Ezekiel 1:12

New Revised Standard

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

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.

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.

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 As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like gleaming amber. ⁵ In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form. ⁶ Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. ⁷ 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. ⁸ Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: ⁹ their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved. ¹⁰ As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle; ¹¹ such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. ¹² Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. ¹³ In the middle of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire.

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 called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so.

Genesis 1:24
And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

Isaiah 61:11
For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Mark 4:28
The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

Luke 6:44
for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.

2 Corinthians 9:10
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.

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.