---
title: "Ezekiel 1 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/ezekiel/1/
description: "The time of Ezechiel's prophecy: he sees a glorious vision. Ezekiel 1 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 1 is chapter 1 of 48 in the Book of Ezekiel. Here are all 28 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> The time of Ezechiel's prophecy: he sees a glorious vision.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Ezekiel 1 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. And it happened that, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives beside the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God.
2. On the fifth of the month, the same is the fifth year of the transmigration of king Joachin,
3. the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, a priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, next to the river Chebar. And the hand of the Lord was over him there.
4. And I saw, and behold, a whirlwind arrived from the north. And a great cloud, wrapped in fire and brightness, was all around it. And from its midst, that is, from the midst of the fire, there was something with the appearance of amber.
5. And in its midst, there was the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: the likeness of a man was in them.
6. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
7. Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their foot was like the sole of the foot of a calf, and they sparkled with the appearance of glowing brass.
8. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on the four sides. And they had faces with the wings on the four sides.
9. And their wings were joined to one another. They did not turn as they went. Instead, each one advanced before his face.
10. But as for the likeness of their face, there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right of each of the four, then the face of an ox on the left of each of the four, and the face of an eagle above each of the four.
11. Their faces and their wings were extended above: two wings of each one were joined together, and two covered their bodies.
12. And each one of them advanced before his face. Wherever the impetus of the spirit was to go, there they went. And they did not turn as they advanced.
13. And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision dashing in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, with lightning going forth from the fire.
14. And the living creatures went and returned like flashes of lightning.
15. And as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared above the earth, next to the living creatures, one wheel having four faces.
16. And the appearance of the wheels and their work was like the appearance of the sea. And each of the four were similar to one another. And their appearance and work was like a wheel in the center of a wheel.
17. Going forth, they went by means of their four parts. And they did not turn as they went.
18. Also, the size and height and appearance of the wheels was dreadful. And the entire body was full of eyes all around each of the four.
19. And when the living creatures advanced, the wheels advanced together with them. And when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels, too, were lifted up at the same time.
20. Wherever the spirit went, as the spirit was going forth to that place, the wheels, too, were lifted up together, so as to follow them. For the spirit of life was in the wheels.
21. When going forth, they went forth, and when standing still, they stood still. And when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels, too, were lifted up together, so as to follow them. For the spirit of life was in the wheels.
22. And above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of a firmament: similar to crystal, but dreadful to behold, and extending over their heads from above.
23. And their wings were straight under the firmament, one toward the other. One of them was covered by two wings on his body, and the other was covered similarly.
24. And I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the sublime God. When they walked, it was like the sound of a multitude, like the sound of an army. And when they stood still, their wings were let down.
25. For when a voice came from above the firmament, which was over their heads, they stood still, and they put down their wings.
26. And above the firmament, which was suspended over their heads, there was the likeness of a throne, with the appearance of the sapphire stone. And over the likeness of the throne, there was a likeness with the appearance of a man above it.
27. And I saw something with the appearance of amber, with the likeness of fire within it and all around it. And from his waist and upward, and from his waist downward, I saw something with the appearance of fire shining all around.
28. There was the appearance of the rainbow, as when it is in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the splendor on every side.

## Ezekiel 1 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Et factum est in trigesimo anno, in quarto, in quinta mensis, cum essem in medio captivorum juxta fluvium Chobar, aperti sunt cæli, et vidi visiones Dei.
2. In quinta mensis, ipse est annus quintus transmigrationis regis Joachin,
3. factum est verbum Domini ad Ezechielem filium Buzi sacerdotem, in terra Chaldæorum, secus flumen Chobar: et facta est super eum ibi manus Domini.
4. Et vidi, et ecce ventus turbinis veniebat ab aquilone, et nubes magna, et ignis involvens, et splendor in circuitu ejus: et de medio ejus, quasi species electri, id est, de medio ignis:
5. et in medio ejus similitudo quatuor animalium. Et hic aspectus eorum, similitudo hominis in eis.
6. Quatuor facies uni, et quatuor pennæ uni.
7. Pedes eorum, pedes recti, et planta pedis eorum quasi planta pedis vituli: et scintillæ quasi aspectus æris candentis.
