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THE MESSAGE
Ezekiel 1:5
This verse is not available in the MSG!
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- CondensedParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
The likeness of four living creatures came from it, and this was their appearance: They looked something like a human,
The likeness of four living creatures came from it, and this was their appearance: They looked something like a human,
Hebrew Names Version
Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
King James Version
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
English Standard Version
And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness,
And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness,
New American Standard Bible
And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.
And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.
New Century Version
Inside the cloud was what looked like four living creatures, who were shaped like humans,
Inside the cloud was what looked like four living creatures, who were shaped like humans,
Amplified Bible
Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.
Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.
World English Bible
Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also out of the middes therof came the likenesse of foure beastes, and this was their forme: they had the appearance of a man.
Also out of the middes therof came the likenesse of foure beastes, and this was their forme: they had the appearance of a man.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.
Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.
Legacy Standard Bible
And within it there were figures with the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
And within it there were figures with the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Berean Standard Bible
and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,
and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,
Contemporary English Version
and in that center I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were somewhat like humans,
and in that center I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were somewhat like humans,
Complete Jewish Bible
Inside, there appeared to be four living creatures that looked like human beings;
Inside, there appeared to be four living creatures that looked like human beings;
Darby Translation
Also out of the midst thereof, the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Also out of the midst thereof, the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Easy-to-Read Version
Inside the cloud, there were four living beings that looked like people.
Inside the cloud, there were four living beings that looked like people.
George Lamsa Translation
Also out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Also out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Good News Translation
At the center of the storm I saw what looked like four living creatures in human form,
At the center of the storm I saw what looked like four living creatures in human form,
Lexham English Bible
And from its midst was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: a human form,
And from its midst was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: a human form,
Literal Translation
Also from its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was how they looked: they had the likeness of a man,
Also from its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was how they looked: they had the likeness of a man,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and as it were the licknesse of foure beastes, which were fashioned like a man: sauynge,
and as it were the licknesse of foure beastes, which were fashioned like a man: sauynge,
American Standard Version
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man;
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man;
Bible in Basic English
And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man.
And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
King James Version (1611)
Also out of the midst thereof came the likenesse of foure liuing creatures, and this was their appearance: they had the likenesse of a man.
Also out of the midst thereof came the likenesse of foure liuing creatures, and this was their appearance: they had the likenesse of a man.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And out of the middes therof, the likenesse of foure beastes [appeared] and this was their fourme, they had the likenesse of a man.
And out of the middes therof, the likenesse of foure beastes [appeared] and this was their fourme, they had the likenesse of a man.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And in the midst as it were the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; the likeness of a man was upon them.
And in the midst as it were the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; the likeness of a man was upon them.
English Revised Version
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And of myddis therof was a licnesse of foure beestis. And this was the biholdyng of tho, the licnesse of a man in tho.
And of myddis therof was a licnesse of foure beestis. And this was the biholdyng of tho, the licnesse of a man in tho.
Update Bible Version
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of man.
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of man.
Webster's Bible Translation
Also from the midst of it [came] the likeness of four living creatures. And this [was] their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
Also from the midst of it [came] the likeness of four living creatures. And this [was] their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
New English Translation
In the fire were what looked like four living beings. In their appearance they had human form,
In the fire were what looked like four living beings. In their appearance they had human form,
New King James Version
Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
New Living Translation
From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human,
From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human,
New Life Bible
and in the fire was what looked like four living beings. They looked like men,
and in the fire was what looked like four living beings. They looked like men,
New Revised Standard
In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form.
In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and out of the midst thereof, as burnished copper to look upon out of the midst of the fire; and out of the midst thereof, a likeness of four living ones, and this was their appearance, the likeness of a man, had they;
and out of the midst thereof, as burnished copper to look upon out of the midst of the fire; and out of the midst thereof, a likeness of four living ones, and this was their appearance, the likeness of a man, had they;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them.
And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them.
