Ezekiel 1

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

In the 30th year, during the 4th month, on the 5th day, while I was with the captured people near the Chebar river, the sky opened, and I saw God's amazing pictures.

In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,

On the fifth day of the month, during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's capture.

The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

God spoke directly to Ezekiel, a priest and son of Buzi, in the land where the Chaldeans lived near the Chebar River. God's power was with him there.

And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

I looked and saw a powerful wind from the north, a big cloud with fire rolling in on itself, surrounded by bright light. In the center, the color was like amber, coming from within the fire.

Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

From the center, four living creature-likenesses appeared. They looked like people.

And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

Everyone had four faces and four wings.

And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

Their feet were strong and shaped nicely, like a calf's foot. They shone brightly, like shiny bronze.

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

They had human-like hands under their wings on all sides, and they each had faces and wings.

Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

Their wings connected, side by side; they didn't move as they flew; they all went straight ahead.

As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

The four creatures looked like people, lions, oxen, and eagles from left to right.

Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

So their faces looked like that, and their wings pointed up. Each creature had two wings connected together, and they used the other two to cover themselves.

And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

They all moved forward where their spirits guided them, and didn't change direction as they went.

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

The living creatures looked like burning fires with a lamp-like appearance. They moved up and down between the creatures. The fire was very bright and had lightning coming from it.

And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

The creatures moved fast like a bright bolt of light.

Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

As I looked at the living beings, I saw a wheel on the ground, being held by them, with their four faces.

The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

The wheels looked like a shiny green gem called beryl. The four wheels were similar to each other, with a wheel inside another wheel design.

When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.

When they moved, they went in all directions; they didn't change course as they went.

As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

Their rings were very tall and scary. All around these rings, there were many eyes. There were four of these rings.

And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

When the living beings moved, the wheels followed them. When the living beings rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.

Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went; that's where their spirit guided them. Meanwhile, the wheels lifted up and faced them because the living creature's spirit was inside the wheels.

When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

When they moved, these moved too; when they stayed still, so did these; and when they rose off the ground, the wheels followed, facing them. This happened because the life force of the living creature was inside the wheels.

And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

The living creatures had a clear crystal-like appearance on their heads, stretching over them like a firm sky.

And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

Under the sky, their wings were straight, facing each other. Each had four covering parts, two for each side, protecting their bodies.

And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

And when they left, I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of strong waves, as the voice of the all-powerful one, the voice of many people, as the noise of a large group: when they stood still, they lowered their wings.

And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.

A voice came from above where they were standing, as they held up their wings.

And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

Above them was a throne like a sapphire stone. On this throne, there looked like a person sitting.

And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

I saw something that looked like amber with fire all around it. This fire-like image went from his waist up to his waist again. It looked bright and had a glowing light all around.

As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Like a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, there was brightness all around. This was like the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell down and heard a voice speaking.