Ezekiel’s Vision by the River Kebar
(Psalm 137:1–9)

1And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, as I was in the midst of the captivity by the River Kebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.†

2On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the captivity of king Jehoiachin— 3the word of YHWH came directly to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest in the land of the Chaldeans† by the River Kebar; And there the hand of YHWH was upon him.

The Four Living Creatures

4And I looked, and behold, a wind of a tempest was coming from the north, and a great cloud and fire taking hold of it, and a brightness to it all around, and in the midst of it was like the color of amber, from the midst of the fire.† 5And in the midst of it was the likeness of four living creatures.

And this was their appearance: The likeness of a man was unto them, 6with four faces for each one, and four wings for each one unto them. 7And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of the foot of a calf, and they sparkled like an eye of polished bronze.

8And the hands of a man were under their wings on four of their sides. And the faces and wings were unto the four of them, 9joining each one to her sister; their wings did not turn in their going, each man went to straight ahead.

10And the likeness of their faces, was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side was unto the four of them; and the face of an ox on the left side was unto the four of them, and the face of an eagle was unto the four of them. 11And such were their faces.

And their wings were spread out above each one; unto each one were two touching one, and two were covering their bodies. 12And each one went toward straight ahead of its face; to the direction that there the spirit was to go, they would go, and they did not turn in their going.

13And the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like coals of fire burning, like the appearance of torches; it was going about among the living creatures, and brightness was unto the fire, and from the fire was going forth lightning. And the living creatures were running and returning like the appearance of the lightning.

The Four Wheels

15And I looked at the living creatures, and behold, a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one with his four faces. 16The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like an eye of beryl, and a single likeness unto four of them; and their appearance and of their workings was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17Upon their four sides, in their going they went, and they did not turn aside in their going. 18And unto their rims was height to them and fearsomeness to them, and their rims were full of eyes all around for the four of them. 19And in the going of the living creatures, the wheels went beside them; and in the lifting up of the living creatures from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

20Upon which the spirit was to go, there they would go; there the spirit was to go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21In their going they go, and in their standing they stand; and in their being lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

The Divine Glory

22And the likeness over the heads of the living creatures was the firmament, like an eye of awe-inspiring crystal, stretched out over their heads above. 23And under the firmament their wings were straight, each one toward its sister; for each one were two as a covering for them, and for each one were two covering for them their body.

24And I heard the voice of their wings, like the voice of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai,† in their going—the voice of a tumult like the voice of an army—

and in their standing, they would slacken their wings. 25And there was a voice from over the firmament that was over their heads; in their standing they would slacken their wings.

26And from above the firmament that was over their heads, in appearance like a stone of sapphire, was the likeness of a throne, and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness like the appearance of a man over it from above. 27And I saw as an eye of amber, like the appearance of fire, a house for it all around, from the appearance of His loins and above; and from the appearance of His loins and downward, I saw as the appearance of fire and brightness to it all around.

28As the appearance of a rainbow that comes to be in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness surrounding. It was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of YHWH. And I saw it, and I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice speaking.