The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the K'var River, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
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Now it came about in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was by the river Chebar among those who had been made prisoners, that the heavens were made open and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month, which was during the fifth year of King Y'hoyakhin's exile,
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On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year after King Jehoiachin had been made a prisoner,
3 the word of ADONAI came to the cohen Yechezk'el son of Buzi, in the land of the Kasdim by the K'var River; there the hand of ADONAI was on him.
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The word of the Lord came to me, Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on me there.
4 I looked and saw a windy storm approaching from the north and a huge cloud with flashing fire, glowing brightly all around with the color of gleaming amber from within the fire.
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And, looking, I saw a storm-wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with flames of fire coming after one another, and a bright light shining round about it and in the heart of it was something coloured like electrum.
5 Inside, there appeared to be four living creatures that looked like human beings;
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And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man.
6 but each one had four faces and four wings.
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And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
7 Their legs were straight, with feet like calves' hoofs. They glittered like burnished bronze.
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And their feet were straight feet; and the under sides of their feet were like the feet of oxen; and they were shining like polished brass.
8 Beneath their wings they had human hands on their four sides. The four of them had faces and wings as follows:
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And they had the hands of a man under their wings; the four of them had faces on their four sides.
9 they touched one another with their wings; they did not turn when they moved, but each one moved straight forward;
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They went without turning, every one went straight forward.
10 as for the appearance of their faces, they had human faces [in front], each of the four had a lion's face on the right, each of the four had a bull's face on the left, and each of the four had an eagle's face [toward the rear] -
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As for the form of their faces, they had the face of a man, and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle.
11 thus their faces. As for their wings, each had two that stretched upward and joined those of others, and two more that covered their bodies.
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And their wings were separate at the top; two of the wings of every one were joined one to another, and two were covering their bodies.
12 Each [living creature] moved in the direction of any of its faces; in whichever direction the spirit wanted to go, they went, without turning as they moved -
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Every one of them went straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go they went; they went on without turning.
13 thus the appearance of the living creatures. With them was something that looked like fiery coals burning the way torches do, with the fire flashing here and there between the living creatures; the fire had a brilliance, and out of the fire went lightning.
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And between the living beings it was like burning coals of fire, as if flames were going one after the other between the living beings; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went thunder-flames.
14 The living creatures kept speeding here and there like flashes of lightning.
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And the living beings went out and came back as quickly as a thunder-flame.
15 As I gazed at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground, one next to each of the four-faced living creatures.
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Now while I was looking at the four living beings, I saw one wheel on the earth, by the side of the living beings, for the four of them.
16 All four wheels looked the same: their inner parts gleamed like beryl, and their structure seemed to be that of a wheel inside a wheel.
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The form of the wheels and their work was like a beryl; the four of them had the same form and design, and they were like a wheel inside a wheel.
17 When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning as they moved.
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The four of them went straight forward without turning to one side.
18 Their rims were tall and fearsome, because the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.
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And I saw that they had edges, and their edges, even of the four, were full of eyes round about.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved along with them; and when the creatures were lifted off the ground, the wheels went with them.
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And when the living beings went on, the wheels went by their side; and when the living beings were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, in the direction the spirit wanted to go. The wheels were lifted up next to them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
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Wherever the spirit was to go they went; and the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
21 When [the living creatures] moved, [the wheels] moved; when the former stood still, the latter stood still; and when the former were lifted off the ground, the wheels were lifted up next to them; because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
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When these went on, the others went; and when these came to rest, the others came to rest; and when these were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures was what appeared to be a dome glittering like ice; it was awesome, spread out over their heads, above them.
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And over the heads of the living beings there was the form of an arch, looking like ice, stretched out over their heads on high.
23 Under the dome each had a pair of wings spread out straight toward those of others, and each had a pair which covered his body.
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Under the arch their wings were straight, one stretched out to another: every one had two wings covering their bodies on this side and two covering their bodies on that side.
24 I heard the sound of their wings when they moved; it was like the sound of rushing water, like the voice of Shaddai, like the noise of a tumultuous crowd or army. When they stopped, they lowered their wings.
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And when they went, the sound of their wings was like the sound of great waters to my ears, like the voice of the Ruler of all, a sound like the rushing of an army: when they came to rest they let down their wings.
25 Whenever there was a sound from above the dome over their heads, they stopped and lowered their wings.
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And there was a voice from the top of the arch which was over their heads: when they came to rest they let down their wings.
26 Above the dome that was over their heads was something like a throne that looked like a sapphire. On it, above it, was what appeared to be a person.
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And on the top of the arch which was over their heads was the form of a king's seat, like a sapphire stone; and on the form of the seat was the form of a man seated on it on high.
27 I saw what looked like gleaming, amber-colored fire radiating from what appeared to be his waist upward. Downward from what appeared to be his waist, I saw what looked like fire, giving a brilliant light all around him.
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And I saw it coloured like electrum, with the look of fire in it and round it, going up from what seemed to be the middle of his body; and going down from what seemed to be the middle of his body I saw what was like fire, and there was a bright light shining round him.
28 This brilliance around him looked like a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was how the appearance of the glory of ADONAI looked. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of someone speaking.
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Like the bow in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the light shining round him. And this is what the glory of the Lord was like. And when I saw it I went down on my face, and the voice of one talking came to my ears.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.