1Now 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 Chebar , that the heavens were opened , and I saw visions of God . 2In the fifth day of the month , which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity , 3the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest , the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar ; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him . 4And I looked , and , behold , a stormy wind came out of the north , a great cloud , with a fire infolding itself, and a brightness round about it , and out of the midst thereof as it were glowing metal , out of the midst of the fire. 5And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures . And this was their appearance : they had the likeness of a man ; 6and every one had four faces , and every one of them had 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 burnished brass . 8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides ; and they four had their faces and their wings thus : 9their wings were joined one to another ; they turned not when they went ; they went every one straight forward . 10As for the likeness of their faces , they had the face of a man ; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side ; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side ; they four had also the face of an eagle . 11And their faces and their wings were separate above ; two wings of every one were joined one to another , and two covered their bodies . 12And they went every one straight forward : whither the spirit was to go , they went ; they turned not when they went . 13As for the likeness of the living creatures , their appearance was like burning coals of fire , like the appearance of torches : the fire went up and down among the living creatures ; and the fire was bright , and out of the fire went forth lightning . 14And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
The Firmament and the Throne
15Now as I beheld the living creatures , behold , one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures , for each of the four faces thereof . 16The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto a beryl : and they four had one likeness ; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17When they went , they went in their four directions : they turned not when they went . 18As for their rims , they were high and dreadful ; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about . 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 . 20Whithersoever the spirit was to go , they went ; thither was the spirit to go : and the wheels were lifted up beside them ; for the spirit of the living creature 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 beside them : for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 22And over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of a firmament , like the terrible crystal to look upon , stretched forth over their heads above . 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 . 24And when they went , I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters , like the voice of the Almighty , a noise of tumult like the noise of a host : when they stood , they let down their wings . 25And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads : when they stood , they let down their wings . 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 a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above . 27And I saw as it were glowing metal , as the appearance of fire within it round about , from the appearance of his loins and upward ; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about 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 Jehovah . And when I saw it , I fell upon my face , and I heard a voice of one that spake .