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 Yahweh came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Yahweh was there on him.4 And I looked and saw that 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 of it as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.5 And out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of 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 bronze.8 And they had the hands of man under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings [thus]:9 their wings were joined one to another; they did not turn when they went; they went every one straight forward.10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of 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; the four of them 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: where the spirit was to go, they went; they did not 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; 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 And I looked at the living creatures, and saw one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of their four faces.16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and the four of them had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel inside a wheel.17 When they went, they went in their four directions: they did not 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 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 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there 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 awesome crystal to look at, stretched forth over their heads above.23 And under the firmament their wings were 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 on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of man on it above.27 And I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire inside 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 Yahweh. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one who spoke.

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.