< Izikiel 1 >
1 O ruo nʼafọ nke iri atọ, nʼọnwa nke anọ, nʼụbọchị nke ise ya, mgbe mụ onwe m na ndị ahụ e mere ka ha gaa biri na mba ọzọ nọ nʼakụkụ iyi ukwu Keba, na e meghere eluigwe mee ka m hụ ọhụ dị iche iche site nʼaka Chineke.
[I am] Ezekiel, a priest, the son of Buzi. When I was 30 years [old], I [living] among [Israeli] people who had been (exiled from/forced to leave) [and had come to Babylon]. I was living along the Kebar River/ [south of Babylon]. Almost five years after King Jehoiachin had been (exiled/forced to leave Judah), on the fifth day of the fourth [of that year, it was as though] the sky was opened and I saw visions from God. On that day,
2 Nʼụbọchị nke ise nʼọnwa ahụ, ọ bụ nʼafọ nke ise mgbe a dọkpụụrụ eze Jehoiakin jee mba ọzọ,
3 okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru Izikiel onye nchụaja nwa Buzi ntị, mgbe ọ nọ nʼakụkụ iyi ukwu Keba, nke dị nʼala ndị Kaldịa. Nʼebe ahụ kwa ka aka Onyenwe anyị nọ dịkwasị ya nʼahụ.
God gave me [in visions here] in Babylonia, and I felt the power [MTY] of Yahweh on me.
4 Elere m anya hụ oke ifufe nke si nʼugwu na-abịa, ahụkwara m oke igwe ojii na amụma nke na-egbuke egbuke; ìhè nke na-enwu nnọọ vaa gbara ya gburugburu. Etiti ọkụ ahụ nwere ihe dịka ọlaọkụ na-amụke amụke.
[In one of the visions, I saw a] windstorm coming from the north. There was a huge cloud, and lightning was flashing continually, and a brilliant light surrounded the cloud. In the center of where the lightning was flashing there was something that resembled glowing bronze.
5 Ihe e kere eke anọ dị ndụ, nke yiri mmadụ nʼụdịdị ha, nọkwa nʼetiti oke ihe ahụ.
In the center of the storm I saw what resembled four living creatures. They resembled humans,
6 Nke ọbụla nʼime ha nwere ihu anọ, na nku anọ.
but each of them had four faces and four wings [DOU].
7 Ụkwụ ha guzoro kwem; ọbụ ụkwụ ha dịka nke nwa ehi, na-amụkekwa dịka bronz e hichara nke ọma.
Their legs were straight. Their feet resembled the hooves of calves, and the creatures shone like polished bronze.
8 Nʼokpuru nku ha, ha nwere aka yiri aka mmadụ nʼakụkụ anọ ha niile. Otu a ka ihu ha na nku anọ dị.
On their four sides under their wings there were hands like humans have.
9 Nku ha na-emetụ na nke ibe ha. Mgbe ha na-efe, ha na-eche ihu ha nʼotu ụzọ, ha adịghị agha anya ha nʼazụ mgbe ha na-aga.
As the four [stood there, they formed a circle/square], with their wings touching each other. They did not turn when they were moving; they went straight ahead.
10 Maka oyiyi ihu ha: Ha anọ nwere ihu mmadụ, nʼakụkụ aka nri ha nwere ihu ọdụm, nʼakụkụ aka ekpe ha bụ ihu ehi, onye ọbụla nwekwara ihu ugo.
[of the creatures had four faces]. The face that was in front [of each one was a face that] resembled a human face. The face on the right side resembled a lion’s face. The face on the left side resembled an ox’s face. The face in back resembled an eagle’s face.
11 Otu ahụ ka ihu ha niile dị. Ha gbasara nku ha nʼelu, nke ọbụla nwere nku abụọ, otu nʼime nku ndị a na-emetụ nku nke ibe ya, ebe abụọ kpuchiri ahụ ha.
Two of each creature’s wings were lifted up and touched the wings of the creatures that were on each side. The other two wings were folded against the creature’s body.
12 Ha niile gawara nʼihu. Ebe ọbụla mmụọ ahụ gara ka ha na-aga, na-eleghị anya nʼazụ.
The creatures went straight ahead in whatever direction the [that controlled/guided them] wanted them to go, without changing directions while they were moving.
13 Nʼetiti ihe ndị a dị ndụ, e nwere ihe dịka icheku ọkụ na-enwu enwu, dịkwa ka ọwa na-enwu ọkụ. Ọkụ na-esi nʼetiti ihe ndị ahụ dị ndụ na-aga ihu na azụ, ọkụ ahụ nwupụrụ enwupụ, amụma eluigwe sikwa na ya egbupụta.
[four] creatures resembled burning coals or torches. A blazing fire moved back and forth among the creatures, and lighting flashed from among them.
14 Ihe ndị ahụ dị ndụ na-efegharị nʼebe a, na-efegharịkwa nʼebe nke ọzọ, dịka mgbe amụma na-egbu.
The creatures moved back and [extremely rapidly], like [SIM] flashes of lightning.
15 Mgbe m na-ele ihe e kere eke dị ndụ ndị a anya, ahụrụ m ụkwụ ụgbọ agha anọ nke dị nʼala nʼokpuru ha. Onye ọbụla nwere nke ya.
While I looked at the four living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them.
16 Ụkwụ ụgbọala ahụ niile dị ka ihe e ji nkume na-egbu maramara a na-akpọ beril kpụọ. Nke ọbụla nʼime ha anọ yikwara ibe ya. Ha niile dịkwa ka wịịlu a kpụrụ tinye nʼetiti ụkwụ ụgbọala buru ibu.
Each of the wheels was the same, and they all shone like [SIM] (chrysolite/a valuable green stone). Each seemed to have one wheel inside another wheel.
17 Mgbe ha pụrụ, ha na-aga nʼakụkụ anọ nke ha chere ihu ha, ma ụkwụ ụgbọ agha ahụ adịghị echigharị echigharị mgbe ha na-aga.
Whenever they moved, they would go straight in one of the four directions that they faced; they did not [in another direction] while they moved.
18 Azụ ụkwụ ụgbọ agha ha dị elu, dịkwa egwu. Anya jupụtakwara nʼazụ ụkwụ ụgbọ agha ndị ahụ.
The rims of the wheels were covered with eyes.
19 Mgbe ihe ndị a dị ndụ fepụrụ gaa nʼihu, ụkwụ ụgbọala ndị ahụ dị nʼakụkụ ha na-eso ha. Mgbe ha feliri elu, ụkwụ ndị ahụ na-esokwa.
Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them. [So] whenever the creatures rose from the ground, the [also] rose up.
20 Ebe ọbụla mmụọ ha jere, ebe ahụ ka ha na-aga, ụkwụ ụgbọ agha ahụ na-esokwa ha, nʼihi na mmụọ nke anụ ndị ahụ dị ndụ dị nʼụkwụ ụgbọ agha ndị ahụ.
Wherever the [that controlled the creatures] wanted the creatures to go, they went, and the wheels went with them, because the [that controlled/guided them] was in the wheels [DOU].
21 Mgbe ha biliri, ndị ọzọ na-ebilikwa. Mgbe ha guzoro otu ebe, ndị ọzọ na-eguzokwa. Mgbe ha feliri elu, ụkwụ ụgbọala ahụ na-eso ha. Nʼihi na mmụọ anụ ndị ahụ dị ndụ dị nʼime ụkwụ ụgbọ agha ndị ahụ.
Whenever the creatures moved, the wheels moved. Whenever the creatures [still], the wheels stopped. Whenever the creatures rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up with them.
22 A tụsara ihe sara mbara dịka mbara eluigwe nʼelu isi ihe ndị ahụ dị ndụ. Ọ na-eyi egwu, ma na-egbukwa nweghenweghe dịka kristal.
Above the heads of the creatures there was something that resembled a dome. It shone like ice (OR, crystal) shines, and it was awesome.
23 Nʼokpuru ihe ahụ ka ha gbasapụrụ nku ha, ka ọ na-emetụ nke ibe ya. Ha niile nʼotu nʼotu nwere nku abụọ nke na-ekpuchi ahụ ya.
Under the dome, the creatures stretched out their wings. Each one had two wings; [each wing] stretched towards the creature [was next to] it, and two wings that were against the creature’s body.
24 Mgbe ha na-aga, nku ha na-eme mkpọtụ dị ka mkpọtụ ebili mmiri na-amagharị amagharị. Mkpọtụ ahụ dịkwa ka ịda ụda nke olu Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, ka olu iti mkpu nke usuu ndị agha. Mgbe ọbụla ha guzoro, ha na-achịtu nku ha.
Whenever the creatures moved, their wings made a sound that resembled the roar made by a rushing stream. It also sounded like the voice of Almighty God, and like [SIM] the noise of a huge army marching. Whenever the creatures stood [on the ground], they lowered their wings.
25 Mgbe ahụ ha kwụsịrị mechie nku ha olu sitere nʼime ihe ahụ dịka mbara eluigwe nke dị nʼelu isi ha na-abịa.
While they [on the ground] with their wings lowered, there was a voice from the dome that was over their heads.
26 Nʼelu mbara eluigwe ahụ, o nwere ihe dịka ocheeze e ji nkume dị oke ọnụahịa a na-akpọ safaia wuo. Otu onye, nke ụdịdị ya dị ka nwoke, nọkwasịkwara nʼelu oche ahụ.
Above the dome was something that resembled [huge] [that was made of a huge] (sapphire/valuable blue stone). Sitting on the throne was someone that resembled a human.
27 Site nʼụkwụ ya ruo nʼisi ya, ahụ onye ahụ na-egbu maramara dịka ọkụ. Site nʼụkwụ ya ruo nʼukwu ya, ọ dị ka ọkụ na-enwu enwu, ìhè nke na-enwukwa ka ọkụ gbara ya gburugburu.
I saw that above his waist his body resembled metal that was glowing as though it [a very hot] fire inside it. And I saw that below his waist there was a very brilliant light that surrounded him.
28 Ìhè ahụ gbara ya gburugburu, nke a na-ahụ anya, dịkwa ka ìhè eke na egwurugwu, nke a na-ahụ anya nʼoge mmiri na-ezo. Otu a ka ebube Onyenwe anyị si gosi m onwe ya. Mgbe m hụrụ ya, adara m nʼala kpuo ihu m nʼala. Mgbe ahụ, anụrụ m olu onye na-ekwu okwu.
[shone] like [SIM] a rainbow shines in the clouds on a rainy day. That was the brilliant light that represented the presence of Yahweh. When I saw it, I prostrated myself on the ground, and I heard him speak.