¶ Now it came to pass in the thirtieth¹ year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I² was among the captives³ by the river of Chebar⁴, that the heavens⁵ were opened, and I saw⁶ visions of God.

⁷In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

The word⁸ of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel⁹ the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

¶ And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind¹⁰ came out of the north, a great¹¹ cloud, and a fire infolding itself,¹² and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness¹³ of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

And every one had four faces¹⁴, and every one had four wings¹⁵.

And their feet were straight feet¹⁶; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour¹⁷ of burnished brass.

¹⁸And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

Their wings were joined¹⁹ one to another; they turned²⁰ not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

¶ As for the²¹ likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man²², and the face of a lion²³, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox²⁴ on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle²⁶.

Thus were their faces: and their²⁷ wings were stretched upward²⁸; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

And they went every²⁹ one straight forward: whither³⁰ the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

³¹As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

³²And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

¶ Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one³³ wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with³⁴ his four faces.

The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour³⁵ of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel³⁶ in the middle of a wheel.

When they went, they went upon their four sides: and³⁷ they turned not when they went.

As for their rings, they were so³⁸ high that they were dreadful; and their rings³⁹ were full of eyes round about them four.

⁴⁰And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

¶ Whithersoever the spirit⁴¹ was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the⁴² spirit of the living creature⁴³ was in the wheels.

When those went⁴⁴, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature⁴⁵ was in the wheels.

And the likeness⁴⁶ of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal⁴⁷, stretched forth over their heads above.

And under the firmament were their wings⁴⁸ straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which⁴⁹ covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like⁵⁰ the noise of great waters, as the voice⁵¹ of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise⁵² of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had⁵³ let down their wings.

¶ And above⁵⁴ the firmament that was over⁵⁵ their heads was the likeness of a⁵⁶ throne, as the⁵⁷ appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man⁵⁸ above upon it.

And I saw as the colour⁵⁹ of amber, as the appearance of fire⁶⁰ round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This⁶² was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell⁶³ upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.