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. 2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3 the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him.

4 And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire infolding itself, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst thereof as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire. 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; 6 and every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings. 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 burnished brass. 8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. 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. 11 And their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces thereof. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto a beryl: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in their four directions: they turned not when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 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.

22 And over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, like the terrible crystal to look upon, stretched forth over their heads above. 23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies. 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. 25 And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.

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. 27 And I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, 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. 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 Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

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.