< Ezekiel 1 >

1 On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I was with the other exiles by the River Kebar. The heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
Et factum est in trigesimo anno, in quarto, in quinta mensis, cum essem in medio captivorum juxta fluvium Chobar, aperti sunt cæli, et vidi visiones Dei.
2 (On the fifth day of the month of the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile,
In quinta mensis, ipse est annus quintus transmigrationis regis Joachin,
3 a message from Lord was given to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of Babylonia by the River Kebar. There Lord's power came over him.)
factum est verbum Domini ad Ezechielem filium Buzi sacerdotem, in terra Chaldæorum, secus flumen Chobar: et facta est super eum ibi manus Domini.
4 I looked up and saw a windstorm racing in from the north, a tremendous cloud with fire flashing like lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The middle of the fire looked like glowing metal
Et vidi, et ecce ventus turbinis veniebat ab aquilone, et nubes magna, et ignis involvens, et splendor in circuitu ejus: et de medio ejus, quasi species electri, id est, de medio ignis:
5 and within it was the shape of four beings. This was what they looked like: They had a human shape,
et in medio ejus similitudo quatuor animalium. Et hic aspectus eorum, similitudo hominis in eis.
6 but they each had four faces and four wings.
Quatuor facies uni, et quatuor pennæ uni.
7 They had straight legs, and the soles of their feet looked like the hooves of calves, and shone like polished bronze.
Pedes eorum, pedes recti, et planta pedis eorum quasi planta pedis vituli: et scintillæ quasi aspectus æris candentis.
8 They had human hands under their wings on each of their four sides. The four of them all had faces and wings,
Et manus hominis sub pennis eorum, in quatuor partibus: et facies et pennas per quatuor partes habebant.
9 and each of their wings touched the wings of the one next to it. As they moved they didn't turn—they all moved straight in one direction.
Junctæque erant pennæ eorum alterius ad alterum: non revertebantur cum incederent, sed unumquodque ante faciem suam gradiebatur.
10 This what their faces looked like. They had a human face to the front, a lion's face to the right, a bull's face to the left, and lastly an eagle's face.
Similitudo autem vultus eorum, facies hominis et facies leonis a dextris ipsorum quatuor, facies autem bovis a sinistris ipsorum quatuor, et facies aquilæ desuper ipsorum quatuor.
11 These were their faces. Their wings were spread out above them. They all had two wings that touched the wings of the one beside it, as well as two wings that covered its body.
Facies eorum et pennæ eorum extentæ desuper: duæ pennæ singulorum jungebantur, et duæ tegebant corpora eorum.
12 Each of them went together in whatever direction the Spirit wished them to go, moving without turning.
Et unumquodque eorum coram facie sua ambulabat: ubi erat impetus spiritus, illuc gradiebantur, nec revertebantur cum ambularent.
13 These beings looked like bright burning coals or torches. Blazing fire moved to and fro between the beings, and lightning flashed out from the fire.
Et similitudo animalium, aspectus eorum quasi carbonum ignis ardentium, et quasi aspectus lampadarum: hæc erat visio discurrens in medio animalium, splendor ignis, et de igne fulgur egrediens.
14 The beings raced to and fro as fast as the lightning flashes.
Et animalia ibant et revertebantur, in similitudinem fulguris coruscantis.
15 As I was watching these beings, I noticed a wheel on the ground next to each of the beings with their four faces.
Cumque aspicerem animalia, apparuit rota una super terram juxta animalia, habens quatuor facies.
16 The wheels looked like they were made of topaz, and all four wheels were the same. In the middle of each wheel was what looked like another wheel set crossways.
Et aspectus rotarum et opus earum quasi visio maris: et una similitudo ipsarum quatuor: et aspectus earum et opera quasi sit rota in medio rotæ.
17 They could move in any direction without turning as they did so.
Per quatuor partes earum euntes ibant, et non revertebantur cum ambularent.
18 The wheel rims were impressively high, and all of the four rims were covered in eyes.
Statura quoque erat rotis, et altitudo, et horribilis aspectus: et totum corpus oculis plenum in circuitu ipsarum quatuor.
19 As the beings moved so did the wheels next to them, and when the beings flew up, the wheels did too.
Cumque ambularent animalia, ambulabant pariter et rotæ juxta ea: et cum elevarentur animalia de terra, elevabantur simul et rotæ.
20 They would go wherever the Spirit went. The wheels would lift up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
Quocumque ibat spiritus, illuc, eunte spiritu, et rotæ pariter elevabantur sequentes eum: spiritus enim vitæ erat in rotis.
21 When the beings moved, the wheels moved; when they stopped, the wheels stopped; and when they flew up from the ground, the wheels flew up beside them, because the Spirit of the beings was in the wheels to direct them.
Cum euntibus ibant, et cum stantibus stabant: et cum elevatis a terra, pariter elevabantur et rotæ sequentes ea, quia spiritus vitæ erat in rotis.
22 Extending above the heads of the being was something that looked like an amazing expanse that glittered like ice crystal.
Et similitudo super capita animalium firmamenti, quasi aspectus crystalli horribilis, et extenti super capita eorum desuper.
23 Under this expanse the wings of the beings spread out toward one another. Each of them also had two wings that covered its body.
Sub firmamento autem pennæ eorum rectæ alterius ad alterum: unumquodque duabus alis velabat corpus suum, et alterum similiter velabatur.
24 When the beings moved, I heard the sound their wings made. It was like the roar of a thundering waterfall, like the voice of the Almighty, like the noise of an army on the march. Whenever they stopped, they folded their wings.
Et audiebam sonum alarum, quasi sonum aquarum multarum, quasi sonum sublimis Dei: cum ambularent, quasi sonus erat multitudinis ut sonus castrorum: cumque starent, demittebantur pennæ eorum.
25 A voice spoke from beyond the expanse over their heads while they were standing still with their wings folded.
Nam cum fieret vox super firmamentum quod erat super caput eorum, stabant, et submittebant alas suas.
26 Above the expanse over their heads I saw what looked like a throne made of lapis lazuli. Sitting on the throne high above was a being who looked like a man.
Et super firmamentum quod erat imminens capiti eorum, quasi aspectus lapidis sapphiri similitudo throni: et super similitudinem throni similitudo quasi aspectus hominis desuper.
27 From what seemed to be his waist upwards, he looked like glowing metal with fire inside and everywhere around. From what seemed to be his waist downwards, I saw what looked like fire. He was surrounded by very bright light.
Et vidi quasi speciem electri, velut aspectum ignis, intrinsecus ejus per circuitum: a lumbis ejus et desuper, et a lumbis ejus usque deorsum, vidi quasi speciem ignis splendentis in circuitu,
28 The bright light surrounding him was like a rainbow shining through the clouds on a rainy day. This was what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell facedown on the ground, and then I heard someone speaking to me.
velut aspectum arcus cum fuerit in nube in die pluviæ. Hic erat aspectus splendoris per gyrum.

< Ezekiel 1 >