< Ezekiel 10 >
1 And I looked and saw above the expanse, above the heads of the cherubim, the likeness of a throne of sapphire.
Then I looked, and, behold, over the firmament that was above the head of the cherubs [there was] a likeness of a throne over them, as a sapphire stone.
2 And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.
And he said to the man clothed with the [long] robe, Go in between the wheels that are under the cherubs, and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubs, and scatter [them] over the city. And he went in my sight.
3 Now when the man went in, the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple, and a cloud filled the inner court.
And the cherubs stood on the right hand of the house, as the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
4 Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and stood over the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.
Then the glory of the Lord departed from the cherubs to the porch of the house; and the cloud filled the house, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord.
5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
And the sound of the cherubs' wings was heard as far as the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God speaking.
6 When the LORD commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from within the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel.
And it came to pass, when he gave a charge to the man clothed with the sacred robe, saying, Take fire from between the wheels from between the cherubs, that he went in, and stood near the wheels.
7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand and took some of the fire that was among them. And he put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who received it and went out.
And he stretched forth his hand into the midst of the fire that was between the cherubs, and took [thereof], and put [it] into the hands of the man clothed with the sacred robe: and he took [it], and went out.
8 (The cherubim appeared to have the form of human hands under their wings.)
And I saw the cherubs [having] the likeness of men's hands under their wings.
9 Then I looked and saw four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub. And the wheels gleamed like a beryl stone.
And I saw, and behold, four wheels stood by the cherubs, one wheel by each cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the appearance of a carbuncle stone.
10 As for their appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel.
And [as for] their appearance, [there was] one likeness to the four, as if there should be a wheel in the midst of a wheel.
11 When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. For wherever the head faced, the cherubim would go in that direction, without turning as they moved.
When they went, they went on their four sides; they turned not when they went, for whichever way the first head looked, they went; and they turned not as they went.
12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, hands, and wings, were full of eyes all around, as were their four wheels.
And their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about the four wheels.
13 I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.”
And these wheels were called Gelgel in my hearing.
14 Each of the cherubim had four faces: the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.
15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the River Kebar.
And the cherubs were the same living creature which I saw by the river of Chobar.
16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and even when they spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not veer away from their side.
And when the cherubs went, the wheels went, and they were close to them: and when the cherubs lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, their wheels turned not.
17 When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
When they stood, [the wheels] stood; and when they mounted up, [the wheels] mounted up with them: because the spirit of life was in them.
18 Then the glory of the LORD moved away from the threshold of the temple and stood above the cherubim.
Then the glory of the Lord departed from the house, and went up on the cherubs.
19 As I watched, the cherubim lifted their wings and rose up from the ground, with the wheels beside them as they went. And they stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, with the glory of the God of Israel above them.
And the cherubs lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went forth, the wheels were also beside them, and they stood at the entrance of the front gate of the house of the Lord; and the glory of the God of Israel was upon them above.
20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the River Kebar, and I knew that they were cherubim.
This is the living creature which I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chobar; and I knew that they were cherubs.
21 Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings.
Each one [had] four faces, and each one [had] eight wings; and under their wings was the likeness of men's hands.
22 Their faces looked like the faces I had seen by the River Kebar. Each creature went straight ahead.
And [as for] the likeness of their faces, these are the [same] faces which I saw under the glory of the God of Israel by the river of Chobar: and they went each straight forward.