Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Now it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Kevar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
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When I was thirty years of age, I was living with the exiles on the Kebar River. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the sky opened up and I saw visions of God.
2 In the fifth [day] of the month, which was the fifth year of king Yehoiakim's captivity,
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(It was the fifth day of the month in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin
3 the word of the LORD came expressly to Yechezkel the Kohen, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Kasdim by the river Kevar; and the hand of the LORD was there on him.
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that God's Word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, on the banks of the Kebar River in the country of Babylon. God's hand came upon him that day.)
4 I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst of it as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.
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I looked: I saw an immense dust storm come from the north, an immense cloud with lightning flashing from it, a huge ball of fire glowing like bronze.
5 Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
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Within the fire were what looked like four creatures vibrant with life. Each had the form of a human being,
6 Everyone had four faces, and everyone of them had four wings.
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but each also had four faces and four wings.
7 Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.
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Their legs were as sturdy and straight as columns, but their feet were hoofed like those of a calf and sparkled from the fire like burnished bronze.
8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings [thus]:
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On all four sides under their wings they had human hands. All four had both faces and wings,
9 their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; they went everyone straight forward.
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with the wings touching one another. They turned neither one way nor the other; they went straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.
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Their faces looked like this: In front a human face, on the right side the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and in back the face of an eagle.
11 Their faces and their wings were separate above; two [wings] of everyone were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
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So much for the faces. The wings were spread out with the tips of one pair touching the creature on either side; the other pair of wings covered its body.
12 They went everyone straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went.
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Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went. They didn't turn as they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: [the fire] went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
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The four creatures looked like a blazing fire, or like fiery torches. Tongues of fire shot back and forth between the creatures, and out of the fire, bolts of lightning.
14 The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
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The creatures flashed back and forth like strikes of lightning.
15 Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the eretz beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.
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As I watched the four creatures, I saw something that looked like a wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a bareket: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.
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This is what the wheels looked like: They were identical wheels, sparkling like diamonds in the sun. It looked like they were wheels within wheels, like a gyroscope.
17 When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.
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They went in any one of the four directions they faced, but straight, not veering off.
18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.
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The rims were immense, circled with eyes.
19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the eretz, the wheels were lifted up.
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When the living creatures went, the wheels went; when the living creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off.
20 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
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Wherever the spirit went, they went, the wheels sticking right with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the eretz, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
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When the creatures went, the wheels went; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; when the creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched forth over their heads above.
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Over the heads of the living creatures was something like a dome, shimmering like a sky full of cut glass, vaulted over their heads.
23 Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: everyone had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies.
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Under the dome one set of wings was extended toward the others, with another set of wings covering their bodies.
24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of Shaddai, a noise of tumult like the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
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When they moved I heard their wings - it was like the roar of a great waterfall, like the voice of The Strong God, like the noise of a battlefield. When they stopped, they folded their wings.
25 There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.
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And then, as they stood with folded wings, there was a voice from above the dome over their heads.
26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sappir stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.
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Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne, sky-blue like a sapphire, with a humanlike figure towering above the throne.
27 I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him.
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From what I could see, from the waist up he looked like burnished bronze and from the waist down like a blazing fire. Brightness everywhere!
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
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The way a rainbow springs out of the sky on a rainy day - that's what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of God! When I saw all this, I fell to my knees, my face to the ground. Then I heard a voice.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.