8. Et manus hominis sub pennis eorum, in quatuor partibus: et facies et pennas per quatuor partes habebant.
9. Junctæque erant pennæ eorum alterius ad alterum: non revertebantur cum incederent, sed unumquodque ante faciem suam gradiebatur.
10. Similitudo autem vultus eorum, facies hominis et facies leonis a dextris ipsorum quatuor, facies autem bovis a sinistris ipsorum quatuor, et facies aquilæ desuper ipsorum quatuor.
11. Facies eorum et pennæ eorum extentæ desuper: duæ pennæ singulorum jungebantur, et duæ tegebant corpora eorum.
12. Et unumquodque eorum coram facie sua ambulabat: ubi erat impetus spiritus, illuc gradiebantur, nec revertebantur cum ambularent.
13. Et similitudo animalium, aspectus eorum quasi carbonum ignis ardentium, et quasi aspectus lampadarum: hæc erat visio discurrens in medio animalium, splendor ignis, et de igne fulgur egrediens.
14. Et animalia ibant et revertebantur, in similitudinem fulguris coruscantis.
15. Cumque aspicerem animalia, apparuit rota una super terram juxta animalia, habens quatuor facies.
16. Et aspectus rotarum et opus earum quasi visio maris: et una similitudo ipsarum quatuor: et aspectus earum et opera quasi sit rota in medio rotæ.
17. Per quatuor partes earum euntes ibant, et non revertebantur cum ambularent.
18. Statura quoque erat rotis, et altitudo, et horribilis aspectus: et totum corpus oculis plenum in circuitu ipsarum quatuor.
19. Cumque ambularent animalia, ambulabant pariter et rotæ juxta ea: et cum elevarentur animalia de terra, elevabantur simul et rotæ.
20. Quocumque ibat spiritus, illuc, eunte spiritu, et rotæ pariter elevabantur sequentes eum: spiritus enim vitæ erat in rotis.
21. Cum euntibus ibant, et cum stantibus stabant: et cum elevatis a terra, pariter elevabantur et rotæ sequentes ea, quia spiritus vitæ erat in rotis.
22. Et similitudo super capita animalium firmamenti, quasi aspectus crystalli horribilis, et extenti super capita eorum desuper.
23. Sub firmamento autem pennæ eorum rectæ alterius ad alterum: unumquodque duabus alis velabat corpus suum, et alterum similiter velabatur.
24. Et audiebam sonum alarum, quasi sonum aquarum multarum, quasi sonum sublimis Dei: cum ambularent, quasi sonus erat multitudinis ut sonus castrorum: cumque starent, demittebantur pennæ eorum.
25. Nam cum fieret vox super firmamentum quod erat super caput eorum, stabant, et submittebant alas suas.
26. Et super firmamentum quod erat imminens capiti eorum, quasi aspectus lapidis sapphiri similitudo throni: et super similitudinem throni similitudo quasi aspectus hominis desuper.
27. Et vidi quasi speciem electri, velut aspectum ignis, intrinsecus ejus per circuitum: a lumbis ejus et desuper, et a lumbis ejus usque deorsum, vidi quasi speciem ignis splendentis in circuitu,
28. velut aspectum arcus cum fuerit in nube in die pluviæ. Hic erat aspectus splendoris per gyrum.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- CCC ¶ 94: The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 1137: Who Celebrates? ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 1: “The thirtieth year” … Either of the age of Ezechiel; or, as others will have it, from the solemn covenant made in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias. 4 Kings 23.
- Verse 5: “Living creatures” … Cherubims (as appears from Ecclesiasticus 49. 10) represented to the prophet under these mysterious shapes, as supporting the throne of God, and as it were drawing his chariot. All this chapter appeared so obscure, and so full of mysteries to the ancient Hebrews, that, as we learn from St. Jerome, (Ep. ad Paulin.,) they suffered none to read it before they were thirty years old.
- Verse 17: That is, indifferently to any of their sides either forward or backward: to the right or to the left.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Mon, Aug 14, 2028 (computed): St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr — First Reading, Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28c

Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).