1 In die dertigste jaar, in die vierde maand, op die vyfde van die maand, toe ek onder die ballinge by die Kebarrivier was, is die hemele geopen en het ek gesigte van God gesien.
2 Op die vyfde van die maand -- dit was die vyfde jaar van die ballingskap van koning Jojagin --
3 het die woord van die HERE uitdruklik gekom tot Es,giël, die seun van Busi, die priester, in die land van die Chaldeërs, by die Kebarrivier; en die hand van die HERE was daar op hom.
4 Toe het ek gekyk -- en daar het 'n stormwind uit die noorde gekom, 'n groot wolk met onophoudelike vuur; en 'n glans was rondom die wolk, en daaruit, uit die vuur, het iets soos blinkende metaal geskitter.
5 En daaruit het die gestalte van vier wesens gekom, en dit was hulle voorkoms: hulle het die gestalte van 'n mens gehad;
6 en elkeen het vier aangesigte gehad en elkeen van hulle vier vlerke;
7 en hulle bene was reguit bene en hulle voetsole soos die sole van 'n kalfspoot; en hulle het geglinster soos blink geskuurde koper;
8 en mensehande was onder hulle vlerke aan hulle vier kante. Maar aangaande die aangesigte en die vlerke van al vier,
9 hulle vlerke was aanmekaar verbind. Hulle het nie weggedraai as hulle gaan nie; hulle het elkeen maar reguit vorentoe gegaan.
10 En hulle aangesigte het gelyk soos die gesig van 'n mens; en al vier het die gesig van 'n leeu gehad aan die regterkant en al vier het die gesig van 'n bees aan die linkerkant; ook het al vier die gesig van 'n arend gehad.
11 En hulle vlerke het uitgesprei na boontoe; elkeen het twee gehad wat met mekaar verbind was, en twee wat hulle liggame bedek het.
12 En hulle het elkeen reguit vorentoe gegaan; waar die gees ook heen wou gaan, het hulle gegaan; hulle het nie weggedraai as hulle gaan nie.
13 Aangaande die gestalte van die wesens: hulle voorkoms was soos gloeiende vuurkole, soos die voorkoms van fakkels; die vuur het heen en weer beweeg tussen die wesens, en die vuur het 'n helder glans gehad, en uit die vuur het blitse uitgeslaan.
14 En die wesens het heen en weer gesnel, in aansien soos 'n bliksemstraal.
15 Ek het toe die wesens nader bekyk: daar was een wiel op die grond langs die wesens aan elkeen van die vier voorkante.
16 Die voorkoms van die wiele en hulle maaksel was soos die van 'n chrisoliet; en al vier het dieselfde vorm gehad; daarby was hulle voorkoms en hulle maaksel asof daar 'n wiel binne-in 'n wiel was.
17 Na al vier kante het hulle gegaan as hulle gaan: hulle het nie gedraai as hulle gaan nie.
18 En hulle vellings -- die was hoog en die was wonderbaar; en hulle vellings was by al vier rondom vol oë.
19 En as die wesens gaan, gaan die wiele naasaan hulle; en as die wesens hulle van die grond af ophef, word die wiele opgehef.
20 Waar die gees ook heen wou gaan, het hulle gegaan in die rigting wat die gees wou gaan; en die wiele is gelyktydig saam met hulle opgehef, want die gees van die wese was in die wiele.
21 As die gaan, gaan hulle; en as die bly staan, staan hulle; en as die hulle van die grond af ophef, word die wiele gelyktydig saam met hulle opgehef, want die gees van die wesens was in die wiele.
22 En oor die hoofde van die wesens was iets in die vorm van 'n uitspansel wat blink soos die wonderbare kristal, bo-oor hulle hoofde uitgesprei.
23 En onder die uitspansel heen was hulle vlerke reguit na mekaar uitgestrek; en elkeen het twee gehad wat duskant en anderkant hul liggame bedek het.
24 En as hulle gaan, het ek die geruis van hulle vlerke gehoor soos die geruis van baie waters, soos die stem van die Almagtige -- 'n gedruis soos die gedreun van 'n leër. As hulle staan, het hulle hul vlerke laat sak.
25 En daar het 'n stem gekom bo van die uitspansel af wat oor hulle hoof was; as hulle staan, het hulle hul vlerke laat sak.
26 En bokant die uitspansel wat oor hulle hoof was, was iets wat soos saffiersteen gelyk het, in die gestalte van 'n troon; en op die troongestalte 'n gestalte wat soos 'n mens gelyk het.
27 Ek sien toe iets soos blinkende metaal; van wat soos sy lendene gelyk het boontoe soos vuur, rondom in 'n omhulsel gevat; en van wat soos sy lendene gelyk het ondertoe, het ek iets gesien soos vuur met 'n glans daaromheen.
28 Soos die gedaante van die boog wat in die wolk is op 'n reëndag, so het die glans rondom gelyk. So het die verskyning van die heerlikheid van die HERE gelyk. En toe ek dit sien, het ek op my aangesig geval en die stem gehoor van Een wat spreek.
1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was by the river Chebar among those who had been made prisoners, that the heavens were made open and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month, in the fifth year after King Jehoiachin had been made a prisoner,
3 The word of the Lord came to me, Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on me there.
4 And, looking, I saw a storm-wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with flames of fire coming after one another, and a bright light shining round about it and in the heart of it was something coloured like electrum.
5 And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man.
6 And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the under sides of their feet were like the feet of oxen; and they were shining like polished brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings; the four of them had faces on their four sides.
9 They went without turning, every one went straight forward.
10 As for the form of their faces, they had the face of a man, and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle.
11 And their wings were separate at the top; two of the wings of every one were joined one to another, and two were covering their bodies.
12 Every one of them went straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go they went; they went on without turning.
13 And between the living beings it was like burning coals of fire, as if flames were going one after the other between the living beings; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went thunder-flames.
14 And the living beings went out and came back as quickly as a thunder-flame.
15 Now while I was looking at the four living beings, I saw one wheel on the earth, by the side of the living beings, for the four of them.
16 The form of the wheels and their work was like a beryl; the four of them had the same form and design, and they were like a wheel inside a wheel.
17 The four of them went straight forward without turning to one side.
18 And I saw that they had edges, and their edges, even of the four, were full of eyes round about.
19 And when the living beings went on, the wheels went by their side; and when the living beings were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Wherever the spirit was to go they went; and the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
21 When these went on, the others went; and when these came to rest, the others came to rest; and when these were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
22 And over the heads of the living beings there was the form of an arch, looking like ice, stretched out over their heads on high.
23 Under the arch their wings were straight, one stretched out to another: every one had two wings covering their bodies on this side and two covering their bodies on that side.
24 And when they went, the sound of their wings was like the sound of great waters to my ears, like the voice of the Ruler of all, a sound like the rushing of an army: when they came to rest they let down their wings.
25 And there was a voice from the top of the arch which was over their heads: when they came to rest they let down their wings.
26 And on the top of the arch which was over their heads was the form of a king's seat, like a sapphire stone; and on the form of the seat was the form of a man seated on it on high.
27 And I saw it coloured like electrum, with the look of fire in it and round it, going up from what seemed to be the middle of his body; and going down from what seemed to be the middle of his body I saw what was like fire, and there was a bright light shining round him.
28 Like the bow in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the light shining round him. And this is what the glory of the Lord was like. And when I saw it I went down on my face, and the voice of one talking came to my ears.