Revised Standard Version
And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the form of men,
And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the form of men,
Young's Literal Translation
And out of its midst [is] a likeness of four living creatures, and this [is] their appearance; a likeness of man [is] to them,
And out of its midst [is] a likeness of four living creatures, and this [is] their appearance; a likeness of man [is] to them,
Contextual Overview
4I looked: I saw an immense dust storm come from the north, an immense cloud with lightning flashing from it, a huge ball of fire glowing like bronze. Within the fire were what looked like four creatures vibrant with life. Each had the form of a human being, but each also had four faces and four wings. Their legs were as sturdy and straight as columns, but their feet were hoofed like those of a calf and sparkled from the fire like burnished bronze. On all four sides under their wings they had human hands. All four had both faces and wings, with the wings touching one another. They turned neither one way nor the other; they went straight forward. 10Their faces looked like this: In front a human face, on the right side the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and in back the face of an eagle. So much for the faces. The wings were spread out with the tips of one pair touching the creature on either side; the other pair of wings covered its body. Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went. They didn't turn as they went. 13The four creatures looked like a blazing fire, or like fiery torches. Tongues of fire shot back and forth between the creatures, and out of the fire, bolts of lightning. The creatures flashed back and forth like strikes of lightning.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the likeness: Revelation 4:6, Revelation 6:6,*Gr.
Reciprocal: Exodus 36:8 - cherubims Psalms 18:10 - rode Ezekiel 10:15 - This Zechariah 1:10 - These Zechariah 6:5 - These
Cross-References
Genesis 1:31
God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.
God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.
Genesis 8:22
For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop."
For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop."
Psalms 104:20
class="poetry"> O my soul, bless God ! God , my God, how great you are! beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent. You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters; Then you roared and the water ran away— your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded. You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills. All the wild animals now drink their fill, wild donkeys quench their thirst. Along the riverbanks the birds build nests, ravens make their voices heard. You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns; earth is supplied with plenty of water. You make grass grow for the livestock, hay for the animals that plow the ground. Oh yes, God brings grain from the land, wine to make people happy, Their faces glowing with health, a people well-fed and hearty. God 's trees are well-watered— the Lebanon cedars he planted. Birds build their nests in those trees; look—the stork at home in the treetop. Mountain goats climb about the cliffs; badgers burrow among the rocks. The moon keeps track of the seasons, the sun is in charge of each day. When it's dark and night takes over, all the forest creatures come out. The young lions roar for their prey, clamoring to God for their supper. When the sun comes up, they vanish, lazily stretched out in their dens. Meanwhile, men and women go out to work, busy at their jobs until evening. What a wildly wonderful world, God ! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations. Oh, look—the deep, wide sea, brimming with fish past counting, sardines and sharks and salmon. Ships plow those waters, and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them. All the creatures look expectantly to you to give them their meals on time. You come, and they gather around; you open your hand and they eat from it. If you turned your back, they'd die in a minute— Take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud; Send out your Spirit and they spring to life— the whole countryside in bloom and blossom. The glory of God —let it last forever! Let God enjoy his creation! He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake, points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt. Oh, let me sing to God all my life long, sing hymns to my God as long as I live! Oh, let my song please him; I'm so pleased to be singing to God . But clear the ground of sinners— no more godless men and women! O my soul, bless God !
class="poetry"> O my soul, bless God ! God , my God, how great you are! beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent. You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters; Then you roared and the water ran away— your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded. You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills. All the wild animals now drink their fill, wild donkeys quench their thirst. Along the riverbanks the birds build nests, ravens make their voices heard. You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns; earth is supplied with plenty of water. You make grass grow for the livestock, hay for the animals that plow the ground. Oh yes, God brings grain from the land, wine to make people happy, Their faces glowing with health, a people well-fed and hearty. God 's trees are well-watered— the Lebanon cedars he planted. Birds build their nests in those trees; look—the stork at home in the treetop. Mountain goats climb about the cliffs; badgers burrow among the rocks. The moon keeps track of the seasons, the sun is in charge of each day. When it's dark and night takes over, all the forest creatures come out. The young lions roar for their prey, clamoring to God for their supper. When the sun comes up, they vanish, lazily stretched out in their dens. Meanwhile, men and women go out to work, busy at their jobs until evening. What a wildly wonderful world, God ! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations. Oh, look—the deep, wide sea, brimming with fish past counting, sardines and sharks and salmon. Ships plow those waters, and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them. All the creatures look expectantly to you to give them their meals on time. You come, and they gather around; you open your hand and they eat from it. If you turned your back, they'd die in a minute— Take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud; Send out your Spirit and they spring to life— the whole countryside in bloom and blossom. The glory of God —let it last forever! Let God enjoy his creation! He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake, points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt. Oh, let me sing to God all my life long, sing hymns to my God as long as I live! Oh, let my song please him; I'm so pleased to be singing to God . But clear the ground of sinners— no more godless men and women! O my soul, bless God !
