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 Tai buvo trisdešimtaisiais metais, ketvirto mėnesio penktą dieną, man esant tarp tremtinių prie Kebaro upės. Atsivėrė dangūs, ir aš mačiau Dievo regėjimus.

2 Penktaisiais karaliaus Joachino tremties metais, penktą mėnesio dieną,

3 Viešpats kalbėjo kunigui Ezechieliui, Buzio sūnui, chaldėjų krašte prie Kebaro upės. Viešpaties ranka buvo ten ant jo.

4 Aš mačiau iš šiaurės kylantį viesulą ir debesis, aplinkui liepsnojo ugnis. Ugnies vidurys spindėjo lyg žėrintis gintaras.

5 Liepsnų viduryje mačiau keturias būtybes. Jų išvaizda buvo panaši į žmogaus.

6 Kiekviena jų turėjo keturis veidus ir keturis sparnus.

7 Jų kojos buvo tiesios, o kojų pėdos panašios į veršio kanopas. Būtybės žibėjo kaip išlydytas varis.

8 Po jų sparnais keturiuose šonuose buvo žmogaus rankos. Veidus ir sparnus jos turėjo keturiose pusėse.

9 Sparnai lietė vienas kitą. Eidamos jos nesisuko, kiekviena ėjo tiesiai.

10 Visų keturių veidai atrodė taip: priekyje buvo žmogaus veidas, dešinėje­liūto veidas, kairėje­veršio veidas ir užpakalyje­erelio veidas.

11 Jų sparnai buvo ištiesti ir pakelti į viršų. Du sparnai lietė vienas kitą, kiti du­dengė jų kūnus.

12 Jos ėjo kiekviena tiesiai pirmyn. Kur dvasia norėjo eiti, ten jos ir ėjo, ir eidamos nepasisukdavo.

13 Būtybės atrodė kaip degančios anglys, kaip žibintai. Ugnis judėjo tarp būtybių. Ji buvo labai šviesi, o iš jos žybčiojo žaibai.

14 Būtybės judėjo pirmyn ir atgal tarsi žaibai.

15 Žiūrėdamas į būtybes, mačiau ant žemės prie kiekvienos iš jų po ratą.

16 Ratai atrodė lyg berilis. Visi keturi buvo vienodi ir taip pat padaryti. Kiekvienas iš jų atrodė lyg būtų ratas rate.

17 Jie judėdavo į keturias puses nepasisukdami.

18 Jų ratlankiai buvo aukšti ir keliantys baimę. Visi keturi ratlankiai buvo pilni akių.

19 Einant būtybėms, drauge ėjo ir ratai; pakilus būtybėms aukštyn, pakildavo ir ratai.

20 Kur dvasia ėjo, ir jie ėjo; pakilus dvasiai, ir ratai pakildavo, nes būtybių dvasia ir buvo ratuose.

21 Jei jos ėjo, ir jie ėjo drauge, jei jos sustodavo, sustodavo ir jie; jei jos pakildavo nuo žemės, pakildavo ir ratai, nes būtybių dvasia buvo ratuose.

22 Virš būtybių galvų buvo kažkas panašaus į dangaus skliautą, kuris žėrėjo kaip krištolas ir gaubė jas.

23 Po skliautu kiekviena būtybė dviem sparnais dengė savo kūną, o kiti du sparnai buvo ištiesti.

24 Joms judant, girdėjau jų sparnų ūžimą lyg galingo vandenyno, lyg Visagalio balsą, lyg didelės kariuomenės stovyklos triukšmą. Joms sustojus, sparnai nusileisdavo.

25 Nuo skliauto, esančio virš jų galvų, aidėjo balsas. Kai jos stovėjo, sparnai buvo nuleisti.

26 Virš skliauto, kuris buvo virš jų galvų, mačiau lyg sostą iš safyro ir ant jo sėdinčią į žmogų panašią būtybę.

27 Būtybė nuo juosmens aukštyn ir žemyn spindėjo lyg gintaras, lyg ugnies liepsnos,

28 lyg lankas, kuris pasirodo debesyse lyjant, Jį supo spindėjimas. Tai buvo Viešpaties šlovės pasirodymas. Pamatęs tai, kritau veidu žemėn ir išgirdau balsą.