Ézéchiel 1

Ezekiel’s vision by the Kebar Canal

¹In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day, when I was living with the exiles beside the Kebar Canal, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.^{a 2}on the fifth day of the month (this was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile), ³the word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, there in the land of the Chaldeans beside the Kebar Canal. There the hand of the LORD came on him. ⁴As I looked, I saw a storm wind coming from the north: a huge cloud with fire flashing through it and brightness all around it. In the middle of the fire was something that looked like gleaming metal.^{b 5}Out of the middle of it came something that looked like four living creatures. This is what they looked like: they had the form of a human being. ⁶Each of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷Their legs were straight, and their feet were like a calf’s hooves. They sparkled like polished bronze. ⁸Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, ⁹their wings touched one another. As they moved they did not turn; each of them went straight ahead. ¹⁰This is what their faces looked like: each of the four had a human face, the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle. ¹¹Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. Each had two wings that touched the wings of the creature on either side, and two that covered its body. ¹²Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and they did not turn as they moved.^{c 13}As for the appearance of the living creatures, they looked like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures. It was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. ¹⁴The living creatures darted back and forth like flashes of lightning. ¹⁵As I watched the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground next to each of the four creatures.^{d 16}The wheels and the way they were made looked like the sparkle of chrysolite. All four looked alike, and they seemed to be made like a wheel within a wheel.^{e 17}When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning as they went. ¹⁸Their rims were high and awe-inspiring, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.^{f 19}Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels went along beside them, and whenever the creatures rose off the ground, the wheels rose as well. ²⁰Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. ²¹When the creatures went, the wheels went; when the creatures halted, the wheels halted; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. ²²Over the heads of the living creatures was something like a vault, glittering like ice and awe-inspiring to see, spread out above their heads. ²³Under the vault their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another, and each creature also had two wings covering its body. ²⁴When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings. It was like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army camp. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. ²⁵Then a voice came from above the vault over their heads, as they stood still with their wings lowered. ²⁶Above the vault over their heads was something that looked like a throne, like sapphire in appearance. And on what looked like a throne, high above, was a figure that looked like a human being. ²⁷From what looked like his waist upward, I saw something like gleaming metal, like fire enclosed all around. From what looked like his waist downward, I saw what looked like fire, and brightness surrounded him. ²⁸Like a rainbow in the clouds on a day of rain, so was the brightness on every side. This was what the likeness of the glory of the LORD looked like. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of someone speaking.^g