Ezekiel 1

Date of Vision of Living Creatures and Glory of the Throne of Yahweh

1And it was in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, and I was in the midst of
Or “among”
the exiles
Hebrew “exile”
by the ⌞Kebar River⌟.
Literally “river of Kebar”
The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of the king Jehoiachin— 3the word of Yahweh ⌞came⌟
Literally “was”
clearly
Or “certainly”
to Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans at the ⌞Kebar River⌟,
Literally “river of Kebar”
and the hand of Yahweh was on him there.

4And I looked,
Or “saw”
and look! A storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire flashing back and forth, and brightness around and ⌞within it⌟,
Literally “for it”
and from its midst
Or “middle”
it was like the outward appearance of amber stone from the midst
Or “middle”
of the fire.
5And from its midst
Or “middle”
was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: ⌞a human form⌟,
Literally “this their appearance the likeness of a human to them”
6and ⌞each had four faces⌟,
Literally “and four faces to each”
and ⌞each of them had four wings⌟.
Literally “and four wings to each for them”
7And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of the foot of a calf, and they were sparkling like the outward appearance of polished bronze. 8And under their wings were ⌞human hands⌟
Literally “hand his a man”
on their four sides. And their faces and their wings for the four of them were as follows:
9⌞their wings were touching one another⌟;
Literally “their wings were touching each her sister”
⌞each of them went straight forward⌟,
Literally “they did not turn at their going”
⌞without turning right or left⌟.
Literally “each toward the side of his face they went”
10The likeness of their faces was the face of a human in front, and the face of a lion on the right ⌞of each of them⌟,
Literally “of the four of them”
and the face of an ox on the left ⌞of each of them⌟,
Literally “of the four of them”
and the face of an eagle ⌞for each of them⌟.
Literally “of the four of them”
11So were their faces; their wings were spread out ⌞upward⌟;
Literally “from to above”
each had two touching one another and two covering their bodies.
12And each ⌞went straight forward⌟;
Literally “toward the side of his face they went”
⌞wherever the spirit went⌟
Literally “towards which it was there the spirit”
they went, and ⌞they did not turn as they went⌟.
Literally “they did not turn at their going”
13As for
Or “And”
the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. It
That is, the fire
was moving to and fro between the living creatures, and ⌞the fire was very bright⌟
Literally “brightness was for the fire”
and lightning was going out from the fire.
14And the living creatures ⌞were speeding to and fro⌟
Literally “sped forth and returned”
like the appearance of lightning.

15And I saw the living creatures, and look! A wheel was on the earth
Or “ground”
beside ⌞each of the living creatures that had four faces⌟.
Literally “the living creatures for the four of his/its faces.” The LXX has “for the four of them.”
16The appearance of the wheels and their construction was like the appearance of beryl,
Or “chrysolite,” or “topaz”; this stone is difficult to identify exactly
and ⌞they all looked alike⌟,
Literally “likeness was one for the four of them”
and their appearance and their construction was ⌞like a wheel within a wheel⌟.
Literally “as that it was a wheel in the midst of a wheel”
17When they moved, they went toward their four sides; they did not ⌞veer at all as they went⌟.
Literally “turn away when they went”
18And their rims ⌞were high and awesome⌟,
Literally “height was for them and awesomeness was for them”
and ⌞all four of⌟
Literally “of the four of them”
their rims were full of eyes all around.
19And at the going of the living creatures, the wheels next to them also went, and ⌞when the creatures were lifted from the ground⌟
Literally “and at the lifting up of the creatures from the earth”
the wheels also rose.
20⌞Wherever⌟
Literally “Toward which”
the spirit went they would go there, and the wheels rose, for the spirit of the living creatures
Hebrew “creature”
was in the wheels.
21At their
That is, the living creatures
going, they
That is, the wheels
go, and at their standing, they stood, and at their being lifted up from on the earth,
Or “ground”
the wheels rose,
Or “were lifted up”
for the spirit of the living creatures
Hebrew “creature”
was in the wheels.

22Now
Or “And”
the likeness above the heads of the living creatures was an expanse like the outward appearance of ⌞awesome⌟
Literally “terrible”
⌞ice⌟
Literally “frozen water”
spread out above their heads ⌞upward⌟.
Literally “from to upward”
23And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight ⌞one toward the other⌟;
Literally “each towards its sister”
each had two wings covering them, and each had two wings covering their bodies.
24And I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai,
Often translated “Almighty”
and ⌞when they moved⌟
Literally “at their going”
there was a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; ⌞when they stood still⌟
Literally “at their standing”
they lowered their wings.
25And there was
Or “it was”
a sound from above the expanse that was above their heads, ⌞and when they stood⌟
Literally “at their standing”
they lowered their wings.
26And from above the expanse that was above their heads there was the likeness of a throne, ⌞looking like a sapphire⌟,
Literally “the appearance of a stone of sapphire”
and above the likeness of the throne was a likeness similar to
Or “like”
the appearance of a human on it, but ⌞above it⌟.
Literally “from to above”
27And I saw something like the outward appearance of amber, something like the appearance of fire, with a covering around it, from the likeness of his loins and ⌞upward⌟.
Literally “to above”
And from the likeness of his loins and ⌞downward⌟
Literally “to down”
I saw something like the appearance of fire, and ⌞it was radiant all around⌟.
Literally “brightness was for it around”
28Like the appearance
Or “likeness”
of a bow that is in the cloud on ⌞a rainy day⌟,
Literally “the day of the rain”
such was the radiance
Or “brightness”
around it; thus was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw, and I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.
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