Eze 1:4-28 | ESV | STEP | As I looked , behold , a stormy wind came out of the north , and a great cloud , with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire , as it were gleaming metal .

4 As I looked, behold, ^aa stormy wind came ^bout of the north, and a great cloud, with ^cbrightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, ^das it were gleaming metal. ^{▼▼Or amber; also verse 27} 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of ^ffour living creatures. ^gAnd this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, 6 ^hbut each had four faces, and each 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 ⁱlike burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings ^jon their four sides ^kthey had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another. ^lEach one of them went straight forward, ^mwithout turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, ⁿeach had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while ^otwo covered their bodies. 12 ^pAnd each went straight forward. ^qWherever the spirit ^{▼▼Or Spirit; also twice in verse 20 and once in verse 21} would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was ^slike burning coals of fire, ^tlike the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. ^uAnd the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures ^vdarted to and fro, ^wlike the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15 ^xNow 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. ^{▼▼Hebrew of their faces} 16 ^zAs for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like ^aathe gleaming of beryl. ^abAnd the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 ^acWhen they went, they went ^adin any of their four directions ^{▼▼Hebrew on their four sides} ^afwithout turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, ^agand the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 ^ahAnd when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; ^aiand when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 ^ajWherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, ^akfor the spirit of the living creatures ^{▼▼Or the spirit of life; also verse 21} was in the wheels. 21 ^amWhen those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; ^anand when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, ^aofor the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was ^apthe likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring ^aqcrystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were ^arstretched out straight, one toward another. ^asAnd each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings ^atlike the sound of many waters, like ^authe sound of the ^avAlmighty, a sound of tumult ^awlike the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above ^axthe expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

26 And above the expanse over their heads there was ^aythe likeness of a throne, ^azin appearance ^balike sapphire; ^{▼▼Or lapis lazuli} and seated above the likeness of a throne was ^bca likeness with a human appearance. 27 And ^bdupward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were ^begleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and ^bfthere was brightness around him. ^{▼▼Or it} 28 Like the appearance of ^bhthe bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of ^bithe glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, ^bjI fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.