The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was by the river Chebar among those who had been made prisoners, that the heavens were made open and I saw visions of God.
1
On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I, Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, was living with the Jewish exiles by the Chebar River in Babylonia. The sky opened, and I saw a vision of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year after King Jehoiachin had been made a prisoner,
2
It was the fifth year since King Jehoiachin had been taken into exile.)
3 The word of the Lord came to me, Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on me there.
3
There in Babylonia beside the Chebar River, I heard the Lord speak to me, and I felt his power.
4 And, looking, I saw a storm-wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with flames of fire coming after one another, and a bright light shining round about it and in the heart of it was something coloured like electrum.
4
I looked up and saw a windstorm coming from the north. Lightning was flashing from a huge cloud, and the sky around it was glowing. Where the lightning was flashing, something shone like bronze.
5 And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man.
5
At the center of the storm I saw what looked like four living creatures in human form,
6 And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
6
but each of them had four faces and four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the under sides of their feet were like the feet of oxen; and they were shining like polished brass.
7
Their legs were straight, and they had hoofs like those of a bull. They shone like polished bronze.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings; the four of them had faces on their four sides.
8
In addition to their four faces and four wings, they each had four human hands, one under each wing.
9 They went without turning, every one went straight forward.
9
Two wings of each creature were spread out so that the creatures formed a square, with their wing tips touching. When they moved, they moved as a group without turning their bodies.
10 As for the form of their faces, they had the face of a man, and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle.
10
Each living creature had four different faces: a human face in front, a lion's face at the right, a bull's face at the left, and an eagle's face at the back.
11 And their wings were separate at the top; two of the wings of every one were joined one to another, and two were covering their bodies.
11
Two wings of each creature were raised so that they touched the tips of the wings of the creatures next to it, and their other two wings were folded against their bodies.
12 Every one of them went straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go they went; they went on without turning.
12
Each creature faced all four directions, and so the group could go wherever they wished, without having to turn.
13 And between the living beings it was like burning coals of fire, as if flames were going one after the other between the living beings; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went thunder-flames.
13
Among the creatures there was something that looked like a blazing torch, constantly moving. The fire would blaze up and shoot out flashes of lightning.
14 And the living beings went out and came back as quickly as a thunder-flame.
14
The creatures themselves darted back and forth with the speed of lightning.
15 Now while I was looking at the four living beings, I saw one wheel on the earth, by the side of the living beings, for the four of them.
15
As I was looking at the four creatures I saw four wheels touching the ground, one beside each of them.
16 The form of the wheels and their work was like a beryl; the four of them had the same form and design, and they were like a wheel inside a wheel.
16
All four wheels were alike; each one shone like a precious stone, and each had another wheel intersecting it at right angles,
17 The four of them went straight forward without turning to one side.
17
so that the wheels could move in any of the four directions.
18 And I saw that they had edges, and their edges, even of the four, were full of eyes round about.
18
The rims of the wheels were covered with eyes.
19 And when the living beings went on, the wheels went by their side; and when the living beings were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
19
Whenever the creatures moved, the wheels moved with them, and if the creatures rose up from the earth, so did the wheels.
20 Wherever the spirit was to go they went; and the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
20
The creatures went wherever they wished, and the wheels did exactly what the creatures did, because the creatures controlled them.
21 When these went on, the others went; and when these came to rest, the others came to rest; and when these were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
21
So every time the creatures moved or stopped or rose in the air, the wheels did exactly the same.
22 And over the heads of the living beings there was the form of an arch, looking like ice, stretched out over their heads on high.
22
Above the heads of the creatures there was something that looked like a dome made of dazzling crystal.
23 Under the arch their wings were straight, one stretched out to another: every one had two wings covering their bodies on this side and two covering their bodies on that side.
23
There under the dome stood the creatures, each stretching out two wings toward the ones next to it and covering its body with the other two wings.
24 And when they went, the sound of their wings was like the sound of great waters to my ears, like the voice of the Ruler of all, a sound like the rushing of an army: when they came to rest they let down their wings.
24
I heard the noise their wings made in flight; it sounded like the roar of the sea, like the noise of a huge army, like the voice of Almighty God. When they stopped flying, they folded their wings,
25 And there was a voice from the top of the arch which was over their heads: when they came to rest they let down their wings.
25
but there was still a sound coming from above the dome over their heads.
26 And on the top of the arch which was over their heads was the form of a king's seat, like a sapphire stone; and on the form of the seat was the form of a man seated on it on high.
26
Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne made of sapphire, and sitting on the throne was a figure that looked like a human being.
27 And I saw it coloured like electrum, with the look of fire in it and round it, going up from what seemed to be the middle of his body; and going down from what seemed to be the middle of his body I saw what was like fire, and there was a bright light shining round him.
27
The figure seemed to be shining like bronze in the middle of a fire. It shone all over with a bright light
28 Like the bow in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the light shining round him. And this is what the glory of the Lord was like. And when I saw it I went down on my face, and the voice of one talking came to my ears.
28
that had in it all the colors of the rainbow. This was the dazzling light which shows the presence of the Lord. When I saw this, I fell face downward on the ground. Then I heard a voice
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.