< Ezekiel 1 >
1 NOW IT came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar that 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 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
Katika siku ya tano ya mwezi, ilikuwa mwaka wa tano wa kuhamishwa kwa Mfalme Yehayakini,
3 the word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.
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 stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire flashing up, so that a brightness was round about it; and out of the midst thereof as the colour of electrum, out of the midst of the fire.
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 out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
Katika ule moto kulikuwa na kitu kinachofanana na viumbe vinne vyenye uhai. Katika kuonekana kwake vilikuwa na umbo mfano wa mwanadamu,
6 And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
lakini kila kimoja kilikuwa na nyuso nne na mabawa manne.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
Miguu yao ilikuwa imenyooka, nyayo za miguu yao zilikuwa kama kwato za miguu ya ndama, nazo zilimetameta kama shaba iliyosuguliwa.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and as for the faces and wings of them four,
Chini ya mabawa yao katika pande zao nne walikuwa na mikono ya mwanadamu. Wote wanne walikuwa na nyuso na mabawa,
9 their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
nayo mabawa yao yaligusana. Kila mmoja alikwenda kuelekea mbele moja kwa moja, hawakugeuka walipokuwa wanatembea.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.
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 Thus were their faces; and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to 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 they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.
Kila mmoja alikwenda kuelekea mbele moja kwa moja. Popote roho alipotaka kwenda, ndipo walipokwenda pasipo kugeuka.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like coals of fire, burning like the appearance of torches; it flashed up and down among the living creatures; and there was brightness to the fire, and out of the fire went 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.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Vile viumbe vilipiga mbio kwenda na kurudi, kama vimulimuli vya umeme wa radi.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel at the bottom hard by the living creatures, at the four faces thereof.
Nilipokuwa nikitazama vile viumbe hai, niliona gurudumu moja juu ya ardhi kando ya kila kiumbe kikiwa na nyuso zake nne.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl; and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within 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 When they went, they went toward their four sides; they turned not when they went.
Yalipokwenda yalielekea upande wowote wa pande nne walipoelekea wale viumbe, magurudumu hayakuzunguka wakati viumbe vile vilipokwenda.
18 As for their rings, they were high and they were dreadful; and they four had their rings 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 hard by them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the bottom, the wheels were lifted up.
Vile viumbe hai vilipokwenda, magurudumu yaliyokuwa kando yao yalisogea na wakati hivyo viumbe hai vilipoinuka kutoka ardhini magurudumu nayo yaliinuka.
20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, as the spirit was to go thither, so they went; and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature 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, these went, and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature 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 over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, like the colour of the terrible ice, stretched forth over their heads above.
Juu ya vichwa vya hao viumbe hai palikuwa na kitu mfano wa eneo lililokuwa wazi, lililokuwa angavu kabisa na lenye kutisha.
23 And under the firmament were their wings conformable the one to the other; this one of them had two which covered, and that one of them had two which covered, their bodies.
Chini ya hiyo nafasi mabawa yao yalitanda moja kuelekea jingine, kila mmoja alikuwa na mabawa mengine mawili yaliyofunika mwili wake.
24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of a host; when they stood, they let down their wings.
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 For, when there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads, as they stood, they let down their wings.
Ndipo ikaja sauti toka juu ya ile nafasi ya wazi iliyokuwa juu ya vichwa vyao, waliposimama mabawa yao yakiwa yameshushwa.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it 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 the colour of electrum, as the appearance of fire round about enclosing it, from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him.
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 that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
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.