Ezekiel 1:4-28
New American Standard Bible 1995
4 As I looked, behold, a (A)storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like (B)glowing metal in the midst of the fire. 5 Within it there were figures resembling (C)four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human (D)form. 6 Each of them had (E)four faces and (F)four wings. 7 Their legs were straight and [a]their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like (G)burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their (H)four sides were human (I)hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did (J)not turn when they moved, each (K)went straight forward. 10 As for the (L)form of their faces, each had the (M)face of a man; [b]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and [c]all four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and (N)two covering their bodies. 12 And (O)each went straight forward; (P)wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 [d]In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of (Q)fire, [e]like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was [f]flashing from the fire. 14 And the living beings (R)ran to and fro like bolts of (S)lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one (T)wheel on the earth beside the living beings, [g]for each of the four of them. 16 The (U)appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like [h]sparkling (V)beryl, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if [i]one wheel were within another. 17 Whenever they [j]moved, they [k]moved in any of their four [l]directions without (W)turning as they [m]moved. 18 As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were (X)full of eyes round about. 19 (Y)Whenever the living beings [n]moved, the wheels [o]moved with them. And whenever the living beings (Z)rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 20 (AA)Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction[p]. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living [q]beings was in the wheels. 21 (AB)Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living [r]beings was in the wheels.
Vision of Divine Glory
22 Now (AC)over the heads of the living [s]beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of [t]crystal, spread out over their heads. 23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had (AD)two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. 24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the (AE)sound of abundant waters as they went, like the (AF)voice of [u]the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the (AG)sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the (AH)expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
26 Now (AI)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something (AJ)resembling a throne, like [v](AK)lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a (AL)man. 27 Then I [w]noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something (AM)like [x]glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. 28 As the appearance of the (AN)rainbow [y]in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the (AO)glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I (AP)fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ezekiel 1:7 Lit the soles of their feet
- Ezekiel 1:10 Lit the four of them
- Ezekiel 1:10 Lit the four of them
- Ezekiel 1:13 So with some ancient versions; Heb as the likeness of the living beings
- Ezekiel 1:13 Lit like the appearance of
- Ezekiel 1:13 Lit coming out
- Ezekiel 1:15 Lit for his four faces
- Ezekiel 1:16 Lit the look of beryl
- Ezekiel 1:16 Lit the wheel in the midst of the wheel
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit sides
- Ezekiel 1:17 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:19 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:19 Lit went
- Ezekiel 1:20 M.T. adds the spirit to go
- Ezekiel 1:20 M.T. reads being
- Ezekiel 1:21 M.T. reads being
- Ezekiel 1:22 So some ancient mss and versions; M.T. reads being
- Ezekiel 1:22 Or ice
- Ezekiel 1:24 Heb Shaddai
- Ezekiel 1:26 Heb eben-sappir
- Ezekiel 1:27 Lit saw
- Ezekiel 1:27 Or electrum
- Ezekiel 1:28 Lit which occurs in
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