1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, as I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, 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 to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Kebar River; and the hand of the LORD was on him there. 4 As I looked, a windstorm came up out of the north, a huge cloud with lightning flashing, enveloped by a bright light, and in the middle of the fire was what appeared to be gleaming amber. 5 In the middle of it was something that looked like four living creatures. This is a description of their appearance: they had a human form. 6 Now each one had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; and the soles of their feet were like a calf's hoof; and they shined like burnished bronze. 8 They had human hands under each of their wings on their four sides. Each of the four of them had four faces and four wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. They did not turn when they moved, but each went straight forward. 10 As for the appearance of their faces, they each had the face of a human, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings spread out above them touching each other, and the other two covered their bodies. 12 They each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went too, without turning as they went. 13 In the middle of the living creatures was something like blazing coals of fire, like torches. The fire moved back and forth among the living creatures. It was bright and lightning flashed out of the fire. 14 The living creatures darted back and forth like flashes of lightning. 15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw one wheel on the ground beside each of the four living creatures. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their construction was like gleaming beryl. They all looked alike. Their construction was like a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they moved in any of the four directions they faced, they did not turn as they moved. 18 The wheel rims were tall and impressive, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all the way around. 19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the living creatures lifted off the ground, the wheels rose too. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they went also, and the wheels lifted off with them, because the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21 When they moved, the wheels moved; and when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they lifted off the earth, the wheels lifted off with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22 Now over the head of the living creatures there was something that looked like a surface made of shining crystal, stretched out over their heads. 23 Under the surface their wings were spread, each one toward the other. Each one had two wings covering its body. 24 When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of rushing water, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of an uproar like an army. When they stood, they let their wings down. 25 There was a voice above the surface over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let their wings down. 26 Above the surface that was over their heads was something like a throne, that looked like a blue sapphire. Above what looked like the throne was someone who had the appearance of a human being. 27 I saw like glowing amber, like a fire around him from his waist up. From his waist down I saw what looked like fire, and a bright splendor surrounded him. 28 Like a rainbow on a cloudy day after a rain shower is what the brightness around him looked like. It looked like the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of someone speaking.