Ezekiel 1

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 And it happened that, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives beside the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God.
2 On the fifth of the month -- it was the fifth year of exile for King Jehoiachin-	2 On the fifth of the month, the same is the fifth year of the transmigration of king Joachin,
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 Ezekiel, a priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, next to the river Chebar. And the hand of the Lord was over him there.
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 And I saw, and behold, a whirlwind arrived from the north. And a great cloud, wrapped in fire and brightness, was all around it. And from its midst, that is, from the midst of the fire, there was something with the appearance of amber.
5 and in the middle what seemed to be four living creatures. They looked like this: They were of humanform.	5 And in its midst, there was the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: the likeness of a man was in them.
6 Each had four faces, each had four wings.	6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
7 Their legs were straight; they had hooves like calves, glittering like polished brass.	7 Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of the foot of a calf, and they sparkled with the appearance of glowing brass.
8 Below their wings, they had human hands on all four sides corresponding to their four faces and fourwings.	8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on the four sides. And they had faces with the wings on the four sides.
9 They touched one another with their wings; they did not turn as they moved; each one moved straightforward.	9 And their wings were joined to one another. They did not turn as they went. Instead, each one advanced before his face.
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 But as for the likeness of their face, there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right of each of the four, then the face of an ox on the left of each of the four, and the face of an eagle above each of the four.
11 Their wings were spread upwards, each had one pair touching its neighbour's, and the other paircovering its body.	11 Their faces and their wings were extended above: two wings of each one were joined together, and two covered their bodies.
12 And each one moved straight forward; they went where the spirit urged them, they did not turn as theymoved.	12 And each one of them advanced before his face. Wherever the impetus of the spirit was to go, there they went. And they did not turn as they advanced.
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 And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision dashing in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, with lightning going forth from the fire.
14 and the living creatures kept disappearing and reappearing like flashes of lightning.	14 And the living creatures went and returned 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 And as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared above the earth, next to the living creatures, one wheel having four faces.
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 And the appearance of the wheels and their work was like the appearance of the sea. And each of the four were similar to one another. And their appearance and work was like a wheel in the center of a wheel.
17 In whichever of the four directions they moved, they did not need to turn as they moved.	17 Going forth, they went by means of their four parts. And they did not turn as they went.
18 Their circumference was of awe-inspiring size, and the rims of al four sparkled all the way round.	18 Also, the size and height and appearance of the wheels was dreadful. And the entire body was full of eyes all around each of the four.
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 And when the living creatures advanced, the wheels advanced together with them. And when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels, too, were lifted up at the same time.
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 went, as the spirit was going forth to that place, the wheels, too, were lifted up together, so as to follow them. For the spirit of life 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.	21 When going forth, they went forth, and when standing still, they stood still. And when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels, too, were lifted up together, so as to follow them. For the spirit of life was in the wheels.
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 And above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of a firmament: similar to crystal, but dreadful to behold, and extending over their heads from above.
23 and under the solid surface, their wings were spread out straight, touching one another, and each hada pair covering its body.	23 And their wings were straight under the firmament, one toward the other. One of them was covered by two wings on his body, and the other was covered similarly.
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 And I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the sublime God. When they walked, it was like the sound of a multitude, like the sound of an army. And when they stood still, their wings were let down.
25 there was a noise too.	25 For when a voice came from above the firmament, which was over their heads, they stood still, and they put down their wings.
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 And above the firmament, which was suspended over their heads, there was the likeness of a throne, with the appearance of the sapphire stone. And over the likeness of the throne, there was a likeness with the appearance of a man above it.
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 And I saw something with the appearance of amber, with the likeness of fire within it and all around it. And from his waist and upward, and from his waist downward, I saw something with the appearance of fire shining all around.
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 There was the appearance of the rainbow, as when it is in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the splendor on every side.