Ezekiel 1

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the in month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
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 (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin),
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 the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was upon 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 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming bronze.
5 and in the middle what seemed to be four living creatures. They looked like this: They were of humanform.	5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the form of men,
6 Each had four faces, each had four wings.	6 but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.
7 Their legs were straight; they had hooves like calves, glittering like polished brass.	7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.
8 Below their wings, they had human hands on all four sides corresponding to their four faces and fourwings.	8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus:
9 They touched one another with their wings; they did not turn as they moved; each one moved straightforward.	9 their wings touched one another; they went every one straight forward, without turning as they went.
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 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in front; the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle at the back.
11 Their wings were spread upwards, each had one pair touching its neighbour's, and the other paircovering its body.	11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while 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 went straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.
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 the midst of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14 and the living creatures kept disappearing and reappearing like flashes of lightning.	14 And the living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash 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 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.
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 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of a chrysolite; and the four had the same likeness, their construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel.
17 In whichever of the four directions they moved, they did not need to turn as they moved.	17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went.
18 Their circumference was of awe-inspiring size, and the rims of al four sparkled all the way round.	18 The four wheels had rims and they had spokes; and their rims were full of eyes round about.
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 went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose.
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 would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; 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.	21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures 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 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, shining like crystal, spread 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 And under the firmament their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another; and each creature had two wings covering its 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 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of a host; when they stood still, they let down their wings.
25 there was a noise too.	25 And there came a voice from above the firmament over their heads; when they stood still, they let 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 over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness as it were of a human form.
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 upward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were gleaming bronze, like the appearance of fire enclosed round about; and downward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him.
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 appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.