Ezekiel 1:12

Easy-to-Read Version

Each living being went in the direction it was looking. They went wherever the spirit caused them to go, but they did not turn when they moved.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, they went without turning as they moved.

Hebrew Names Version
They went everyone straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went.

King James Version
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

English Standard Version
And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.

New American Standard Bible
And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.

New Century Version
Each went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would also go, without turning.

Amplified Bible
And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.

World English Bible
They went everyone straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And euery one went streight forward: they went whither their spirit led them, and they returned not when they went forth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.

Legacy Standard Bible
And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.

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

Contemporary English Version
Wherever the four living creatures went, they moved together without turning their bodies, because each creature faced straight ahead.

Complete Jewish Bible
Each [living creature] moved in the direction of any of its faces; in whichever direction the spirit wanted to go, they went, without turning as they moved —

Darby Translation
And they went every one straight forward: whither the Spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.

George Lamsa Translation
And they went every one straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

Good News Translation
Each creature faced all four directions, and so the group could go wherever they wished, without having to turn.

Lexham English Bible
And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit went they went, and they did not turn as they went.

Literal Translation
And each went toward the front of their faces. To where the spirit was to go, there they went; they did not turn in their going.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Euery one when it wente, it wente straight forwarde. Where as the sprete led them, thither they wente, and turned not aboute in their goynge.

American Standard Version
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.

Bible in Basic English
Every one of them went straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go they went; they went on without turning.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.

King James Version (1611)
And they went euery one straight forward: whither the spirit was to goe, they went: and they turned not when they went.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Euery one went straight forward: whyther as the spirite led them, thither thei went, & returned not in their going.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And each one went straight forward: wherever the spirit was going they went, and turned not back.

English Revised Version
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And ech of tho yede bifore his face. Where the fersnesse of the wynd was, thidur tho yeden, and turneden not ayen, whanne tho yeden.

Update Bible Version
And they went every one straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they did not turn when they went.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; [and] they turned not when they went.

New English Translation
Each moved straight ahead—wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.

New King James Version
And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.

New Living Translation
They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.

New Life Bible
And each one went straight ahead. Every place where the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.

New Revised Standard
Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and each one straight before him, did they go, - whithersoever the spirit was minded to go, they went, they turned not when they went.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And every one of them went straight forward: whither the impulse of the spirit was to go, thither they went: and they turned not when they went.

Revised Standard Version
And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.

Young's Literal Translation
And each straight forward they go, whither the spirit is to go, they go, they turn not round in their going.

Contextual Overview

⁴ I was watching a big storm come in from the north. It was a big cloud with a strong wind, and there was fire flashing from it. Light was shining out all around it. It looked like hot metal glowing in a fire. ⁵ Inside the cloud, there were four living beings that looked like people. ⁶ But each one of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like calves' feet, and they sparkled like polished brass. ⁸ Under their wings were human arms. There were four living beings. Each living being had four faces and four wings. ⁹ The wings touched each other. The living beings did not turn when they moved. They went in the direction they were looking. ¹⁰ Each living being had four faces. In the front they each had a man's face. There was a lion's face on the right side and a bull's face on the left side. There was an eagle's face on the back. ¹¹ Their wings were spread out over them. With two of the wings each living being reached out to touch the one near it, and with the other two wings it covered its body. ¹² Each living being went in the direction it was looking. They went wherever the spirit caused them to go, but they did not turn when they moved. ¹³ That is what the living beings looked like. Inside the area between the living beings, there was something that looked like burning coals of fire. This fire was like small torches that kept moving around among the living beings. The fire glowed brightly and lightning flashed from it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they went every: Ezekiel 1:9, Ezekiel 1:17, Ezekiel 10:22

whither: Ezekiel 1:20, Ezekiel 1:21, Hebrews 1:14

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 1:23 - their wings Ezekiel 10:17 - for Ezekiel 46:9 - he that entereth in

Cross-References

Genesis 1:10
God named the dry land "earth," and he named the water that was gathered together "seas." And God saw that this was good.

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth grow grass, plants that make grain, and fruit trees. The fruit trees will make fruit with seeds in it. And each plant will make its own kind of seed. Let these plants grow on the earth." And it happened.

Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth produce many kinds of living things. Let there be many different kinds of animals. Let there be large animals and small crawling animals of every kind. And let all these animals produce more animals." And all these things happened.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Now let's make humans who will be like us. They will rule over all the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. They will rule over all the large animals and all the little things that crawl on the earth."

Isaiah 61:11
The earth causes plants to grow, and a garden makes the seeds planted there rise up. In the same way, the Lord God will make goodness and praise grow throughout the nations.

Mark 4:28
Without any help the ground produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head.

Luke 6:44
Every tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. You won't find figs on thorny weeds. And you can't pick grapes from thornbushes!

2 Corinthians 9:10
God is the one who gives seed to those who plant, and he gives bread for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow. He will produce a great harvest from your goodness.

Galatians 6:7
If you think you can fool God, you are only fooling yourselves. You will harvest what you plant.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they went everyone straight forward,.... Or, "over against his face" q; for, which way soever they went, whether forward or backward, or on either side, they had a face to go before them, to direct the way, and steer their course; so the ministers of the Gospel have a face to go by and follow after, the word of God, to look to and direct them, which way soever they go, or whatsoever service they are called unto;

whither the spirit was to go they went; which may be meant of their own spirit, will, and inclination; so the Targum,

"to the place where it was their good pleasure to go they went;''

so Jarchi and Kimchi; but this is not always the case, see Acts 16:6; rather the Holy Spirit of God is intended, by whom holy men of God were moved, and spoke formerly; and by whom Gospel ministers are led into the truth, as it is in Jesus; and by whom they are directed where to go, and what to do; and they are sent, and go where the Spirit of God is designed to go, in order to work upon the hearts of men and effectually call them by his grace, which is usually done by the ministry of the word; and therefore Gospel ministers must go, and they do go where the Spirit of God has work to do by them; see Acts 16:6;

[and] they turned not when they went; they had no occasion to turn their bodies, because, which way soever they went, they had a face to go before them, and direct the way; Acts 16:6- :.

q אל עבר פניו "coram facie sua", V. L. "in tractam faciei suae", [objectum], Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus "ante faciem suam", Starckius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The “chariot,” though composed of distinct parts, was to be considered as a whole. There was one spirit expressive of one conscious life pervading the whole, and guiding the motions of the whole in perfect harmony.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 1:12. They went every one straight forward — Not by progressive stepping, but by gliding.

Whither the spirit was to go — Whither that whirlwind blew, they went, being borne on by the wind, see Ezekiel 1:4.