Hiezechielis Prophetæ 1
1 Et factum est in trigesimo anno, in quarto, in quinta mensis, cum essem in medio captivorum iuxta fluvium Chobar, aperti sunt caeli, et vidi visiones Dei.
[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 In quinta mensis, ipse est annus quintus transmigrationis regis Ioachin,
3 factum est verbum Domini ad Ezechielem filium Buzi sacerdotem in terra Chaldaeorum, secus flumen Chobar: et facta est super eum ibi manus Domini.
God gave me [in visions here] in Babylonia, and I felt the power [MTY] of Yahweh on me.
4 Et vidi, et ecce ventus turbinis veniebat ab Aquilone: et nubes magna, et ignis involvens, et splendor in circuitu eius: et de medio eius quasi species electri, id est de medio ignis:
[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 et in medio eius similitudo quattuor animalium: et hic aspectus eorum, similitudo hominis in eis.
In the center of the storm I saw what resembled four living creatures. They resembled humans,
6 Quattuor facies uni, et quattuor pennae uni.
but each of them had four faces and four wings [DOU].
7 Pedes eorum pedes recti, et planta pedis eorum quasi planta pedis vituli, et scintillae quasi aspectus aeris candentis.
Their legs were straight. Their feet resembled the hooves of calves, and the creatures shone like polished bronze.
8 Et manus hominis sub pennis eorum in quattuor partibus: et facies, et pennas per quattuor partes habebant.
On their four sides under their wings there were hands like humans have.
9 Iunctaeque erant pennae eorum alterius ad alterum. non revertebantur cum incederent: sed unumquodque ante faciem suam gradiebatur.
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 Similitudo autem vultus eorum: facies hominis, et facies leonis a dextris ipsorum quattuor: facies autem bovis, a sinistris ipsorum quattuor, et facies aquilae desuper ipsorum quattuor.
[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 Facies eorum, et pennae eorum extentae desuper: duae pennae singulorum iungebantur, et duae tegebant corpora eorum:
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 et unumquodque eorum coram facie sua ambulabat: ubi erat impetus spiritus, illuc gradiebantur, nec revertebantur cum ambularent.
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 Et similitudo animalium, et aspectus eorum quasi carbonum ignis ardentium, et quasi aspectus lampadarum. Haec erat visio discurrens in medio animalium, splendor ignis, et de igne fulgur egrediens.
[four] creatures resembled burning coals or torches. A blazing fire moved back and forth among the creatures, and lighting flashed from among them.
14 Et animalia ibant, et revertebantur in similitudinem fulguris coruscantis.
The creatures moved back and [extremely rapidly], like [SIM] flashes of lightning.
15 Cumque aspicerem animalia, apparuit rota una super terram iuxta animalia, habens quattuor facies.
While I looked at the four living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them.
16 et aspectus rotarum, et opus earum, quasi visio maris: et una similitudo ipsarum quattuor: et aspectus earum et opera, quasi sit rota in medio rotae.
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 Per quattuor partes earum euntes ibant: et non revertebantur cum ambularent.
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 Statura quoque erat rotis, et altitudo, et horribilis aspectus: et totum corpus oculis plenum in circuitu ipsarum quattuor.
The rims of the wheels were covered with eyes.
19 Cumque ambularent animalia, ambulabant pariter et rotae iuxta ea: et cum elevarentur animalia de terra, elevabantur simul et rotae.
Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels moved with them. [So] whenever the creatures rose from the ground, the [also] rose up.
20 Quocumque ibat spiritus, illuc eunte spiritu, et rotae pariter elevabantur, sequentes eum. Spiritus enim vitae erat in rotis.
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 Cum euntibus ibant, et cum stantibus stabant: et cum elevatis a terra, pariter elevabantur et rotae, sequentes ea: quia spiritus vitae erat in rotis.
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 Et similitudo super capita animalium firmamenti, quasi aspectus crystalli horribilis, et extenti super capita eorum desuper.
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 Sub firmamento autem pennae eorum rectae alterius ad alterum: unumquodque duabus alis velabat corpus suum, et alterum similiter velabatur.
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 Et audiebam sonum alarum, quasi sonum aquarum multarum, quasi sonum sublimis Dei: cum ambularent quasi sonus erat multitudinis ut sonus castrorum. cumque starent, demittebantur pennae eorum.
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 Nam cum fieret vox super firmamentum, quod erat super caput eorum, stabant, et submittebant alas suas.
While they [on the ground] with their wings lowered, there was a voice from the dome that was over their heads.
26 Et super firmamentum, quod erat imminens capiti eorum, quasi aspectus lapidis sapphiri similitudo throni: et super similitudinem throni similitudo quasi aspectus hominis desuper.
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 Et vidi quasi speciem electri, velut aspectum ignis, intrinsecus eius per circuitum: a lumbis eius et desuper, et a lumbis eius usque deorsum, vidi quasi speciem ignis splendentis in circuitu:
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 Velut aspectum arcus cum fuerit in nube in die pluviae. hic erat aspectus splendoris per gyrum.
[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.
