1 Era o quinto dia do quarto mês do trigésimo ano, e eu estava entre os exilados, junto ao rio Quebar. Abriram-se os céus, e eu tive visões de Deus.

2 Foi no quinto ano do exílio do rei Joaquim, no quinto dia do quarto mês.

3 A palavra do Senhor veio ao sacerdote Ezequiel, filho de Buzi, junto ao rio Quebar, na terra dos caldeus. Ali a mão do Senhor esteve sobre ele.

4 Olhei e vi uma tempestade que vinha do norte: uma nuvem imensa, com relâmpagos e faíscas, e cercada por uma luz brilhante. O centro do fogo parecia metal reluzente,

5 e no meio do fogo havia quatro vultos que pareciam seres viventes. Na aparência tinham forma de homem,

6 mas cada um deles tinha quatro rostos e quatro asas.

7 Suas pernas eram retas; seus pés eram como os de um bezerro e reluziam como bronze polido.

8 Debaixo de suas asas, nos quatro lados, tinham mãos humanas. Os quatro tinham rostos e asas,

9 e as suas asas encostavam umas nas outras. Quando se moviam andavam para a frente, e não se viravam.

10 Quanto à aparência dos seus rostos, os quatro tinham rosto de homem, rosto de leão no lado direito, rosto de boi no lado esquerdo, e rosto de águia.

11 Assim eram os seus rostos. Suas asas estavam estendidas para cima; cada um deles tinha duas asas que se encostavam na de outro ser vivente, de um lado e do outro, e duas asas que cobriam os seus corpos.

12 Cada um deles ia sempre para a frente. Para onde quer que fosse o Espírito eles iam, e não se viravam quando se moviam.

13 Os seres viventes pareciam carvão aceso; eram como tochas. O fogo ia de um lado a outro entre os seres viventes, e do fogo saíam relâmpagos e faíscas.

14 Os seres viventes iam e vinham como relâmpagos.

15 Enquanto eu olhava para eles, vi uma roda ao lado de cada um deles, diante dos seus quatro rostos.

16 Esta era a aparência das rodas e a sua estrutura: Reluziam como o berilo; e as quatro tinham aparência semelhante. Cada roda parecia estar entrosada na outra.

17 Quando se moviam, seguiam nas quatro direções dos quatro rostos, e não se viravam enquanto iam.

18 Seus aros eram altos e impressionantes e estavam cheios de olhos ao redor.

19 Quando os seres viventes se moviam, as rodas ao seu lado se moviam; e, quando se elevavam do chão, as rodas também se elevavam.

20 Para onde quer que o Espírito fosse, os seres viventes iam, e as rodas os seguiam, porque o mesmo Espírito estava nelas.

21 Quando os seres viventes se moviam, elas também se moviam; quando eles ficavam imóveis, elas também ficavam; e quando os seres viventes se elevavam do chão, as rodas também se elevavam com eles, porque o mesmo Espírito deles estava nelas.

22 Acima das cabeças dos seres viventes estava o que parecia uma abóboda, reluzente como gelo, e impressionante.

23 Debaixo dela cada ser vivente estendia duas asas ao que lhe estava mais próximo, e com as outras duas asas cobria o corpo.

24 Ouvi o ruído de suas asas quando voavam. Parecia o ruído de muitas águas, parecia a voz do Todo-poderoso. Era um ruído estrondoso, como o de um exército. Quando paravam, fechavam as asas.

25 Então veio uma voz de cima da abóboda sobre as suas cabeças, enquanto eles ficavam de asas fechadas.

26 Acima da abóboda sobre as suas cabeças havia o que parecia um trono de safira, e, bem no alto, sobre o trono, havia uma figura que parecia um homem.

27 A parte de cima do que parecia ser a cintura dele, vi que parecia metal brilhante, como que cheia de fogo, e que a parte de baixo parecia fogo; e uma luz brilhante o cercava.

28 Tal como a aparência do arco-íris nas nuvens de um dia chuvoso, assim era o resplendor ao seu redor. Essa era a aparência da figura da glória do Senhor. Quando a vi, prostrei-me com o rosto em terra, e ouvi a voz de alguém falando.

1 Now 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, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

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

4 I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of the middle of it as it were glowing metal, out of the middle of the fire. 5 Out of its center came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man. 6 Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings. 7 Their feet were straight feet. The sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. The four of them had their faces and their wings like this: 9 Their wings were joined to one another. They didn’t turn when they went. Each one went straight forward.

10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them had the face of an ox on the left side. The four of them also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies. 12 Each one went straight forward. Where the spirit was to go, they went. They didn’t turn 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. The fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire. 14 The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15 Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl. The four of them had one likeness. 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 didn’t turn when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.

19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went. The spirit was to go there. The wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood. 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 Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like an awesome crystal to look at, stretched out over their heads above. 23 Under the expanse, their wings were straight, one toward the other. Each one had two which covered on this side, and each one had two which covered their bodies on that side. 24 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 an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.

25 There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings. 26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above. 27 I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.