Ezekiel 1

A Vision of Living Beings

1On July 31

of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.H7970H8141H7243H2568H2320H8432H1473H5104H3529H8064H6605H7200H4759H4302This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity.H2568H2320H2549H8141H4428H3112H15463(The Lord gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians

, and he felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him.)H1697H3068H3168H3548H1121H941H776H3778H5104H3529H3027H30684As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber

.H7200H7307H5591H935H6828H1419H6051H784H3947H5051H5439H8432H5869H2830H8432H7845From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human,H8432H1823H702H2416H4758H2007H1823H1206except that each had four faces and four wings.H259H702H6440H259H702H36717Their legs were straight, and their feet had hooves like those of a calf and shone like burnished bronze.H7272H3477H7272H3709H7272H3709H5695H7272H5340H5869H7044H51788Under each of their four wings I could see human hands. So each of the four beings had four faces and four wings.H3027H120H3671H702H7253H702H6440H36719The wings of each living being touched the wings of the beings beside it. Each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.H3671H2266H802H269H5437H3212H3212H376H5676H644010Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.H1823H6440H702H6440H120H6440H738H3225H702H6440H7794H8040H702H6440H540411Each had two pairs of outstretched wings—one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body.H6440H3671H6504H4605H8147H376H2266H376H376H8147H3680H147212They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.H3212H376H5676H6440H7307H3212H3212H5437H321213The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them.H1823H2416H4758H1197H1513H784H4758H3940H1980H2416H784H5051H784H3318H130014And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.H2416H7519H7725H4758H96515As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each.H7200H2416H259H212H776H681H2416H702H644016The wheels sparkled as if made of beryl. All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.H4758H212H4639H5869H8658H702H259H1823H4758H4639H212H8432H21217The beings could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved.H3212H3212H702H7253H5437H321218The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around.H1354H1363H3374H1354H4392H5869H5439H70219When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too.H2416H3212H212H3212H681H2416H5375H776H212H537520The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went.H7307H3212H3212H7307H3212H212H5375H5980H7307H2416H21221When the beings moved, the wheels moved. When the beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the beings flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.H3212H3212H5975H5975H5375H776H212H5375H5980H7307H2416H21222Spread out above them was a surface like the sky, glittering like crystal.H1823H7549H7218H2416H5869H3372H7140H5186H7218H460523Beneath this surface the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others’ wings, and each had two wings covering its body.H7549H3671H3477H802H269H376H8147H3680H2007H376H8147H3680H2007H147224As they flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty

or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings.H3212H8085H6963H3671H6963H7227H4325H6963H7706H6963H1999H6963H4264H5975H7503H367125As they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them.H6963H7549H7218H5975H7503H367126Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man.H4605H7549H7218H1823H3678H4758H5601H68H1823H3678H1823H4758H120H460527From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor.H7200H5869H2830H4758H784H5439H1004H4758H4975H4605H4758H4975H4295H7200H4758H784H5051H543928All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.H4758H7198H6051H3117H1653H4758H5051H5439H4758H1823H3519H3068H7200H5307H6440H8085H6963H1696