< Jezekiel 1 >
1 Now it came to pass in the thirties year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, that I was in the midst of the captivity by the river of Chobar; and the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
Katika mwaka wa thelathini, mwezi wa nne, siku ya tano ya mwezi, wakati nilipokuwa miongoni mwa hao waliokuwa uhamishoni kando ya Mto Kebari, mbingu zilifunguka nami nikaona maono ya Mungu.
2 On the fifth day of the month; this was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joakim.
Katika siku ya tano ya mwezi, ilikuwa mwaka wa tano wa kuhamishwa kwa Mfalme Yehayakini,
3 And the word of the Lord came to Jezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river of Chobar; and the hand of the Lord was upon me.
neno la Bwana lilimjia Ezekieli kuhani, mwana wa Buzi, kando ya Mto Kebari, katika nchi ya Wakaldayo. Huko mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa juu yake.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a sweeping wind came from the north, and a great cloud on it, and [there was] brightness round about it, and gleaming fire, and in the midst of it as it were the appearance of amber in the midst of the fire, and brightness in it.
Nilitazama, nikaona dhoruba kubwa ikitoka kaskazini, wingu kubwa sana pamoja likiwa na umeme wa radi likiwa limezungukwa na mwanga mkali. Katikati ya huo moto kulikuwa kama rangi ya manjano ya chuma kinapokuwa ndani ya moto.
5 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.
Katika ule moto kulikuwa na kitu kinachofanana na viumbe vinne vyenye uhai. Katika kuonekana kwake vilikuwa na umbo mfano wa mwanadamu,
6 And each one [had] four faces, and each one [had] four wings.
lakini kila kimoja kilikuwa na nyuso nne na mabawa manne.
7 And their legs were straight; and their feet were winged, and [there were] sparks, like gleaming brass, and their wings were light.
Miguu yao ilikuwa imenyooka, nyayo za miguu yao zilikuwa kama kwato za miguu ya ndama, nazo zilimetameta kama shaba iliyosuguliwa.
8 And the hand of a man was under their wings on their four sides.
Chini ya mabawa yao katika pande zao nne walikuwa na mikono ya mwanadamu. Wote wanne walikuwa na nyuso na mabawa,
9 And the faces of them four turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward.
nayo mabawa yao yaligusana. Kila mmoja alikwenda kuelekea mbele moja kwa moja, hawakugeuka walipokuwa wanatembea.
10 And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right of the four; and the face of a calf on the left of the four; and the face of an eagle to the four.
Kuonekana kwa nyuso zao kulikuwa hivi: Kila mmoja wa wale wanne alikuwa na uso wa mwanadamu na kwa upande wa kulia kila mmoja alikuwa na uso wa simba, upande wa kushoto alikuwa na uso wa ngʼombe pia kila mmoja alikuwa na uso wa tai.
11 And the four had their wings spread out above; each one [had] two joined to one another, and two covered their bodies.
Hivyo ndivyo zilivyokuwa nyuso zao. Mabawa yao yalikunjuliwa kuelekea juu, kila mmoja alikuwa na mabawa mawili ambayo kila moja liligusa bawa la mwenzake kila upande na mabawa mengine mawili yakifunika mwili wake.
12 And each one went straight forward: wherever the spirit was going they went, and turned not back.
Kila mmoja alikwenda kuelekea mbele moja kwa moja. Popote roho alipotaka kwenda, ndipo walipokwenda pasipo kugeuka.
13 And in the midst of the living creatures [there was] an appearance as of burning coals of fire, as an appearance of lamps turning amongst the living creatures; and the brightness of fire, and out of the fire came forth lightning.
Kuonekana kwa vile viumbe hai katikati kulikuwa kama makaa ya mawe yanayowaka au kama mienge. Moto ule ulikuwa ukienda mbele na nyuma katikati ya vile viumbe, ulikuwa na mwangaza mkali na katikati ya ule moto kulitoka kimulimuli kama umeme wa radi.
Vile viumbe vilipiga mbio kwenda na kurudi, kama vimulimuli vya umeme wa radi.
15 And I looked, and, behold, the four [had each] one wheel on the ground near the living creatures.
Nilipokuwa nikitazama vile viumbe hai, niliona gurudumu moja juu ya ardhi kando ya kila kiumbe kikiwa na nyuso zake nne.
