1 Em 31 de julho de meu trigésimo ano, enquanto eu estava com os exilados judeus junto ao rio Quebar, na Babilônia, os céus se abriram e tive visões de Deus. 2 Isso aconteceu no quinto ano do exílio do rei Joaquim. 3 (O Senhor deu essa mensagem ao sacerdote Ezequiel, filho de Buzi, junto ao rio Quebar, na terra dos babilônios, e a mão do Senhor estava sobre ele.)

4 Quando olhei, vi uma grande tempestade que vinha do norte. Uma nuvem faiscava com relâmpagos e brilhava com luz intensa. Dentro da nuvem havia fogo e, no meio do fogo, resplandecia algo semelhante a âmbar reluzente. 5 Do centro da nuvem surgiram quatro seres vivos de aparência humana, 6 porém cada um tinha quatro rostos e quatro asas. 7 Suas pernas eram retas, e seus pés tinham cascos como os de bezerro e brilhavam como bronze polido. 8 Debaixo de cada uma das quatro asas, vi mãos humanas. Assim, cada um dos quatro seres tinha quatro rostos e quatro asas. 9 As asas de cada um dos seres tocavam as asas dos seres ao seu lado. Cada um se movia para a frente, sem se virar.

10 Cada um dos quatro seres tinha rosto humano na frente, rosto de leão à direita, rosto de boi à esquerda e rosto de águia atrás. 11 Cada um tinha dois pares de asas estendidas: com um par tocava as asas dos seres de cada lado e com o outro par cobria o corpo. 12 Deslocavam-se em qualquer direção que o espírito indicava e moviam-se para a frente, sem se virar.

13 Os seres vivos eram semelhantes a brasas acesas ou tochas reluzentes, e relâmpagos pareciam faiscar entre eles. 14 Os seres vivos se deslocavam de um lado para o outro rapidamente, como relâmpagos.

15 Enquanto eu olhava para esses seres, vi quatro rodas que tocavam o chão junto a eles, uma roda para cada um. 16 As rodas brilhavam, como se fossem feitas de berilo. As quatro rodas eram semelhantes e feitas da mesma forma; cada uma tinha dentro dela outra roda que girava na transversal. 17 Os seres podiam se deslocar em qualquer uma das quatro direções, sem se virar enquanto se moviam. 18 Os aros das rodas eram altos e assustadores, cobertos de olhos em todo o redor.

19 Quando os seres vivos se moviam, as rodas se moviam com eles. Quando eles voavam para cima, as rodas também subiam. 20 O espírito dos seres vivos estava nas rodas; aonde quer que o espírito fosse, as rodas e os seres vivos o acompanhavam. 21 Quando os seres se moviam, as rodas também se moviam. Quando os seres paravam, as rodas também paravam. Quando os seres voavam para cima, as rodas também subiam, pois o espírito dos seres vivos estava nas rodas.

22 Acima deles estendia-se uma superfície como o céu, brilhante como cristal. 23 Abaixo dessa superfície as asas de cada ser vivo se estendiam de modo a tocar as asas dos outros, e as outras duas asas cobriam seu corpo. 24 Quando voavam, o estrondo de suas asas soava para mim como ondas do mar quebrando na praia, como a voz do Todo-poderoso, ou como os gritos de um grande exército. Quando os seres pararam, abaixaram as asas. 25 Enquanto estavam com as asas abaixadas, uma voz falou de além da superfície acima deles.

26 Acima dessa superfície havia algo parecido com um trono de safira. No trono, bem no alto, havia uma figura semelhante a um homem. 27 Da cintura para cima, tinha a aparência de âmbar reluzente que cintilava como o fogo, e, da cintura para baixo, parecia uma chama ardente que brilhava com esplendor. 28 Estava rodeado por um aro luminoso, como arco-íris que resplandece entre as nuvens num dia de chuva. Essa era a aparência da glória do Senhor para mim. Quando a vi, prostrei-me com o rosto no chão e ouvi a voz de alguém que falava comigo.

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.