1 Corinthians 3:13
But for right now, friends, I'm completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You're acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I'll nurse you since you don't seem capable of anything more. As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything's going your way? When one of you says, "I'm on Paul's side," and another says, "I'm for Apollos," aren't you being totally infantile? Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God's field in which we are working. Or, to put it another way, you are God's house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you'll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won't get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn't, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won't be torn out; you'll survive—but just barely. You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple. Don't fool yourself. Don't think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God's fool—that's the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It's written in Scripture, He exposes the chicanery of the chic. The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls. I don't want to hear any of you bragging about yourself or anyone else. Everything is already yours as a gift—Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future—all of it is yours, and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God.
But for right now, friends, I'm completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You're acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I'll nurse you since you don't seem capable of anything more. As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything's going your way? When one of you says, "I'm on Paul's side," and another says, "I'm for Apollos," aren't you being totally infantile? Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God's field in which we are working. Or, to put it another way, you are God's house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you'll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won't get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn't, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won't be torn out; you'll survive—but just barely. You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God's temple, you can be sure of that. God's temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple. Don't fool yourself. Don't think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God's fool—that's the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It's written in Scripture, He exposes the chicanery of the chic. The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls. I don't want to hear any of you bragging about yourself or anyone else. Everything is already yours as a gift—Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future—all of it is yours, and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Also out of the midst thereof,.... The fire; or out of the whole that was seen; the whirlwind, cloud, fire, and the brightness about it:
[came] the likeness of four living creatures; not really four living creatures; they appeared like to such they were in the form of such; by which we are to understand, not the four monarchies; nor the four Gospels; nor the angels; but ministers of the Gospel; the true key for the opening of this vision is that which John saw, Revelation 4:6; the four beasts there, or living creatures, as it should be rendered, are the same with these here, and these the same with them; and who manifestly appear to be not only worshippers of the true God, but to be men redeemed by the blood of Christ; and are distinguished from angels, and also from the four and twenty elders, the representatives of the Gospel churches; and so can design no other than the ministers of the word, with whom all the characters of them agree, as in that vision, so in this; see Revelation 4:8. "Creatures" they are; not gods, but men; they are indeed in God's stead, and represent him, being ambassadors of his; but they are frail, mortal, sinful men, of like passions with others; and therefore great allowances must be made for their infirmities and weaknesses: yea, as ministers, they are the creatures of God; he, and not men, has made them able ministers of the New Testament: and they are "living" creatures; they have spiritual life in themselves, and are the means of quickening others; and have need to be, and should be, lively and fervent in their ministrations. Their number, "four", respects the four parts of the, world, to which their commission to preach the Gospel reaches; and whither they are sent, whensoever it is the will and pleasure of God they should got and he has work for them to do;
and this [was] their appearance, they had the likeness of a man; their general likeness was the human form, except in some particulars after mentioned, because they represented men; men humane, tender, kind and pitiful; knowing, and understanding, and acting like men.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Living creatures - The Hebrew word answers very nearly to the English “beings,” and denotes those who live, whether angels, men (in whom is the breath of life), or inferior creatures.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ezekiel 1:5. Also out on the midst thereof came - four living creatures. — As the amber-coloured body was the centre of the fire, and this fire was in the centre of the cloud; so out of this amber-coloured igneous centre came the living creatures just mentioned.
