Ezekiel 1:12

Good News Translation

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

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.

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.

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.

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 looked up and saw a windstorm coming from the north. Lightning was flashing from a huge cloud, and the sky around it was glowing. Where the lightning was flashing, something shone like bronze. ⁵ At the center of the storm I saw what looked like four living creatures in human form, ⁶ but each of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight, and they had hoofs like those of a bull. They shone like polished bronze. ⁸ In addition to their four faces and four wings, they each had four human hands, one under each wing. ⁹ Two wings of each creature were spread out so that the creatures formed a square, with their wing tips touching. When they moved, they moved as a group without turning their bodies. ¹⁰ Each living creature had four different faces: a human face in front, a lion's face at the right, a bull's face at the left, and an eagle's face at the back. ¹¹ Two wings of each creature were raised so that they touched the tips of the wings of the creatures next to it, and their other two wings were folded against their bodies. ¹² Each creature faced all four directions, and so the group could go wherever they wished, without having to turn. ¹³ Among the creatures there was something that looked like a blazing torch, constantly moving. The fire would blaze up and shoot out flashes of lightning.

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
He named the land "Earth," and the water which had come together he named "Sea." And God was pleased with what he saw.

Genesis 1:11
Then he commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit"—and it was done.

Genesis 1:24
Then God commanded, "Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small"—and it was done.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small."

Isaiah 61:11
As surely as seeds sprout and grow, The Sovereign Lord will save his people, And all the nations will praise him.

Mark 4:28
The soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the head, and finally the head full of grain.

Luke 6:44
Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes.

2 Corinthians 9:10
And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity.

Galatians 6:7
Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly 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.