The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 1 The First Vision of the Cherubim

 The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 1

The First Vision of the Cherubim

1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

2 On the fifth day of the month (in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity),

3 The word of the Lord came expressly 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, and behold, a stormy wind was coming from the north, and a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually, and brightness all around it, and in the midst of it something like amber, coming out of the fire.

5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

6 Each one had four faces, and each of them had four wings.

7 Their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot, and they gleamed like burnished bronze.

8 They had human hands under their wings on their four sides; and all four had faces and wings.

9 Their wings were joined together; they did not turn when they went; each one went straight ahead.

10 Their faces were like human faces; on the right side all four had the face of a lion, and on the left side all four had the face of an ox; and all four also had the face of an eagle.

11 Their faces and wings were separated above; each one had two wings joined together, and two covered their bodies.

12 Each one went straight ahead; wherever the spirit was to go, they went; they did not turn when they went.

13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches; the fire ran between the living creatures, and the fire was bright, and out of the fire came lightning.

14 And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.

15 And I saw the living creatures, and behold, there was a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of their four faces.

16 The appearance of the wheels and the workmanship of them was like the color of beryl; and the four had the same likeness; their appearance and their workmanship was as it were a wheel within a wheel.

17 When they moved, they moved in any of their four directions; they did not turn as they moved.

18 The wheels were so high that they were awesome; and the four wheels had eyes all around. 

19 When the animals moved, the wheels went beside them; and when the animals rose from the earth, the wheels also rose.

20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went; wherever the spirit had to go; and the wheels rose up before them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

21 When they moved, the wheels moved; when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels also rose up before them, because the spirit of the animals was in the wheels.

22 Above the heads of the animals there was something like a firmament, like the appearance of crystal, terrifying, stretched out above their heads.

23 Under the firmament their wings were straight, one toward the other; each had two wings covering its body on one side, and each had two wings covering its body on the other side.

24 As they moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the sound of a rushing army; when they stopped, they lowered their wings.

25 And there was a voice from above the firmament that was over their heads: when they stopped, they lowered their wings.

26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like that of sapphire; and upon the likeness of the throne was as it were the likeness of a man, high above it.

27 And I saw as it were the color of amber, as the appearance of fire within it, from the likeness of his loins even upward; and from the likeness of his loins even downward I saw as it were the likeness of fire, and a brightness round about it. 

28 Like the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord; and when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.