Ezekiel 1 — FBV
1Verse 1On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year,+I was with the other exiles by the River Kebar. The heavens opened and I saw visions of God.Verse 2(On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,Verse 3a message from Lord was given to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of Babylonia+by the River Kebar. There the Lord's power came over him.)Verse 4I looked up and saw a windstorm racing in from the north, a tremendous cloud with fire flashing like lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The middle of the fire looked like glowing metalVerse 5and within it was the shape of four beings.+This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,Verse 6but they each had four faces and four wings.Verse 7They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.Verse 8They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,Verse 9and each of their wings touched the wings of the one next to it. As they moved they didn't turn—they all moved straight in one direction.Verse 10This what their faces looked like. They had a human face to the front, a lion's face to the right, a bull's face to the left, and lastly an eagle's face.Verse 11These were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. They all had two wings that touched the wings of the one beside it, as well as two wings that covered its body.Verse 12Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit+wished them to go, moving without turning.Verse 13These beings looked like bright burning coals or torches. Blazing fire moved to and fro between the beings, and lightning flashed out from the fire.Verse 14The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.Verse 15As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.Verse 16The wheels looked like they were made of topaz,+and all four wheels were the same. In the middle of each wheel was what looked like another wheel set crossways.Verse 17They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.Verse 18The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.Verse 19As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.Verse 20They would go wherever the Spirit went. The wheels would lift up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.Verse 21When the beings moved, the wheels moved; when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they flew up from the ground, the wheels flew up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.Verse 22Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse+that glittered like ice crystal.Verse 23Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.Verse 24When the beings moved, I heard the sound their wings made. It was like the roar of a thundering waterfall, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army on the march. Whenever they stopped, they folded their wings.Verse 25A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.Verse 26Above the expanse over their heads I saw what looked like a throne made of lapis lazuli.+Sitting on the throne high above was a being who looked like a man.Verse 27From what seemed to be his waist upwards, he looked like glowing metal with fire inside and everywhere around. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, I saw what looked like fire. He was surrounded by very bright light.Verse 28The bright light surrounding him was like a rainbow shining through the clouds on a rainy day. This was what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell facedown on the ground, and then I heard someone speaking to me.