1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, that I was in the midst of the captivity by the river of Chobar; and the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

2On the fifth day of the month; this was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joakim.

3And the word of the Lord came to Jezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river of Chobar; and the hand of the Lord was upon me.

4And I looked, and, behold, a sweeping wind came from the north, and a great cloud on it, and there was brightness round about it, and gleaming fire, and in the midst of it as it were the appearance of amber in the midst of the fire, and brightness in it.

5And in the midst as it were the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; the likeness of a man was upon them.

6And each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.

7And their legs were straight; and their feet were winged, and there were sparks, like gleaming brass, and their wings were light.

8And the hand of a man was under their wings on their four sides.

9And the faces of them four turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

10And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right to the four; and the face of a calf on the left to the four; and the face of an eagle to the four.

11And the four had their wings spread out above; each one had two joined to one another, and two covered their bodies.

12And each one went straight forward: wherever the spirit was going they went, and turned not back.

13And in the midst of the living creatures there was an appearance as of burning coals of fire, as an appearance of lamps turning among the living creatures; and the brightness of fire, and out of the fire came forth lightning.

15And I looked, and, behold, the four had each one wheel on the ground near the living creatures.

16And the appearance of the wheels was as the appearance of beryl: and the four had one likeness: and their work was as it were a wheel in a wheel.

17They went on their four sides: they turned not as they went;

18neither did their backs turn: and they were high: and I beheld them, and the backs of them four were full of eyes round about.

19And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures lifted themselves off the earth, the wheels were lifted off.

20Wherever the cloud happened to be, there was the spirit ready to go: the wheels went and were lifted up with them; because the spirit of life was in the wheels.

21When those went, the wheels went; and when those stood, the wheels stood; and when those lifted themselves off the earth, they were lifted off with them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

22And the likeness over the heads of the living creatures was as a firmament, as the appearance of crystal, spread out over their wings above.

23And their wings were spread out under the firmament, reaching one to the other; two wings to each, covering their bodies.

24And I heard the sound of their wings when they went, as the sound of much water: and when they stood, their wings were let down.

25And lo! a voice from above the firmament

26that was over their head, there was as the appearance of a sapphire stone, and the likeness of a throne upon it: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as an appearance of a man above.

27And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber from the appearance of the loins and upwards, and from the appearance of the loins and under I saw an appearance of fire, and the brightness thereof round about.

28As the appearance of the bow when it is in the cloud in days of rain, so was the form of the brightness round about.