Open English Translation EZE Chapter 1

1 When I was thirty years old, on July 5th as I was living with the other captives by the Kevar Canal, the skies opened and I saw visions from God.[ref]

2 That was the fifth year since King Yoyakin (Jehoiachin) had been taken captive.[ref] 3 Yahweh’s message came to me, the priest Yehezkel (son of Buzi) in the land of the Chaldeans (often known better as Babylonians) by the Kevar Canal, and Yahweh revealed his strength to me there. 4 Then I looked, and there was a windstorm coming from the north—a huge cloud with lightning flashing inside it and brilliant light inside it and surrounding it, and fire inside the cloud made it appear as an amber colour. 5 In the middle was what seemed to be four living creatures resembling humans,[ref] 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, but they had hooves like calves that gleamed like polished bronze. 8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. For each of the four of them, 9 their wings were touching the wings of the next creature, and they didn’t turn as they went—rather each one went straight forward.

10 Their faces at the front were like a man’s face, then they each had a lion’s face on the right, a calf’s face on the left, and the fourth was an eagle’s face.[ref] 11 Their faces were like that, and their wings were spread out above, so that each creature had a pair of wings that touched another creature’s wing, and also a pair that covered their bodies. 12 Each went straight forward, so that wherever the spirit directed them to go, they went without turning.

13 The living creatures resembled burning coals or torches. Bright fire also moved around among the creatures, and there were flashes of lightning.[ref] 14 The living creatures moved rapidly swiftly back and forth, and they looked a bit like lightning.

15 Then I looked more closely and then I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of the living creatures with its four faces.[ref] 16 Each of the wheels was the same, and they all shone like chrysolite. Each wheel seemed to have one wheel inside the other wheel. 17 When they moved, they didn’t have to turn to change direction. 18 The rims of the wheels were awesomely tall, and all four of them were full of eyes around the rim.[ref] 19 Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the living creatures went upwards, the wheels also went up. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels went up beside them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21 Whenever the creatures moved, the wheels also moved, and when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. When the creatures went upwards, the wheels went up beside them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

22 Above the living creatures was something like an awesome crystal dome stretched out over their heads.[ref] 23 Beneath the dome, each of the creatures’ wings stretched out straight and touched another creature’s wings. Each one also had a pair to cover his own body with. 24 Then I heard the sound of their wings which was like the noise of a lot of water. When they moved, it was ike the voice of the powerful one—like the sound of a rainstorm or an army. Whenever they stood still, they lowered their wings.[ref] 25 A voice came from under the dome that was above their heads, whenever they stopped and lowered their wings.

26 Above the dome over their heads was what looked like a sapphire stone that had been made into a throne, and on the thing like a throne was a something that appeared to be a man.[ref] 27 I saw a figure that appeared to have glowing metal with fire in it from his hips upwards, and looking downwards from his hips, I saw the appearance of fire and brightness all around.[ref] 28 The bright light surrounding the throne was like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day—tt was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s splendour. When I saw it, I quickly knelt down and bowed my head to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking.