< Ezekiel 1 >
1 And it comes to pass, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], on the fifth of the month, and I [am] in the midst of the expulsion by the river Chebar, the heavens have been opened, and I see visions of God.
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 In the fifth of the month—it is the fifth year of the expulsion of King Jehoiachin—
On the fifth of the month, the same is the fifth year of the transmigration of king Joachin,
3 the word of YHWH has certainly been to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar, and there is on him there a hand of YHWH.
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 look, and behold, a turbulent wind is coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire catching itself, and brightness to it all around, and out of its midst as the color of electrum, out of the midst of the fire.
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 out of its midst [is] a likeness of four living creatures, and this [is] their appearance; a likeness of man [is] to them,
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 and each had four faces and each of them had four wings,
Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
7 and their feet [are] straight feet, and the sole of their feet [is] as a sole of a calf’s foot, and they are sparkling as the color of bright bronze;
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 on their four sides [each had] hands of man under their wings; and [each] of the four had their faces and their wings;
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 their wings [are] joining to one another, they do not turn around in their going, they each go straight forward.
And their wings were joined to one another. They did not turn as they went. Instead, each one advanced before his face.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, [each had] the face of a man, and toward the right the four had the face of a lion, and on the left the four had the face of an ox, and the four had the face of an eagle.
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 And their faces and their wings dividing from above, of each [are] two joining together, and two are covering their bodies.
Their faces and their wings were extended above: two wings of each one were joined together, and two covered their bodies.
12 And they each go straight forward, to where the Spirit is to go, they go, they do not turn around in their going.
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 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearances [are] as coals of fire—burning as the appearance of lamps; it is going up and down between the living creatures, and brightness [is] to the fire, and lightning is going forth out of the fire.
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 are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash.
And the living creatures went and returned like flashes of lightning.
15 And I see the living creatures, and behold, one wheel [is] in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces.
And as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared above the earth, next to the living creatures, one wheel having four faces.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their works [is] as the color of beryl, and the four of them had one likeness, and their appearances and their works [are] as it were the wheel in the midst of the wheel.
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 On their four sides, in their going they go, they do not turn around in their going.
Going forth, they went by means of their four parts. And they did not turn as they went.
18 As for their rings, they are both high and fearful, and their rings, of the four of them, [are] full of eyes around them.
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 in the going of the living creatures, the wheels go beside them, and in the living creatures being lifted up from off the earth, the wheels are lifted up.
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 To where the Spirit is to go, they go, there the Spirit [is] to go, and the wheels are lifted up alongside them, for a living spirit [is] in the wheels.
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 In their going, they go; and in their standing, they stand; and in their being lifted up from off the earth, the wheels are lifted up alongside them; for a living spirit [is] in the wheels.
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 over the heads of the living creatures—a likeness of an expanse, as the color of the fearful ice, stretched out over their heads from above.
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 under the expanse their wings [are] straight, one toward [its] sister; two [wings] of each are covering them, and two [wings] of each are covering their bodies.
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 hear the noise of their wings, as the noise of many waters, as the noise of the Mighty One, in their going—the noise of tumult, as the noise of a camp, in their standing they let their wings fall.
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 And there is a voice from above the expanse, that [is] above their head: in their standing they let their wings fall.
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 expanse that [is] over their head, as an appearance of a sapphire stone, [is] the likeness of a throne, and on the likeness of the throne a likeness, as the appearance of man on it from above.
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 see as the color of electrum, as the appearance of fire all around within it, from the appearance of His loins and upward; and from the appearance of His loins and downward, I have seen as the appearance of fire, and brightness [is] all around Him.
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 As the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so [is] the appearance of the brightness all around.
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.