Ezekiel 1
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1On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year of the exile to Babylon, while I was among the captives on the bank of the Chebar River, heaven opened up and I saw visions from God.1On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
2On the fifth day of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's imprisonment in exile, 2This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity.
3a message from the LORD came directly to Buzi's son Ezekiel, the priest, by the Chebar River in the land of the Chaldeans. The hand of the LORD rested upon him there.3(The LORD gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and he felt the hand of the LORD take hold of him.)
4I was amazed to see a wind storm blow in from the north, consisting of a massive cloud and fire that was flashing back and forth, surrounded by bright light. From deep within the cloud, something was shining that appeared to have a color like bronze that had been placed in fire until it glowed.4As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber.
5Deep inside it, the likenesses of four living beings were visible. Their appearances were similar to human forms, 5From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human,
6except that they each had four faces, four pairs of wings,6except that each had four faces and four wings.
7and straight legs. Their feet resembled calves' hooves, but they gleamed like polished bronze. 7Their legs were straight, and their feet had hooves like those of a calf and shone like burnished bronze.
8From under their wings there were human hands on their four sides. Now as to their four faces and four pairs of wings, 8Under each of their four wings I could see human hands. So each of the four beings had four faces and four wings.
9their pairs of wings overlapped each other. They moved in straight directions without turning their faces around as they moved. 9The wings of each living being touched the wings of the beings beside it. Each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.
10The form of their faces was human, but each of the four also had the face of a lion to the right, the face of an ox to the left, and the face of an eagle behind them.10Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.
11That's what their faces were like. Their wings spread out above and around them, one pair overlapping another, with one pair covering themselves. 11Each had two pairs of outstretched wings—one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body.
12Each moved in straight directions. Wherever they decided to go, they went without turning themselves.12They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.
13Now, in the midst of the living beings there was something that appeared to glow like coals kindled by a fire, like torches that moved back and forth between the living beings. The fire was dazzling, and lightning flashed from the fire. 13The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them.
14The living beings moved around, in appearance resembling lightning.14And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.
15As I observed the living beings, I noticed one wheel on the earth beside each being—that is, for the four of them.15As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each.
16Their wheels and their construction details looked like gold-colored beryl. Each wheel was identical in form to the others, and they appeared to have been constructed and designed as if one wheel were within another. 16The wheels sparkled as if made of beryl. All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.
17Whenever the four moved, no matter which of four directions, they moved without turning around.17The beings could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved.
18Their wheel rims were ornate and terrifying. They were full of eyes that surrounded the four of them. 18The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around.
19Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved, too. Whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 19When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too.
20Whatever direction these spirits went, the wheels would be lifted up along with them, because the wheels were alive.20The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went.
21They moved around whenever they wanted to move around, and they stood still whenever they wanted to stand still; and whenever they rose from the earth, the wheels remained close beside them, because the wheels were also alive. 21When the beings moved, the wheels moved. When the beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the beings flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
22There was spread out over the heads of the living beings what looked like a canopy, in outward appearance resembling ice, 22Spread out above them was a surface like the sky, glittering like crystal.
23and underneath the canopy, their wings spread out straight over their heads toward each other. They each also had two wings with which they covered themselves, one wing covering its body on one side and one wing covering itself on the other side.23Beneath this surface the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others’ wings, and each had two wings covering its body.
24I also heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of roaring water, like the voice of the Almighty, or like a boisterous crowd within an army camp. Whenever they stopped flying, they lowered their wings. 24As they flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings.
25A sound came from above the canopy that was spread out over their heads. Whenever they stood still, they lowered their wings. 25As they stood with wings lowered, a voice spoke from beyond the crystal surface above them.
26From above the canopy that was spread out over their heads, there appeared to be something reminiscent of a throne, resembling sapphire in form. There was the likeness of the appearance of a human being seated on the likeness of the throne high above. 26Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man.
27I noticed that from what appeared to look like his waist upward there was something that looked like metal that glowed as if it were immersed in fire. Below this there was something resembling fire, with a radiant light surrounding him. 27From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor.
28The appearance of the radiant light resembled that of a rainbow shining in a cloud on a rainy day. This was what the appearance of the form of the glory of the LORD resembled. When I saw all of this, I fell flat on my face. Then I heard a voice speaking.28All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the LORD looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Lamentations 5
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