Ezekiel 1

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, as I was among the exiles by the River Chebar,heaven opened and I saw visions from God.	1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens opened, and I saw divine visions.--
2 On the fifth of the month -- it was the fifth year of exile for King Jehoiachin-	2 On the fifth day of the month, the fifth year, that is, of King Jehoiachin's exile,
3 the word of Yahweh was addressed to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in Chaldaea by the River Chebar.There the hand of Yahweh came on him.	3 the word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.--There the hand of the LORD came upon me.
4 I looked; a stormy wind blew from the north, a great cloud with flashing fire and bril iant light round it,and in the middle, in the heart of the fire, a bril iance like that of amber,	4 As I looked, a stormwind came from the North, a huge cloud with flashing fire (enveloped in brightness), from the midst of which (the midst of the fire) something gleamed like electrum.
5 and in the middle what seemed to be four living creatures. They looked like this: They were of humanform.	5 Within it were figures resembling four living creatures that looked like this: their form was human,
6 Each had four faces, each had four wings.	6 but each had four faces and four wings,
7 Their legs were straight; they had hooves like calves, glittering like polished brass.	7 and their legs went straight down; the soles of their feet were round. They sparkled with a gleam like burnished bronze.
8 Below their wings, they had human hands on all four sides corresponding to their four faces and fourwings.	8 Human hands were under their wings, and the wings of one touched those of another.
9 They touched one another with their wings; they did not turn as they moved; each one moved straightforward.	9 Their faces (and their wings) looked out on all their four sides; they did not turn when they moved, but each went straight forward.
10 As to the appearance of their faces, al four had a human face, and a lion's face to the right, and allfour had a bull's face to the left, and al four had an eagle's face.	10 Their faces were like this: each of the four had the face of a man, but on the right side was the face of a lion, and on the left side the face of an ox, and finally each had the face of an eagle.
11 Their wings were spread upwards, each had one pair touching its neighbour's, and the other paircovering its body.	11 Each had two wings spread out above so that they touched one another's, while the other two wings of each covered his body.
12 And each one moved straight forward; they went where the spirit urged them, they did not turn as theymoved.	12 (Each went straight forward; wherever the spirit wished to go, there they went; they did not turn when they moved.)
13 Between these living creatures were what looked like blazing coals, like torches, darting backwardsand forwards between the living creatures; the fire gave a bril iant light, and lightning flashed from the fire,	13 In among the living creatures something like burning coals of fire could be seen; they seemed like torches, moving to and fro among the living creatures. The fire gleamed, and from it came forth flashes of lightning.
14 and the living creatures kept disappearing and reappearing like flashes of lightning.
15 Now, as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel touching the ground beside each of the four-faced living creatures.	15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground, one beside each of the four living creatures.
16 The appearance and structure of the wheels were like glittering chrysolite. All four looked alike, andtheir appearance and structure were such that each wheel seemed to have another wheel inside it.	16 The wheels had the sparkling appearance of chrysolite, and all four of them looked the same: they were constructed as though one wheel were within another.
17 In whichever of the four directions they moved, they did not need to turn as they moved.	17 They could move in any of the four directions they faced, without veering as they moved.
18 Their circumference was of awe-inspiring size, and the rims of al four sparkled all the way round.	18 The four of them had rims, and I saw that their rims were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; and when the living creatures leftthe ground, the wheels too left the ground.	19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them; and when the living creatures were raised from the ground, the wheels also were raised.
20 They moved in whichever direction the spirit chose to go, and the wheels rose with them, since thewheels shared the spirit of the animals.	20 Wherever the spirit wished to go, there the wheels went, and they were raised together with the living creatures; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 When the living creatures moved on, they moved on; when the former halted, the latter halted; whenthe former left the ground, the wheels too left the ground, since the wheels shared the spirit of the animals.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures was what looked like a solid surface glittering like crystal,spread out over their heads, above them,	22 Over the heads of the living creatures, something like a firmament could be seen, seeming like glittering crystal, stretched straight out above their heads.
23 and under the solid surface, their wings were spread out straight, touching one another, and each hada pair covering its body.	23 Beneath the firmament their wings were stretched out, one toward the other. (Each of them had two covering his body.)
24 I also heard the noise of their wings; when they moved, it was like the noise of flood-waters, like thevoice of Shaddai, like the noise of a storm, like the noise of an armed camp; and when they halted, they loweredtheir wings;	24 Then I heard the sound of their wings, like the roaring of mighty waters, like the voice of the Almighty. When they moved, the sound of the tumult was like the din of an army. (And when they stood still, they lowered their wings.)
25 there was a noise too.
26 Beyond the solid surface above their heads, there was what seemed like a sapphire, in the form of athrone. High above on the form of a throne was a form with the appearance of a human being.	26 Above the firmament over their heads something like a throne could be seen, looking like sapphire. Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man.
27 I saw a bril iance like amber, like fire, radiating from what appeared to be the waist upwards; and fromwhat appeared to be the waist downwards, I saw what looked like fire, giving a bril iant light al round.	27 Upward from what resembled his waist I saw what gleamed like electrum; downward from what resembled his waist I saw what looked like fire; he was surrounded with splendor.
28 The radiance of the encircling light was like the radiance of the bow in the clouds on rainy days. Thesight was like the glory of Yahweh. I looked and fell to the ground, and I heard the voice of someone speaking tome.	28 Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day was the splendor that surrounded him. Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I had seen it, I fell upon my face and heard a voice that said to me: