New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
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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.
2 On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin),
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On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year after King Jehoiachin had been made a prisoner,
3 the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on him there.
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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.
4 As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like gleaming amber.
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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.
5 In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form.
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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.
6 Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.
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And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.
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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.
8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus:
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And they had the hands of a man under their wings; the four of them had faces on their four sides.
9 their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved.
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They went without turning, every one went straight forward.
10 As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle;
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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.
11 such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.
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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.
12 Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.
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Every one of them went straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go they went; they went on without turning.
13 In the middle of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire.
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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.
14 The living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.
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And the living beings went out and came back as quickly as a thunder-flame.
15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.
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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.
16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl; and the four had the same form, their construction being something like a wheel within a wheel.
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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.
17 When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without veering as they moved.
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The four of them went straight forward without turning to one side.
18 Their rims were tall and awesome, for the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.
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And I saw that they had edges, and their edges, even of the four, were full of eyes round about.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose.
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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.
20 Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
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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.
21 When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
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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.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was something like a dome, shining like crystal, spread out above their heads.
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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.
23 Under the dome their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another; and each of the creatures had two wings covering its body.
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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.
24 When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stopped, they let down their wings.
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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.
25 And there came a voice from above the dome over their heads; when they stopped, they let down their wings.
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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.
26 And above the dome over their heads there was something like a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was something that seemed like a human form.
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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.
27 Upward from what appeared like the loins I saw something like gleaming amber, something that looked like fire enclosed all around; and downward from what looked like the loins I saw something that looked like fire, and there was a splendor all around.
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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.
28 Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all around. 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 the voice of someone speaking.
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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.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.