New Century Version NCV
New International Version NIV
1 It was the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month of our captivity. I was by the Kebar River among the people who had been carried away as captives. The sky opened, and I saw visions of God.
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In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
2 It was the fifth day of the month of the fifth year that King Jehoiachin had been a prisoner.
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On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—
3 The Lord spoke his word to Ezekiel son of Buzi in the land of the Babylonians by the Kebar River. There he felt the power of the Lord.
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the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was on him.
4 When I looked, I saw a stormy wind coming from the north. There was a great cloud with a bright light around it and fire flashing out of it. Something that looked like glowing metal was in the center of the fire.
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I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,
5 Inside the cloud was what looked like four living creatures, who were shaped like humans,
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and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human,
6 but each of them had four faces and four wings.
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but each of them had four faces and four wings.
7 Their legs were straight. Their feet were like a calf's hoofs and sparkled like polished bronze.
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Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.
8 The living creatures had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings,
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Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings,
9 and their wings touched each other. The living creatures did not turn when they moved, but each went straight ahead.
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and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
10 Their faces looked like this: Each living creature had a human face and the face of a lion on the right side and the face of an ox on the left side. And each one also had the face of an eagle.
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Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.
11 That was what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out above. Each had two wings that touched one of the other living creatures and two wings that covered its body.
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Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body.
12 Each went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would also go, without turning.
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Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
13 The living creatures looked like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire went back and forth among the living creatures. It was bright, and lightning flashed from it.
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The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
14 The living creatures ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.
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The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground by each of the living creatures with its four faces.
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As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
16 The wheels and the way they were made were like this: They looked like sparkling chrysolite. All four of them looked the same, like one wheel crossways inside another wheel.
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This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.
17 When they moved, they went in any one of the four directions, without turning as they went.
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As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went.
18 The rims of the wheels were high and frightening and were full of eyes all around.
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Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the ground, the wheels also were lifted up.
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When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
20 Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would go. And the wheels were lifted up beside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
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Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved. When the living creatures stopped, the wheels stopped. And when the living creatures were lifted from the ground, the wheels were lifted beside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
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When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Now, over the heads of the living creatures was something like a dome that sparkled like ice and was frightening.
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Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome.
23 And under the dome the wings of the living creatures were stretched out straight toward one another. Each living creature also had two wings covering its body.
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Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body.
24 I heard the sound of their wings, like the roaring sound of the sea, as they moved. It was like the voice of God Almighty, a roaring sound like a noisy army. When the living creatures stopped, they lowered their wings.
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When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 A voice came from above the dome over the heads of the living creatures. When the living creatures stopped, they lowered their wings.
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Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings.
26 Now above the dome there was something that looked like a throne. It looked like a sapphire gem. And on the throne was a shape like a human.
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Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.
27 Then I noticed that from the waist up the shape looked like glowing metal with fire inside. From the waist down it looked like fire, and a bright light was all around.
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I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.
28 The surrounding glow looked like the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. It seemed to look like the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I bowed facedown on the ground and heard a voice speaking.
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Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.