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 {Hebrew: captivity.}captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
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.
And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire {Or, flashing continually}infolding itself, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst thereof {Or, as amber to look upon}as it were glowing {Or, amber}metal, out of the midst of the fire.
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;
and every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
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.
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:
their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
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.
{Or, And thus were their faces; and their wings were &c.}And their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.
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.
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces thereof.
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 {Hebrew: in the mist of.}within a wheel.
When they went, they went {Hebrew: on their four sides.}in their four directions: they turned not when they went.
As for their {Or, felloes}rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.
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.
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up {Or, over against}beside them; for the spirit {Or, of life}of the living creature was in the wheels.
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 {Or, over against}beside them: for the spirit {Or, of life}of the living creature was in the wheels.
And over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, like the terrible {Or, ice}crystal to look upon, stretched forth over their heads above.
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two which covered {Or, for them}on this side, and every one had two which covered {Or, for them}on that side, their bodies.
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.
And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.
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.
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 {Or, it}him.
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.
Querverweise zu Hesekiel 1,17 Hes 1,17
their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.
Then I looked, and behold, in the firmament that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
And he spake unto the man clothed in linen, and said, Go in between the whirling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill both thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and {Or, sprinkle}scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
And the glory of Jehovah mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Jehovah's glory.
And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of {Hebrew: El Shaddai.}God Almighty when he speaketh.
And it came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim, that he went in, and stood beside a wheel.
And the cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings.
And I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like unto a {Or, stone of Tarshish}beryl stone.
And as for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been {Hebrew: in the midst of.}within a wheel.
When they went, they went {Hebrew: on their four sides.}in their four directions: they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.
so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.