal, and it was awesome to see.

23And 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.

23Under that surface, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each creature also had two wings covering its body.

24And 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.

24When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings. It was like rushing water, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

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

25A voice came from above the shining surface over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.

26And 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.

26Above that surface was something like a throne, blue like sapphire. High on the throne was a figure that looked like a man.

27And 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.

27From what looked like his waist up, I saw a glow like glowing metal, with fire all around inside it. From his waist down, I saw what looked like fire, and bright light shone all around him.

28As 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.

28The bright light around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. This was how the glory of the LORD appeared. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard a voice speaking.