Ezekiel 1

vayehi bishloshim shanah barevi'i bakhamisha lakhodesh va'ani vetokh-haggolah al-nehar-kevar niftekhu hashamayim va'ereh marot elohim

In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.

bakhamisha lakhodesh hi hashanah hakhamishit legalut hammelekh yoyakhin

(On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—

hayoh hayah devar-Adonai el-yekhezqel ben-buzi hakkohen be'erets kasdim al-nehar-kevar vattehi alayw sham yad-Adonai

the word of GOD came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, by the Chebar Canal, in the land of the Chaldeans. And the hand of GOD came upon him there.)

va'ere vehinneh ruakh se'arah ba'ah min-hatsafon anan gadol ve'esh mitlaqqakhat venogah-lo saviv umittokhah ke'en hakhashmal mittokh ha'esh

I looked, and lo, a stormy wind came sweeping out of the north—a huge cloud and flashing fire, surrounded by a radiance; and in the center of it, in the center of the fire, a gleam as of amber.

umittokhah demut arba khayyot vezeh marehen demut adam lahennah

In the center of it were also the figures of four creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the figures of human beings.

ve'arba'ah fanim le'ekhat ve'arba kenafayim le'akhat lahem

However, each had four faces, and each of them had four wings;

veraglehem regel yesharah vekhaf raglehem kekhaf regel egel venotsetsim ke'en nekhoshet qalal

the legs of each were [fused into] a single rigid leg, and the feet of each were like a single calf’s hoof; and their sparkle was like the luster of burnished bronze.

(vydv) [vide] adam mittakhat kanfehem al arba'at rivehem ufenehem vekhanfehem le'arbatam

They had human hands below their wings. The four of them had their faces and their wings on their four sides.

khoverot isha el-akhotah kanfehem lo-yissabbu velekhtan ish el-ever panayw yelekhu

Each one’s wings touched those of the other. They did not turn when they moved; each could move in the direction of any of its faces.

udemut penehem pene adam ufene aryeh el-hayyamin le'arbatam ufene-shor mehassemovl le'arbatan ufene-nesher le'arbatan

Each of them had a human face [at the front]; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right; each of the four had the face of an ox on the left; and each of the four had the face of an eagle [at the back].

ufenehem vekhanfehem perudot milma'elah le'ish shetayim khoverot ish ushetayim mekhassot et geviyyotehenah

Such were their faces. As for their wings, they were separated: above, each had two touching those of the others, while the other two covered its body.

ve'ish el-ever panayw yelekhu el asher yihyeh-shammah haruakh lalekhet yelekhu lo yissabbu belekhtan

And each could move in the direction of any of its faces; they went wherever the spirit impelled them to go, without turning when they moved.

udemut hakhayyot marehem kegakhale-esh bo'arot kemareh hallappidim hi mithallekhet ben hakhayyot venogah la'esh umin-ha'esh yotse varaq

Such then was the appearance of the creatures. With them was something that looked like burning coals of fire. This fire, suggestive of torches, kept moving about among the creatures; the fire had a radiance, and lightning issued from the fire.

vehakhayyot ratso vashov kemareh habbazaq

Dashing to and fro [among] the creatures was something that looked like flares.

va'ere hakhayyot vehinneh ofan ekhad ba'arets etsel hakhayyot le'arba'at panayw

As I gazed on the creatures, I saw one wheel on the ground next to each of the four-faced creatures.

mareh ha'ofannim uma'asehem ke'en tarshish udemut ekhad le'arbatan umarehem uma'asehem ka'asher yihyeh ha'ofan betokh ha'ofan

As for the appearance and structure of the wheels, they gleamed like beryl. All four had the same form; the appearance and structure of each was as of two wheels cutting through each other.

al-arba'at rivehen belekhtam yelekhu lo yissabbu belekhtan

And when they moved, each could move in the direction of any of its four quarters; they did not veer when they moved.

vegabbehen vegovah lahem veyirah lahem vegabbotam mele'ot enayim saviv le'arbatan

Their rims were tall and frightening, for the rims of all four were covered all over with eyes.

uvelekhet hakhayyot yelekhu ha'ofannim etslam uvehinnase hakhayyot me'al ha'arets yinnase'u ha'ofannim

And when the creatures moved forward, the wheels moved at their sides; and when the creatures were borne above the earth, the wheels were borne too.

al asher yihyeh-sham haruakh lalekhet yelekhu shammah haruakh lalekhet veha'ofannim yinnase'u le'ummatam ki ruakh hakhayyah ba'ofannim

Wherever the spirit impelled them to go, they went—wherever the spirit impelled them—and the wheels were borne alongside them; for the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels.

belekhtam yelekhu uve'omdam ya'amodu uvehinnase'am me'al ha'arets yinnase'u ha'ofannim le'ummatam ki ruakh hakhayyah ba'ofannim

When those moved, these moved; and when those stood still, these stood still; and when those were borne above the earth, the wheels were borne alongside them—for the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels.

udemut al-rashe hakhayyah raqia ke'en haqqerakh hannora natuy al-rashehem milma'elah

Above the heads of the creatures was a form: an expanse, with an awe-inspiring gleam as of crystal, was spread out above their heads.

vetakhat haraqia kanfehem yesharot isha el-akhotah le'ish shetayim mekhassot lahennah ule'ish shetayim mekhassot lahennah et geviyyotehem

Under the expanse, each had one pair of wings extended toward those of the others; and each had another pair covering its body.

va'eshma et-qol kanfehem keqol mayim rabbim keqol-shadday belekhtam qol hamullah keqol makhaneh be'omdam terappenah khanfehen

When they moved, I could hear the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the sound of Shaddai, a tumult like the din of an army. When they stood still, they would let their wings droop.

vayehi-qol me'al laraqia asher al-rosham be'omdam terappenah khanfehen

From above the expanse over their heads came a sound. When they stood still, they would let their wings droop.

umimma'al laraqia asher al-rosham kemareh even-sappir demut kisse ve'al demut hakkisse demut kemareh adam alayw milma'elah

Above the expanse over their heads was the semblance of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and on top, upon this semblance of a throne, there was the semblance of a human form.

va'ere ke'en khashmal kemareh-esh bet-lah saviv mimmareh motnayw ulema'elah umimmareh motnayw ulemattah ra'iti kemareh-esh venogah lo saviv

From what appeared as the loins up, I saw a gleam as of amber—what looked like a fire encased in a frame; and from what appeared as the loins down, I saw what looked like fire. There was a surrounding radiance.

kemareh haqqeshet asher yihyeh ve'anan beyom haggeshem ken mareh hannogah saviv hu mareh demut kevod-Adonai va'ereh va'eppol al-panay va'eshma qol medabber

Like the appearance of the bow that shines in the clouds on a day of rain, such was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. That was the appearance of the semblance of the Presence of GOD. When I beheld it, I flung myself down on my face. And I heard the voice of someone speaking.