16 And the appearance of the wheels was as the appearance of beryl: and the four had one likeness: and their work was as it were a wheel in a wheel.
Hivi ndivyo ilivyokuwa kuonekana kwa hayo magurudumu na muundo wake: yalingʼaa kama zabarajadi, nayo yote manne yalifanana. Kila gurudumu lilikuwa na gurudumu jingine ndani yake.
17 They went on their four sides: they turned not as they went;
Yalipokwenda yalielekea upande wowote wa pande nne walipoelekea wale viumbe, magurudumu hayakuzunguka wakati viumbe vile vilipokwenda.
18 neither did their backs [turn]: and they were high: and I saw them, and the backs of them four were full of eyes round about.
Kingo zake zilikuwa ndefu kwenda juu na za kutisha, nazo zote nne zilijawa na macho pande zote.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures lifted themselves off the earth, the wheels were lifted off.
Vile viumbe hai vilipokwenda, magurudumu yaliyokuwa kando yao yalisogea na wakati hivyo viumbe hai vilipoinuka kutoka ardhini magurudumu nayo yaliinuka.
20 Wherever the cloud happened to be, there was the spirit ready to go: the wheels went and were lifted up with them; because the spirit of life was in the wheels.
Mahali popote roho alipokwenda wale viumbe nao walikwenda, nayo magurudumu yaliinuka pamoja navyo, kwa sababu roho ya vile viumbe hai alikuwa ndani ya hayo magurudumu.
21 When those went, [the wheels] went; and when those stood, [the wheels] stood; and when those lifted themselves off the earth, they were lifted off with them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.
Wakati viumbe vile viliposogea, nayo magurudumu yalisogea, viumbe viliposimama kimya, nayo pia yalisimama kimya, viumbe vilipoinuka juu ya nchi magurudumu yaliinuliwa pamoja navyo kwa kuwa roho ya hivyo viumbe hai alikuwa ndani ya hayo magurudumu.
22 And the likeness over the heads of the living creatures was as a firmament, as the appearance of crystal, spread out over their wings above.
Juu ya vichwa vya hao viumbe hai palikuwa na kitu mfano wa eneo lililokuwa wazi, lililokuwa angavu kabisa na lenye kutisha.
23 And their wings were spread out under the firmament, reaching one to the other; two [wings] to each, covering their bodies.
Chini ya hiyo nafasi mabawa yao yalitanda moja kuelekea jingine, kila mmoja alikuwa na mabawa mengine mawili yaliyofunika mwili wake.
24 And I heard the sound of their wings when they went, as the sound of much water: and when they stood, their wings were let down.
Viumbe wale waliposogea nilisikia sauti ya mabawa yao, kama ngurumo ya maji yaendayo kasi, kama sauti ya Mwenyezi, kama makelele ya jeshi. Waliposimama kimya walishusha mabawa yao.
25 And behold! a voice from above the firmament
Ndipo ikaja sauti toka juu ya ile nafasi ya wazi iliyokuwa juu ya vichwa vyao, waliposimama mabawa yao yakiwa yameshushwa.
26 that was over their head, [there was] as the appearance of a sapphire stone, [and] the likeness of a throne upon it: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as an appearance of a man above.
Juu ya ile nafasi ya wazi iliyokuwa juu ya vichwa vyao kulikuwa na kitu mfano wa kiti cha enzi cha yakuti samawi. Na juu ya kile kiti cha enzi kulikuwa na umbo mfano wa mwanadamu.
27 And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber from the appearance of the loins and upwards, and from the appearance of the loins and under I saw an appearance of fire, and the brightness thereof round about.
Nikaona kwamba kutokana na kile nilichoona kama kiuno chake kuelekea juu alionekana kama chuma inayowaka kana kwamba imejaa moto na kuanzia kiuno kwenda chini alionekana kama moto na mwanga mkali ulimzunguka.
28 As the appearance of the bow when it is in the cloud in days of rain, so was the form of brightness round about.
Kama vile kuonekana kwa upinde wa mvua mawinguni siku ya mvua, ndivyo ulivyokuwa ule mngʼao uliomzunguka. Hivi ndivyo ilivyokuwa kuonekana kwa utukufu wa Bwana. Nilipouona, nikaanguka kifudifudi, nikasikia sauti ya mtu anaongea.