1-3Mit navn er Ezekiel, søn af Buzi, og jeg tilhører præsteslægten. Da jeg var 30 år gammel,[1] viste Herren mig en række syner. Det begyndte på den femte dag i årets fjerde måned, og det var fem år efter, at kong Jojakin, en stor del af folket og jeg selv var ført i eksil. Jeg opholdt mig ved Kebarfloden i Babylonien, hvor jeg boede blandt de bortførte judæere. Pludselig kom Guds kraft over mig. Det var, som om himlen åbnedes, og jeg så de utroligste ting.4Først hørte jeg en voldsom vind komme fra nord. Den drev en stor sky foran sig, og ud fra skyen stod der flammer, som oplyste alt omkring den, og i centrum af flammerne var der noget, der så ud som glødende metal.5-8Midt i skyen var der fire levende væsener, der lignede mennesker, bortset fra, at hver af dem havde fire ansigter, fire arme og fire vinger. Deres ben skinnede som bronze og lignede menneskeben, men deres fødder lignede mest fødderne på en kalv. Armene sad neden under vingerne, en arm under hver vinge.9-11Hver af dem havde et menneskeansigt, der vendte fremad, et løveansigt, der vendte mod højre, et okseansigt mod venstre, og et ørneansigt, der vendte bagud. De fire vinger sad i par, og det ene par vinger var spredt ud, så de fire væsener rørte ved hinanden med vingespidserne, mens det andet vingepar var foldet sammen ind til kroppen. De kunne bevæge sig i alle retninger uden at vende sig,12så dér, hvor ånden i dem ønskede, at de skulle hen, bevægede de sig af sted uden at vende sig.13-14De levende væsener udsendte et kraftigt lys som glødende kul eller brændende fakler, og de hoppede hurtigt frem og tilbage, så det så ud som lyn, der glimtede imellem dem.15Mens jeg iagttog de levende væsener, opdagede jeg fire hjul på jorden under dem, ét hjul under hvert af de fire væsener.16Hjulene var alle ens og skinnede som ædelsten. Hjulene var lavet sådan, at der sad et andet hjul på tværs inden i dem,17så de kunne bevæge sig i alle fire retninger uden at dreje.18De fire hjul havde fælge og eger, og på kanten af fælgene sad der øjne hele vejen rundt.19-21Når de fire levende væsener bevægede sig fremad, bevægede hjulene sig fremad sammen med dem. Når de bevægede sig opad, bevægede hjulene sig også opad, og når de standsede, standsede hjulene også. Hvor som helst de bevægede sig hen, fulgte hjulene med, for deres ånd var i hjulene.22Over de levende væsener var der udspændt noget ligesom en hvælving, der glimtede som krystal.23Og under hvælvingen stod så væsenerne med det ene par vinger spredt ud, så de rørte hinanden, og det andet par vinger foldet ind til kroppen.24-25Når de bevægede sig, lød vingesuset som drønet fra et vældigt vandfald, som den almægtige Guds stemme eller som lyden af en fremstormende hær. Når de standsede, sænkede de vingerne, og der lød en tordnende røst fra krystalhvælvingen oven over dem.26Oven over hvælvingen var der noget, der lignede en trone af safir, og på tronen sad der en skikkelse, som lignede et menneske.27Det øverste af ham, fra hofterne og opefter, så ud som glødende metal, mens den nederste del, fra hofterne og nedefter, så ud som flammende ild. Rundt om ham var der en strålende krans.28Lyset omkring ham var som regnbuens glans, når den viser sig på himlen en regnvejrsdag. Jeg var klar over, at det var Herrens herlighed, der strålede omkring mig. Da jeg så det, kastede jeg mig ned med ansigtet mod jorden. Derpå hørte jeg en stemme, som talte til mig.
4As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.[2] (Jer 1,14; Jer 23,19; Jer 25,32; Jer 30,23; Ez 1,27; Ez 3,12; Ez 8,2)5And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, (Ez 10,14; Ez 10,21; Åb 4,6)6but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. (Ez 10,21)7Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. (Ez 40,3; Åb 1,15; Åb 2,18)8Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: (Ez 1,17; Ez 10,8; Ez 10,11; Ez 10,21)9their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. (Ez 1,8; Ez 10,22)10As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. (Ez 10,14; Ez 10,21)11Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. (Es 6,2; Ez 1,23)12And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit[3] would go, they went, without turning as they went. (Ez 1,9; Ez 10,17)13As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. (Salm 97,3; Salm 104,4)14And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning. (Zak 4,10; Matt 24,27; Luk 17,24)15Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.[4] (Ez 10,9; Dan 7,9)16As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. (Ez 1,15; Ez 10,10; Dan 10,6)17When they went, they went in any of their four directions[5] without turning as they went. (Ez 1,8; Ez 1,9; Ez 10,11)18And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. (Ez 10,12; Åb 4,8)19And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. (Ez 10,16; Ez 10,19; Ez 11,22)20Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures[6] was in the wheels. (Ez 10,17)21When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. (Ez 1,19; Ez 1,20)22Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. (Ez 1,25; Ez 10,1; Åb 4,6)23And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. (Ez 1,7; Ez 1,11)24And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. (1.Mos 17,1; Salm 29,3; Salm 68,33; Ez 43,2; Dan 10,6; Åb 1,15; Åb 19,6)25And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings. (Ez 1,22)26And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire;[7] and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. (2.Mos 24,10; 1.Kong 22,19; Ez 10,1; Dan 8,15; Åb 1,13)27And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.[8] (Ez 1,4; Ez 8,2)28Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. (1.Mos 9,13; 1.Mos 17,3; 1.Mos 17,17; 2.Mos 24,16; Josva 5,14; Ez 3,23; Ez 8,4; Ez 9,3; Ez 10,4; Ez 10,18; Ez 11,22; Ez 43,3; Ez 43,4; Ez 44,4; Dan 8,17; Ap G 9,4; Åb 1,17; Åb 4,3; Åb 10,1)