Yehezqĕl (Ezekiel) 1
1
1And it came to be in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the new moon, as I was among the exiles by the River Keḇar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of Elohim.
2On the fifth of the new moon, in the fifth year of Sovereign Yehoyaḵin’s exile,
3the word of יהוה came expressly to Yeḥezqĕl the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Kasdim by the River Keḇar. And the hand of יהוה came upon him there.
4And I looked and saw a whirlwind coming out of the north, a great cloud with fire flashing itself. And brightness was all around it, and out of its midst like glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire,
5and out of the midst of it came what looked like four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
6And each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
7And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calves’ foot. And they sparkled like the appearance of polished bronze,
8and under their wings on their four sides were the hands of a man. And each of the four had faces and wings –
9their wings touched one another. They did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.
10And the likeness of their faces: the face of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, and each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.
11Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward, two of each touched one another, and two covered their bodies.
12And each one went straight forward, going wherever the spirit was to go, and they did not turn when they went.
13And the likeness of the living creatures: their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of torches, moving back and forth among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning.
14And the living creatures ran back and forth, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15And I looked at the living creatures, and saw a wheel on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces.
16The appearance of the wheels and their works was like the appearance of beryl, and all four had the same form. The appearance of their works was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17When they went, they went in any one of four directions, they did not turn aside when they went.
18And their rims were high and awesome, and their rims were covered with eyes, all around the four of them.
19And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. And when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, because there the spirit went. And the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood. And when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22And a likeness was over the heads of the living creatures, an expanse like the appearance of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads.
23And under the expanse their wings were straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body.
24And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army. And when they stood still, they let down their wings.
25And a voice came from above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they dropped their wings.
26And above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone. And on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man high above it.
27And from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw what looked like glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it. And from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw what looked like fire, and brightness all around.
28As the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the esteem of יהוה. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
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Yehezqĕl (Ezekiel) 1: TS2009
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Ezekiel 1
1
Ezekiel Sees the Lord's Glory
1-3 #
2 K 24.10-16; 2 Ch 36.9,10;
Rev 19.11. I am Ezekiel—a priest and the son of Buzi.#1.1-3 a priest and the son of Buzi: Or “the son of Buzi the priest.”
Five years after King Jehoiachin of Judah had been led away as a prisoner to Babylonia, I was living near the Chebar River among those who had been taken there with him. Then on the fifth day of the fourth month#1.1-3 Five years … prisoner … fourth month: Probably July of 593 b.c. of the thirtieth year,#1.1-3 thirtieth year: The event from which this date is figured is unknown. the heavens suddenly opened. The Lord placed his hand upon me#1.1-3 The Lord placed his hand upon me: This was a sign that the Lord had chosen Ezekiel to be his prophet. and showed me some visions.
4I saw a windstorm blowing in from the north. Lightning flashed from a huge cloud and lit up the whole sky with a dazzling brightness. The fiery center of the cloud was as shiny as polished metal, 5#Rev 4.6. and in that center I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were somewhat like humans, 6except that each one had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight, but their feet looked like the hoofs of calves and sparkled like bronze. 8Under each of their wings, these creatures had a human hand. 9The four creatures were standing back to back with the tips of their wings touching. They moved together in every direction, without turning their bodies.
10 #
Ez 10.14; Rev 4.7. Each creature had the face of a human in front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left, and the face of an eagle in back. 11Two wings#1.11 Two wings: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. of each creature were spread out and touched the wings of the creatures on either side. The other two wings of each creature were folded against its body.
12The four living creatures went wherever the Spirit led them, and they moved together without turning their bodies, because each creature faced straight ahead. 13#Rev 4.5. The creatures were glowing like hot coals, and I saw something like a flaming torch moving back and forth among them. Lightning flashed from the torch every time its flame blazed up.#1.13 up: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13. 14The creatures themselves moved as quickly as sparks jumping from a fire.#1.14 as sparks jumping from a fire: Or “as flashes of lightning.”
15 #
Ez 10.9-13. I then noticed that on the ground beside each of the four living creatures was a wheel,#1.15 wheel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15. 16shining like chrysolite.#1.16 chrysolite: A precious stone that has an olive green color. Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel that cut through the middle of it,#1.16 a second wheel that cut through the middle of it: Or “a smaller wheel inside it.” 17so that they could move in any direction without turning. 18#Rev 4.8. The rims of the wheels were large and frightening, and they had eyes all the way around them.#1.18 them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18. 19-21The creatures controlled when and where the wheels moved—the wheels went wherever the four creatures went and stopped whenever they stopped. Even when the creatures flew in the air, the wheels were beside them.
22-23 #
Rev 4.6. Above the living creatures, I saw something that was sparkling like ice, and it reminded me of a dome. Each creature had two of its wings stretched out toward the creatures on either side, with the other two wings folded against its body. 24#Rev 1.15; 19.6. Whenever the creatures flew, their wings roared like an ocean or a large army or even the voice of God All-Powerful. And whenever the creatures stopped, they folded their wings against their bodies.
25When the creatures stopped flapping their wings, I heard a sound coming from above the dome. 26#Ez 10.1; Rev 4.2,3. I then saw what looked like a throne made of sapphire,#1.26 sapphire: A precious stone that has a blue color. and sitting on the throne was a figure in the shape of a human. 27#Ez 8.2. From the waist up, it was glowing like metal in a hot furnace, and from the waist down it looked like the flames of a fire. The figure was surrounded by a bright light, 28as colorful as a rainbow that appears after a storm.
I realized I was seeing the brightness of the Lord's glory! So I bowed with my face to the ground, and just then I heard a voice speaking to me.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.