(Psalm 137:1–9)

¹ In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.¹

1. Or from God

² On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—

³ the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans¹ by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.

1. That is, the Babylonians

The Four Living Creatures

⁴ I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,¹

1. Or The center of the fire looked like glowing metal; similarly in verse 27

⁵ and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,

⁶ but each had four faces and four wings.

⁷ Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.

⁸ Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings,

⁹ and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.

¹⁰ The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.

¹¹ Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.

¹² Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.

¹³ In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

¹⁴ The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.

The Four Wheels

¹⁵ When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.

¹⁶ The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel.

¹⁷ As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.

¹⁸ Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

¹⁹ So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.

²⁰ Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

²¹ When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

The Divine Glory

²² Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal.

²³ And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body.

²⁴ When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty,¹ like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

1. Hebrew Shaddai

²⁵ And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.

²⁶ Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.

²⁷ From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.

²⁸ The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.