1 ARST “When I, Ezekiel, was thirty years old, I was living among the Israelite people by the Kebar Canal, which was south of Babylon. The Babylonians had taken us from the land of Judah and brought us here. On the fifth day of the fourth month of that year, it was as though the sky opened and I saw visions from God. The fifth day of the fourth month was almost five years after King Jehoiachin had been exiled.” BSB BSB: In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
3 ARST So God gave Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, messages in Babylonia while he was beside the Kebar Canal. Yahweh’ s power went to him there. BSB BSB: the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
4 ARST In one of the visions, I saw a windstorm coming from the north. There was a huge cloud, and lightning was flashing within it continually, and a brilliant light surrounded the cloud. In the center of where the lightning was flashing, there was amber- colored fire. BSB BSB: I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,
5 ARST In the center of the storm I saw what resembled four living creatures. They resembled humans, BSB BSB: and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,
6 ARST but each of them had four faces and four wings. BSB BSB: but each had four faces and four wings.
7 ARST Their legs were like human legs, but their feet resembled the hooves of calves that shined like polished bronze. BSB BSB: Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.
8 ARST On the four sides of their bodies under their wings there were hands like humans have. BSB BSB: Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings,
9 ARST As the four creatures stood there, they formed a circle, with their wings touching each other. They did not turn when they were moving; they went straight ahead. BSB BSB: and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.
10 ARST Each of the creatures had four faces. In front there was a face that resembled a human face. The face on the right side resembled a lion’ s face. The face on the left side resembled an ox’ s face. The face in back resembled an eagle’ s face. BSB BSB: The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.
11 ARST Two of each creature’ s wings were lifted up and touched the wings of the creatures that were on either side of it. The other two wings were folded against the creature’ s body. BSB BSB: Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
12 ARST The creatures went straight ahead in whatever direction the Spirit of God, who controlled them, wanted them to go, without changing directions while they were moving. BSB BSB: Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.
13 ARST The four creatures resembled burning coals or torches. A blazing fire moved back and forth among the creatures, and lightning flashed from among them. BSB BSB: In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
14 ARST The creatures were moving back and forth very rapidly, so that they looked like flashes of lightning. BSB BSB: The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.
15 ARST While I looked at the four living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them. BSB BSB: When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
16 ARST Each of the wheels was the same, and they all shone like beryl. Each wheel seemed to have one wheel inside another wheel. BSB BSB: The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel.
17 ARST Whenever they moved, they would go straight in one of the four directions that the creatures were facing; they did not turn in another direction while they moved. BSB BSB: As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.
18 ARST The rims of the wheels were imposing and frightening, and they were covered with eyes. BSB BSB: Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19 ARST Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them. So whenever the creatures rose up from the ground, the wheels also rose up. BSB BSB: So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
20 ARST Wherever the Spirit of God, who controlled the creatures, wanted them to go, they went; and the wheels went with them, because their spirit controlled the wheels. BSB BSB: Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 ARST Whenever the creatures moved, the wheels moved. Whenever the creatures stood still, the wheels stopped. Whenever the creatures rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up with them. BSB BSB: When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 ARST Above the heads of the creatures there was something that resembled a dome. It glistened as ice shines, and it was awesome. BSB BSB: Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal.
23 ARST Under the dome, the creatures stretched out their wings. Each one had two wings that touched the wings of the creatures on either side, and two wings that covered his own body. BSB BSB: And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body.
24 ARST Whenever the creatures moved, their wings made a sound that resembled the crashing of waves in the sea. It also sounded like the voice of Almighty God, and like the noise of a huge army marching. Whenever the creatures stood still on the ground, they lowered their wings. BSB BSB: When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 ARST While they stood on the ground with their wings lowered, there was a voice from the dome that was over their heads. BSB BSB: And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.
26 ARST Above the dome was something that resembled a huge throne that was made of a huge sapphire. Sitting on the throne was someone who resembled a human. BSB BSB: Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.
27 ARST I saw that above his waist he resembled metal that was glowing as though it had a very hot fire inside it. And I saw that below his waist there was a very brilliant light that surrounded him. BSB BSB: From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.
28 ARST It shone like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. That was the brilliant light that represented the presence of Yahweh. When I saw it, I threw myself flat onto the ground, and I heard him speak! BSB BSB: The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.
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