Ezekiel 1 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I was with the other exiles by the River Kebar. The heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
1 Now in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in 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 of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
2 In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3 a message from Lord was given to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of Babylonia by the River Kebar. There the Lord's power came over him.)
3 Yahweh’s word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and Yahweh’s hand was there on him.
4 I looked up and saw a windstorm racing in from the north, a tremendous cloud with fire flashing like lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The middle of the fire looked like glowing metal
4 I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of the middle of it as it were glowing metal, out of the middle of the fire.
5 and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
5 Out of its center came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man.
6 but they each had four faces and four wings.
6 Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.
7 They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
7 Their feet were straight feet. The sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.
8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. The four of them had their faces and their wings like this:
9 and each of their wings touched the wings of the one next to it. As they moved they didn't turn—they all moved straight in one direction.
9 Their wings were joined to one another. They didn’t turn when they went. Each one went straight forward.
10 This what their faces looked like. They had a human face to the front, a lion's face to the right, a bull's face to the left, and lastly an eagle's face.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them had the face of an ox on the left side. The four of them also had the face of an eagle.
11 These were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. They all had two wings that touched the wings of the one beside it, as well as two wings that covered its body.
11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.
12 Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
12 Each one went straight forward. Where the spirit was to go, they went. They didn’t turn when they went.
13 These beings looked like bright burning coals or torches. Blazing fire moved to and fro between the beings, and lightning flashed out from the fire.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. The fire went up and down among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire.
14 The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
14 The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
15 Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.
16 The wheels looked like they were made of topaz, and all four wheels were the same. In the middle of each wheel was what looked like another wheel set crossways.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl. The four of them had one likeness. Their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.
17 They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
17 When they went, they went in their four directions. They didn’t turn when they went.
18 The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.
19 As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 They would go wherever the Spirit went. The wheels would lift up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
20 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went. The spirit was to go there. The wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21 When the beings moved, the wheels moved; when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they flew up from the ground, the wheels flew up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
21 When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood. When those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
22 Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like an awesome crystal to look at, stretched out over their heads above.
23 Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.
23 Under the expanse, their wings were straight, one toward the other. Each one had two which covered on this side, and each one had two which covered their bodies on that side.
24 When the beings moved, I heard the sound their wings made. It was like the roar of a thundering waterfall, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army on the march. Whenever they stopped, they folded their wings.
24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.
25 A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
25 There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings.
26 Above the expanse over their heads I saw what looked like a throne made of lapis lazuli. Sitting on the throne high above was a being who looked like a man.
26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.
27 From what seemed to be his waist upwards, he looked like glowing metal with fire inside and everywhere around. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, I saw what looked like fire. He was surrounded by very bright light.
27 I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.
28 The bright light surrounding him was like a rainbow shining through the clouds on a rainy day. This was what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell facedown on the ground, and then I heard someone speaking to me.
28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Buzi
Ezekiel
The priest, son of Buzi, among the exiles by the Chebar Canal to whom the word of the LORD came.
Cited in the guide: Ezekiel 1:3; Ezekiel 24:24
Cross references (28)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 3:16; Acts 7:56; Revelation 19:11; Ezekiel 11:24; Revelation 4:1
- 2 2 Kings 24:12–15; Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 20:1; Ezekiel 40:1; Ezekiel 29:17
- 3 Ezekiel 3:22; Ezekiel 3:14; 2 Kings 3:15; 1 Kings 18:46; Ezekiel 8:1
- 4 Ezekiel 1:27; Ezekiel 8:2; Jeremiah 23:19; Jeremiah 1:13–14; Isaiah 21:1
- 5 Revelation 4:6–8; Revelation 6:6; Ezekiel 1:26
- 6 Ezekiel 10:14; Ezekiel 10:21–22; Ezekiel 1:8–11; Isaiah 6:2; Exodus 25:20
- 7 Revelation 1:15; Daniel 10:6; Ezekiel 1:13; Psalm 104:4; Leviticus 11:47
- 8 Ezekiel 10:21; Ezekiel 10:18; Ezekiel 10:11; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 10:2
- 9 Ezekiel 10:22; Ezekiel 1:11–12; Luke 9:62; 2 Chronicles 3:11–12; 1 Corinthians 1:10
- 10 Ezekiel 10:14; Revelation 4:7; 1 Corinthians 9:9–10; Luke 15:10; Deuteronomy 28:49
- 11 Isaiah 6:2; Ezekiel 1:23; Ezekiel 10:16; Ezekiel 10:19
- 12 Ezekiel 1:9; Ezekiel 1:20–21; Ezekiel 10:22; Hebrews 1:14; Ezekiel 1:17
- 13 Psalm 104:4; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 10:1; Daniel 10:5–6; Matthew 28:3
- 14 Zechariah 4:10; Matthew 24:27; Daniel 9:21; Mark 13:27; Luke 17:24
- 15 Daniel 7:9; Ezekiel 10:9; Ezekiel 1:19–21; Revelation 4:7; Ezekiel 1:6
- 16 Daniel 10:6; Ezekiel 10:9–11; Psalm 40:5; Psalm 36:6; Exodus 39:13
- 17 Ezekiel 1:9; Ezekiel 1:12; Ezekiel 10:1–11; Isaiah 55:11
- 18 Ezekiel 10:12; Revelation 4:6; Revelation 4:8; Psalm 97:2–5; Psalm 77:16–19
- 19 Ezekiel 10:16; Ezekiel 10:19; Psalm 103:20
- 20 Ezekiel 1:12; Ezekiel 10:17; 1 Corinthians 14:32; Zechariah 6:1–8
- 21 Ezekiel 10:17; Ezekiel 1:19–20; Romans 8:2
- 22 Ezekiel 10:1; Ezekiel 1:26; Revelation 4:6; Job 37:22; Exodus 24:10
- 23 Psalm 89:7; Ezekiel 1:24; Job 4:18; Ezekiel 1:11–12; Luke 17:10
- 24 Ezekiel 43:2; Daniel 10:6; Revelation 1:15; Psalm 29:3–9; Revelation 19:6
- 25 Ezekiel 1:22
- 26 Ezekiel 10:1; Exodus 24:10; Revelation 1:13; Daniel 10:18; Ezekiel 1:22
- 27 Ezekiel 1:4; Ezekiel 8:2; Hebrews 12:29; Psalm 97:2; Psalm 50:3
- 28 Revelation 10:1; Revelation 4:3; Genesis 17:3; Ezekiel 3:23; Exodus 24:16
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
He saw the likeness of the glory of the Lord; not the Lord Himself, but the likeness of His glory, not the glory itself, as it really is.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… Ezekiel the Prophet even made a description of them, as far as was possible, saying that every one has four faces, one of a man, another of a lion, another of an eagle, and another of a calf; and that each one had six wings, and they had eyes on all sides; and that under each one was a …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)