1. I was 30 years old. I was with my people who had been taken away from their country. We were by the Kebar River in the land of Babylonia. On the fifth day of the fourth month, the heavens were opened. I saw visions of God.
2. It was the fifth day of the month. Jehoiachin had been king of Judah. It was the fifth year since he had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner.
3. A message came to me from the Lord. I was by the Kebar River in Babylonia. The Lord put his strong hand on me there. I am Ezekiel, the son of Buzi. I'm a priest.
4. I looked up and saw a windstorm coming from the north. I saw a huge cloud. The fire of lightning was flashing out of it. Bright light surrounded it. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal.
5. I saw in the fire something that looked like four living creatures. They appeared to have the shape of a man.
6. But each of them had four faces and four wings.
7. Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like the feet of a calf. They were as bright as polished bronze.
8. The creatures had a man's hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings.
9. Their wings touched one another. Each of the creatures went straight ahead. They didn't change their direction as they moved.