The Babylonian Exile

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.

On the fifth day of the month, which was during the fifth year of King Y'hoyakhin's exile,

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.

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.

Inside, there appeared to be four living creatures that looked like human beings;

but each one had four faces and four wings.

Their legs were straight, with feet like calves' hoofs. They glittered like burnished bronze.

Beneath their wings they had human hands on their four sides. The four of them had faces and wings as follows:

they touched one another with their wings; they did not turn when they moved, but each one moved straight forward;

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] -

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.

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 -

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.

The living creatures kept speeding here and there like flashes of lightning.

As I gazed at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground, one next to each of the four-faced living creatures.

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.

When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning as they moved.

Their rims were tall and fearsome, because the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Whenever there was a sound from above the dome over their heads, they stopped and lowered their wings.