The vision of Ezekiel

Living Bible

Ezekiel was a priest (the son of Buzi) who lived with the Jewish exiles beside the Chebar Canal in Babylon.

‘One day late in June, when I was thirty years old, the heavens were suddenly opened to me and I saw visions from God.4 I saw, in this vision, a great storm coming toward me from the north, driving before it a huge cloud glowing with fire, with a mass of fire inside that flashed continually; and in the fire there was something that shone like polished brass.5 Then from the center of the cloud, four strange forms appeared that looked like men,6 except that each had four faces and two pairs of wings!7 Their legs were like those of men, but their feet were cloven like calves' feet, and shone like burnished brass.8 And beneath each of their wings I could see human hands.9 The four living beings were joined wing to wing, and they flew straight forward without turning.10 Each had the face of a man in front, with a lion's face on the right side of his head, and the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back!11 Each had two pairs of wings spreading out from the middle of his back. One pair stretched out to attach to the wings of the living beings on each side, and the other pair covered his body.12 Wherever their spirit went they went, going straight forward without turning.13 Going up and down among them were other forms that glowed like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and it was from these the lightning flashed.14 The living beings darted to and fro, swift as lightning.

15 As I stared at all of this, I saw four wheels on the ground beneath them, one wheel belonging to each.16 The wheels looked as if they were made of polished amber, and each wheel was constructed with a second wheel crosswise inside.17 They could go in any of the four directions without having to face around.18 The four wheels had rims and spokes, and the rims were filled with eyes around their edges.19-21 When the four living beings flew forward, the wheels moved forward with them. When they flew upwards, the wheels went up too. When the living beings stopped, the wheels stopped. For the spirit of the four living beings was in the wheels; so wherever their spirit went, the wheels and the living beings went there too.22 The sky spreading out above them looked as though it were made of crystal; it was inexpressibly beautiful.23 The wings of each stretched straight out to touch the others' wings, and each had two wings covering his body.24 And as they flew, their wings roared like waves against the shore, or like the voice of God, or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings.25 And every time they stopped, there came a voice from the crystal sky above them.

26 For high in the sky above them was what looked like a throne made of beautiful blue sapphire stones, and upon it sat someone who appeared to be a Man.27,28 From his waist up, he seemed to be all glowing bronze, dazzling like fire; and from his waist down he seemed to be entirely flame, and there was a glowing halo like a rainbow all around him. That was the way the glory of the Lord appeared to me. And when I saw it, I fell face downward on the ground and heard the voice of someone speaking to me:

Ezek 1:1-27 (Living Bible)

The vision of Ezekiel

KJV

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.

His vision of four living creatures

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.of the four wheels15 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.and of the glory of God

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.

Ezek 1:1-28 (KJV)