rsv Ezekiel:1 SEEK
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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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On the fifth day of the month (
it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoi '
achin ),
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the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest ,
the son of Buzi ,
in the land of the Chalde '
ans by the river Chebar ;
and the hand of the LORD was upon him there .
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As I looked ,
behold ,
a stormy wind came out of the north ,
and a great cloud ,
with brightness round about it ,
and fire flashing forth continually ,
and in the midst of the fire ,
as it were gleaming bronze .
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And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures .
And this was their appearance :
they had the form of men ,
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but each had four faces ,
and each of them had four wings .
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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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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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their wings touched one another ;
they went every one straight forward ,
without turning as they went .
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As for the likeness of their faces ,
each had the face of a man in front ;
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 at the back .
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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 two covered their bodies .
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And each went straight forward ;
wherever the spirit would go ,
they went ,
without turning as they went .
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In the midst of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire ,
like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures ;
and the fire was bright ,
and out of the fire went forth lightning .
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And the living creatures darted to and fro ,
like a flash of lightning .
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Now as I looked at the living creatures ,
I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures ,
one for each of the four of them .
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As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction :
their appearance was like the gleaming of a chrysolite ;
and the four had the same likeness ,
their construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel .
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When they went ,
they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went .
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The four wheels had rims and they had spokes ;
and their rims were full of eyes round about .
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And when the living creatures went ,
the wheels went beside them ;
and when the living creatures rose from the earth ,
the wheels rose .
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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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When those went ,
these went ;
and when those stood ,
these stood ;
and when those 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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Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament ,
shining like crystal ,
spread out above their heads .
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And under the firmament their wings were stretched out straight ,
one toward another ;
and each creature had two wings covering its body .
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And when they went ,
I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters ,
like the thunder of the Almighty ,
a sound of tumult like the sound of a host ;
when they stood still ,
they let down their wings .
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And there came a voice from above the firmament over their heads ;
when they stood still ,
they let down their wings .
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And above the firmament over their heads there was the likeness of a throne ,
in appearance like sapphire ;
and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness as it were of a human form .
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And upward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were gleaming bronze ,
like the appearance of fire enclosed round about ;
and downward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were the appearance of fire ,
and there was brightness round about him .
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Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain ,
so was the appearance of the brightness round about .
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD .
And when I saw it ,
I fell upon my face ,
and I heard the voice of one speaking .