1I was living among the exiles by the Chebar River. On the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year the figurative heaven opened and I saw visions from God. 2On the fifth day of the month during the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiakin, 3The word of Jehovah spoke to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi. It was in Babylon by the Chebar River. The power of Jehovah came upon him. 4I saw a storm coming from the north. There was an immense cloud with flashing lightning surrounded by a bright light. The center of the lightning looked like glowing metal. 5In the center of the cloud I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were shaped like humans. 6Each of them had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight. Their feet were like those of calves and they glittered like polished copper. 8They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. 9Their wings touched each other. The creatures went straight ahead and they did not turn as they moved. 10Their faces looked like this: From the front, each creature had the face of a human. From the right side, each one had the face of a lion. From the left, each one had the face of a bull. And from the back, each one had the face of an eagle. 11That is what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out and pointed upward. Each creature had two wings with which they touched each other. The other two wings covered their bodies. 12Each of the creatures went straight ahead. They went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn as they moved. 13The living creatures looked like burning coals and torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures. The fire was bright and lightning came out of the fire. 14The living creatures ran back and forth like lightning. 15As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them, with its four faces. 16This is how the wheels looked and how they were made: They looked like beryl chrysoliteprecious stones. All four wheels looked the same. They looked like a wheel within a wheel. 17When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without turning as they moved. 18The rims of the wheels were large and frightening. They were covered with eyes. 19When the living creatures moved the wheels moved with them. When the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. 20Wherever the spirit wanted to go the creatures went. The wheels rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21When the creatures moved, the wheels moved. When the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still. And when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose with them. This is because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22Something like a dome was spread over the heads of the living creatures. It looked like dazzling crystal. 23Under the dome, each creature had two wings that were stretched out straight, touching one another. Each creature had two wings that covered its body. 24When the creatures moved I heard the sound of their wings. The sound was like the noise of rushing water. It was like the thunder voice of the Almighty. It was like the commotion in an army camp. When the creatures stood still, they lowered their wings. 25A voice came from above the dome over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered. 26Above the dome over their heads was something that looked like a throne made of sapphire. On the throne was a figure that looked like a human. 27Then I saw what he looked like from the waist up. He looked like glowing copper with fire all around it. From the waist down he looked like fire. A bright light surrounded him. 28The brightness all around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. It was the likeness of Jehovah’s glory. When I saw it I immediately fell down with my face to the ground. I heard someone speaking.